IMPROVEMENTS IN PULLEY BLOCKS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO CRANES, OVERHEAD TRAVELLERS, HOISTS AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES."
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Ward, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and
Howl, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Engineers, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN PULLEY BLOCKS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO CRANES, OVERHEAD TRAVELLERS, HOISTS AND OTHER
LIKE RECEPTACLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1881.
THOMAS HENRY WARD, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and Howl, of Tipton, in the
County of Stafford, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PULLEY BLOCKS, PARTS OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO CRANES, OVERHEAD TRAVELLERS,
HOISTS, AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES."
My Invention relates to improvements in differential pulley blocks of the
description known as Weston's, parts of which are also applicable to other pulley
blocks, and has reference partly to a former Invention, in respect of which an
application for Letters Patent was made by myself and Edmund Howl, dated tho
17th September 1881, No. 4012.
According to one part of my present Invention I invert the arrangement of the
Weston's block, that is to say, I place the single sheave at the top, and the differ-
ential sheaves at the botton. It will be seen therefore that the single sheave will
form the fulcrum, and that the differential sheaves will rise and fall as a Weston's
bottom sheave.
I guide the chain after it has passed partly round one of the differential
sheaves down the opposite side and up again on to the other differential sheave by
means of guide wheels, or, what is equally as well, down and up sliding guides,
and allow it to hang loosely near the ground as a loop forming an endless chain.
It will be seen that this loop is stationary, and will neither riso nor fall, and
also that there are two lines only of chain instead of four, consequently only one
stationary loop instead of two loops rising and falling, and there is thus less
Price 6d 1

page_text: liability of the chain becoming entangled. In other respects the block is arranged
as a Weston block. The block may be operated froin the chain direct, or by
rotating the top sheave or the bottom sheaves by means of a spocket wheel or
ratchet lever or equivalent devices.
Another part of my Invention relates to the gearing of blocks in order to obtain
greater purchase.
In lieu of driving the differential sheaves by means of inside or outside spur
gear, I drive by means of endless chain gear. For this purpose underneath the
main chain there is cast another bed for receiving a much smaller endless chain in
one or both of the sheaves. The chain after passing around the same passes over
a corresponding chain pinion or pinions situate between the two lines of loaded
chains, which is or are actuated by means of a spocket wheel, lever, or ratchet
wheel, or other equivalent devices. If desirable however this chain gear may be
situate in a like manner in the bed of the single sheave, or even on the side or
sides of either of the top or bottom sheaves, and there actuated as described, or
even it may be applied for driving the top sheaves of an ordinary Weston's
block.
It is evident therefore that the same gear is applicable, whether the differential
sheaves are situate above, as in a Weston block, or below, as in the arrangement
herein before described, or whether the differential sheaves or the single sheaves are
driven.
In order to economize space and weight I prefer actuating by one or more ratchet
handles, whether at the top or bottom sheaves, and when the handles are above a
convenient reach from the ground, I may suspend one or more ropes or chains from
the end of the handles for the facility of operating them, whilst I provide the handles
with either a counter weight or spring in order that they may be drawn into
position again at the end of one stroke ready for another.
This chain gear may be further combined with the lowering gear described in
the Provisional Specification filed by myself and the said Edmund Howl, dated the
17th September 1881, No. 4012, by arranging the block as a non-self sustained
block, and introducing the detent and ratchet wheel in the manner described in the
said Provisional Specification.
My Invention is also applicable to cranes, overhead travellers, hoists, and other
like apparatus,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Heury Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th June 1882.
THOMAS HENRY WARD, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and Howl, of Tipton, in
the County of Stafford. Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PULLEY BLOCKS, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO CRANES, OVERHEAD
TRAVELLERS, HOISTS, AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES."
My Invention relates to improvements in differential pulley blocks of the
description known as Weston's, parts of which are also applicable to certain other
kinds of pulley blocks, and has reference partly to a form r Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to myself and Edmund Howl, dated the Seventeenth
September, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one, Number 4012, in that the
subject matter of that Patent may be used in combination with pulley blocks
provided with my present improvements.
According to one part of my present Invention, which applies to " Weston's
pulley block," I invert the arrangement of the said blocks, that is to say, I place
the single sheave at the top and the differential sheaves at the bottom. It will be
seen therefore that the single sheave will form the fulcrum, and that the differential
sheaves will rise and fall as a Weston's bottom sheave.
I guide the chain after it has passed over the top sheave and partly round one
of the differential sheaves down the opposite side and up again on to the other
differential sheave by means of guide wheels, or, what is equally as well, down and
up guide pieces, and allow it to hang loosely near the ground as a loop forming an
endless chain.
It will be seen that this loop remains in the same position, that is, the chain.
itself will neither rise nor fall bodily, and also that there are two lines only of
chain, instead of four lines of chain having two loops rising and falling, and that
there is thus less liability of the chain becoming entangled. The block may bo
operated from the chain direct, or by rotating the top sheave or the bottom
sheaves by means of a spocket wheel or ratchet lever or equivalent devices.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, an 1 for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures in the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation, and Figure 2
in transverse vertical section, a pulley block constructed or arranged according to
my Invention. The single sheave at top is marked A, and its suspending shackle
is marked a. The differential sheaves at hotton are marked B and C, and the
shackle for suspending the load is marked d. In Figure 1 the differential sheaves
are shown in section, one half of the section being taken on a line through the ono
sheave, and the other half through the other sheave. The chain E is passed partly
around the one sheave of the differential sheaves, then over the upper sheave A,
and partly around the other sheave of the differential sheaves. The said chain at
the part which forms the loop extending below the bottom sheaves is guided so as
to keep the chain in gear with the sheaves by means either of rollers or guiding
surfaces. In the Drawing I have shewn guiding surfaces as being employed.
They consist of two curved horn pieces fcarried by the cro-s piece d³ of the lower
shackle d. These guiding pieces are shewn separately drawn to a larger scule in
side view and plan respectively in Figures 3 and 4. The cross pins 2 are to
prevent the chain E from getting out of place. It will be seen, that rollers can
take the place of the guides f, if desired, and that by this arrangement of the pulley

page_text: block the chain E is not liable to become entangled, and that a large saving is
made in the quantity of such chain required.
Another part of my Invention relates to the gearing of blocks in order to obtain
greater purchase.
In lieu of driving the differential sheaves by means of inside or outside spur gear,
I drive them by means of endless chain gear. For this purpose there is cast in one
or more sheaves underneath the toothed bed or groove for the main chain another
toothed bed or groove for receiving a much smaller endless chain. This chain
after passing around this additional bed or groove passes over a corresponding
chain pinion situate between the two lines of loaded chain, to which pinion the
power is applied.
This part of my Invention is illustrated as applied to two sheaves in Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings. The sheaves B and C have their main chain beds or
grooves deepened at g, so as to form additional beds or grooves with teeth to
coustitute chain pulleys to receive small driving chains passing thercover and
over corresponding toothed grooves in the chain pinion i carried in the upper part
of the lower sheave framings, as shewn. The driving of the pinion may be effected
in any convenient manner. In Figure 2 there is shewn for this purpose a ratchet
wheel j attached to the axis of the pinion i, the lever and pawl k being actuated
like a ratchet brace to rotate the pinion i, and through it and the chains h the
sheaves of the pulley.
If desirable however this chain gear may be situate in a like mannor in the bed
of the single sheave above, and then be actuated as described; or it may be applied
for driving the top sheaves of an ordinary Weston's block. Figure 5 represents in
elevation, and Figure 6 in vertical section, a Weston's block provided with the said
improvement. The parts which correspond with those shewn in Figure 2 are
marked with the same letters of reference, and as the arrangement of my improve-
nents in this respect is essentially similar to the arrangement of the improvements
as shown in the said Figure 2, these Figures 5 and 6 call for no further descrip-
tion. I have here shewn a sprocket wheel as the means for giving motion to
the pinion i, which in this arrangement is of course situated beneath the
sheaves B, C.
It is evident therefore that the same gear is applicable, whether the differential
sheaves be situate above, as in a Weston's block, or below, as in the arrangement
herein before first described, or whether one or more of the differential sheaves or
the single sheave be driven.
The chains will have a strain upon them in a proportion varying with the lond,
but this strain will of course be of much smaller amount than that on the main
chain. I prefer for safety's sake to make the said chains & weaker in proportion
than the main chain, so that theso chains will break before the main chain, and thus
prevent injury should the apparatus be unduly strained. This chain gear may be
combined with the lowering gear described in the Specification filed by myself and
the said Edmund Howl in pursuance of the before mentioned Letters Patent, dated
the Seventeenth September, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one, No. 4012,
by arranging the block as a non-self sustained block, and introducing the detent
and ratchet wheel in the manner described in the said Specification.
This lowering gear is shewn at x in Figures 1, 2, and 5, 6, and as its application
differs in no respect from its application as described in the said prior Specification
it calls for no further description.
My Invention is also applicable to cranes, overhead travellers, hoists, and other
like apparatus to which it is or may be applicable.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to ine by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The improvements in pulley blocks and like apparatus, consisting in

page_text: placing the single sheave at top and the differential sheaves at bottom, and
arranging the chain in connection therewith and to pass over guiding rollers or
surfaces, substantially us and for the purposes herein before described with reference
to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In pulley blocks and like apparatus the means for driving the same,
consisting of a chain or chains passing over additional beds or grooves formed in
the sheave or sheaves, and over a pinion or pinion on the actuating or first
motion shaft, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the pulley block
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the pulley block
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Ward, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
THOMAS HENRY WARD. (L.S.)