IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS, AND MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME
Year: 1886

page_text: We ARTHUR WILLIAM MCCOMAS and HENRY ALEXANDER FITZHUGH, both of
Austin in the County of Travis and State of Texas, United States of America,
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN FANS, AND MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention embraces certain improvements in fans and mechanism by which
they are operated. In one instance our fan is operated automatically from the
motion given to a piece of rocking furniture by the occupant, and in the second
instance the fan is moved by a motor under the influence of a spring, preferably
an electrical current, or some other power applicable to a regular and feeble
movement.
The fan in the first part of our invention hangs in its normal position from two
horizontal arms supported by upright stanchions; said arms and stanchions being
braced and held together by arms secured by suitable metallic hinge connections
by which the angle formed between said horizontal arms and uprights may be
increased or reduced to raise or lower the fan as required to bring it nearer to or
more distant from the occupant of the rocker.
The fan frame is composed of the upright stanchions and horizontal bars which
are held together by two lateral horizontal bars secured to the horizontal bars
which support the fan permanently, or by some suitable detachable means. This
fan swings from hooks fixed in the ends of the horizontal arms and moves back
and forth as the rocker to which the frame is secured moves back and forth
propelled by the movement of the occupant.
In our drawings illustrating this first part of our invention, Figure 1 is a
perspective view of the fan frame and fan; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the
fan applied to a rocking chair; Figure 3 is a detail drawing showing the clamping
device for securing the fan frame to the rocker.
A is a rocking chair, to the upper portion of which is secured the frame
supporting the fan. E are upright stanchions having at their lower ends adjusting
disks bereinafter described. A¹ are arms, normally horizontal, connected to
uprights E by hinged joints F to provide for changing the angles formed by the
conjunction of the parts E and A¹. E¹ are diagonal bracing rods secured to the
horizontal arms A' by stationary. hinge joints Hand to the upright stanchions E,
by hinge joints D, with sleeves adapted to slide up and down the stanchions upon
any point of which they may be fixed by suitable clamping screws,

page_text: "
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The angle formed by uprights E, and horizontals A' may be changed as desired
by said braces E¹ and the clamping screws provided for the sliding sleeves. Staying
bars or braces F¹ F are secured either adjustably or permanently to the arms A'
by suitable joint fastenings. At the ends of the horizontal arms A² are hooks I
on which is hung, by eyes, the fan J. The fan J, is formed of any textile or
fibrous material preferably stretched on a wire frame the upper horizontal portion
of which is provided with eyes to engage hooks I, of the arms A¹; the lower portion
of said fan has a weighted balancing bar K to steady the fan's movements. Rod
or bar F, has a sleeve G, having a hook or eye and clamping screw; to said eye is
secured a cord or wire h also secured to the balancing bar. By this wire or cord
the fan's movements may be limited or it held fixed.
The device for securing the fan frame to the piece of furniture is as follows:-
A³, is a forked clamp having rubber plate a on one, and on the opposite side a
metal plate b and a rubber plate c; both b and c are secured by clamping screws d.
Above the clamp is a fixed disc e; opposite to it are disca f, secured to stanchions E.
A clamping screw g, holds the two discs together relatively to each other and to
the rocking furniture. The clamping device C, is shown as secured to the upper
bracing bar of the chair back, screw d being adjusted to force the parts a, b, c, in
close contact with said bar. By adjusting the screw g, the fan frame may be
adjusted and held to any position. By the clamping slide D the fan may
be adjusted and held to any position.
The second part of our invention relates to fans and operating mechanism for
more general use.
'
In this case the fan is fluted or corrugated, the corrugations radiating from
a common point. By this construction the surrounding air can be concentrated
and carried back and forth in a body with better effect than when the fan has
a plain surface as in the latter case much of the air escapes laterally. A heavy
bead follows the corrugated outline of the fan bottom serving as a weight to keep
the fan tending downward. This fan frame is preferably of metal covered with
fibrous material. The frame carrying this fan is supported on standards having
broad footings resting on castors to facilitate its movement. The standards have
multiplying-power gear-wheels connecting with lever arms &c which give recipro-
cating movement to the fan. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fan and driving
mechanism united and applied. Figure 2ª a perspective of the fan and mechanism
'immediately connected thereto.
Figure 3 a diagram illustrating the fan's movements when operated by the
levers. A represents the frame uprights having broad bases provided with rollers
or castors. On one side of the uprights is a bracket near the outer end of which
is pivoted a rock lever K, on one end of which is an arm N connecting the rod or
pendulum F, pivoted on a bar B¹ at O, said bar being secured to the uprights.
The pendulum F has a weight C, for regulating and equalizing the movement of
the operating mechanism. Extending upward from the bar B¹, which serves as
a pivot for the pendulum, is an arm S to which is coupled a rod U, connecting
as hereinafter stated with the fan. A", is a bent bar hinged to the standards A
and extending outward in U-form to support the fan. This arm is beld by rods P,
hinged to the standards at R, and coupled to said arm A¹¹, by hinge and sliding
joints M. The arm A¹ may be vertically adjusted by clamping screws in said
joints M. X are sliding couplings on arm All connected together by a bar X¹;
upon the latter is hung by suspension rods T, the fan Z. A pitman H connects
the rock lever K and a crank I, secured to the shaft journaled on standards A.
On this shaft is a gear wheel connecting with the main driving shaft by wheel G,
pinion C¹, wheel E, pinion D' and drive wheel D. E, is the ribbing of the
corrugated fan Z, serving as a weight therefor to bring and hold it in proper
position.
The operation of this arrangement is as follows:-
The driving wheel meshing with pinion D¹ imparts motion to the pendulum
‘and arm S, through wheel E. pinion C. wheel Ĝ pinion J crank I. Ditman H.

page_text: rock lever K, and arm N. Rod U, has slide joints T, and V, connecting arm S,
with arm W on the bar X¹; while the driving mechanism is in motion a rocking
movement is imparted to bar X¹ and suspension hooks Y, when the arm W, is
moved, but the suspending rods move toward X¹ (see diagram) and carry the top
of the fan with them, the bottom of the fan being weighted follows to give the fan
perpendicular position. A reverse movement of arm W carries the top of the
fan towards 2, and, the lower portion gravitating, gives the first serviceable sweep
to the fan. This movement of the fan, which is indirect from the operating
mechanism, modifies to a considerable extent the operating parts of the machinery.
The length of the arc of movement of the fan is regulated and changes made by
sliding couplings T and V when adjusted on arms S, and W and clamped to
position by clamping screws.
Instead of the train of wheels and other parts connected with the standards
indirectly connecting the fan with the motive power we use a motor consisting of
a clock mechanism placed in an enclosure on a platform secured to the parallel rods
of the bar A" said motor being connected to its driving wheel directly to the rod
operating the fan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,
1. The combination with a fan frame sleeve G, cord and a rocking piece of
furniture, of the double clamping device uniting the fan frame to the rocker.
2. The fan-supporting frame, fan, sliding sleeve and connecting rod.
3. A fan, to be operated by suitable driving mechanism, having straight rigid
upper bar, zigzag or corrugated weighted lower bar, radial ribs and covering
material.
4. The U-shaped hinged arm A¹¹, supporting bars P for holding said arm above
or below a horizontal plane, adjustable bar X¹, having sliding couplings X, and
suspending rods Y, bar B¹ uprights W and S, and rod U, adjustably connecting
said uprights W and S.
5. The upright stanchions B, fixed on a suitable base, hinged arm A¹¹, hinged
supporting bars P, adjustable bar X¹ having sliding couplings X, suspending
rods Y, bar B', uprights W and S, and adjustably connected rod U, and fan Z, all
arranged and for the purpose described.
6. A suspended fan, supporting arm A", connecting rod U, and driving
mechanism composed of rock levers K and N pendulum F, C, pitman H, crank I,
and a train of gear wheels.
TA
1000