Improvements in or relating to Gear Wheels and Gearing.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gear Wheels and Gearing.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MONK, of 77, Foregate Street, Chester, Cheshire, Cycle
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to gear wheels and gearing and is especially applicable
to gearing wherein one wheel is set at say a right angle to the wheel with which
it gears, though it may also be applied to a wheel adapted to gear with another
wheel in or approximately in the same plane as itself. My invention has for
its objects to facilitate and cheapen manufacture as compared with say ordinary
bevel wheels and to reduce friction.
In carrying out my invention as applied to a gear wheel adapted to gear with
another wheel situated in a plane at say right angles thereto, I take a circular
metal blank and turn a concentric groove in the face thereof at a suitable distance
from the periphery. The width of this groove is somewhat less than the diameter
of certain balls hereinafter referred to. From the back of the blank I drill a
circular series of equidistant holes. The axial lines of these holes cut or pass near
to the centre line of the above mentioned groove and the said holes open out
into the said groove. The holes are preferably slightly larger in diameter than
the before mentioned balls which they are adapted to receive. The balls project
by preferably considerably more than half their diameters beyond the bottom of
the groove, but are prevented from falling out forwards by stopping the drilling
of the holes short of the face of the blank; the bottoms of the holes are preferably
rounded. The flange left between the groove and the periphery of the blank is
cut away at intervals alternating with the parts thereof radially opposite the
individual balls so as to leave a series of studs having recesses wherein the balls
partially lie. The balls constitute the teeth of the wheels, and to retain them in
their forward position a plate or ring is caused to bed up against the back of
the blank. The plate or ring may either bear directly on the balls or it may be
provided with a series of studs adapted to enter the holes and bear against the
balls; or other balls may be introduced between the backs of the teeth-balls and
the face of the said plate or ring. The back of the blank may be provided with
a screw threaded boss over which the plate or ring fits, and a nut screwing on
behind the said plate or ring provides adjustment and retains the parts in position;
or adjustment may be provided by any other suitable means.
In action the spur teeth of the one wheel enter between and engage with the
ball teeth of the other wheel, and the apertures cut in the flange of the ball
toothed wheel allow the teeth of the spur wheel to clear the said flange as they
approach and leave the ball teeth.
In constructing according to my invention a wheel adapted to gear with a spur

page_text: wheel in the same or nearly the same plane, I form the groove in the periphery
of the blank and drill the holes radially. The balls, in this case, are preferably
held up to their work and adjusted directly or indirectly by one or more conical
rings adapted to move laterally relatively to the blank.
If desired, the balls may, in either case, be adjusted so tight as to form fixed
teeth. In some cases rollers may be substituted for the balls and other modi-
fications may be made without exceeding the fair scope of my invention.
Dated this 4th day of March 1898.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gear Wheels and Gearing.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MONK, of 77, Foregate Street, Chester, Cheshire, Cycle
Agent, 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:.
My invention relates to gear wheels and gearing and is specially applicable
to gearing wherein one wheel is set at say a right angle to the wheel with which
it gears, though it may also be applied to a wheel adapted to gear with another
wheel in or approximately in the same plane as itself. My invention has for
its objects to facilitate and cheapen manufacture as compared with say ordinary
bevel wheels, and to reduce friction.
And in order that my invention may be properly understood I will describe the
same with the aid of accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1, is an elevation, partly in section, of a gear wheel constructed accord-
ing to my invention gearing with a spur wheel at right angles thereto.
Figure 2, is a vertical section showing two modifications.
Figure 3, is a similar view to Figure 1, showing two wheels gearing together
in the same plane.
Similar numerals refer to the same parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out my invention as applied to a gear wheel adapted to gear with
another wheel situated in a plane at say right angles thereto as shown in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings, I take a circular metal blank 2 and turn a
concentric groove 3 in the face 4 thereof at a suitable distance from the peri-
phery 5, and at an angle of 45° to the said face. The width of this groove is
somewhat less than the diameter of certain balls (6) hereinafter referred to.
From the back of the blank I drill a circular series of equidistant holes 7 which
open out into the groove 3. The holes 7 are preferably slightly larger in diameter
than the balls 6 which they are adapted to receive. The balls project, by prefer-
ably considerably more than half their diameters, beyond the bottom of the
groove, but are prevented from falling out forwards by stopping the drilling of
the holes short of the face 4 of the blank; the bottom portions 8 of the holes are
preferably rounded. The groove 3 may be turned at right angles to the face 4
of blank, in which case the flange left between the groove and the periphery of

page_text: the blank is cut away at intervals alternating with the parts thereof radially
opposite the individual balls so as to leave a series of studs having recesses wherein
the balls partly lie, while the apertures formed by so cutting away the blank
allow the spur teeth of a flat wheel to clear the said blank as they approach and
leave the balls 6 which constitute the teeth of the wheels. But I prefer to turn
the said groove, as already stated, at 45° to the face 4 of the blank and to bevel
off such face as shown, while the spur teeth 16 of the other wheel 17 are set at
an angle of 45° to the plane of such wheel, thus allowing the said teeth 16 to
clear the blank as they approach and leave the said balls 6.
To retain the balls 6 in their forward position a plate or ring 9 is caused to bed
up against the back of the blank. This plate or ring 9 may either bear directly
on the balls as shown in Figure 1, or it may be provided with a series of studs 10
adapted to enter the holes and bear against the balls, as shown in the upper part
of Fig. 2; or other balls 11 may be introduced between the backs of the balls G
and the face of the said plate or ring 9, as shown in the lower part of Figure 2.
The back of the blank 2 may be provided with a screw threaded boss 12 along
which the plate or ring 9 screws (unless provided with the studs 10, when it
slides); and a nut 13 screwing on behind the said plate or ring provides adjustment
and retains the parts in position; or adjustment may be provided by other suitable
means.
In action, the spur teeth 16 of the wheel 17 enter between and engage with the
ball teeth 6 of my improved wheel, and motion may be thus transmitted from one
wheel to the other with a minimum of friction.
In constructing, according to my invention, a wheel 21 adapted to gear with a
spur wheel 22 in the same or nearly the same plane, as shown in Fig. 3, I form
the groove 18 (corresponding to the groove 3 in Figs. 1 and 2) in the periphery
of the blank and parallel to the faces thereof. The holes 19 (corresponding to
the holes ) are drilled radially and are formed with rounded shoulders 24 at
their outer ends. The balls 6, in this case, are preferably held up to their work
and adjusted by a conical edged plate 20 adapted to be moved laterally relatively
to the blank by screwing along the boss 12, the adjustment being locked by the
nut 13 screwing along the said boss 12 and bearing against the back of the plate 20.
The spur teeth 23 are set parallel to the face of the wheel 22.
If desired the balls may, in either case, be adjusted so tight as to form fixed
teeth, and I do not confine myself strictly to the above description as other modi-
fications may be made without exceeding the fair scope of my invention. For
example, instead of the plate or ring being detachable, the blank may be divided
planarily through the groove.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. A ball-toothed gear wheel constructed, arranged and adapted to operate sub-
stantially as herein described with reference to one or other of the figures in the
accompanying drawings.
2. Wheel gearing constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 or to Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. A gear wheel having balls, adapted to operate as teeth, inserted individually
in a series of holes drilled from the back of the wheel blank and opening into a
groove, of less diameter than each ball, cut in the face of the said blank, from the
bottom of which groove each ball projects by more than half its diameter.
4. A gear wheel having balls, adapted to operate as teeth, inserted individually
in a series of holes drilled radially in the wheel blank and opening into a groove
of less diameter than each ball, cut in the periphery of the said blank, from the
bottom of which groove each ball projects by more than half its diameter.
5. In gear wheels of the kind referred to herein, the employment of a plate or

page_text: ring adapted to bear directly, or indirectly through the medium of studs, balls
or the like, against the balls constituting the wheel teeth in such a manner that
the balls are adjustably retained in their operative position.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1898.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.