AN IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léon Gunzburger-Lévy, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1,
at Paris, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER
ENGINE."
ealed the 25th July 1876, and dated the 26th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léon Gunzburger-Lévy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1876.
LÉON GUNZBURGER-LEVY, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Manu-
facturer. "AN IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE."
It has already been attempted by means of various mechanical combinations to
employ springs enclosed in barrels or boxes for the production of the power required
when the springs are wound up to work machinery or apparatus, but none of these
attempts have as yet attained the desired object, either from the irregularity or
uncertainty of the movements or other cause.
My improved motive-power engine fulfils all the requirements of small manu-
facturers and home workers, inasmuch as sufficient power can be economically
obtained for working sewing machines, small tools, and all descriptions of apparatus
or machines requiring a comparatively small amount of power to work them.
A very regular movement, an absolute safety, a great facility of setting the
machine to work and stopping it instantly, and also the smallest amount of working
expenses are the principal advantages that are obtained by the use of my improved
motive-power engine.
The several mechanical parts and details of the engine are all mounted on a
metal frame or case having hinged doors or covers, and in the interior of the case
are placed several helical springs enclosed in boxes or barrels fixed on spindles or
shafts working in bearings in the case or frame. The springs are wound up by
using an ordinary key or cranked handle to turn a pinion gearing into a toothed
wheel on a shaft carrying a lantern or long pinion gearing into toothed wheels fixed
to the shafts of the box springs, and at one end of the lantern pinion shaft there is
a toothed driving wheel gearing into a pinion communicating with a series or chain
of wheels and pinions for obtaining a quick revolving motion, which is transferred
to the sewing, drilling, and other machines or apparatus to be worked by a strap.
and pulleys.
To the shaft of the last pinion is fixed a break or friction pulley having a corre-
sponding friction strap or belt moved as required by a double lever worked by

page_text: arms, levers, and wheels put in motion by an ordinary governor or regulator, so
that the friction belt shall act on the friction pulley, and thereby enable the motor
to work continually at a regular speed, and for instantly stopping the shaft which
carries the driving pulley without stopping the action of the springs, and also for
setting it on again. One of the pinions and its corresponding toothed wheel are so
arranged that they can be ungeared and geared by means of clutches or unlocking
and locking pins worked one way by a lever and another way by a spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Léon Gunzburger-Lévy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
July 1876.
LEON GUNZBERGER-LEVY, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Manu-
facturer. "AN IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE."
It has already been attempted by means of various mechanical combinations to
employ springs enclosed in boxes or barrels for the exertion of the power required
when the springs are wound up to work machinery or apparatus, but none of these
attempts have as yet attained the desired object, either from the complicated
character of the apparatus or the irregularity or uncertainty of the movements or
- other causes.
My improved motive-power engine fulfils all the requirements of small manu-
facturers and home workers, inasmuch as sufficient power can be economically
obtained for working sewing machines, lathes, drilling machines, printing and litho-
graphic presses, and all descriptions of apparatus or machines requiring a compara-
tively small amount of power to work them.
A very regular movement, an absolute safety, great facility of setting the machine
to work and instantaneously stopping it, and also the smallest amount of
working expense are the principal advantages that are obtained by the use of this
apparatus.
In order that the Invention may be well understood I have hereunto annexed a
Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and have referred to the same by figures and letters
in the following particular description thereof, the same letters referring to like
parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation seen from the right side of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a like
view of the left side; Fig. 3, a front view; Fig. 4, a plan; and Fig. 5, detail of the
starting and stop mechanism.
The machine is mounted upon a framework consisting of a metal box or case a pro-
vided with hinged doors b, and within this case a are mounted the spring barrels c
here represented as two and mounted on shafts d', said spring barrels being wound
by means of the winch handle f or by means of a key.
The handle f turns the pinion f1 in gear with another pinion 11, which gears
with a toothed wheel 2 which is fixed on the shaft d of the spring barrel c. On
the said shaft of the toothed wheel f² and of the spring barrels c is fixed a
ratchet wheels, and a stop catch f³ is arranged to act upon it. The action of the
spring barrels is communicated directly through the toothed wheels f to the
lantern or long pinion ƒ³ on the shaft which carries the actuating gear wheel h,
which gears with a pinion ¹ mounted on the shaft of the wheel h, which in its
turn gears with and communicates motion to the pinion h³. While winding the
spring barrels the catch f³ acts on the ratchet wheel f, and on setting the appa-
ratus in motion the catch g¹is disengaged from the ratchet g in gear with the shaft
of the lantern pinion by means of the two small pinions x, x¹. This disengagement
of the catch g and ratchet g is effected by means of the arrangement shown in
Fig. 5. A rod g is jointed to a bell-crank piece g³, which is itself jointed to a
motion rod g, the extremity of which in its turn is jointed to an arm g³, which is
attached to the stop spring go, which rests on the catch g. On moving the rod g³

page_text: the spring g is drawn back and the catch g' is released immediately through the
action of the spring g' attached to the rod 98, which latter is connected by the
motion rod go to the hand lever-g10. The ratchet wheel g being thus liberated the
lantern pinion will also become liberated and communicate the action of the spring
barrels to the gearing and likewise to the driving pulley for transmitting the
power to the machine which is required to be operated.
The pinion h³ is keyed to the shaft of the brake wheel k, which is acted upon by
the brake block k¹ actuated by the double lever, . The pinion h³ through the
shaft and skew gearing 12, 13, actuates the governors, the movable socket m of
which acts through the levers m', m², k, k³, and k² on the brake block to moderate
the rapidity of the apparatus, and thus ensure a regular action. A treadle
connected to the hand lever will allow of this regulating action being exerted by
the foot.
For instantaneously stopping the apparatus the hand lever g¹0 is lowered, which
will also lower the catch g¹ upon the ratchet wheel g, and at this moment the stop
spring being released will again rest on the catch g¹, and thus prevent its being
raised; and it will be seen that one of the chief features of this machine is that
without inconvenience or fear of disarangement the spring barrels can be rewouned.
In Fig. 3 the apparatus is represented as enclosed in a sort of box o of wood or
metal, but this is not essential to the working of the apparatus, and may be varied
according to the application of the machine.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, I claim
the improved motive-power engine arranged and working substantially as herein
described and shown on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léon Gunzberger-Lévy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-six.
L. GUNZBURGER-LÉVY. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALBERT CAHEN,
Civil Engineer,
of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1,
at Paris.