Improvements in. Clutches for Coupling Shafts and other Mechanism.
Year: 1895

page_text: .Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
IMOי עט OUTMI
Improvements in. Clutches for Coupling Shafts and other
Mechanism.
I, RICHARD FRANKLIN STEWART, of Pocantico Hills, Town of Mount
Pleasant, County of Westchester, State of New York, United States of America,
Mechanic, 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 is an improvement in clutches for temporarily coupling adjoining
shafts, or connecting together various mechanical mechanism; and consists of a
novel clutching device which is automatically operated, or thrown into and out of
engagement by the revolution of the shafts or other mechanism to which it is
connected.
In the accompanying drawing illustrating my improvement,
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, showing the clutch in engagement;
Figure 2 is the same as Fig. 1, showing the clutch out of engagement;
Figure 3 is a sectional view through the line 3-3 Fig. 1 ;
Figure 4 is a view of the inner face of the member C of the clutch, and
Figure 5 is a view of the inner face of the other member D of the clutch.
A is the shaft to which the power is applied and on which the clutch is mounted.
C is the member of the clutch connected with the driving shaft, and D is the other
member of the clutch connected with the shaft or other gearing.
In the member C are two recesses E.extending through the member from top to
bottom and located on opposite sides of the central shaft. The sides e, e, of these
recesses are parallel to the axis of the shaft, except at the outer face c of the
member C, where they slope outward, as at el, e'. Within each of the recesses E
is hung a loose key or dog "F, fastened. to the member by means of the pin g so as
to turn freely thereon. These keys, as shown in the drawing are wedge shape,
and are so placed in the recess that when in their normal position, the top of the
key will be even or flush with the face of the member C; and are of such a size
with respect to the size of the recess that when turned on the pin g as far as
possible, until one of their edges as frests against the parallel side e of the recess
on one side of the latter, the opposite edge will rest against the inclined side 'e' on
the other side of the recesses and the upper corner of the wedge will be thrown
out beyond the face of the member C, as shown in Fig. 1. The keys F are caused
to turn in the recesses by the studs or projections on the shaft A, which rest in
cavities in the apex of the wedge-shaped keys. The keys are thus connected
5 to the shaft by the studs hand, as will be understood from the drawing, when the
shaft. A is turned in either direction, the studs & engaging, with the cavities will
swing around the points of the wedge-shaped keys in the same direction until the
edges of the keys rest against the sides of the recess and the corner of the wedge
is thus thrown out, beyond the face of the member C. As the shaft A continues
0 to revolve, the impact of the, keys.,,against the, sides of..the recesses cause the
member C to revolve with it, and the two, move, together as long as the. shaft
.revolves.
In the outer face d of the other member, D are inclined, recesses i having the
.edges perpendicular to the face dof the member. The shape and, size. of these
5 recesses i is such that they, will.receive, when the two.members. of the clutch C
and. D are close together, the projecting corners of the wedge-shaped keys.E,

page_text: 4
when the latter are thrown out by the turning of the keys in the recesses by the
shaft A as before described and as shown in Fig. 1. As will be understood from
the drawing when the corner of the key projects into the recess i, the edge of the
key rests against the side of the recess, and hence as the member C of the
clutch is revolved, the other member D is made to revolve with it. It therefore
follows that the shafts or other gearing are coupled or connected together by the
keys F, and as long as the corner of the key rests in the recess i, the two shafts
will revolve together; and when for any reason the key is withdrawn from the
recess in the member D, the shafts or gearing will be disconnected, and can revolve
separately. It will be seen from the above description that the key is brought
into engagement with the recess in the member D, and thus the gearing locked
together, simply by the revolution of the driving shaft which turns the key and
throws out the corner into the recess i; and hence to bring the clutch into engage-
ment it is only necessary to revolve the shaft A, when the two members of the
clutch are locked and turn together. If for any reason the shaft or gearing to
which the member B is connected revolves faster than the driving shaft A it will
be seen that the sides of the recess i will move away from the edge of the key,
and the inclined side of the recess will press against the top of the wedge and turn
the latter until it is out of engagement with the recess and the top of the key is
even with the face of the member C in the position shown in Fig. 2. As long as
the connecting shaft or gearing continues to revolve at a greater speed than the
shaft A, the key is held by the member D of the clutch with its top edge even
with the face of the member C and out of engagement, but when the speed of the
two shafts or the shaft or gearing is, the same the key is turned in the recess in
the one member of the clutch and is thrown into engagement with the recess in
the other member and the two members of the clutch locked together. The clutch
is thus brought into and out of engagement automatically by varying the speed of
the two members and without any other mechanism.
In practice, if the clutch is in engagement and it is desired to disengage it the
driving shaft is stopped or made to go slower, when the member D of the clutch
connected with the connecting shaft or gearing is at, once thrown out of engage-
ment and the shaft or gearing revolves free of the driving shaft. And if for any
reason, while the clutch is in engagement and the connecting shaft or gearing is
caused to revolve taster than the driving shaft it at once throws the clutch out of
engagement, frees itself from the driving shaft and revolves alone, thus preventing
any sudden strain on the driving shaft by reason of the increased speed of the
connecting shaft or gearing.
In my improved clutch the disengagement is effected by the relative increase in
the connecting shaft or gearing and the clutch is thus particularly adapted where
it is desired to relieve the driving shaft or engine from any strain due to a sudden
increase in the speed of the gearing or mechanism connected by the clutch..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what 1
, claim is :
1. In a clutch for coupling mechanism, in combination, a member mounted on
one shaft and a dog connected to such member and arranged and adapted to be
actuated by the revolution of the shaft, whereby it is brought into engagement with
the adjoining shaft or gearing, substantially as described.
2. In a clutch for coupling mechanism, in combination a driving shaft, a member
mounted on the same, a dog secured to such member so as to move thereon,
mechanism on the driving shaft engaging with the dog whereby the latter is
actuated by the revolution of the shaft, and an adjoining member arranged and
adapted to engage with and disengage the dog, substantially as described.
+
3. In a clutch for coupling mechanism, in combination, a driving shaft; a
member C mounted on the same and provided with a recess E; a dog .contained:
in the recess and capable of moving therein;; mechanism on the driving. shaft

page_text: arranged and adapted to engage with the dog, whereby the latter is actuated by
the revolution of the shaft; and the member D having the recess i adapted to
receive the edge of the dog, whereby the two members are locked together,
substantially as described.
4. In a clutch for coupling mechanism, in combination, a shaft, a member
mounted on such shaft, and a dog connected to such member and arranged and
adapted to be actuated by the revolution of the shaft, whereby said dog is brought
into engagement with the adjoining shaft; and an adjoining shaft adapted to
engage with and disengage said dog, substantially as described.
5. In a clutch for coupling mechanism, in combination, a member mounted on
the driving shaft and a dog connected to such member and adapted to be actuated
and thrown into engagement by the revolution of the shaft; and a member
connected to the adjoining shaft arranged to receive the dog when in engagement,
and adapted to disengage the latter by an increase of its speed, substantially as
described.
6. In a clutch for coupling mechanisın, in combination, a driving shaft, a member
mounted on such shaft, and a dog connected to such member so as to move thereon.
mechanism on the driving shaft engaging with the dog, whereby the dog is
actuated by the revolution of the shaft and thrown into engagement with the
adjoining shaft, and an adjoining shaft provided with recesses adapted to receive
the dog when in engagement and to disengage the latter by an increase in the speed
of the adjoining shaft, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of August 1895
RICHARD FRANKLIN STEWART.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.