The times., 1897-04-28
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
Patent Granted for a Washington
Mans Unique Invention.
A Novel Mechanical Device Which
VIII Puzzle Practical Engineers.
Differential Fly Wheel.

Mr.. BENJAMIN c. Pole, a prominent bust
ness man of this city, has been granted
patent by the Patent Office on some
what sensational invention called a diff
ferential flywheel, intended to be used
with great advanta ge In place OF the ordi-
nary combination OF crank, shaft and
wheel in one solid piece. 1t is claimed
that by this invention a five-horsepower
engine could be made to develop re-
markabiy large quantity of power. The
invention is unique one in many respects
and is exciting a lively interest on the
part of engineering experts. 1t is claimed
by the inventor that his new application
OF power permits him To throw the loint
OF leverage out near the periphery OF the
flywheeI, and even farther IL he likes, and
that, with each successive move outward
he gains in effective leverage without a
dimunition of speed either Of the engine
crank or Of the power wheel. He also as
scrts that, for the first time in the his
tory OF mechanics, he has produced con-
trivance which will give continuous lev
erage in the line OF motion
IL this unique device the big nywneel
is loosely mounted on the crank-bearing
shaft Of the axle, to which power is ap-
piled by the piston Of the engine On this
same crank-shaft / S also soIidly mounted Il
gear or cogwheel, which engages with a
second gear, known as the idIer. and this
gear again turns a third one TWO gears
are fastened together by an axle, that
passes through bearing in the arm of the
big fiywheei, then engages ON a rear gear
hot t. x..1 t.t H.
the engine crank, motion is impaired to
this tIaIn OF wheels, and, as the back
gear, last mentioned, cannot move, the
rest of the me chanism has to travel around
1t, forcing the big fiywheeI withit, through
a bearing, in the same direction that the
crank is moving. The advantage claimed
for the apparatus is that two rear gear
wheels can be modified in size with some
very curious results. As long as their
diameters are increased or decreased in
equal proportions, the crank-shaft and the
nywbeel always keep the same relative
speed-that is, two revolutions of the crank
to one entire revolution of the fIywheel.
As Mr.. Pole looks at it-and apparently
it seems to be an indisputable fact If he
enlarges the two back wheels to twice a
former diameter he must from necessity,
throw a point which turns the big wheel
further out from Us center, thus gaining
greater leverage, because the rower is APP
Piled nearer the periphery OF the fly
wheel. 7eo
He performs another feat in mechanical
gymnastics by lettings fixed wheel re-
main at a given size, and alters the diam
eter of a gear, with the startling result
of actually increasing the speed of the fly
wheel when he increases the size OF this
gear. though lie has apparently, at the
same time. increased tile effective lever
age on The nywbeel by again moving the
point that turns the big wheel and that
has been thrown away from its center
further toward the circumference
Before this astounding wheels within
wheels machine was finally granted a
patent working models were submitted TO
the examiners, demonstrating this sup
posed new law by the inventor. Theoreti-
ealiy, IL piece Of mechanism had DO
friction in its running parts, it would
move forever with the velocity and mo-
fnentum impaired TO It by some outside
initial starting force. IL would do no ef-
fective work, for the moment any resist
ance was offered to its motion it would
slowly come to rest.
There is no doubt that Mr. Pole has
with wonderful inventive ingenuity, lit
upon q device which is startlingly novel
in its movement, but whether he has dis
covered a means OF creating an unlimited
amount OF power from very small be-
ginnings. or, technically expressed, VIII
make his mechanism develop q vastly
greater amount of power in foot pounds
than that which is required to drive it.
remains for the present q very interest
ing problem, which engineers will solve
favorabiy or unfavorably within the next
few months