IMPROVED FRICTION JOINTS OR BEARINGS SPECIALLY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Aldridge Weston, of Ridgewood,
Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States of America, and
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED FRICTION JOINTS OR BEARINGS SPECIALLY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Aldridge
Weston at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th October 1873.
I, THOMAS ALDRIDGE WESTON, of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New
Jersey, in the United States of America, and of Birmingham; in the
County of Warwick; Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED FRICTION JOINTS OR BEARINGS SPECIALLY APPLICABLE
TO TOILET GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING FRAMES," to be as follows:-
In applying my Invention to a swinging frame, as for example, á
toilet glass, I attach to the edge or side of its frame at the point of
suspension a small circular disc of metal, the edges of which arc

page_text: embraced or clamped between the annular rims of two half discs, upon
the backs of which I cast studs or projections of tapering form
regarded vertically and in a transverse direction; these studs are of
dovetail or other convenient sectional figure for engagement with the
vertical groove or slot formed in the face of a small clamp or clip,
which is securely attached to the pillar or fixed support for the glass
frame.
The studs or projections upon the half discs carried by the glass.
frame being tapered vertically, and the slot or vertical recess of the
clamp carried by the pillar or support having a like taper form, the :
studs are thereby forced towards each other under the weight of the
glass frame, or to any greater degree desired by pressing thereon and
forcing the studs downwards towards the narrow end of the slot. As
the studs are thus acted on the half discs. on which they are formed
' embrace with proportionate force the edges of the small disc attached
to the glass frame and furnish the required frictional resistance by
which the frame can be adjusted in any desired position.
In another form of my Invention I attach in like manner to tho
frame a disc with a central stud or button, and to the pillar or support
another disc with a vertical slot, down which the neck or shank of the
button may slide. The edges of the slot are of wedge section, vertically
growing thicker downwards as the button is forced downwards by the
weight of the glass frame, or by any further pressure applied thereto by
hand, the two discs are pressed together from the head of the button or
stud on one disc traversing the wedge-like edges of the slot in the other,
and thus drawing their contiguous faces together, and the required
friction for retaining the glass frame at any angle is thus obtained.
In another form of my Invention the circular disc attached to the
pillar has its edge formed for the frictional action of a strap or clastic
metallic clamp, one end of which is attached to a saddle piece or block
screwed to the glass frame, and its other end is formed into a screw and
held by a suitable nut or thumb piece in the saddle.
By means of the screw nut any desired degree of tension is given. to
the flexible band to furnish the desired frictional resistance for holding
the glass frame in position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Aldridge Weston in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
5 ALDRIDGE WESTON, of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, in the
United States of America, and of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
}
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the
O year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Aldridge Weston,
Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Aldridge Weston, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Aldridge Weston, my executors, administrators, and assigns,"
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein 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 "IMPROVED FRICTION JOINTS OR BEARINGS
SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO TOILET GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING FRAMES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Aldridge:
Weston, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Aldridge Weston, 'do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-:
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference .being had:
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in constructing frictional joints or bearings in
such manner that the weight of the article supported is utilized for
producing or augmenting by means of a wedge action as herein-after

page_text: described the frictional adhesion required for retaining the said article at
any desired inclination, or for controlling and arresting the rotatory
motion of the samé.
Having stated the nature and object of my Invention, I proceed to
describe the same by way of example as applied to a toilet glass or other
swinging frame. I attach to the edge or side of the frame at the point
of suspension a small circular disc of metal, the edges of which are
embraced or clamped between the annular rims of two half discs, upon
the backs of which I cast studs or projections of tapering form regarded
vertically, and in a transverse direction; these studs are of dovetail or
other convenient sectional figure for engagement with the vertical
groove or slot formed on the face of a small clamp or clip, which
is securely attached to the pillar or fixed support for the glass
frame.
The studs or projections upon the half discs carried by the glass frame
being tapered vertically, and the slot or vertical recess of the clamp
carried by the pillar or support having a like taper form, the studs are
thereby forced towards each other under the weight of the glass frame
or to any greater degree desired by pressing thereon and forcing the
studs downwards towards the narrow end of the slot. As the studs are
thus acted on the half discs on which they are formed embrace with pro-
portionate force the edges of the small disc attached to the glass frame.
and furnish the required frictional resistance by which the frame can be
adjusted in any desired position.
In another form of my Invention I attach in like manner to tho
frame a disc with a central stud or button, and to the pillar or support
another disc with a vertical slot, down which the neck or shank of the
button may slide, the edges of the slot are of wedge section, vertically
growing thicker downwards. As the button is forced downwards by the
weight of the glass frame, or by any further pressure applied thereto by
hand, the two discs are pressed together from the head of the button or
stud on one disc traversing the wedge-like edges of the slot in the other,
and thus drawing their contiguous faces together, and the required
friction for retaining the glass frame at any angle is thus obtained.
Figures 1 to 7 represent my Invention arranged for use upon an
ordinary toilet or swing glass, like letters of reference referring to
corresponding parts.

page_text: Figure 1 is a back view and Figure 2 a vertical section of a circular
disc A attached by means of the wood screw 1 and fangs or spurs 2, 2,
to the edge or side B of a swing glass Figure 7. The periphery of rim
of the disc A is made of conical or other sectional figure to correspond
with the annular recess or inner rim 3, 3, of the two half discs C, C,
shewn separately in elevation Figures 3 and 4, and in horizontal section
in Figure 7, where they appear in position upon the disc A, embracing
the latter by its conical edge for the purpose of frictional action thereon.
Upon the back of the half discs C, C, are studs or projections 4, 4, of taper-
ing outline in a vertical direction, as shewn in Figure 3, and transversely
these studs are undercut or of dovetail form, as shewn in Figure 7, or of
other sectional figure to correspond with the wedge-formed vertical groove
or slot 5 in the disc or clip D shewn separately in Figures 5 and 6. The
clip D is attached by wood screws or otherwise affixed to the stationary
supports or pillars between which the glass frame swings, and one of
the pillars is shewn sectionally in Figure 7.
In the horizontal section Figure 7 one edge or side of the swinging
frame and one pillar E only are shewn, the other side being similar and
in like manner provided with a frictional bearing.
Referring to Figure 7 it will be observed that the disc A and half
discs C, C, are sunk in a circular recess in the frame, in which position
the half discs C, C, are permanently retained by embracing the cone-
edged disc A. The studs 4, 4, alone are left projecting beyond the
outline of the frame, so that by a simple sliding movement the frame
may be at once withdrawn and separated from the supporting pillars or
replaced therein when the studs 4, 4, enter wedge fashion and occupy the
taper slot 5 in the clip D, and in this position the downward tendency of
the glass frame due to its weight or to any further applied pressure
carries the studs 4, 4, down towards the narrower end of the groove and
the half discs C, C, into closer contact upon the cone A, increasing pro-
portionately its frictional resistance to any motion imparted to it by the
swinging frame B.
Figures 8 and 9 represent a modification of my Invention as last
described, in which the half discs are omitted and the frictional and
wedging actions are obtained by direct contact between the coned.
disc A and the taper or wedge-formed clip D containing it.
Figures 10 to 12 represent another form of my Invention, also.
arranged for use upon an ordinary swing glass or other swinging frame.

page_text: To the frame B is attached a disc A having a central stud or button 1,
and to the pillar or support E is attached a disc or clip D with a vertical
slót 5, down which the neck or shank of the button slides when the
frame B is placed in the supports. The edges ofthe slot 5 are of a wedge
section, vertically growing thicker downwards as shown in Figure 12.
As the button I is forced downwards by the weight of the frame or
otherwise the face of the disc A is drawn forcibly against the disc D
through the inner side of the button 1, traversing the wedge-like edges
of the slot towards the thicker and lower part thereof, as shewn in
Figure 12, and the friction of the discs A and D may be thus increased
to any degree necessary for retaining the frame B at the required
inclination.
Figures 13 to 15 represent a method of rendering the wedge friction
last described elastic in its action, so as to be more readily adjustable. A
conical or dished washer, Figures 13 and 14, is placed within the clip D,
as shewn in Figures 15, the vertical section of which in the part (5) slotted
or cut furnishes an incline or wedge of any desired angle or curvature,
and yielding like effects to the solid wedge in Figure 12, but with the
further advantage above named of being more easily adjusted, and also
from its elasticity being self-compensating for wear.
.
Figure 16 and 17 represent a method of obtaining the elastic wedge
action last described in the clip or disc D itself without the addition of
another piece. The clip D being made of suitable material, as hard
brass or steel, a spring 6 is formed therein by cutting the same in the
face of the clip and bending it inwards until it gives the required
wedge section, as shewn in Figure 17, for a similar purpose and with
like.effects to the elastic wedge action of Figures 13 to 15.
Figure 18 represents in section my Invention as arranged for use
upon an ordinary blind roller, the disc A having formed upon it a flange
or groove 7 to receive the usual cord employed. The button 1 is made
as a separate piece from the shank 8 upon which it turns. The shank 8
is rivetted or otherwise secured to the disc A, and at its outer end is
enlarged to retain the button 1 from sliding off. The loose button 1 and
disc A are adapted for the same frictional action as described with
reference to the preceding Figures 10 to 17, but the loose button always
remaining at rest, that is, free from rotation, within the wedge-formed
slot of the clip or disc D in the previous examples, Figures 10 to 17,
permits the free rotation within it of the shank or spindle 8, to which

page_text: of the button upon the inner or wedge surfaces of the slot 5.
Although I have described my Invention in reference to swinging
frames and to blind rollers, its application to other purposes will be
obvious.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Aldridge Weston, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four. -