An Improved Friction Clutch or Coupling Specially Applicable to Gas Motors.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1884
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Friction Clutch or Coupling Specially Applicable to
Gas Motors.
A communication from EMIL CAPITAINE, of Berlin, in the German Empire,
Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an improved friction clutch specially applicable to
gas motors and its object is to permit an automatic uncoupling of the belt or driving
pulley in case there should be undue strain upon it, for the purpose of avoiding any
decrease in the speed of the motor, as such decrease lessens the power of each stroke
of the motor in consequence when employed in gas motors of the gases losing some of
their expansive power through being too long in contact with the cooled walls of the
cylinder. The present arrangement also permits the motor to be started without
having to shift the belt onto a loose pulley.
To the spokes of the fly wheel is cast or fastened a projecting ring which is
surrounded at a certain distance by another ring cast in one piece with the belt or
driving pulley. The fly-wheel is keyed onto the driving shaft, while the belt pulley turns
loose on it. Between the two above-mentioned rings are placed segments provided
with ribs or projections fitting into recesses formed in the periphery of the ring on
the fly wheel and are thus obliged to revolve with the fly wheel. There is but very
little space between the segments and the rings so that when the fly wheel turns, the
segments are forced by centrifugal force against the ring of the belt pulley and act as
friction clutch and turn the belt pulley. The weight of the segments is adjusted in
such a manner that in case of any oxtra strain on the belt pulley, the segments will
slip in the ring of the belt pulley and the motor will lose but very little of its speed;
in this manner the motor will not be stopped even by an excessive resistance or
accident to the machinery driven by the belt. To adjust the weight of the segments
in order to act at the desired speed, the segments are formed with holes in which may
be introduced leaden blocks.
Instead of mounting the belt pulley loose on the shaft of the fly wheel, it may be
mounted rigidly on a separate shaft placed in the same line with the shaft of the fly
wheel.
The improved clutch herein described may be employed in motors other than those
driven by gas.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Friction Clutch or Coupling Specially Applicable to
Gas Motors.
A communication from EMIL CAPITAINE, of Berlin, in the German Empire,
Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 present invention relates to an improved friction clutch specially applicable to
Prine hd 1

page_text: gas motors and its object is to permit an automatic uncoupling of the belt or driving
pulley in case there should be undue strain upon it, for the purpose of avoiding any
decrease in the speed of the motor, as such decrease lessens the power of each stroke
-of-the motor in consequence when employed in gas motors, of the gases losing some
of their expansive power through being too long in contact with the cooled walls of
the cylinder. The present arrangement also permits the motor to be started without
having to shift the belt onto a loose pulley.
While in steam, hot air, hydraulic and other motors the pressure of the motive
agent becomes rather greater than less in the passages when the speed decreases in
consequence of decreased friction of the motive agent in gas motors the pressure in
the cylinder under such circumstances will be considerably decreased. A gas motor
will decrease its speed by a small excessive strain and in consequence the highly
heated gases will be longer in contact with the cooled walls and the pressure of the
gases will decrease and the effect of each stroke will decrease in proportion to the
decrease of the speed.
Fig. 1 is an end view of an Otto gas motor the fly wheel and coupling being in
section. Fig. 2 is a view of the fly wheel with the coupling partly in section. Figs. 3
and 4 are detail views of the coupling.
To the spokes of the fly wheel is cast or fastened a projecting ring a, which is
surrounded at a certain distance by another ring cast in one piece with the belt or
driving pulley c. The fly wheel is keyed onto the driving shaft while the belt pulley
turns loosely on it. Between the two above mentioned rings are placed segments e
provided with ribs or projections fitting into recesses formed in the periphery of the
ring on the fly wheel and the segments are thus obliged to revolve with the fly wheel
by means of the feathers or keys h. There is but very little space between the
segments and the rings so that when the fly wheel turns, the segments are forced by
centrifugal force against the ring of the belt pulley and act as a friction clutch and
turn the said belt pulley. The weight of the segments is adjusted in such a manner
that in case of any extra strain on the belt pulley, the segments will slip in the ring
of the belt pulley and the motor will lose but very little of its speed; in this manner
the motor will not be stopped even by an excessive resistance or accident to the
machinery driven by the belt. To adjust the weight of the segments in order to act
at the desired speed the segments 6 are formed with holes n Fig. 4 in which may be
introduced leaden blocks.
Instead of mounting the belt pulley loosely on the shaft of the fly wheel it may be
mounted rigidly on a separate shaft i placed in the same line with the shaft of the fly
wheel as indicated in Fig. 3 in which as also in fig. 4 the ring with its boss dis
represented as secured upon the shaft i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invon-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
In a gas motor the transmission of the power by means of a centrifugal friction
coupling consisting of segments such as e which are rotated by the shaft of the motor
and are more or less driven against the inner periphery of the ring. by the
centrifugal force in proportion to the speed thus transmitting more or less power
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1889.