IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS ☐ OR HEAVY BODIES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crowley, the younger, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, Ironfounder and Machine Maker, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS
☐ OR HEAVY BODIES."
Sealed the 16th October 1874, and dated the 28th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crowley. at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th April 1874.
I, JOHN CROWLEY, the younger, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Ironfounder and Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
WEIGHTS OR HEAVY BODIES," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to apparatus in combination with pulley blocks
for raising and lowering weights or heavy bodies, whereby the weight
when being lowered can be stopped and held suspended at any point in

page_text: its descent and released or raised again at pleasure. It consists in the
application to pulley blocks (the description being for a one sheave
block) of a roller either plain or grooved, such groove being made to
correspond to a certain extent to the groove of the pulley. The axles of
this roller move in curved slots formed through each side or cheek of
the framework carrying and covering the pulley at a short distance from
and eccentrically to the periphery of the pulley, and extending from
towards the top to any suitable distance round the same in such a
manner that when the rope or chain is running over the pulley whilst
in the act of lowering the weight, the plain or grooved roller will descend
in the curved slots, and by the eccentric form of the latter relatively to
the periphery or edge of the pulley the space between the roller and the
running rope or chain will be gradually lessened until finally the rope
or chain will be tightly gripped or held between the groove of the pulley
and the roller, and the weight be stopped in its descent. On the other
hand when the rope or chain is pulled over the pulley whilst in the act
of raising the weight it will produce a pressure on the roller, which will
thereby be forced upwards in the slots and gradually recède from the
rope or chain until the latter is free to run as required.
The roller may be made of any suitable material, and if desirable
(when used for a rope block) it may be covered with india-rubber or
other yielding substance for the protection of the rope from abrasion.
I also make the brake in the shape of a ball or sphere either of solid
vulcanized rubber or other suitable substance, which rises or falls with
the action of the rope (as the weight is raised or lowered) in the funnel-
shaped space formed by the frame passing round a portion of the
periphery or outer edge of the pulley, and tapering downwards so that
whilst there is sufficient room for the rope to work through it is
impossible for the ball to pass through at the same time.
The action is very similar to the former description of the roller; the
motion of the rope upwards carries up the ball with it to a certain height
when it revolves freely in the funnel; the reverse motion of the rope
when lowering causes the ball to descend and become firmly wedged
between the rope and sustaining the weight; in both of the above
described arrangements I use a lever or catch or other simple me-
chanical contrivance to raise or hold up the roller or ball whilst the
weight is being lowered,

page_text: The same Invention may be applied to any number or series of
pulleys mounted in similar blocks or frameworks as herein-before
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Crowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CROWLEY, the younger, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Ironfounder
and Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Crowley, the younger, Her
special license that I, the said John Crowley, the younger, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Crowley,
the younger, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agrec with and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term thercin expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
WEIGHTS OR HEAVY BODIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Crowley, the younger, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Crowley, the younger, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom.

page_text: panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :--
This Invention relates to apparatus in combination with pulley blocks
for raising and lowering weights or heavy bodies, whereby the weight
when being lowered can be stopped and held suspended at any point in
its descent and released or raised again at pleasure. It consists in the
application to pulley blocks (the description being for a one sheave
block) of a break in the shape of a ball or sphere made of solid vulcanized
rubber or other suitable substance which rises or falls with the action of
the rope (as the weight is raised or lowered), in a funnel-shaped space
formed by a projecting piece from each of the side cheeks of the block
or framework carrying the pulley, the projecting pieces passing round a
portion of the periphery or outer edge of the pulley and tapering
downwards, so that whilst there is sufficient room for the rope to
work through it is impossible for the ball to pass through at the same
time.
When the rope or chain is running over the pulley whilst in the act
of raising the weight, the motion of the rope upwards carries up the ball
with it to a certain height when it revolves freely in the funnel, the
reverse motion of the rope when lowering causes the ball to descend and
become firmly wedged between the rope and sustaining the weight. In
combination with this arrangement I use a lever or catch or other simple
mechanical contrivance to raise or hold up the ball whilst the weight is
being lowered.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a side sectional clevation of my improved apparatus in the
act of raising a weight, and Figure 2 a similar view of the same when
lowering the weight; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lever or
catch detached.
A represents a pulley or sheave mounted in a block or framework
(the description being for a one sheave block) of which one side a only is
shewn, projecting from the inner face of the side a is a curved car or
lug B, which passes partially round the periphery of the pulley or

page_text: ball D is again retained and the weight at liberty to be lowered as
'before.
The same Invention may be applied to any number or series of
pulleys mounted in similar blocks or frameworks as herein-before
described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, 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 me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the application and use of projecting ears or lugs forming a funnel-shaped
space in combination with the running rope and with a sphere or ball to
pulley blocks, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crowley, the younger, have
to this my Specification, set my hand and seal, the 24th day
of October One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN CROWLEY, JR. (L.S.)