Improvements in Mechanism in Connection with Counter Shafts Employed in Driving Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1887.
Complete Left, 17th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Mar., 1887.
Improvements in Mechanism in Connection with Counter Shafts
Employed in Driving Machinery.
We WILSON FORTUNE and FRANK HOLDSWORTH BENTHAM both of West End Comb
Works, Richmond Road, Bradford in the County of York Machine Comb Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in mounting two short counter shafts at opposite ends of
two similar arms in such manner that the shafts with their fittings approximately
balance each other and by raising or lowering the ends of the arms which support
the shafts the tension upon the driving belt from the counter shaft to the drum or
pulley of the machine being driven can be adjusted with great facility.
To carry out our Invention we support from overhead beams a straight vertical
hanger which carries a central shaft which is free to turn in its bearings. At or near
each end of this central shaft are formed or fixed two straight arms which project
from the sides of the shaft horizontally; thus there are four projecting horizontal
arms and at the end of each arm is fixed a suitable bushed bearing to receive the end
of a counter shaft.
A counter shaft fitted with a similar set of cones is mounted in the bearings at the
ends of each of these pairs of arms; one of these shafts carries fast and loose pulleys
to receive motion from a main driving shaft and the other shaft carries a pulley to
drive the machine to be operated.
The two sets of cones hereinbefore referred to are connected by means of a belt
or strap and operate together in the usual manner.
It will thus be seen that the two counter shafts may be made to approximately
balance each other and either may be easily raised or depressed; but to facilitate this
raising or depression (whereby the tension of the driving belt from one of the counter
shafts to the machine being operated is regulated and fixed) a pivoted nut is fixed in

page_text: a fork attached to one of the horizontal arms, and through this nut a screw operated
by means of a vertical shaft and hand wheel is passed, and by means of this arrange-
ment the tension of the belt is adjusted.
A similar adjustment may be effected by means of a lever and rod actuating the
arms which carry the countershafts herein before mentioned.
By means of the arrangement of two cones and two Countershafts herein described
the speed can be regulated independently of the machine being driven, and this Speed
regulating device is combined with the arrangement for regulating the tension of
the belt.
WM. JAS. BAKER,
Town Hall Chambers, Bradford,
Agent for the Applicants,

page_text: Employed in Driving Machinery.
We WILSON FORTUNE and FRANK HOLDSWORTH BENTHAM both of the West End
Comb Works, Richmond Road, Bradford in the County of York, Machine Comb
Makers 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 consists in mounting two short Counter Shafts at opposite ends of
two similar arms in such manner that the Shafts with their fittings approximately
balance each other, and by raising or lowering the ends of the arms which support
the shafts, the tension upon the driving belt from the Counter Shaft to the drum or
pulley of the machine being driven can be adjusted with great facility.
To carry out our invention we support from overhead beams one or more straight
vertical hangers which carries or carry a central shaft which is free to turn in its
bearings.
At or near each end of this central shaft are formed or fixed two straight arms
which project from the sides of the Shaft horizontally; thus there are four projecting
horizontal arms and at the end of each arm is fixed a suitable bushed or other bearing
to receive the end of a Counter Shaft.
A Counter Shaft fitted with a similar set of cones is mounted in the bearings at
the ends of each of these pairs of arms; one of these shafts carries fast and loose
pulleys to receive motion from a main driving shaft and the other shaft carries a pulley
to drive the machine to be operated.
The two sets of cones herein before referred to are connected by means of a belt or
strap and operate together in the usual manner.
It will thus be seen that the two counter shafts may be made to approximately
balance each other and either may be easily raised or depressed; but to facilitate this
raising or depression (whereby the tension of the driving belt from one of the Counter
Shafts to the machine being operated is regulated and fixed) a pivoted nut is fixed in
a fork attached to one of the horizontal arms, and through this nut a screw operated
by means of a vertical shaft and hand wheel is passed and by means of this arrange-
ment the tension of the belt is adjusted.
A similar adjustment may be effected by means of a lever and rod actuating the
arms which carry the countershafts herein before mentioned.
By employing the two cones and two Counter shafts in the manner described the
speed can be regulated independently of the machine being driven, and this speed-
regulating device is combined with an arrangement for regulating the tension of
the belt.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our improved arrangement of countershafts
with supporting arms, driving pulleys and cones.

page_text: Figure 3 a front elevation of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in each of the drawings.
The vertical hanger A supports the cross shaft B from which shaft extend hori-
zontally the arms C. D. E. F. At the ends of these arms are formed the bearings G
which carry the two Counter Shafts H and J.
Upon one end of the Counter Shaft H is fixed the cone K and upon the other end
of the same shaft is fixed the pulley L which is connected by means of a belt or strap
to the machine to be driven.
Upon one end of the Counter Shaft J is fixed the cone M from which is driven
the Cone K and from these two cones any required variation of speed is obtained. At
or near the centre of the Shaft J are placed the fast and loose pulleys N and O
respectively, driven from the main driving shaft by means of the belt P.
The two arms C and E are connected by means of a cross stay in the centre of
which stay a boss is formed and a hole is bored for the rod S to pass through. A
Collar T formed upon the rod S bears upon and lifts up the boss of the cross stay Q
when acted upon by the screw U formed upon the end of the Rod S which screw fits
into the female screw formed within the boss R formed upon the bracket V projecting
from the hanger A.
The hand wheel T is for the purpose of actuating the screw U, which tightens the
belt passing over the pulley I when the arms C and E are raised by means of this
screw.
It is obvious that a hand lever may be substituted for the screw for the purpose
of raising or lowering the arms C. E. carrying the Counter shaft H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The general arrangement of parts forming an adjustable support for counter
shafts substantially as described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
2. In adjustable supports for Countershafts, the combination of two Cones K and M,
the rocking shaft B. The arms C. DE and F supporting the bearings for the Counter
shafts The screwed boss R on the bracket V, the adjusting screw U, with the Shaft S
upon which shaft is formed or fixed the Collar T for raising the arms which support
the Counter Shaft H and thereby tightening the belt actuating the machine to be
driven, all for the purpose and substantially as described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
WM. JAS. BAKER,
Town Hall Chambers, Bradford,
Agent for the Applicants.