A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR GIVING MOTION TO HAND AND OTHER FANS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Bennett, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Roasting Jack Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR GIVING MOTION TO HAND AND
OTHER FANS."
Sealed the 22nd June 1866, and dated the 19th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
January 1866.
I, ALFRED BENNETT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Roasting
Jack Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR GIVING MOTION TO HAND.
AND OTHER FANS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an instrument or apparatus constructed in the.
manner herein-after described for giving a rising and falling motion to a hand.
or other fan similar to that given to fans by the hand, the said instrument or
apparatus being especially applicable for use in India and other hot countries, .
and suitable for a drawing room or other table.

page_text: gears
The said instrument or apparatus consists of a circular case mounted upon
a base or support. In the axis of the case is a horizontal spindle carrying a
toothed wheel, to which rotation is given by a long eiled spring similar to the
main springs of clocks and roasting jacks. The said toothed wheel with
On the
a pinion on a spindle parallel to and below that already described.
said lower spindle is a toothed wheel which gears with a pinion working freely
on the front end of the spindle carrying the first-named toothed wheel. Con-
nected with and in front of the hollow pinion working freely on the end of the
main spindle is a plain wheel nearly as large as the case of the instrument.
The rotatory motion of the last-named plain wheel is converted into an alter-
nating rising and falling motion in the following manner:-Crossing the said
wheel.nearly in the direction of a diameter to the said wheel is a lever jointed
to one end of the framing within the outer case. In the said lever is a longi-
tudinal slot, in which slot a roller or stud on the large plain wheel described
works, and the motion of the said wheel communicates a rising and falling
motion to the lever. The free end of the lever is bent at right angles to the
other part, and the extreme bent end passes through a slot in the edge or
cylindrical surface of the case. The end of the lever projecting through the
case carries a small clamp and clamping screw. By means of the said clamp
and screw the open hand fan or other fan is fixed to the instrument. The
lever carrying the fan is pressed upwards by a spring which, when the fan is
fixed to the instrument, nearly counterbalances the weight of the fan. When
the fan is removed from the instrument the said spring presses the lever
upwards with a greater force than that which the roller or stud presses it'
downwards, and the instrument remains at rest. On the fan being fixed in
the clamp its weight presses down the lever and starts the instrument, the
large plain wheel is thereby allowed to rotate, and a rising and falling or
reciprocating motion is given to the fan similar to that given to it by the hand.
The motion of the large plain wheel through which the lever is worked may
be arrested when it is wished to stop the motion of the fan by means of a
screw stop being made to bear against the face of the said wheel, the head of
the screw stop being situated outside the case. The main spring of the instru-
ment is wound up by means of a winch working upon a square axis outside
the back of the case. An ordinary lady's folding hand fan, or any other kind
of fan, may have a reciprocating motion given to it by the instrument.
Although I have described the best arrangement with which I am acquainted
of giving the alternate rising and falling motion to the fan, yet the conversion
of the rotatory motion of the main wheel into a rising and falling motion may

page_text: be effected by the use of a crank. or camb or eccentric instead of by the
arrangement described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
.
by the said Alfred Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BENNETT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Roasting Jack Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Fatent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Bennett, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Bennett, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Bennett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise; and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT
OR APPARATUS POR. GIVING MOTION TO HAND AND OTHER FANS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Bennett, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Bennett, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of an instrument or apparatus constructed in the
manner herein-after described for giving a rising and falling motion to a hand
or other fan similar to that given to fans by the hand, the said instrument or
apparatus being especially applicable for use in India and other hot countries,
and suitable for a drawing-room or other table.
The said instrument or apparatus consists of a circular case mounted upon

page_text: a base or support. In the axis of the case is a horizontal spindle carrying a
toothed wheel, to which rotation is given by a long coiled spring similar to
the main springs of clocks and roasting jacks. The said toothed wheel gears
with a pinion on a spindle parallel to and below that already described. On
the said lower spindle is a toothed wheel which gears with a pinion working
freely on the front end of the spindle carrying the first named toothed wheel.
Connected with and in front of the hollow pinion working freely on the end of
the main spindle is a plain or balance wheel nearly as large as the case of the
instrument.
The rotatory motion of the last-named plane or balance wheel is converted
into an alternating rising and falling motion in the following manner :-
Crossing the said wheel nearly in the direction of a diameter to the said wheel
is a lever jointed to one end of the framing within the outer case. In the
said lever is a longitudinal slot, in which slot a roller or stud on the large plain
or balance wheel described works, and the motion of the said wheel communi-
cates a rising and falling motion to the lever. The free end of the lever is
bent at right angles to the other part, and the extreme bent end passes through a
slot in the edge or cylindrical surface of the case. The end of the lever projecting
through the case carries a small clamp and clamping screw. By means of the
said clamp and screw the open hand fan or other fan is fixed to the instrument.
The lever carrying the fan is pressed upwards by a spring which, when the fan
is fixed to the instrument, nearly counterbalances the weight of the fan. When
the fan is removed from the instrument the said spring presses the lever
upwards with a greater force than that which the roller or stud presses
it downwards, and the instrument remains at rest. On the fan being fixed in
the clamp its weight presses down the lever and starts the instrument, the
large plain or balance wheel is thereby allowed to rotate, and a rising and
falling or reciprocating motion is given to the fan similar to that given to it
by the hand. The motion of the large plain or balance wheel through which
the lever is worked may be arrested when it is wished to stop the motion of
the fan by means of a serew stop being made to bear against the face of tho
said wheel, the head of the screw stop being situated outside the case. The
main spring of the instrument is wound up by means of a winch working
upon a square axis outside the back of the case. An ordinary lady's folding
hand fan, or any other kind of fan, may have a reciprocating motion given to
it by the instrument.
The conversion of the rotatory motion of the main wheel into a rising and
falling motion may be effected by the use of a crank or camb or excentric
instead of by the arrangement described.

page_text: Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of an instrument
or apparatus constructed according to my Invention for giving a rising and
falling motion to a lady's hand fan; the fan in Figure 1 being represented shut,
and in Figure 2 open; Figure 3 represents a side elevation of the said instru-
ment or apparatus, the case being shown in section; and Figure 4 is a plan
of the same, the case being shown in section; the said Figures 3 and 4 being
drawn to double the scale of Figures 1 and 2. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The said instrument or apparatus consists of a circular case a mounted on
the base or support b.
In tho axis of the case is a horizontal spindle c
carrying a toothed wheel d, to which rotation is given by the long coiled
spring e upon the said spindle, the said spring being similar to the main springs
of clocks and roasting jacks. The return motion or running down of the
spring e is prevented by the pall f on the toothed wheel & gearing with the
ratchet wheel g fixed on the horizontal spindle c. The toothed wheel d works
loosely on the said spindle c, but is geared thereto by the pall f and ratchet
wheel 9, the toothed wheel d and ratchet wheel 9 consequently rotate together
only during the unwinding of the spring, as is well understood. Working
freely on the end of the spindle c is a plain or balance wheel h nearly as large
as the case a of the instrument, and fixed to the back of the said wheel is a
pinion i. Rotatory motion is transmitted from the toothed wheel d on the
spindle c to the pinion i, and consequently to the wheel h, through the pinion k
situated on a spindle below and parallel to the spindle c and a toothed wheel
on the spindle of the pinion k, the said toothed wheel gearing with the
pinion of the large plain or balance wheel h. The transmission of the motion
of the main spindle c to the pinion i will be readily traced by an examination
of Figures 3 and 4.
The rotatory motion communicated to the plain or balance wheel h in the
inanner described is converted into an alternating rising and falling motion
in the following manner:-Crossing the said wheel h nearly in the direction
of a diameter to the said wheel is a lever m turning on the centre or axis m².
In the said lever is a longitudinal slot n, in which slot a roller or stud pon
the wheel h works. By the rotation of the wheel h the stud p is made to
traverse backwards and forwards in the slot of the lever m, and thus com-
municate a rising and falling motion to the said lever. The free end m³ of

page_text: the lever m is bent at right angles to the other part (see Figure 4), and the
said end m³ has fixed to it an arm q passing through a slot in the case a, which
arm carries a small clamp r and clamping screws, by means of which clamp
and screw the fan t is fixed to the instrument in the manner represented in
Figures 1 and 2. The lever m carrying the fan t is pressed upwards by a
spring u acting upon the axis m³ on which the said lever turns (see Figures 3
and 4). The said spring u nearly counterbalances the weight of the fan t
when it is fixed in the clamp r. When the fan t is removed from the clamp r
the spring u presses the lever m upwards with a greater force than that which
the roller or stud p presses it downwards, and the instrument remains at rest.
When, however, the fan is fixed in the clamp r its weight presses down the
lever m and starts the instrument, the large plain or balance wheel h is thereby
allowed to rotate, and a rising and falling reciprocating motion is given to the
fan similar to that given to it by the hand. The motion of the large plain
balance wheel h, through which the lever m and fan t are worked, may be
arrested when it is wished to stop the motion of the fan by means of a screw
stop working through the case a, the end of the screw stop being made to
bear firmly against the face of the wheel h. The main spring e is wound up
by means of a winch w (Figure 2), working upon the square end c² of the
spindle c, situated outside the case. Sometimes I employ a very powerful
main spring, in this case I add other wheels and pinions between the main
wheel and the large plain or balance wheel according to the amount of power
required. Although I have represented an ordinary lady's hand fan applied
to the instrument, yet any other kind of fan may have a reciprocating motion
given to it by the said instrument.
Figure 5 represents in plan, and Figure 6 in elevation a modification of my
Invention. a is a vertical spindle to which rotation is given by means of a
long coiled spring in the manner described with respect to the spindle c of the
instrument, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. The said spindle a carries at its top a
horizontal wheel & working in a bearing at c. The said wheel b is provided with
a series of inclined teeth d of the form represented. Working over the said
wheel, and situated in the direction of a diameter thereof, is a horizontal
spindle or verge e, turning in bearings at e³, e. To one end of this verge the
arm f is connected, to which the clamp g carrying the fan is affixed. On the
said
verge, and situated over the teeth of the wheel b, are two pallets h, h, by
the rotation of the wheel b the vertical side of one of its teeth d strikes against
the inclined side of one of the pallets h and raises the said pallet. When the
pallet has been raised by the rotation of the wheel b to the summit of tho

page_text: tooth the return movement is caused by the tooth nearly opposite acting on
the other pallet of the verge, and causing an opposite movement.
This
arrangement may be employed to give motion to the fan either in a vertical
or horizontal plane. By the rising and falling of the pallets h a partial rota-
tion is given to the verge e, and the arm f carrying the fan is thus made to
describe the arc of a circle, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6, and give
a rising and falling motion to the fan.
Figure 7 represents in side elevation, and Figure 8 in end elevation, an
arrangement of my Invention in which the rising and falling motion of the
fan is effected by a cam or eccentric. a is the main spindle to which rota-
tion is given by the long coiled spring b, and c is the cam spindle, motion to
which is transmitted from the main spindle through the toothed wheel d,
pinion e, toothed wheel f, and pinion g on the said cam spindle c; h is the
cam or eccentric connected at its rim or circumference to the spindle c; i is a
hollow lever or frame turning on the centre 1, the free end of the said hollow
lever or frame carrying the arm k, to which the clamp 1 for the fan is affixed.
By the rotation of the cam spindle c the cam or eccentric h is made to rotate
within the hollow lever i, so as to give an oscillating motion to the said lever
and to the fan clamped to the arm k.
Figures 9 and 10 represent modifications of my Invention in which a
vertical rising and falling motion is given to the fan instead of motion through
a portion of a circle. In Figure 9 the rising and falling motion is effected
by an eccentric on the main spindle m of the apparatus. In front of the
said eccentric is a vertical slide n working in the guides p, p. To this slido
the arm g to which the fan is clamped is connected. The slide n is expanded
at n2, and has a cross slot n³, in which slot a pin or stud
engages. By the revolution of the eccentric the pin or
traverse the slot ³, and give to the slide n and to the fan
a vertical reciprocating sliding motion. In Figure 10 the same motion is
given to the fan by a crank where r is the crank on the spindle s; t, the slide
connected to the crank r by the connecting rod u, and v is the arm to which
the fan is affixed.
on the eccentric
stud is made to
connected with it
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention, but I claim as my Invention a new or improved instrument or
apparatus for giving a rising and falling motion to band and other fans in

page_text: which the parts are arranged or combined substantially in the manner herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Bennett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
ALFRED BENNETT. (L.S.)