An Improved Friction Clutch.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Friction Clutch.
WILLIAM AMBLER of Elizabeth Street, Bradford in the County of York
Engineer, and WILLIAM JAMES WARREN of Woodland Grove in Leeds in the
said County Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
―:
This invention relates to an improved method of making friction clutches simple
effective and economical.
In order to obtain these objects we provide a cylindrical sleeve of suitable metal
and of sufficient length to hold the coupling or pulley together with the friction
part; this sleeve we bore out to run free upon the shaft about to be driven. Such
portion of this sleeve which is not required to hold the pulley or coupling we slit
or saw longitudinally into 2, 3, or 4 parts as may be desired; and upon each of
these parts on the outside we affix in supports rollers running parallel or slightly
obliquely with the shaft. These rollers may be conical, egg-shaped or ball shaped
providing they are fixed concentric to the shaft, the object in placing these rollers
obliquely will be seen hereafter. On the same shaft we provide a separate casting
also bored to slide longitudinally in the shaft and being kept in such position by a
key or feather inserted in the shaft. This casting is made to act as a cover or cap
for the split sleeve & rollers, its internal circumference working in contact with
the rollers. Internally the cap is of slightly conical shape in order that on being
pressed forward over the rollers its contact with them causes each of the split
portions of the sleeve to be pressed concentrically upon the shaft. By this means
a firm and effective grip is obtained upon the shaft causing it to revolve along with
the sleeve cap and rollers.
As previously mentioned the rollers may be placed obliquely to the centre line
of the shaft. The reason for this is to cause the cover or cap on joining contact
with the rollers to move further forward over the sleeve, thus gripping the shaft
harder and harder. One end of this sliding cap is provided with a circumferential
groove in which may be inserted a fork or lever to put it in and out of gear.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of June 1892.
WM. AMBLER.
WILLIAM JAMES WARREN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Friction Clutch.
We, WILLIAM AMBLER of Elizabeth Street, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, and WILLIAM JAMES WARREN of Woodland Grove, in Leeds in the
said County, Solicitor, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a simpler, more effective, and more
economical friction clutch, or shaft coupling, than heretofore in use, and the inven-
tion consists in causing a split sleeve (carrying longitudinally, on its external
periphery, a series of conical rollers set obliquely) to grip the shaft on which it is
loosely mounted, by forcing on to the rollers a conical cap or hollow cone secured
to, so as to slide on, the same or a separate shaft.
And in order that our invention may be clearly understood, we will now

page_text: proceed to more fully describe it, reference being made to the accompanying
drawing.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the friction clutch constructed according to our
invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and,
Fig. 3 an end view of the sleeve detached.
A is a shaft, which is suitably driven, and carries the conical cap or hollow
cone B, secured thereto by the feather B', so as to be capable of sliding on the
shaft. B is a groove in which the fork.lever works.
C is a sleeve mounted loosely on the shaft A, or it may be a separate shaft
abutting on the shaft A, and retained in position by the collars D D¹, which are
fixed to the shaft by set pins, or in any other convenient manner.
The sleeve C has saw cuts C¹ formed therein (see Figs. 1 and 3), which extend
from the end rearwards, to an enlargement C³, on which a pulley (not shewn) is to
be fixed.
Formed on the portions of the sleeve between the saw cuts, (which will act as
spring portions), are lugs E E, to carry pins on which conical rollers H are loosely
mounted.
These lugs are preferably so arranged that the roller axes will be slightly
oblique to the axis of the sleeve, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, but they may be
parallel.
The object of placing these rollers obliquely to the sleeve, is to provide for a
screwing action, by which the conical cap B, when forced into contact with the
rollers, will be drawn onto the rollers, thus causing the spring portions of the sleeve
to contract, and grip the shaft with greater firmness than when the rollers are
parallel with the shaft.
We may here remark, that in some cases we may prefer to use the parallel rollers,
as the desired result will also be attained thereby.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare tunt what we
claim is :-
1. A friction clutch or coupling in which a split sleeve mounted loosely on a
shaft is caused to grip the shaft by a conical cap or hollow cone keyed on the same
or a separate shaft, being forced thereon, as set forth.
2. A friction clutch, or coupling, in which a split sleeve mounted loosely on a
shaft, and provided with conical rollers set obliquely, is caused to grip the shaft by
drawing onto itself (when contact is made) a conical cap or hollow cone keyed on
the same or a separate shaft, such drawing on being the result of a screwing action,
due to the obliquity of the rollers, as set forth.
3. A friction clutch or coupling as herein shewn and described, and consisting of
a split sleeve mounted loosely on its shaft, and provided on its periphery with
longitudinal conical rollers; and a conical cap or hollow cone keyed on its shaft, and
forced into contact with the rollers in the usual way, as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of September 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.