Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1883
We, ADRIAN VAN DER BYL of the firm of Van der Byl & Co., Cape Town, Cape
of Good Hope, Merchant and CARL CORDES, of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a machine or apparatus for producing rotary motion by the
action of gravity upon shifting weights, in combination with radial arms carried by a
shaft or axis, as we will proceed to describe with reference to the diagram shown on
the accompanying drawing, which represents a side view of the machine. 23 are
radial arms on a drum or wheel a capable of revolving on an axis a carried in fixed
bearings.
The arms have bars ii i projecting horizontally at right angles therefrom, and as
these arms in revolving pass through the semicircle on the left hand side of the
machine, their bars support sliding weights jjk. k¹ of which j and are connected
together by a serrated bar while and are connected together by a serrated
bar 2. These bars with their weights are situated side by side and have longitudinal
This axis carries a toothed
slots 3 through which passes the axis a¹ of the arms b.
wheel gearing with a pinion c, on the axis of which is a pinion d.
The pinion & is situated within two vertical fixed grooves m m (the middle part of
which is broken away on the drawing) the pinion being made of a width corre-
sponding to the combined width of the grooves. The action of the machine, so far as
it has been described, is as follows:-
Assuming the parts to be in the position shewn, the weights j¹ being carried by
the bar or catch i of arm 62, which enters one of the teeth of j as shewn, while k k¹ are
carried by the bar of b¹, then the weights j and acting at the leverage of their
respective arms, will effect their rotation, and consequently also that of the axis a' in
the direction of the arrow, thereby also rotating the pinion d in the contrary direction.
When, owing to this motion, the weight has descended to its lowest position, its
toothed bar will have entered the groove m³, and its teeth on one side will have
come in gear with the pinion d. At this time the arm 2 with its woight j will be

page_text: approaching its horizontal position and will consequently be operating with increasing
leverage power, and with its acquired momentum to effect rotation, thereby enabling
the pinion d to raise the weights up in the groove m' until the weight has been
raised up beyond the upper end thereof, when it is brought in contact with the curved
head o which pushes it slightly forward so as to cause it to overbalance.
By the time the weight has arrived in this position the arm 63 will have been
brought into a position just beyond the grooves m m³ so that as the weight ¹ falls
forward, it will be caught by the bar i of 3 so that the weights kk¹ will now be held
by b³ in the same way that were held by 2.
While the above is taking place, bar with its weights will have descended
towards the position occupied by 1, and the latter, freed from its weights, will have
ascended towards the position of 6 and when 62 has arrived in its lowest position its
weight will pass into the groove m, and the pinion d gearing with the toothed bar j
will raise in the same manner as described with reference to k k¹, and so on, the
action of the weighted arms in descending, in combination with the momentum
imparted to them by the falling over of the weights at top, producing a sufficient
impetus to raise the previously descended weights in the grooves m or m² and to
overcome the friction, thus producing rotary motion which is practically continuous
for any length of time without external impulse, if the machine be started with the
weight in the most favourable position as regards leverage.
As the descending arms will act with varying leverage according to the position
which they occupy, thus producing a variation in the force exerted by the pinion d,
we equalize such force by fixing on the axis of d a pulley e geared by a belt with a
wheel / which is weighted on one side, and so arranged that when the arms are acting
at the smallest leverage, the weight of his acting at the greatest advantage in assisting
to rotate the pinion d. In order still further to increase the uniformity of the motion,
the axis of may be made to turn a weighted fly p at a quick speed by toothed
gearing fg.
Although we have only shown two sets of shifting weights and their grooves and a
set of three arms, it will be evident that the number of arms grooves and weights may
be increased to any desired extent.
T
1
D

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine or Apparatus for Producing Rotary Motion.
We ADRIAN VAN DER BYL of the firm of van der Byl & Co. Cape Town Cape of
Good Hope Merchant and CARL CORDES of Cape Town Cape of Good Hope Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
--
Our invention relates to a machine or apparatus for producing rotary motion by the
action of gravity upon shifting weights, in combination with radial arms, carried by a
shaft or axis as we will proceed to describe in the first instance with reference to the
diagram shown on the drawing accompanying our Provisional Specification which
represents a side view of the machine. 23 are radial arms on a drum or wheel a
capable of revolving on an axis a¹ carried in fixed bearings.
The arms have bars iii projecting horizontally at right angles therefrom, and
as those arms in revolving pass through the semicircle on the left hand side of the
machine, their bars support sliding weights jjk k¹ of which j and j¹ are connected
together by a serrated bar j while and are connected together by a serrated
bar . These bars with their weights are situated side by side and have longitudinal
slots through which passes the axis a² of the arms b. This axis carries a toothed
wheel gearing with a pinion c, on the axis of which is a pinion d.
The pinion d is situated within two vertical fixed grooves m m³ (the middle part of
which is broken away on the drawing) the pinion being made of a width corresponding
to the combined width of the grooves.
The action of the machine, so far as it has been described, is as follows:-
Assuming the parts to be in the position shewn, the weights jj being carried by
the bar or catch i of arm b2 which enters one of the teeth of j as shewn, while k k¹ is
carried by the bar i of 6, then the weights and acting at the leverage of their
respective arms, will effect their rotation, and consequently also that of the axis a¹ in
the direction of the arrow, thereby also rotating the pinion d in the contrary direction.
When, owing to this motion, the weight has descended to its lowest position, its
toothed bar will have entered the groove m¹ and it teeth on one side will have
come in gear
with the pinion d. At this time the arm 3 with its weight j will be
approaching its horizontal position and will consequently be operating with increasing
leverage power, and with its acquired momentum to effect rotation, thereby enabling
the pinion d to raise the weights kk¹ up in the groove m¹ until the weight A¹ has been
raised up beyond the upper end thereof, when it is brought in contact with the curved
head o which pushes it slightly forward so as to cause it to overbalance.
By the time the weight has arrived in this position, an arm b³ will have been
brought into a position just beyond the grooves in m' so that as the weight k¹ falls

page_text: forward, it will be caught by the bar of 63 so that the weights kk¹ will now be held
by 63 in the same way that were held by 2.
While the above is taking place, bar 2 with its weights will have descended
towards the position occupied by, and the latter freed from its weights, will have
ascended towards the position of 63 and when 62 has arrived in its lowest position its
weight will pass into the groove m and the pinion d gearing with the toothed bar j
will raise in the same manner as described with reference to k k¹ and so on, the
action of the weighted arms in descending, in combination with the momentum
imparted to them by the falling over of the weights at top, producing a sufficient
impetus to raise the previously descended weights in the grooves m or m¹ and to
overcome the friction, thus producing rotary motion which is practically continuous
for any length of time without external impulse if the machine be started with the
weight in the most favourable position as regards leverage.
As the descending arms will act with varying leverage according to the position
which they occupy, thus producing a variation in the force exerted by the pinion & we
equalize such force by fixing on the axis of d a pulley e geared by a belt with a
wheel which is weighted on one side, and so arranged that when the arms are acting
at the smallest leverage, the weight of his acting at the greatest advantage in assisting
to rotate the pinion d.
In order still further to increase the uniformity of the motion, the axis of & may be
made to turn a weighted fly p at a quick speed by toothed gearing fg.
Although we have only shewn two sets of shifting weights and their grooves and a
set of three arms it will be evident that the number of armis grooves and weights may
be increased to any desired extent.
The accompanying drawings show a complete machine constructed according to our
above described invention. Fig. 1 shews a side elevation and Fig. 2 a front clevation.
This machine is, as regards the principal parts substantially the same as above
described with reference to the diagram for the purpose of producing greater
uniformity of motion, there are, in this case, four sets of sliding weights in duplicate,
and two separate machines are arranged side by side having a common main shaft a¹,
the arms &c. of the one machine being arranged in intermediate positions between
those of the other machine.
The framing A carries the main shaft a¹ on which is fixed a disc or boss a carrying
six arms &c. each of which has a bar i extending to either side so as to receive
the sliding weights kk¹jj'y q' of each set, the arms and sliding weights with
their serrated bars being constructed and operating in precisely the same manner as
above described, the weights which are being raised up, having previously been
carried by the arm and being about to pass on to when this has passed in front
of the head o and the weights have been raised to the highest position by the pinion d;
in like manner when the arm arrives in the vertical position the weights kk will
be raised by the pinion d and be deposited on the arm 65 and so on. m m² m² m³ are
the stationary vertical grooves or troughs, fixed to the framing in which the sliding
weights are moved upward by the toothed pinion d.
In order to temporarily steady the sliding weights during such upward motion,
a springs is provided on the side of the groove, having a stud that catches into the
slot of the serrated bar of the weight, so as to hold it until its lower end passes up
beyond the spring. The head o is provided with springs of which throw the weights
forward on to the bars of the armis 6' &c. when they have been raised to the highest
position.
The weighted wheel and fly p described with reference to the diagram are not
required in this case, owing to the more uniform distribution of the sliding weights
round the semicircle, but a fly wheel may be provided on the shaft a' as shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In machinery or apparatus for producing rotary motion by the action of gravity

page_text: upon sliding weights, the combination of sliding weights such as connected
together by a toothed and slotted bar with radial arms such as b¹ on an axis a¹ and
vertical grooves m in which the sliding weights are moved upward by means of
pinions & rotated at a quick speed by the axis a¹ the arms b' being provided with
bars which support the upper ends of the sliding weights when they have been raised
to the highest position, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
2. Machinery or apparatus for producing rotary motion by the action of gravity
upon sliding weights constructed and operating as herein described with reference to
the drawings.