Improvements in Clutches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clutches.
I, CASPER VAN GYN, of 1c, Vroonstraat, No. 22, Willemsoord, Holland, Work-
master in the Royal Navy of the Netherlands, 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:-
―
The object of this invention is an improvement in clutches, the peculiar con-
struction of which is such that an immediate stoppage of the disconnected part
takes place without concussion, a cone mounted on the driving shaft and con-
trolled by a spring releasing suddenly under the action of. the spring that part
of the coupling which is held by clamps or claws.
The accompanying drawings show one manner of carrying out the subject
matter of this invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing the cone in a retracted or cocked.
position.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the coupling disconnected.
On the shafting a and of which a is the driving shaft and the shaft..
required to be set in rotation, the coupling members or parts c and d are fixed..
The coupling member is mounted on the shaft required to be driven and
carries upon the bolts fixed to the outer edge of the same pawls capable of
turning about these bolts. The free ends of the pawls f are provided with a
projection g arranged radially to the centre of the shaft, so that the front end
surfaces of the pawls f become longer or larger and are placed accordingly
in an angular position relatively to the longitudinal direction of the pawls f
and thus present a suitable sliding off surface or plane. The pawls in the
course of their length throughout which they may have for instance a rectangular
sectional shape are located in grooves formed in the edge of the coupling
members c and d in a position which is parallel to the shaft whenever the
shafts a and b are firmly coupled together. The grooves i which are symetri-
cally arranged in the coupling members relatively to the same together with
the pawls may be provided in suitable numbers according to the size of the
coupling. When the shafts a and b are coupled so that the front surfaces of
the two coupling members bear tightly one against the other and the pawls f
are located in their grooves i, the projection or rod g of the pawls presents a
resistance to the drawing back or disconnection of the coupling. The pawls f
are held in a parallel position to the shaft by means of al copper
wire or other suitable device. This copper
wire or the other
device used must be passed through a hole formed in the free end of the
pawls f and must be slack in such a manner that the turning of the pawls about
the centres e in the direction indicated by the arrow m can be effected to such
an extent as to release the coupling member of the shaft a. At a suitable
distance behind the coupling member dis arranged a plate which can be
held in a proper position by means of bars w secured to hinges or other fixing
means on the same plate either against the wall or under the roof but over the

page_text: shaft wherever the same may be set up. It may be preferable to form this
plate n of two parts, so they may be laid over the shaft without releasing either
the coupling or the bearings of the same shaft, although this plate is not con-
nected to the shaft. Bars o are fixed to these plates and serve to carry the
levers. These levers are movably secured to the bars o and are furnished
with holes wherein enter the ends of pins jointed to the said bars o and
bent to a suitable angle. These pins thus jointed to the bars serve to hold
by means of the chain like connection or links the disconnecting cone t. The
spiral spring arranged between the plate n and the said disconnecting come t
has a tendency to suddenly push the cone t in the direction indicated by the
arrow when, as soon as in consequence of the turning of the lever in the
direction indicated by the arrow the pin is released from the holes this
cone is accordingly released. The levers p are provided with arms similar to
bell crank levers at their free ends which are actuated by draw rods in the
same manner as the well known disconnecting forks for sets of pulleys are
manipulated from the ground by means of draw rods.
When the disconnecting cone t is impelled against the coupling member d
fixed on the shaft a, the peculiarly formed front surface y comes in contact
with the front surfaces of the pawls f and under the timely pressure of the
spring and in consequence of the bevel or angular front surface of the pawls f
the latter are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow m until, as clearly
shown in Fig. 2, the coupling member d is released and no connection can
take place with the coupling member mounted on the shaft b. According
to the stiffness of the spring and in consequence of the uniform raising of the
members due to the bevel front surfaces the disconnection of the couplings
is effected instantaneously and without the slightest shock or vibration which
is a great advantage in the weaving or spinning industries, for instance. To
connect again the severed coupling members, the disconnecting cone must.
be withdrawn by means of the nut upon the screw which causes the pawls f
to be brought back in their position of parallelism to the shaft. As the come t
is being withdrawn, the plate serves as a bearing for the nut of the screw
which latter merely passes through a hole in the plate n. The motion of the
levers may be facilitated by the attachment thereto of a counterweight, as
is done generally for the disconnecting parts of gears.
A brake for stopping the released part is entirely unnecessary, as in conse-
quence of the slipping off motion of the front surfaces h of the pawls against
the parts of the disconnecting cone sufficient resistance is developed for
stopping the parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A disconnecting device for shaft couplings characterized by a cone t
capable of being axially displaced on the driving shaft and of releasing mechanism
connecting the coupling members of the driving and driven shafts so as to hold
this mechanism in such a position that a brake for the shaft to be disconnected
is provided, as well as a means for effecting the severance of the coupling
member.
2. A disconnecting device for shaft couplings such as above claimed charac-
terized by a disconnecting cone which is normally held in position by the
aid of a chain like connection and by means of a disconnecting lever by a
disc or plate n fixed outside the shaft a but is moved, shot or impelled forward
in the direction indicated by the arrow by a spring coiled around the shaft a
between the cone t and the plate n after the pins fixed to the bars have been
released.
3. A disconnecting device for shaft couplings such as above claimed charac-
terized by the pawls f jointed to the outer edge of the coupling members fixed

page_text: to the shaft required to be disconnected and located in suitable grooves i formed
in the periphery of the coupling members c and d so as to be parallel to the
shafting, and in consequence of their front surfaces
being bevelled
relatively to their longitudinal direction and forming an inclined
plane, these pawls are caused to turn on their centres e in the direction
indicated by the arrow m by the forwardly impelled disconnecting cone t for
the purpose of withdrawing the shaft from its coupling, the free ends of a
copper wire or any other suitable resilient device preventing a thorough detach-
ment of the pawls.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1899
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents for the Applicant.