IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING OR CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING OR HANGING SHAFTING
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred George Brookes of N° 50 Chancery Lane London
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING OR CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING OR HANGING
SHAFTING communicated to him from abroad by Robert Whitehill of the
City and State of New York in the United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred George Brookes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1883.
Alfred GEORGE BROOKES of N° 59, Chancery Lane London, in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent JMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING OR
CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING OR HANGING SHAFTING (Communicated to me
from Abroad by Robert Whitehill of the City and State of New York in the
United States of America)
This invention has for one of its objects the construction of an adjustable shaft
hanger in which the box is so supported as to be able to oscillate both vertically
and horizontally in order that the box may readily adapt or allign itself to the
shafting or its vibrations, thus avoiding the cramping of the shafting in the boxes,
reducing the strain on the boxes, and enabling the shafting to be run by the
expenditure of less power and with less wear than were the box held igidly.
This invention also has for its object the production of a simple and efficient hub
or coupling to be employed for connecting together the ends of two shafts, the said
hub having its bearing surface in contact with one part of the shaft so made as to
yield under the action of certain suitably formed wedges, they springing and forcing
the said bearing surface against and so as to clamp the shafts placed centrally in
the said hub, the said surface adapting itself readily to the diameters of the ends of
the said shafts should they vary somewhat in size.
This invention consists in a shaft hanger having a cross bar and hubs, and a
yoke baving a shank to enter the said hubs combined with an adjusting screw to
ndinst the yoke vertically.

page_text: Also in a base, a hub, and a cross bar provided with an adjusting screw, and a
hub provided with a slot or passage combined with a yoke the shank of which is
provided with a projection to enter the said slot or passage and temporarily support
the said yoke while it is being adjusted into operative position.
Also in a yoke provided with box supporting projections having their ends
terminated at the centre line of the box combined with a box having ears provided
with bearing faces to rest upon the said projections, and turn thereon both
vertically and horizontally
Also in a yoke provided with box supporting projections and with curved guides,
combined with a box having ears to rest upon the said projections and curved to
bear against the said guide.
Also in a yoke providing with box supporting projections and with guides, and a
box having ears curved at their outer ends, combined with adjusting screws to
ensure proper contact of the ears and guides.
Also, in a yoke provided with box supporting projections and a box having cars
supported thereon, combined with an ear holder to act upon the said ears above tho
said projections
Also, in a hanger having a cross bar, and a hub, and a yoke having a shank
inserted in the said hub, combined with a screw to adjust the said yoko vertically,
and with a set screw cooperating with the said hub and the shank of the yoke to
prevent the rotation of the said shank in the said hub.
Also in a hub-shell provided with a fixed bearing surface and two yielding hearing
parts or surfaces connected at one end with and extended from the hub-shell by a
Deck, combined with an adjustable wedge to spring or force the yielding parts or
surfaces toward the fixed part.
Also in a hub-shell having a fixed bearing surface and independently adjustable
opposed parts or surfaces combined with suitable wedges to act upon the
adjustable surfaces and cause them to clamp and hold together the ends of the
two shafts.
Also, in a hub-shell having fixed and yielding bearing surfaces suitably connected
therewith combined with wedges, and with a rod having adjusting nuts at each end
to operate the wedges in the desired manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred George Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th December 1883.
"
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of N° 59, Chancery Lane, London in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING OR
CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING OR HANGING SHAFTING. (Communicated to me
from Abroad by Robert Whitehill of the City and State of New York in the
United States of America)
This invention has for one of its objects the construction of an adjustable shaft
banger in which the box is so supported as to be able to oscillate both vertically
and horizontally in order that the box may readily adapt or allign itself to the
shafting or its vibrations, thus avoiding the cramping of the shafting in the boxes,
reducing the strain on the boxes, and enabling the shafting to be run by the
expenditure of less power and with less wear than were the box held rigidly
This invention also has for its object the production of a simple and efficient
hub or coupling to be employed for connecting together the ends of two shafts,
the said hub having its bearing surface in contact with one part of the shaft so
made as to yield under the action of certain wedges to be hereinafter described, they
springing and forcing the said bearing surface against and so as to clamp the shafts
placed centrally in the said hub, the said surface adapting itself readily to the
diameters of the ends of the said shafts should they vary somewhat in size.
This invention consists in a shaft hanger having a cross bar and hubs, and a yoke
having a shank to enter the said hubs, combined with an adjusting screw to adjust
the yoke vertically
Also, in a base, a hub, and a cross bar provided with an adjusting screw, and a
hub provided with a slot or passage, combined with a yoke the shank of which is
provided with a projection to enter the said slot or passage and temporarily
support the said yoke while it is being adjusted into operative position
Also, in a yoke provided with box supporting projections having their ends
terminated at the centre line of the box combined with a box having ears provided
with bearing faces to rest upon the said projections, and turn thereon both
vertically and horizontally.
Also in a yoke provided with box supporting projections and with curved
guides, combined with a box having ears to rest upon the said projections and
curved to bear against the said guide as will be described.
Also in a yoke provided with box supporting projections and with guides, and a
box having ears curved at their outer ends, combined with adjusting screws to
ensure proper contact of the ears and guides.
Also in a yoke provided with box supporting projections and a box having ears
supported thereon combined with an ear holder to act upon the said ears above the
said projections.
Also, in a hanger having a cross bar, and a hub, and a yoke having a shank
inserted in the said hub, combined with a screw to adjust the said yoke vertically,
and with a set screw cooperating with the said hub and the shank of the yoke to
prevent the rotation of the said shank in the said hub
Also, in a hub-shell provided with a fixed bearing surface and two yielding
bearing parts or surfaces connected at one end with and extended from the hub-
shell by a neck as described combined with an adjustable wedge to spring or forco
the yielding parts or surfaces toward the fixed part.
Also, in n hub-shell having a fixed bearing surface and independently adjustable
opposed parts or surfaces combined with wedges such as will be described to act

page_text: upon the adjustable serfaces and cause them to clamp and hold together the ends of
the two shafts.
Also in a hub-shell having fixed and yielding bearing surfaces connected
therewith as will be described combined with wedges and with a rod having
adjusting nuts at each end to operate the wedges as will be set forth.
In the drawing in which the same letters designate like parts Figure 1 represents
in side elevation and vertical section a shaft hanger embodying this invention.
Figure 2 a cross section thereof on the line X. Figure 3, a cross section on the
line X. Figure 4 three views of a modification to be referred to. Figure 5
represents in longitudinal section the improved line hub, it being shown as applied
to the ends of two shafts shown in elevation, the said Figure showing the wedges
in section. Figure 6, is an end view of the hub for the coupling. Figure 7, is a
longitudinal section thereof on the dotted line X' Figure 6 and Figure 8 is a
separate view of one of the wedges.
The base A of the hanger, adapted to be connected with the ceiling or other
place by suitable screws or bolts extended through the ears A' has a cross bar A,
and guide hub A³, A, to receive the shank C of the yoke C¹ provided with the box
supports C. The yoke C' is sustained by a screw or bolt B. extended through the
cross bar A into the shank C and by turning said bolt the yoke may be adjusted
vertically to bring the box G supported by it to the proper level.
The shaft C of the yoke C has a key or projection 3. and the hub A, has a
correspondingly shaped opening 4, through which the said projection passes when
the shank C is being placed in position in the hubs A3, A4, and as soon as the
projection 3 passes above the hub A*, slight rotation of the shank C carries the
said projection beyond the said opening or slot 4, and prevents the yoke dropping
while being adjusted into proper position by the screw B.
The shank C is held or fixed in place by the set screws 2 and 5. The under
shell of the box G it having the usual top shell connected therewith by screws or
bolts 7, has its side ears h carried above the centre line of the shaft S. and the said
ears are recessed or socketed at their under sides as at B see right of Figure 1. to
form bearing faces level with the centre line of the said box and shaft.
These bearing faces rest upon the box supporting projections C³ of the yoke C¹
the said projections having their narrow upper edges located at the level of the
centre line of the box G so that the said box may tip up and down at its ends on
the said projections as fulcra
To prevent the box leaving the said projections C³ under any strain on the shaft
in the direction of the base A or upward, ear holding devices d are added, they
being shown in Figures 1 and 2 as pointed screws & the ends of which rest above
and in contact with the bevilled edges 6 of the ears h.
The ears h at their ends, are turned in the arc of a circle described from the
longitudinal centre of the shaft or box, as designated by the curved lines 10, sce
Figure 2, and the said curved ends bear against curved bearing pieces e attached
to the yoke c¹ thus guiding the box in its horizontal movements or adjustments.
The lower end of the yoke is held together by the bolt the turning of which
controls the closeness of the contact of the said guide pieces e with the curved ends
of the ears h, to thus ensure correct movements
This screw C³ also supports the drip cup H
The box tips vertically and turns horizontally on the projections C³.
Instead of the bevel face 6, of the ears h and the screws d an-car-holding device
such as shown in Figure 4 may be employed it being composed of a dog pivoted at
12 on the yoke above the centre of the ear, and the said dog will act upon a surface
at the top of the ear h, the said surface being level with the centre line of the
shafts and immediately above the projections C³.
The lower ends of the yoke being separated as shown in Figure 1. affords ample
space when the bolt is removed, for the passage of the shafting into the yoke.
The hub J of usual construction has a bearing surface m herein shown as a web
connected at each end with the interior of the shell of the hub, the open space m'

page_text: next the said surface being left only for the purpose of saving metal and properly
distributing and balancing the mass of metal
The uppermost bearing surface m² of the hub as shown in the drawings, bored to
fit the shafts 8. 82 is attached to the interior of the shell by the narrow web m³
shown clearly in Figure 6.
This surface m³ is separated from the portion m and from the interior of the
shell of the hub, by boring, leaving the surface m² as a projecting arm or lever
adapted by its convexed face to fit and enclose snugly nearly one half the circum-
ference of the shafts, touched by it, and in the drawing it will be noticed that both
corners 22. 23. of the arm or lever-like portion m² m² are so connected with the
shell of the hub J that the corners 22, and 23 of the surface m2, and the continuous
surface between them, are free to be moved toward and from the bearing surface m,
thus enabling the part m² the only part of the hub which is made adjustable, to
bear uniformly upon the shaft and to fit all the parts of the said shaft equally
under all adjustnients, which would not be the case were it not for the space 24
between the corner 22. and the interior of the shell of the hub
If the space 24. were filled with metal, it is obvious that the concaved part of
the surface m in contact with the shaft under it, could not be adjusted and be
made to bear uniformly upon the periphery of the shaft touched by it, for the part
of the said surface at the point marked 22. could not yield as the part thereof
marked 23. so the open space 24 becomes, it will be seen a matter of much
importance, and is necessary to ensure a powerful and uniform grasp of the shafts
as the said surface m² m³ is adjusted.
The surface m m³, along one side and near the interior of the shell, is provided
with a tapering or inclined key-seat shown best in Figure 5, and marked 26, in
Figure 7 in which as well as in Figure 5, it will be observed that the part m², is
separated transversely by a slot 27 which divides the said hub into two pieces,
thus enabling each of said pieces one being connected with the hub shell near one
and the other with the hub shell near its other end, to be sprung or moved indepen-
dently to adapt the said separate portions m³ m³, to the ends of the two shafts 8. 82
which may be of somewhat different diameters
These separate portions m², m³ both alike and marked alike, are acted upon each
by an independent wedge p herein shown as made hollow to receive the screw
rod pthreaded at each end and provided with nuts p³ by which to adjust the
said wedges and force them into the space r left between the bearing parts m³ m³
and the interior of the hub-shell.
By employing a rod threaded at each end, and a nut for each end of the rod,
instead of a rod with a head at one end and a screw and nut at its other end it is
possible to maintain the rod always in the same position with relation to the ends
of the hub, whereas with the rod having a head, as stated, and a nut only at one
end the rod would have to be moved longitudinally, but with the two nuts, one at
each end, the rod may remain stationary and only the nuts be moved. The wedges
herein shown having smooth tapering sides or acting faces may be moved longi-
tudinally by a blow from a hammer, or otherwise, which would not be possible
were the wedges made as screws entered into screwthreaded openings formed one
half in the parts m² and the other half in the hub-shell.
Such a screw wedge to move it would require the expenditure of very considerable
power
Each wedge p at one side, has an ear 40, against which, when it is desired to
remove a closely fitted wedgo from between the shell and part m² m³, a rod or
bar of iron may be placed, and the wedge be started by a blow on the said bar.
Some part of the rod p³ will be or all of it may be made square or of other shape
than round to prevent the rod turning in the said wedges
I do not broadly claim a hub or shell having one portion of its hub made
adjustable by a wedge-like device so as to be clamped upon a shaft.
I claim
1st The base of the hanger, and its cross bar and hubs, and the yoke having the

page_text: shank C combined with the adjusting screw to adjust the yoke vertically and
longitudinally substantially as described.
2nd The base A and the hub and its cross bar A' provided with the adjusting
screw and the hub provided with the passage 4, combined with the yoke and its
shank C. provided with the projections 3, to temporarily support the said yoke
while being adjusted into operative position, substantially as described.
3rd The yoke provided with the box supporting projections having their ends
terminated at the centre line of the box, combined with the box having ears
provided with bearing faces to rest upon the said projections and turn thereon
both vertically and horizontally, substantially as described.
4th The yoke provided with the box supporting projections 62, and with the
curved guides e combined with the box having ears h to rest upon the said
projections and curved to bear against the said guide, as and for the purposes
described.
5th The yoke provided with the box supporting projections and with the guides e
and the box having the ears h curved at their outer ends as described, combined
with the adjusting screws C³ to ensure proper contact of the ears and guides,
substantially as described.
6th The yoke provided with the box-supporting projections, and the box having
ears supported thereon, combined with the holder to act upon the said ears
above the said projections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
7th The base of the hanger having the cross bar A' and a hub, and the yoke C¹¹
having a shank Cinserted in the said hub combined with the screw B. to adjust
the said yoke vertically and with a set screw, cooperating with the said hub and
the shank of the yoke to prevent the rotation of the said shank in the said hub,
as shown
8th The hub shell provided with the fixed bearing surface m and the bearing
parts or surfaces m³ m³ connected at one end with and extended from the bub
shell by the neck m³, as described, combined with an adjustable wedge to spring
or force the parts or surfaces m² m³, toward the part m as set forth.
9th The hub-shell, its bearing surface m and the independently adjustable parts
m² m², combined with the wedges substantially as described, to clamp and hold
the ends of the two shafts as set forth.
10th The hub-shell and its parts m m² m³, connected therewith as described,
combined with the wedges and with a rod having adjusting nuts at each end to
operate the wedges as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred George Brookes have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourth day of December in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
ATTED T
ADDOORES