A PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR WORKING PUNKAS AND WHISKS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Farrell Remfry, of Riches Court, Lime
Street, in the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "A
PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR WORKING PUNKAS AND WHISKS."
Sealed the 19th June 1857, and dated the 17th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Farrell Remfry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1857.
I, GEORGE FARRELL REMFRY, of Riches Court, Lime Street, in the City
of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR WORKING PUNKAS AND WHISKS," to be as
follows:-
This apparatus, which is mounted in a suitable frame to be placed upon
a stand or bracket, consists of a principal or driving wheel, to which motion
is given by a weight or spring. The teeth on the periphery of this driving
wheel gear into a pinion on the axle of a second wheel, the face of which
is furnished with a series of projecting pins so arranged that an upper and
lower pin engage alternately with two pallets fixed angularly on a vertical
shaft or axis, from which there is a projecting horizontal lever. From the
top of the frame an arm projects horizontally, which supports one end of
a shaft or axis, to which the punka or whisks are affixed. Near the other
end of this shaft, which is supported by the frame, there is an upright fork,
which engages with the projecting lever of the vertical vibrating shaft.
When the wheels are set in motion, the pins acting on the pallets,causes
the vertical shaft to vibrate to and fro, which vibratory motion is com-
municated through the medium of the fork and lever to the horizontal shaft

page_text: and punka or whisks attached thereto. In some cases, instead of the pins
acting on pallets, the pins may be made to act directly upon a lever projecting
from the punka shaft, or a crank may be placed upon the second wheel for
communicating a vibratory motion to the punka shaft. An endless screw
on the axle of a revolving fly or vane wheel takes into the teeth of the second
wheel, and serves to controul and regulate the speed of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Farrell Remfry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FARRELL REMFREY, of Riches Court, Lime Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Farrell Remfry, Her special licence that I, the said George
Farrell Remfry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
T, the said George Farrell Remfry, 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 "A
PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR WORKING PUNKAS AND WHISкS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Farrell Remfry, 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 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 George Farrell Remfry, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This apparatus, which is mounted on a suitable frame to be placed upon

page_text: a stand or bracket, consists of a principal or driving wheel, to which motion.
is given by a weight or spring. The teeth on the periphery of this driving
wheel gear into a pinion on the axle of a second wheel, the face of which
is furnished with a series of projecting pins so arranged that an upper and
lower pin engage alternately with two pallets fixed angularly on a vertical
shaft or axis, from which there is a projecting horizontal lever. From the
top of the frame an arm projects horizontally, which supports one end of a
shaft or axis, to which the punka or whisks are affixed. Near the other end
of this shaft, which is supported by the frame, there is an upright fork, which
engages with the projecting lever of the vertical vibrating shaft. When the
wheels are set in motion, the pins acting on the pallets cause the vertical
shaft to vibrate to and fro, which vibrating motion is communicated through
the medium of the fork and lever to the horizontal shaft and punkas or
whisks attached thereto. In some cases, instead of the pins and pallets, a
crank may be placed on the second wheel, for communicating a vibratory
motion to the punka shaft. An endless screw on the axle of a revolving fly
or vane wheel takes into the teeth of the second wheel, to control and regulate
the speed of the apparatus.
And in order that the same may be more fully understood, reference is had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 a front view, and Figure 3 a back
view of a portable apparatus for working punkas or whisks constructed
agreeably to my Invention. A, A, is the frame of the apparatus (indicated in
Figure 2 by red lines); B is a barrel, to which motion is given by a spring or
by a weight, as may be most convenient; C is a toothed wheel, affixed to the
barrel B, and driving a pinion D on the axle of a second wheel E, on the inner
face of which there are a series of projecting pins e, e, e, an upper and lower
one of which engage alternately with two pallets f, f, on an upright spindle F.
From about the middle of the spindle F projects a short horizontal arm or
lever G. A bracket H, projecting from the upper part of the frame of the
apparatus, carries one end of a horizontal shaft or axis P, from which the
punkas or whisks are suspended. Near the other end of the shaft P (which
is supported by the frame A) there is a fork i, which receives the vibrating
lever G. V is a fly or vane wheel on the axle of an endless screw v, which
takes into the teeth on the periphery of the wheel E, to control and regulate
the speed of the apparatus. To facilitate the winding up of the apparatus
when placed (as it mostly would be) in an elevated position, a drop key and
handle is permanently placed on the winding spindle at the back of the

page_text: barrel B, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. L is the handle, of any required
length, jointed at l to the key K; m is a ratchet wheel on the winding spindle
of the barrel; and n is a pall attached to the key K, which is ordinarily kept
disengaged from the ratchet wheel by the pressure of a spiral spring o; R is
an inclined projecting cam on the back of the key K. On lifting the handle L
the key revolves on the spindle, and the cam R is pressed inward by coming
in contact with a guide S, affixed to the back of the frame A, which causes the
pall n to engage with the ratchet wheel m; on pulling the handle L down-
wards therefore the barrel is turned round until the cam R escapes from
under the guide S. This up-and-down motion of the handle being continued,
the weight (or spring) is wound up. If the apparatus is intended to work
more than one punka, the spindle F may be continued downward, and the
projecting lever G² made to engage with a fork standing up from a horizontal
punka shaft P2, of any required length, as shewn by the.dotted lines in Figure 1.
In the event of the winder being lifted after the apparatus is completely wound
up, a line proceeds from the ratchet n over a pulley p down to the handle L.
By pulling this line the ratchet is lifted, and the winding apparatus enabled to
fall into its normal position. Q is a catch, attached to a cross lever T, for the
purpose of locking the pin wheel E when brought in contact with one of the
pins e. A line is carried down from each end of the lever T, pulling of one or
other of which stops or starts the apparatus, as required. In some cases
I insert the pins in the face of the first wheel C, instead of in the second
wheel E, whereby I am enabled to perform the required work with a smaller
amount of power.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, on Sheet 2, show another, modification of my portable
apparatus for working punkas and whisks; Figure 4 is a front view, Figure 5
a back view, and Figure 6 a side elevation of this apparatus; the same letters
refer to similar parts in each of these Figures. A¹ is the frame; B', the
barrel, actuated by a weight or spring; C¹ is a toothed wheel, attached to and
moving with the barrel B', and driving a pinion D¹ on the axle of a worm
wheel E. The latter gears into a worm or endless screw on the upright
spindle of a vane or fly V₁, which serves to controul and regulate the speed of
the apparatus. A series of pins or studs 6, , project from the inner face of
the wheel C for lifting a cam G', the axle of which carries at its outer end a
pendulous crank or lever O¹. At the opposite end of this axle there is a
disc M, on the outer side of which are two pins, and on the inner side a
projecting stud, which carries an adjustable screw n¹. H' is a locking lever,
which being brought in contact with a pin i on the axle of the vane V', stops
the motion of the wheels; L' is a lifting lever for disengaging the former,

page_text: which is then caught and held by a pin on the upper end of the detent
lever ; R is a lever for stopping and starting the apparatus, which may be
wound up, if within reach, by an ordinary cranked handle, or by the winding
apparatus herein-before described, and shown at Figures 1 and 3. When the
apparatus is set going, one of the pins b¹ on the face of the wheel C¹ engages
with and lifts the cam G', causing the lever O¹ to swing backward. A cord
connects the lower end of the lever O' to the punka (or whisks), which are
suspended in a convenient position, so that when the lever O' swings backward
it pulls the punka in the same direction. The cam G¹ continues to rise until
the pin escapes from under it, when it falls, bringing the lever O' with it, the
punka making the return stroke by its own gravity. But at the moment
when the cam G¹ reaches its highest elevation one of the pins on the face of
the disc M' lifts the detent lever ',, and releases the locking lever II', which
falls into contact with the pin i on the axle of the vane, and stops the motion
of the wheels. As the return stroke of the punka and lever O' is completed,
and the cam G¹ falls into contact with the next pin on the face of the
wheel C', the end of the screw n¹ presses against the tail of the lifting lever L',
which draws back the locking lever I until it is caught and held by the
detent and the wheels again commence running, and the operation is
repeated. It will be observed, that the punka (or whisk) is pulled in one
direction only, the return stroke being made by its own gravity; the speed of
the apparatus is therefore so regulated that the pull commences just as the
return stroke is completed.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,
the construction of portable apparatus for working punkas and whisks, as
herein-before described, and shewn in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Farrell Remfry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
WM BADDELEY,
Agent.
GEORGE FARRELL REMFRY. (L.S.)