An Improved Ratchet-brace.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
An Improved Ratchet-brace.
I, PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of 55 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Engineer, (a communication to me from abroad by Alfred Taylor, of
Minnesota Street, Potrero, San Francisco, California, U.S.A., Inventor,) 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:-
My invention relates to a device for operating drills and similar mechanism, in
which the drill is caused to advance by the movement of a lever.
It consists of a mechanism whereby an approximately continuous rotary motion
is given to the drill by the reciprocation of a lever arm, and in certain details of
construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken through the device so as to show the
ratchet pawls and lever. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same showing a part of it in
cross section.
Fig. 3 is a view showing the application of my device.
The tool A is fixed in a socket in the shank B. The socket piece extends
through the casing C in which it turns freely, and the extension is screw-threaded
as shown at B2 and fits within a correspondingly threaded hollow sleeve B', the
upper end of which fits a centre D upon the arm E, and it is rotated intermittently
so as to feed the drill forward as will be hereinafter described.
The casing Chas an arm G extending from one side so as to pass by the fixed
standard F, and upon this arm is adjustably secured an shaped piece H, one arm
of which is perforated to fit the arm G to which it is secured at any desired point
by a set screw. The other arm of the piece H extends outwardly parallel with the
arm G so as to pass upon the opposite side of the standard F, and the casing C is
thus held stationary and prevented from turning. Within the casing C is a
toothed ratchet wheel I keyed to the drill carrying shank B.
The casing C has an extension C₁, shown in the present case at right angles with
the arm G. This extension has a slot or chamber made in it. Within this slot is
fulcrumed a lever J upon the fulcrum pin K which is placed at some distance from
the inner end of the lever J.
Land M are two pawls, the former being fulcrumed to the lever J exterior to
the fulcrum pin K, and the latter is fulcrumed to the inner end of the lever J at an
equal distance from the fulcrum pin. These two pawls engage the ratchet I upon
opposite sides of the shank B, and the operation will be as follows:-
The casing C remains stationary, while the lever J is moved backward and
forward upon its fulcrum pin within the casing. When the lever is moved in one
direction, the pawl L acts to draw the ratchet I around a part of a revolution and
when the lever is again moved in the opposite direction the pawl M engages the
opposite side of the ratchet, and thus continues its rotation.
Upon the upper end of the sleeve B' is a projecting lug N, and from the arm E
a spring or stop O projects so as to engage this lug and prevent the rotation of the
sleeve B until such time as the lug is forced to pass the stop O. The lug N
engages the spring O at each complete rotation of the shank B, and the drill is
thus caused to advance into the material which is being bored until the friction
between the screw-threads of B¹ and B² becomes sufficient to overcome the tension

page_text: of the spring stop O. As the drill advances the guide arms G and H move freely
along the guide and supporting standard F until the drill has advanced as far as is
desirable. The rapidity of the feed is regulated by the position of the spring
stop which, with the arm E can be turned to one side and adjusted at P. If it
engages the lug N, near the outer end, it releases by a slight friction and advance
of the drill, but if it overlaps more it retains the parts longer and the drill
advances farther before the stop is released. By this construction I am enabled to
make the movement of the drill practically continuous, and to simplify the operating
mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a drilling apparatus, a rotary drill socket, a casing through which said
socket extends, a fixed standard at one side, an arm extending from the casing upon
one side of the standard, and a second arm adjustable upon the first extending upon
the opposite side of the standard forming a guide whereby the casing is prevented
from rotating, a ratchet wheel secured to the drill socket within the casing, a lever
arm fulcrumed within the casing and movable independently thereof, and pawls
secured to the lever arm engaging the ratchet whereby the latter is rotated by
the reciprocation of the lever arm, substantially as herein described.
2. A drill apparatus consisting of a casing having a ratchet wheel contained
therein, a drill socket turning loosely in the casing and having the ratchet wheel
secured thereto, a guide arm extending from one side of the casing and engaging
a vertical standard whereby the arm and casing are prevented from rotating while
allowed to advance in the direction of the length of the standard, a chambered
extension upon one side of the casing, a lever fulcrumed in this extension so that
the inner end projects beyond the fulcrum pin, pawls pivoted to the lever, oue
exterior and the other interior to the fulcrum pin, said pawls engaging the ratchet
wheel upon opposite sides of the center whereby the reciprocations of the lever
within the casing rotates the ratchet and drill socket, substantially as herein
described.
3. In a drill, a casing, a drill socket extending through said casing and turning
loosely therein, a ratchet wheel secured to the drill socket within the casing, a
chambered extension at one side of the casing, a lever fulcrumed within said
extension movable upon its fulcrum pin independently of the casing, pawls pivoted
to the lever exterior and interior to the fulcrum pin so as to move in opposite
directions and engaging the teeth of the ratchet upon the opposite sides of the
center, a guide rod extending outwardly from the casing adapted to engage a
vertical stationary standard whereby the casing is prevented from rotation while
allowed to advance along the standard, a screw extension of the drill socket, and
an interiorly threaded sleeve fitting said screw having the upper end made conical,
a corresponding socketed support against which the cone of the sleeve fits, a lug
upon the exterior of the sleeve and a spring stop projecting downward from the
stationary support and engaging the lug whereby the rotation of the sleeve is
arrested and made intermittent for the purpose of feeding the drill forward at
intervals substantially as herein described.
Dated this 19th day of November 1894
PERCY R. J. WILLIS.