Improvements in Spring Motors for Driving Sewing Machines and other Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1.93
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GAETANO CASPANI, of 17, Via le Monforte,
Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer.]
Improvements in Spring Motors for Driving Sewing Machines and
other Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to a motor for driving sewing machines and other
apparatus.
The improved motor differs from that described in the Specification of Letters
Patent No. 8486, dated the 16th May 1891 only by the following features:-
(1.) In the case of a motor, however small its power may be, the drums con-
taining flat spiral springs are arranged not upon a single shaft but upon two
parallel shafts which transmit their movement to a central driving shaft.
By this means the two sets into which the total number of springs employed
are divided can be mounted in succession. The resistance which each set opposes
to the power exerted during the winding up is evidently smaller than half that
which would have to be overcome if all the drums were placed upon the same
shaft, by an amount which corresponds to the surplus of passive resistances
depending on the slackening parts; moreover in the latter case springs should be
interposed between the winding crank and the shaft.
(2.) In the motor described in the aforesaid Specification the velocity of the
motor gradually diminishes from the moment when the springs commence to unwind
until they are completely unwound, unless, the operator who attends to the machine
gradually diminishes the action of the brake in proportion as the springs unwind.
Now I obviate this inconvenience by mounting a cylindrical drum upon the
shaft of the springs and a taper drum upon the parallel shaft designed to receive
the movement, these two drums transmitting the movement to each other by a
cord the two ends of which are fixed to the periphery of the drums. The arrange-
ment is such that in proportion as the power transmitted by the cord diminishes
owing to the gradual unwinding of the springs the distance between the cord and
the driven shaft augments, which enables the rotary movement of this shaft to be
kept approximately constant.
(3.) As in the arrangement set forth in the said Specification, the brake acts
so as to completely stop the machine when it is left to itself and it is still the
But for
operator who, by acting upon a pedal, diminishes the effect at will.
causing the instantaneous stoppage I have added to the brake, provided with
elastic material as heretofore employed, a rigid brake which begins to act only
when the pedal is entirely left to itself.
For winding up the springs turn a crank keyed upon the shaft of a pinion
which actuates a toothed wheel secured upon the same shaft as the ratchet wheel.
The latter is then caused to turn without carrying away a wheel which is concentric
therewith and mounted loosely upon the same shaft, upon which is also keved a
cone which by means of the cord transmits the movement of the springs contained
in the first drums.
After these latter have been completely wound up I act upon a second crank
and by means of the couple of gear wheels a cone, a cylinder and the cord which
connects these latter two parts I wind up the springs contained in the second

page_text: drum. Another ratchet-wheel also turns during the winding up without carrying
away the concentric gear wheel.
When the motor is wound up and left to itself, ready to operate, spiral springs
keep two metallic arms pressed against the periphery of the driving or fly wheel.
A roller covered with india-rubber is then raised so that its point of contact with
the periphery of the driving or fly wheel will be on the same arc of a circle as the
extremities of the before-mentioned two arms which is rendered possible by the
bending of springs which always tend to force the roller against the periphery of
the driving or fly wheel.
If now, by acting upon a pedal, the spring is relaxed by means of a rod or cord
the aforesaid two arms are moved away from the periphery of the driving or fly
wheel; and if by continuing to relax the said spring the pressing action of the
elastic roller is sufficiently diminished the operation of the motor takes place.
The speed can always be regulated during the movement by pressing the said
roller more or less energetically upon the driving or fly wheel through the medium
of a pedal, and the instantaneous stoppage may be caused at any desired moment
by completely leaving the pedal to itself and consequently bringing the said arms
in contact with the periphery of the driving or fly wheel.
As the first drum turns in one direction the cylinder connected therewith will
by means of the cord, carry away the cone by acting upon the same with a
gradually increasing leverage so as to neutralize the effect of the diminishing
power transmitted to the periphery, due to the gradual unwinding of the springs.
The rotation of the shaft upon which the said cone is keyed taking place in one
direction the second ratchet wheel carries away the concentric wheel by means of
a pawl. The movement thus transmitted to a pinion is communicated in its turn
to the shaft of the driving or fly wheel through the intervention of two couples of
gear wheels. The said pinion also receives the power transmitted by the springs
wound up in the second drums. It is understood that the driving or fly wheel,
instead of operating a sewing machine as hereinbefore described, may transmit its
movement to any other machine.
Dated this 30th day of November 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Motors for Driving Sewing Machines and
other Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to a motor for driving sewing machines and other apparatus.
The improved motor differs from that described in the Specification of Letters
Patent No. 8486, dated the 16th May 1891 only in the following features:-
(1.) In the case of a motor, however small its power may be, the drums containing
flat spiral springs are arranged not upon a single shaft but upon two parallel shafts
which transmit their movement to a central driving shaft.
By this means the two sets into which the total number of springs employed are
divided can be wound in succession. The resistance which each set opposes to the
power exerted during the winding up is evidently smaller than half that which
would have to be overcome if all the drums were placed upon the same shaft, by.
an amount which corresponds to the surplus of passive resistances depending on the.

page_text: slackening parts, in the latter case springs should be interposed between the winding
crank and the shaft.
(2.) In the motor described in the aforesaid Specification the velocity gradually
diminishes from the moment when the springs commence to unwind until they are
completely unwound, unless the operator who attends to the machine gradually
diminishes the action of the brake in proportion as the springs unwind.
Now I obviate this inconvenience by mounting a cylindrical drum upon the
shaft of the springs and a taper drum upon the parallel shaft designed to
receive the movement, these two drums transmitting the movement to each
other by a cord the two ends of which are fixed to the periphery of the drums.
The arrangement is such that in proportion as the power transmitted by the cord
diminishes owing to the gradual unwinding of the springs the distance between the
cord and, the driven shaft augments, which enables the rotary movement of this
shaft to be kept approximately constant.
(3.) As in the arrangement set forth in the said Specification, the brake acts so
as to completely stop the machine when it is left to itself and it is the operator who,
by acting upon a pedal, diminishes the effect at will. But for causing the instan-
taneous stoppage I have added to the brake provided with elastic material as
heretofore employed, a rigid brake which begins to act only when the pedal is
entirely left to itself.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical section partly in elevation of the motor.
Figure 2 is a plan of part of the same, and
Figures 3 and 4 show details hereinafter described.
If we consider the lower half of Figure 1, the winding up of the springs is
effected as follows: I turn a crank keyed upon the shaft of a pinion m which
actuates a toothed wheel n secured upon the same shaft as the ratchet wheel ',
Figure 3. The latter is then caused to turn in the direction of the arrow 2,
Figure 3, without operating the wheel which is concentric therewith and mounted
loosely upon the same shaft, upon which is also keyed a cone C which by means of
the cord transmits the movement to the springs contained in the first drums A.
After these latter have been completely wound up I act upon a second crank l
and by means of the couple of gear wheels m' n' a cone C¹, a cylinder B₁ and the
cord which connects these latter two parts I wind up the springs contained in the
second drum A'. Another ratchet-wheel 4" also turns during the winding up
without operating the concentric gear wheel g', the arrangement being identical
with that shown in Figure 3.
When the motor is wound up and left to itself, ready to operate, spiral spring b
(Figure 1) keeps two metallic arms E E¹ (see Figure 4 which is a projection of
the brake on a plane perpendicular to that of Figure 2 and to a larger scale)
pressed against the periphery of the driving or fly wheel a. A roller D covered
with indiarubber then occupies the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4,
being raised so that its point of contact with the periphery of the driving or fly
wheel a will be on the same arc of a circle as the extremities of the before
mentioned two arms E E', which is rendered possible by the bending of springs s s
which always tend to force the roller D against the periphery of the driving or
fly wheel a.
If now, by acting upon a pedal c (Figure 1) the spring is relaxed by means of
a red or cord o the aforesaid two arms E E' (Figure 4) are moved away from the
periphery of the driving or By wheel a, and if by continuing to relax the said
spring the pressing action of the elastic roller D is sufficiently diminished the
operation of the motor takes place.
The speed can always be regulated during the movement by pressing the said
roller D more or less energetically upon the driving or fly wheel a through the
medium of the pedal c (Figure 1) and the instantaneous stoppage may be caused at
any desired monent by completely leaving the pedal c to itself and consequently

page_text: bringing the said arms E E¹ in contact with the periphery of the driving or fly
wheel a.
Referring still to the lower half of Figure 1 the drum A turns in the direction
of the arrow 1 (Figure 3); the cylinder B connected therewith will by means of
the cord, operate the cone C by acting upon the same with a gradually increasing
leverage so as to neutralize the effect of the diminishing power transmitted to the
periphery, due to the gradual unwinding of the springs.
The rotation of the shaft upon which the said cone C is keyed taking place
in the direction of the arrow 1 (Figure 3) the ratchet wheel operates in its
movement the concentric wheel g by means of a pawl h. The movement thus
transmitted to a pinion is communicated in its turn to the shaft of the driving
or fly wheel a through the intervention of two couples of gear wheels e e', d d¹.
On reference to the upper half of Figure 1 it will be seen that the pinion falso
receives (in a symmetrical manner by means of the parts B'C' " g') the power
transmitted by the springs wound up in the drums A¹ It is understood that the
driving or fly wheel a, instead of operating a sewing machine, as hereinbefore
described, may transmit its movement to any other machine.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
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 :-
A motor storing up power for operating sewing machines and other domestic
apparatus characterized by:
1st. Several shafts each carrying a series of spring drums, which are designed to
be wound separately and to exert their motive action conjointly.
2nd. The fusees formed of two drums, one of which is cylindrical and the other
conical, the conicity of the latter being designed to keep the value of the driving
moment constant despite the diminution of the driving effect due to the expansion
of the springs.
3rd. A brake with instantaneous action formed by a fork of metal pressing
against the rim of the driving or fly wheel.
Dated this 29th day of September 1894..
:
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.