IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FORGES, APPLICABLE IN PART FOR CONVERTING ALTERNATING INTO CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas McLean, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,'
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FORGES,
APPLICABLE IN PART FOR CONVERTING ALTERNATING INTO CONTINUOUS
ROTARY MOTION." A communication from abroad by Munsell and Thompson
Manufacturing Company, of the City and State of New York, one of the
United States of America.
Sealed the 21st January 1879, and dated the 29th July 1878
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas McLean at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1878..
THOMAS MCLEAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FORGES, APPLICABLE IN PART FOR CONVERTING
ALTERNATING INTO CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION." [A communication from
abroad by Munsell and Thompson Manufacturing Company, of the City and
State of New York, one of the United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a forge for blacksmiths, ship builders,
and others, which shall be portable, durable, not liable to get out of order, and casily
supplied with the necessary blast of air.
For the above purpose I construct a forge with a hollow or cup-shaped hearth
supported on a tubular stem, through which an air blast from a fan is supplied to
the said hearth.
A valve or door is provided near the bottom of the tubular stem, through which
any cinders and ashes which enter the said stem, and would choke it up are
removed.
Rotary motion is given to the fan attached to the tubular stem by the following
novel mechanism: A fly wheel, which is free to revolve on a spindle attached to
the tubular stem, and the periphery of which acts against a pulley on the fan
spindle is formed with an annular recess on one of its sides. Within the annular
groove or recess is placed one or more split clamp pieces or catches having openings
Duins 71

page_text: in their joints to admit one end of a lever or levers. The other end or ends of the
lever or levers is or are acted upon by a pin or pins, stud or studs, or slot or slots,
on or in a cap or cover which fits over a spindle carrying the fly wheel.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the cup or cover is caused to
revolve in one direction the pin or pins, stud or studs, slot or slots, on or in such
cap or cover acts or act against the lever or levers, and causes or cause it or them
to open the clamp pieces in such manner that the said clamp pieces shall grip the
edges of the annular groove or recess. The fly wheel is thereby carried round in
the same direction as that in which the cap or cover is moving. When the motion
of the cap or cover is reversed the lever or levers is or are unacted upon, and the
clamp pieces are free to close and slip round within the annular groove. A pin or
pins or its or their equivalent on the cap or cover is or are employed to cause the
clamp pieces to close together when the motion of the said cap or cover is reversed
as above described.
It will be seen that to give a continuous rotary motion to the fly wheel it is only
necessary to impart an alternating motion to the cap or cover; this may be done by
a lever attached to such cup or cover by coiling and uncoiling a belt, cord, or the
like around the said cap or cover by means of a lever, treadle, or the like, or any
other means may be employed to give such alternating motion to the cap or
cover.
It will be obvious that the above apparatus, consisting of the fly wheel, clamp
pieces, lever or levers, & cap or cover may be employed to drive other appliances
than a fan, such as small grindstones or apparatus where a quick rotary motion is
desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas McLean in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January
1879.
"
THOMAS MCLEAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant. IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FORGES, APPLICABLE IN PART FOR CONVERTING
ALTERNATING INTO CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION." A communication from
abroad by Munsell and Thompson Manufacturing Company, of the City and.
State of New York, one of the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a forge for blacksmiths, ship builders,
and others, which shall be portable, durable, not liable to get out of order, and easily
supplied with the necessary blast of air.
For the above purpose I construct a forge with a hollow or cup-shaped hearth
supported on a tubular stem, through which an air blast from a fan is supplied to
the said hearth.
A valve or door is provided near the bottom of the tubular stem, through which
any cinders and ashes which enter the said stem and would choke it up are
removed.
Continuous rotary motion is given to the fan attached to the tubular stem by
the following novel mechanism: A fly wheel, which is free to revolve on a spindle
attached to the tubular stem, and the periphery of which acts against a pulley on
the fan spindle, is formed with an annular recess on one of its sides. Within the
annular groove or recess is placed one or more split clamp pieces or catches having
openings in their joints to admit one end of a lever or levers; the other end or
ends of the lever or levers is or are acted upon by a pin or pins, stud or studs, or
slot or slots, on or in a cap or cover which fits over the spindle carrying the fly.
wheel.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the cap or cover is caused to
revolve in one direction, the pin or pins, stud or studs, slot or slots, on or in such
cap or cover, acts or act against the lever or levers, and cause it or them to open
the clamp pieces in such manner that the said clamp pieces shall grip the edges of
the annular groove or recess. The fly wheel is thereby carried round in the same
direction as that in which the cap or cover is moving.
When the motion of the
.
cap or cover is reversed the lever or levers is or are unacted upon, and the clamp
pieces are free to close and slip round within the annular groove. A pin or
pins or its or their equivalent on the cap or cover is or are employed to cause
the clamp pieces to close together when the motion of the said cap or cover is
reversed as above described.
It will be seen that to give a continuous rotary motion to the fly wheel it is
only necessary to impart an alternating motion to the cap or cover.
This may
be done by a lever attached to such cap or cover by coiling and uncoiling a belt,
cord, or the like around the said cap or cover by means of a lever, treadle, or the
like, or any other means may be employed to give such alternating motion to the
cap or cover.
It will be obvious that the above apparatus consisting of the fly wheel, clamp
pieces, lever or levers, and cap or cover may be employed to drive other appliances
than a fan, such as small grindstones, or apparatus where a quick rotary motion
is desired.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a portable forge constructed under my Inven
tion; and Fig. 2 is a sectional front view; and Fig. 3, a side elevation of my
improved driving appliances.
1 is the hollow or cup-shaped hearth supported on a tubular stem 2, through
which an air blast from the fan 3 is supplied to the said hearth; 4 is a valve
opened by the lever 5 so as to allow any cinders and ashes falling or passing into
the stem to be discharged. The fan 3 is fitted on the spindle 6, which latter

page_text: revolves in bearings 7. On the spindle 6 is secured the pulley 8; such pulley 8
maintained in cotact with the periphery of the fly wheel 9 by means of the
weighted lever 10. The fly wheel 9 is loose and free to revolve on the spindle 11,
is constructed or formed with the annular groove or recess 12, within which the
split clamp pieces 13 are placed. These clamp pieces have openings 14 to admit
one end of the bent lever 15 between them; the other end of the said lever 15 is
acted upon by the sides of the cap or cover at 16, which sides form the slot 17.
The said cap or cover 16 is free to revolve on the spindle 11; 18 is a rocking lever
to be worked by hand; it is provided with two arms 19, from which flexible
straps 20 are led to the cap 16, and coiled around it in opposite directions; 21 is a
pin so fitted or placed in the cap 16 as to strike against the clamp pieces 13, and
cause them to close together and travel round within the annular recess 12, when
the cap or cover 16 is made to rotate in the direction of the arrow.
When the cap
or cover is caused to rotate in the opposite direction the clamp pieces grip the edges
of the groove or recess, and carry the fly wheel round with them.
Fig. 4 is a sectional front view illustrating a modification of driving apparatus
in which two sets of clamp pieces 13, operated by two levers 15, are acted upon by
a stud 22 secured to the cap 16.
Fig. 5 shows modified apparatus for converting an alternating into a continuous
rotary motion applied to a small grindstone. The stone 23 is secured to the spindle,
and acts as a fly wheel. The cap or cover is here shown formed with a toothed
pinion, and actuated by means of a toothed quadrant 24, receiving motion from the
treadle 25.
It will be evident that various modifications may be made without departing
from the said Invention, as, for instance, the gearing illustrated and described in
connection with the grindstone may be applied to forges or hearths generally, those
stationary as well as those portable, also that parts may be varied in shape such as
the hearth, which need not be cup-shaped; further, that the alternating motion to
be afterwards converted into rotary motion may be communicated from any
available power and conveyed by mechanism variously arranged.
Having now described and illustrated my said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect, I claim,―
First. The portable forge, constructed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes set forth.
Second. The combination of the recess 12, clamps 13, and lever or levers 15,
with the cap or cover 16 and slot or slots 17, or stud or studs 22, all operating
substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas McLean, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.