Improvements relating to Fly-wheel Guards.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Fly-wheel Guards.
I, JOHN GOOCH ROCKHILL, of 28 Bury Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
-
My invention relates to fly-wheel guards, and is chiefly designed to afford
simple and efficient means for preventing the occurrence of accidents through
persons coming in contact with the fly-wheels of gas-engines, whilst permitting
casy access to such wheels for the purpose of starting the engines.
My improved guard comprises a cover, casing or cage adapted to surround the
greater portion of the periphery of the fly-wheel and also to cover the greater
portion of one side of the said wheel. This cover or cage supported in or upon
an upright or standard in such a manner that it can be turned or adjusted about
the axis of the fly-wheel so as to bring it into either of two positions, that is to
say, into such a position that the part of the periphery of the Hy-wheel on one or
the other side of the axis thereof is uncovered or exposed, and therefore accessible
for starting the engine, or into such a position that the portion of the periphery
of the fly-wheel next the ground is uncovered or exposed, whilst the remainder
thereof is enclosed by the cover or cage, thus preventing accidents through persons
coming in contact with the fly-wheel while the same is rotating.
I find it advantageous to provide the said cover or cage with a hub or central
piece and to secure therein in suitable screws, bolts or studs, which extend into or
through segmental slots formed in the upright or standard, in which the said cover
or cage is adapted to be turned or adjusted about its axis. The segmental slots
permit the required angular movement or adjustment of the said cover or cage for
the purposes above specified. By constructing my improved fly-wheel guard in
the manner above described, I can very readily adapt it for a fly-wheel running
either in one direction or in the other direction all that is necessary to change it
from one to the other, being to shift each of the said screws, bolts or studs from
one to the other extremity of the corresponding slot.
The said upright or standard is designed to be secured to the floor of a building
or to any other convenient support. The fly-wheel guard can, therefore, be very
readily removed and replaced; moreover the said guard can be applied with
great facility to an engine, as it does not require to be connected therewith or
attached thereto. And my improved guard can be made much lighter than the
fly-wheel guards heretofore devised.
I prefer to make my improved guard with a central hollow projection or casing
which will enclose the portion of the shaft which projects beyond the fly-wheel.
This hollow projection or casing may with advantage be secured to the aforesaid
central portion or hub of the cover or cage.
The said cover or cage may be formed of any suitable material. I prefer, how-
ever, to make the periphery of the same of sheet-metal and the side thereof of
wire-netting or open-work, the central portion or hub and the said central pro-
jection or casing being by preference of cast metal.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Fly-wheel Guards.
1, JOHN GOOCH ROCKHILL of 28 Bury Street, in the City of London,
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:-
My invention relates to fly-wheel guards, and is chiefly designed to afford simple
and efficient means for preventing the occurrence of accidents through persons
coming in contact with the fly-wheels of gas-engines, whilst permitting easy access
to such wheels, when necessary, for the purpose of starting the engines.
My improved guard can, however, be applied, if desired, to the fly-wheels of
steam and other engines, and also to other wheels, such as the driving-wheels of
dynamo-electric machines.
My improved guard is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a face view of the said guard.
Figure 2 is a vertical central transverse section, the fly-wheel and part of the
shaft of the engine being shown in side elevation.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1, the guard being shown in the position to
which it is adjusted to permit access to the fly-wheel for the purpose of starting
the engine.
Figure 4 is a section on the line a, a, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a face view, showing a slight modification of my improved wheel-
guard, and
Figure 6, is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, showing my
improved guard adapted for use in connection with the driving wheel or pulley of
a dynamo-electric machine.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the shaft of the engine or dynamo-electric machine; B is the wheel fixed
thereon, in connection with which the guard is to be used.
My improved fly-wheel guard comprises a cover, casing or cage constructed with
a circular plate or rim a, which surrounds the greater portion of the periphery of
the fly-wheel, and with net-work a' which covers the greater portion of the outer
side of the said wheel. This cover or cage is supported in or upon an upright or
standard in such a manner that the said cover or cage can be turned or adjusted
about the axis of the fly-wheel, so as to bring it into either of two positions, that is
to say, into the position shown in Figure 3, so that a part of the periphery of the
fly-wheel on one side of the axis thereof is uncovered or exposed, and therefore
accessible for starting the engine, or into the position shown in Figure 1, so that
the portion of the periphery of the fly-wheel next the ground is uncovered or
exposed, whilst the remainder thereof is enclosed by the cover or cage, thus
preventing accidents through persons coming in contact with the fly-wheel while the
same is rotating.
I find it advantageous to make the cover or cage as follows, that is to say, I
provide the said cover or cage with a hub or central piece c, which is fitted in the
upright or standard so that it can be turned about its axis therein. This central
piece or hub is formed with a flange c¹ to which are secured arms or bars c² for
carrying the plate or rim a. Suitable screws, bolts or studs d are secured in the
said central piece c and extend into or through segmental slots b₁ formed in the
upright or standard b. These segmental slots permit the required angular move-
ment or adjustment of the said cover or cage for the purposes above specified.
By constructing my improved fly-wheel guard in the manner above described, I
can very readily adapt it for use with a fly-wheel whether the latter runs in one
direction or in the other direction, all that is necessary to change it from one to
the other, being to remove the said screws, bolts or studs à from the holes in the

page_text: central piece c at one extremity of the corresponding slots b', and to insert them in
holes (Figure 1) at the other extremity of the said slots.
The upright or standard 6 is designed to be secured to the floor of building or
to any other convenient support. The fly-wheel guard can, therefore, be very
readily removed and replaced; moreover the said guard can be applied with great
facility to an engine, as it does not require to be connected therewith or attached
thereto. And my improved guard can be made much lighter than the fly-wheel
guards heretofore devised.
I prefer to make my improved guard with a central hollow projection or casing e
which will enclose or surround the overhanging portion of the shaft A. This hollow
projection or casing may with advantage be secured to the aforesaid central portion
or hub c of the cover or cage, or it may be formed in one piece therewith.
The said cover or cage may be formed of any suitable material. I prefer, how-
ever, to make the rim or periphery thereof of sheet-metal, and the side thereof of
wire-netting or open-work, the central portion or hub and the said central hollow
projection being, by preference, of cast metal.
In some instances, I make my wheel-guard as shown in Figure 5, so that, when
the said guard is adjusted to a position corresponding to that indicated in Figure 3
the wheel will be accessible at opposite parts of its periphery for the purpose of
turning it to start the engine.
To adapt my wheel-guard for use in connection with the driving-wheel of a
dynamo-electric machine, I dispense with the circular plate or rim
a above
mentioned, and I make the net-work al of the guard with a circular frame a³
(Figure 6) of somewhat less diameter than the said driving-wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I claim
The improved adjustable wheel-guard constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 21st day of May 1891
JOHN GOOCH ROCKHILL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.