Improvements relating to the Conversion of Reciprocating Motion into Continuous and Uniform Rotary Motion.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Conversion of Reciprocating Motion
into Continuous and Uniform Rotary Motion.
I, LUCIEN STEPHEN CRANDALL, of the Village of Parish, County of Oswego, and
State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to means for the equalization of the effort produced upon a
crank on the conversion of reciprocating into rotary motion, and while capable of
universal application is more particularly applicable for useful results to velocipedes
and motor vehicles.
My invention consists in the provision of a rod or lever preferably of steel rigidly
secured at one end, and at the other end so situated in relation to the crank, crank
disc, or wheel that on the rotation thereof contact pieces or rollers secured thereon in
determined positions force down the free extremity of the rod or lever against the
resilient resistance thereof, the resultant effort upon the crank pin being at the time
about equal to the pressure behind or upon the reciprocating part. Before the
resultant effort has approached to nil, the contact pieces or rollers have already
depressed the extremity of the rod or lever to its furthermost position, and the
potential elasticity of the rod now released produces a supplementary effort upon the
crank disc or wheel, which carries the crank pin past a dead centre and thereby
augments the velocity of rotation at that period of the crank's throw while generally
equalizing the normally variable resultant effort from the reciprocating part. On
further rotation and immediately after passing the first dead centre, a second contact
piece or roller effects the depression of the extremity of the rod or lever, and before
the crank pin bas reached its second dead centre, the rod or lever is again released
and produces an equalizing effort upon the crank disc or wheel. It will therefore be
seen that in effect rotary motion is produced by four impulses of continuous
succession.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figures 1 to 6 illustrate my invention as applied to a velocipede, while Figures 7
to 9 appertain to the application of my invention to an ordinary double acting.
engine.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety bicycle to which my improvement is
applied.
Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged side and end sectional elevations respectively of the
crank and driving wheel, while
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the lower horizontal members of the frame of
the machine and the sectional bracket by which the rod or lever is secured thereto;
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the rod or lever and one half of the clamping
bracket;
Figure 6 is a plan of the rod or lever ;
Figures 7 and 8 are front elevation and plan respectively of a double acting engine
of the usual type to which my improvement is shown as applied; while
Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of the crank disc and contact rollers.
In carrying my invention into effect as applied to velocipedes, I provide the driving.
wheel A with contact rollers B B which are secured in determined positions thereon
in advance of the respective cranks. These contact rollers B B are mounted upon
nins C C and rotate upon ball bearings or mon roller bearings as shown while the

page_text: pins C C are secured to an annular supporting plate D in turn secured to the driving
wheel, as illustrated. The rod or lever E is mounted in a bracket F F formed in
sections which embrace the rod and the tube of the frame, and are secured together
by pins as illustrated.
It will be seen that upon the downward motion of the pedal cranks the driving
effort is of full effect, and one of the contact rollers on its rotation depresses the
extremity of the rod against the resilient resistance in its length, and that part of the
driving effort is utilized therein but that after the depression of the extremity of
the rod to the utmost extent the potential elasticity accumulated at the useful period
of the stroke is returned for the continuance of the driving effort applied.
Figures 7 to 9 illustrate the application of my invention to a double acting steam
engine, which does not differ in any essential feature from its application to a
velocipede as before described. The spring lever in this case is, however, preferably
formed laminated, and fitted securely to the frame of the engine, while the contact
rollers are secured upon the back of the crank disc.
It is obvious that instead of providing contact rollers upon the crank plate or disc,
I may provide cams of suitable shape and disposition upon the driven shaft which
may effect the depression of the supplementary driving rod or lever; or that I may
arrange the extremity of the supplementary driving rod or lever to embrace the
contact roller suitably arranged at a small radius from the rotating centre, and for
this purpose I provide the extremity of the supplementary driving rod or lever with a
longitudinal slot to allow of the action of the horizontal component of the rotary
movement of the contact roller or pin, the vertical component of which causes the
alternate depression of the supplementary driving rod or lover; such an arrangement,
however, allows of only one supplementary impulse, and it is necessary therefore if
more than one supplementary impulse is required, that other driving rods or levers
should be suitably disposed therefor.
I prefer to employ the resilient resistance in the length of the rod or lever to
produce the supplementary driving impulses, but it is obvious that I may interpose a
spring or other resilient element, and employ the rod merely as a lever pivotted
instead of secured to some relatively rigid and immovable support; and it will therefore
be observed that my invention is defined generally in the arrangement of a
supplementary driving lever capable of depression by a rotating part at determined
periods under an accumulating resistance which upon the further movement of the
rotating part is released and by coincidence in direction with a component of forces
normally producing rotation supplements the driving effort for that period, until the
lever has resumed its normal position.
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. Means for supplementing the driving effort on the conversion of reciprocating
into rotary motion consisting of a supplementary driving rod or lever capable of
depression by a rotating part at determined periods under an accumulating resistance,
which upon the further movement of the rotating part is released and by coincidence
in direction with a component of the forces normally producing rotation communicates
રા supplementary effort in the direction of rotation, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.
2. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating into
rotary motion consisting of a supplementary driving rod one end of which is rigidly
secured to an immovable support while the other is disposed relatively to the driven
shaft or spindle as to be capable of depression by cams or contact rollers disposed in
determined positions in advance of the crank or crank pin, against the action of the
resilient resistance in the length of the rod, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.
3. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating into
rotary motion, consisting of a supplementary driving lever one end of which is

page_text: pivotally secured to a support while the other end is disposed relatively to the driven
shaft or spindle as to be capable of depression by cams or contact rollers disposed in
determined positions in advance of the crank or crank pin, against the action of a
spring substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. The various means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of
reciprocating into rotary motion substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
5. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating
into rotary motion in a velocipede or motor vehicle substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
6. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating
into rotary motion in a steam, gas, or other motor, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
7. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating
into rotary motion substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
8. Means for supplementing the driving effort on conversion of reciprocating
into rotary motion substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Santamban 1806
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.