Improvements in Spring Motors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 21st Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
I'ROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Motors.
We JOSEPH AYLMER RICE of 14 Cayton Street (late New Street) Bath Street, City
Road, E.C. in the County of Middlesex Engineer, and JOHN SUGG of 15 Alexandra
Cottages, Penge, in the County of Kent, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
Our invention is a motor operated by clock or other springs so as to be applicable
for domestic and other purposes. In suitable bearings in a metal or other frame or
support we place a driving wheel of metal either cast or constructed in portions or in
any other way that may be convenient, with three or more spokes, the periphery of
such wheel has either cogs or teeth to engage with other cog wheels or should be of a
plain surface or grooved to carry either a flat or circular band to connect the same
with the machine to be rotated. This driving wheel is loose upon a shaft or spindle
which is so constructed by means of a ratchet and two pawls, as to revolve in one
direction only, the end of the shaft is allowed to project and forms a square arbor for
a hand winch. At the other end of the shaft is a circular disc or plate of equal size
to the driving wheel and which is attached to the driving wheel by rods or bars of
suitable length fixed by nuts and screws, or by any other manner found convenient,
or for which connecting rods may be substituted a metal cylinder or drum, forming
with the disc before mentioned a complete case or drum, such cylinder can be affixed
to the disc and wheel by rivets, bolts, or may be made in one piece or cast with the
plate or disc and rivetted or otherwise attached to the wheel at the other end. At a
suitable distance from the shaft or centre of the driving wheel are placed three spring
barrels on the spokes of the driving wheel. These spring barrels are loose on spindles
or shafts, of which the opposite ends rest in suitable bearings in the plate or disc, and
each contains ordinary clock or other springs of a suitable size and strength fixed on
the spindles or shafts in the same manner as the spring of a clock. The end of each
spring box, nearest to the driving wheel, is constructed so that the periphery extends
a little heyond the circumference of the box, and is formed into teeth or cogs. Those
teeth or cogs on the peripheries of the three spring boxes or barrels engage with
similar teeth or cogs constructed upon the central shaft, thus on the springs contained
in the spring boxes or barrels being wound, they cause their respective teeth or cog
wheels to operate upon the teeth or cogs constructed on the central shaft rotating the
large driving wheel with considerable force and power, and so that one half revolution
of the spring boxes causes one whole revolution of the driving wheel.
One of the advantages of this motor is the employment of the combined energy
given out by three or more springs upon one and the same axle or shaft and rotating
it a given distance from that shaft and independently of it. This mechanical arrange-
ment affords a new method of conservating the energy exerted by springs and
prolonging for a much greater period than has hitherto been the case in similar
motors. After one winding when the motor has run down it may be rewound by
means of a winch handle constructed to fit on the square end or arbor of the central
shaft or spring, or there may be constructed as part of the apparatus a special
mechanism for automatic winding of the springs whilst they are running, thus farther
retarding the running down of the motor.
Dated this 29th day of January 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Motors.
We, JOSEPH AYLMER RICE, of 200 City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JOHN SUGG, of 15 Alexander Cottages, Penge, in the County of Kent,
Gas 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 is a motor operated by clock or other springs so as to be applicable
for domestic and other purposes.
The motor is in the form of a simple epicyclic train but with more than one
revolving steel gearing with a dead wheel. The revolving wheels are constructed
upon or affixed to the peripheries of barrels or drums containing the springs which
are all of equal size and strength. The axes of the drums are disposed at equal
distances from the centre and from each other, the rotating frame or arm to which
they are attached being made in the form of a wheel from which the power of the
motor may be taken either by cogs, pulleys, bands or other suitable means.
motor is enclosed in a suitable case or frame to protect it from dust etc., an aperture
or apertures being provided in one of the ends, through which passes the pulley band,
cog-wheel or other means adopted for taking the power from the motor.
The
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
rawings in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Figure 1 is an elevation of our motor with the front plate A of the case or frame
removed; and Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line X X Figure 1.
The main shaft passes through the back plate B of the case and terminates in a
square boss D which may be wound by means of a winch handle or key. Rigidly
fixed on the main shaft is a cog-wheel E which forms the dead wheel of the epicyclic
train. Gearing with this cog E are two or more cog-wheels F, four are shewn in
the drawings, and are found to give good results, but the number may be varied to
suit requirements. These cog-wheels F are formed upon or rigidly affixed to drums
or barrels G within each of which is a clock or other spiral spring. One end of each
spring is rigidly affixed to the axis of the drum and the other end is secured to the
inner circumference of the said drum. The drums or barrels G rotate on their axes H
which are immoveably fixed to the wheel J and to the disc K each of which may
rotate on the main shaft C and independently of it. I is a ratchet wheel fast on the
main shaft C, and M is a pawl gearing therewith and pivoted to the front plate A.
This ratchet and pawl prevent the backward motion of the main shaft C after it
has been wound up.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
--
A winch handle or the like is fitted over the squared boss D and the main shaft
rotated. This rotation actuates the ratchet wheel L and the cog wheel E both of
which, as previously stated, are fixed to the main shaft. The ratchet L passes under
the pawl M and the cog wheel E gears with the cogs F on the drums Grotating the
same thus winding up the springs. The springs now begin to unwind and turn their
drums G in a direction opposite to their direction when the winding up was being
effected. The cogs F tend to rotate the wheel E, but as this forms the dead or
immoveable wheel of the epicyclic train, the cogs travel round the said wheel E
and the drunis revolve around the main shaft while at the same time rotating on their
axes H. When they are revolving, the drums carry round with them the disc K and
wheel J both of which are loose on the main shaft. The power of the motor can be
taken from either of these as desired or from both by making each a cog wheel or a
pulley, or by making one a cog wheel and the other a pulley wheel. It will
be seen that the rewinding of the springs can be effected while the machine is in
motion.

page_text: 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 that what we
claim is :-
(1) The construction and use of a spring motor such as is herein described con-
sisting of two or more spring drums or barrels G with cogs F gearing with a wheel E
fixed on the main shaft C, the drums or barrels G being connected to the disc K. and
wheel J both loose on the main shaft, combined and operating substantially as
and for the purpose berein before set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(2) Our improved spring motor constructed substantially as described and
Allanbed
Dated this 21st day of October 1889.
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.