Improvements in Belt Shifters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Belt Shifters.
I, FREDERICK NEVIUS CONNET of 107 Harrison Street, in the City and County
of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, in the United States of America,
Mechanical 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 :-
The object of the invention is to furnish an improved apparatus for shifting
machine belts either on to or off from the loose pulley by alternate movements of
the same actuating device. That is, for example if the shifter is actuated by a cord
and the belt is on the loose pulley, to start the machine the cord is pulled, thereby
shifting the belt to the tight pulley, and then if the cord is again pulled in exactly
the same manner as at first, the belt is shifted in the opposite direction back to the
loose pulley and the machine is stopped. In this way there is no chance for any
mistake on the part of the operator at critical moments by getting hold of the wrong
cord or by attempting to give the wrong motion to a bar, handle, or other actuating
device. I am aware that there are other forms of apparatus accomplishing the
same results as my invention but I regard the one herein described and claimed as
better thau any heretofore produced.
Referring to the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a general view of my improved belt shifter as designed for comparatively
small sizes showing the countershaft with its three pulleys, A and B being respec-
tively the tight and loose pulleys for the driving belt, and C the pulley to drive
the machine with which the belt shifter is used, and also showing the belt shifter
bar D, all mounted upon a single hanger J. The casing E being shown in place
in this figure covers the working parts.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the middle of Fig. 1 on line 2-2 of
that figure, and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view with the casing E removed and is upon
the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. These two latter figures with Figure 8 serve to show the
arrangement of the various working parts when combined together.
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views upon a somewhat larger scale of particular parts
which will be described in more detail hereafter.
Fig. 8 is a plan view in section upon line 8-8 of Fig. 3, and
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show modified forms of the same device.
The belt shifter bar D carrying properly constructed fingers to engage the sides
of the belt to be shifted, slides in guides at d, d¹, of the hanger J, (see Fig. 3) and
in the construction here shown has transversely to its length the slot G formed in
a proper extension of the metal. The shifter bar D passes transversely across
the face and centre of a disc H, Fig. 3, and shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 mounted
upon a spindle I, Fig. 2, carried in the main portion of the hanger, and inserted in
the disc H is a piu or spindle h, Fig. 3, which passes into the slot G of the shifter
bar. The disc H always turns in the same direction, but it is evident that as the
pin or spindle h is moved in its circumferential path by the rotation of the disc H
it will move the shifter bar back and forth. This bar, the disc H, and pin / are so
arranged and proportioned with respect to the belt to be shifted that when the pin h

page_text: is at the furthest point to the right to which it can go, the belt is upon either the
tight or loose pulley, and when the point of its path furthest to the left is reached
by the pin the belt is on the opposite pulley. In Fig. 3 the dotted lines show
the second position of the shifter bar. In the arrangement here shown it is
evident that the slot G must be sufficiently long to permit of the entire revolution
of the pin h. It will thus be seen that each half rotation of the disc H will serve
to throw the belt upon the opposite pulley to that upon which it was before.
Further, the points at which the pin h stops each time is a dead centre as respects
any pressure by the belt upon the bar D. I do not however ordinarily depend
wholly upon the disc H preserving this dead centre to prevent any further
shifting of the belt, but employ other means to assist in preserving it as hereinafter
described.
In order to rotate the disc H through one half revolution for the purpose specified,
there is mounted, as I have constructed it, upon the same central spindle I, a
second disc or rope wheel K shown as a separate feature in Fig. 7, grooved upon its
periphery for the rope L by which it is operated. One end of the rope passes
through the stop F upon the wheel K and is knotted upon the other side as shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then after passing around a portion of the wheel K
passes through a hole at M in the casing E which serves as a guide to always keep
it upon the wheel K, and hangs down within reach of the operator. This casing E
is made with a flange extending back from its face, sufficiently around one side and
near to the periphery of the wheel K to meet the stop F upon the wheel at two
points, viz. x and y (Fig. 3), and yet leave a free passage for it between these
points in one direction. They are so placed as to permit the wheel K to pass
through a little more than one half rotation. Around the spindle I, and cast upon
the hanger is a circular flange O, Figs. 4 and 8, with a slot O' through it, and
upon the disc or rope wheel K is cast a similar circular flange P with a similar
slot P, but of a larger diameter than that upon the hanger. Between these
flanges is coiled a spring R, Fig. 4, one end of which is turned over the edge of
the inner flange on the hanger through the slot O¹, and the other end over the
edge of the other flange on the wheel K through the slot P. This spring is
arranged to carry the disc or wheel K back to its original position whenever the
cord L is let go of. Thus the stop F ordinarily rests against the flange of the
casing at, Fig. 3, and when the cord L is puiled as far as possible the wheel K
will make about one half rotation and the stop F will come into contact with the
other end of the flange at y. Now if the operator lets go the cord the spring
will carry the disc K back to its original position ready for the cord to be pulled
again. It only remains to transmit this motion of the half rotation of the wheel K
so as to also turn the disc H one half way round each time the cord is pulled.
This may be done in various ways. The means I have taken to accomplish it is
by mounting one or more pawls S, S, upon the rope wheel K and causing them by
gravity or by springs to catch in corresponding notches S', S¹, in the periphery of
the disc H, Figs. 5 and 6. The pawl shown in the drawings at the top will engage
in its catch by gravity; that at the bottom may have a spring to press it into
contact, but this latter pawl is designed rather for the purpose of insuring the
completion of the half turn should the first or upper pawl drop from its catch in
any way before completing the full half turn, and for this purpose it would at such
a time be above the centre, so that it will also fall by gravity behind its notch.
To be more sure of this the second or lower pawl might be placed only about
one-third of the circumference behind the other instead of opposite it. In any
event no spring to keep the pawls in contact with the disc H is absolutely
necessary though one is shown in the drawings at N behind the lower pawl. It is
stated above that the wheel K is allowed a movement of a little more than
one-half of a complete rotation. This is for the purpose of insuring that the
pawls pass back of their catches, and is accomplished by the position of the lower
edge of the flange of the casing as at x.

page_text: Not to depend entirely upon the disc H retaining its position of a dead centre
at either end of the movement of the belt shifter bar D, I have added a flat
spring W, Fig. 3, fastened fixedly at one end and bearing at its other end upon
either one of two flat surfaces W', WI, Figs. 5 and 6, formed upon a portion of
the periphery of the disc H. This spring will alternately bear upon each of
these two flat surfaces, they being opposite each other. There are evidently
various other ways of accomplishing this result, as for example by a stationary
pawl and suitable notches for it to catch in.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show modified arrangements of essentially the same idea.
In these the shifter bar D carries the stud or pin h, and there is cut or otherwise
constructed upon the face of the disc H a groove V which forms a circular cam, as
shown in Fig. 9, into which the pin h is inserted, it being held therein by proper
bearing surfaces behind the bar D (not shown). In Fig. 11 this cam groove is
shown in a double cam. In this latter case the extent of the movement given to
the wheel K or other means used to give the rotary motion to the disc H must be
modified to correspond with the cams.
This in the arrangement shown in Fig. 11 the amount of rotation to be given to
disc H is one-fourth instead of one-half of a complete rotation, and if any more
complicated form of cam is used the rotation must be further modified to
correspond.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A belt shifting apparatus consisting of a shifting bar, a rotary disc, a device
attached to said disc and connected to the shifting bar to give it motion, means for
giving rotary motion to the disc through a fractional part of a complete rotation
and always in the same direction, the foregoing combination being so proportioned
and arranged that each fractional rotation of the disc will move the shifting bar
from one extreme of its limit of motion to the other and alternately in opposite
directions, and a spring to return to its normal position said means for rotating the
disc, substantially as described.
2. A belt shifting apparatus consisting of a shifting bar having a slot transversely
of its length, a rotary disc, a stud carried by said disc and extending into the slot
of the bar, rotative means for moving said disc through part of a complete rotation
at a time and always in the same direction, and a spring to return to its normal
position said means for rotating the disc, substantially as described.
3. A. belt shifting apparatus consisting of a shifting bar, a rotary disc connected
with said bar, a second disc having a rotary motion through one-half of a complete
rotation, means for rotating said second disc through its one-half rotation, and a
spring to return this second disc to its original position, and one or more pawls
and corresponding catches carried upon the two discs to communicate the motion
in one direction of said second disc to the first mentioned disc, substantially as
described.
4. A belt shifting apparatus consisting of a shifting bar having a slot trans-
versely of its length, a rotary disc, means for preventing the rotation of this disc
except when intentionally caused, a stud carried by said disc and extending into
the slot of the bar, a rotative means for moving said dise through part of a complete
rotation at a time and always in the same direction, and a spring to return to its
normal position said means for rotating the disc, substantially as described.
5. A belt shifting apparatus consisting of a shifting bar, a rotary disc connected
with said bar and having one or more flat surfaces, a second disc having a rotary
motion through one-half of a complete rotation, means for rotating said second
disc through its one-half rotation and a spring to return this second disc to its
normal position, one or more pawls and corresponding catches carried upon the two
discs to communicate the motion in one direction of said second disc to the first

page_text: mentioned disc, and one or more springs bearing upon the flat surface or surfaces
of the first mentioned disc to prevent it from rotating except when intentionally
caused to do so, substantially as described.
Dated the 2nd day of December 1895.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.