Improvements in Apparatus Applicable to Speed Indicators or "Revolution Counters."
Year: 1885

page_text: 66
Improvements in Apparatus Applicable to Speed Indicators
or "Revolution Counters."
.
I, SIDNEY TEBBUTT, of 16, Clumber Street, Nottingham, in the county of
Nottingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO MEASURING INDICATORS, to be as.
follows:-
I employ two cones of similar size and shape placed with their axis parallel,
as near as may be, to each other, and at such a distance that the surfaces of the
cones are but a short distance apart. The cones are placed in reversed position
towards each other, that is to say, the thick end of the one is next to the thin end
of the other. These cones are mechanically connected by an endless belt which
passes round both, so that one cone being moved drives the other. One cone, which
I herein call the first cone, is driven by the machine whose speed is to be indicated,
the other, which I call the second cone is driven by the before mentioned belt.
The axle of the second cone actuates the hands of the Indicator, either directly or
through a train of wheels. The belt which connects the two cones is retained and
moved by a fork adjusted in its position in the usual manner, so that the belt can
be by this means shifted along the surface of the cones longitudinally to any
desired place.
By reason of the varying proportion, which the circumference of the one cone
bears to the corresponding opposite circumference of the other at various points
between their ends, the speed with which the axle of the second cone actuates the
hands of the Indicator, can, by shifting the belt as before mentioned towards one
or other end of the cone, be increased or diminished within certain limits without
any alteration taking place in the speed of the machine which drives the first cone,
that is, the machine whose speed is to be indicated.
In some cases the following modification of the above apparatus will be found
useful. In the place of one of the cones and of the said driving belt, a wheel or
disk is made use of having upon its circumference a covering of india-rubber.
This wheel or disk runs longitudinally upon a square shaft or axle which is placed
ID 21

page_text: in a direction parallel to the surface of the cone, and at such a distance from it, that
the circumferences of the disk and of the cone, are in close contact. The square
axle may be driven by the machine to be indicated, or the axle itself may actuate
directly, or indirectly, the hands of the indicator and the said disk is retained in its
place, or shifted longitudinally along its square axle, by means similar to those
described above where there are two cones. By the above described apparatus
I obtain the means of increasing or diminishing the speed with which the indicator
is driven by the machine whose speed is to be indicated, and I am thus able to
adjust within limits sufficiently wide for great practical advantage, and to the
greatest accuracy, the proportion which the speed of the indicator bears to that of
the machine whose speed is to be indicated.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus Applicable to speed indicators
or Revolution Counters.
I, SIDNEY TEBBUTT, of 16 Clumber Street, Nottingham, in the county of
Nottingham, Engineer 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 :—
When a machine is connected with an indicator or revolution counter, the speed of
the latter and consequently its rate of indication will be governed not only by the
speed of the driving machine, but also by the proportion which the driving wheel
of the machine bears to the wheel of the indicator which it drives. The manner
in which the connection between the machine and the indicator is made in con-
sequence of the cost occasioned by the use of absolute gearing, is sometimes by
turned wheels or pulleys and a band. In these cases although care may be taken
to turn the wheels of a proper size, and duly adjust the bands it is found in practice
that great accuracy is very difficult to obtain and consequently that inaccurate regis-
trations are made, and also that indicators are not interchangeable with all machines.
even of a similar construction. Again in many cases what is required to be indi-
cated is not the speed of the driving machine, but the movement on or upon the
machine of some textile fabric placed on or manufactured by the machine. But
considerable variations are found to occur in length of the fabrics made on a
machine according as to the nature of the material, its tendency to run together,
the thickness or dampness of the fabric and other causes and hence the indicator
may indicate correctly for a machine at one time, and incorrectly at another and
similar variations and inaccuracies arise, where it is desired to indicate the rate of
action of machines throwing, or raising or otherwise dealing with grain or liquid,
or such like matter.
In order to obviate the above mentioned difficulties I employ the following
apparatus to adjust the speed of the indicator to any given amount, and thus make
the record of its hands an exact and absolute record instead of one needing
correction.
I employ two cones of similar size and shape whose axles run on bearings in the
frame which also holds the indicator. These cones are placed with their axles
parallel, but in reversed position towards each other, that is to say with the large
end of the one opposite the small end of the other. These cones are of the ordinary
shape of conical pullies, used by mechanics, and have no apex. The cones I prefer
to use in the special indicator used with lace curtain machines are about 1 inches
in length, and the diameter of each cone at the one end is about one inch and an
eighth and at the other end one inch and a quarter. But the size of the cones and
their relative size one to the other may vary according to practical requirements,
as for instance where the indicator is large and requires considerable power to drive

page_text: it, the size of the circumference of the cones, and of their axles, and of the frame
carrying them will be increased, and in cases of the opposite kind, they will be
diminished. And again where it is desired to adjust the speed of the indicator to
unusual accuracy, the difference between the sizes of the ends of the cone will not
be great, that is the diminution of the size of the cone from the larger to the smaller
end will be very gradual. In all cases however the taper of the two cones must
be the same.
The axles of the cones are placed at such a distance apart that their circum.
ferences are near each other, the distance I prefer in the case of the size given above
as of those cones I use for lace curtain machines is about an eighth of an inch, but
this distance may vary according to practical requirements.
The cones are mechanically connected by an endless leather or india-rubber belt
which passes round the circumference of both cones with sufficient tightness to
produce complete and uninterrupted mechanical connection. The belt is shifted
longitudinally along the surface of the cones by a fork which is moved from side
to side and retained in any required position by a long screw, or by any suitable
mechanical means.
The axle of the first cone passes through the frame of the indicator (in the form
I prefer to employ) and is driven either by a band or by gearing from the driving
machine. The axle of the second cone carries a small cog wheel which is geared
with the wheels of the indicator. Figures 1 and 3 represent the particular
arrangement I prefer to use of cones in connection with an indicator, Figure 1
shows a side view of cones with guide or fork and screw removed, and Figure 3
the same but with guide and screw in position, and Figure 2 shows a sectional
view of Figure 3. In all the said Figures A represents the axle of the first cone,
which is driven by mechanical means from the machine to be indicated, B is the
first cone, C is the axle of the second cone, D the second cone, E the connecting
belt, F the guide or fork upon the screw G, H a handle by which the screw is
turned, and the belt brought into the required position upon the cones, K is the nut
by which the screw is locked in any required position. There is also a rod L passing
through the projected arms of the fork to keep it from turning, which is shown in
Figure 2, M is the toothed wheel on the axle of the second cone which gears with
and actuates the wheel of the indicator.
The mode of action of the above described apparatus is as follows. The machine
to be indicated drives the axle of the first cone and hence the whole apparatus, and
the indicator. If the hands of the indicator revolve too fast and record too
much the belt E is shifted by the fork F along the surface of the cones towards
the small end of the first cone B, and from the small end of second cone D, if
on the other hand the indicator records too little the belt is shifted along the
surface of the cone in an opposite direction. In certain cases I find a modification
of the above apparatus advisable. In the place of the second cone I use an iron
wheel of as large a diameter as can be practically used, say one and a half times
as large as the large end of the cone, the exact size however is unimportant.
This wheel has upon its rim suitably grooved for the purpose a tyre of india-
rubber or similar elastic material of about three sixteenths of an inch thick;
ordinary vulcanized indiarubber as used for bicycle wheel tyres is very suitable.
The iron wheel has a square hole in its centre, and slides freely upon a square
axle. The square axle is placed in a direction parallel to the surface of the cone
and at such a distance from it, that the indiarubber tyre on the wheel is in close
contact with and bites the surface of the cone. The wheel or disc may be moved
longitudinally along its square axle and held in any desired position by a fork
similar to the means employed for a like object, in the case of the two cones before
described. Figures 4 and 5 shew in plan and section the particular arrangement
I prefer to use, and in which the letters of the various parts correspond to those
of the Figures previously described, except that C is the square axle, and D is
the disc or wheel with an india rubber tyre. As the wheel D is shifted along.the

page_text: surface of the cone towards its smaller end, the cone will drive the wheel slower,
and as the wheel is shifted the contrary way, the cone will drive it quicker, and
thus the speed with which the indicator is driven can be varied by turning the
handle of the screw which carries the fork F.
In consequence of the gradual sloping surface of the cones or cone in the above
described apparatus, the rate of speed with which the indicator is driven can be
varied and adjusted within limits, (which though not large are wide enough for
great practical utility) to the greatest nicety and with the greatest precision, a result
which as far as I am aware can in no other manner be so easily and advantageously
obtained.
It is applicable to all indicators constructed upon the ordinary patterns and
although the necessity remains of having specially designed indicators for various
classes of fabrics and of machines, yet it renders such indicators capable of
making an absolutely accurate record instead of one needing correction and
calculation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is:-
The use of two cones lying in reversed position towards each other and
mechanically connected by an adjustable belt as hereinbefore described, or the use
of a cone and a disc or wheel moveable along its axle mechanically connected as
herein before described, or the use of some apparatus substantially similar thereto
in connection with speed indicators or revolution counters, for the purpose of
differentiating and adjusting the speed of the said indicators or counters.