Improvements in Friction Driving Apparatus, applicable for Sewing Machines or other Machinery.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Friction Driving Apparatus, applicable for Sewing
Machines or other Machinery.
I, EDWARD PEARSON, of 30 York Street, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanic, and EDWARD YATES WALSH, of 3 Back Pool Fold, Cross Street,
Manchester, in the said County, Grey Cloth Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention is designed primarily to be applied to sewing machines driven by
power with the object of dispensing with the transmitter commonly used and of
driving the machine direct from the main driving shaft with only one belt.
On the main driving shaft we fix a friction disc or clutch with a loose driving
pulley running in conjunction therewith preferably on a sleeve or boss forming part
of or fixed to the friction disc. The face of the disc is placed so that when the
loose pulley is moved in the direction of its axis a corresponding face on the pulley
comes in contact therewith.
To move the loose driving pulley into and out of contact with the fixed friction
disc we apply to the boss a forked lever pivoted at its lower end on a rocking shaft
under the control of the operator by which the forked lever can be moved in
either direction.
At the opposite side of the loose driving pulley we place a fixed friction device
in the form of a fork or ring or friction block against which the pulley comes in
contact as soon as it is moved free of the friction disc so that as soon as it is moved
away from the disc it instantly stops.
The rocking lever is moved to and fro by means of a treadle or foot lever of any
convenient form. We at present prefer one pivoted at or near the centre with a
rod or link connecting it with the rocking shaft. This rod or link is placed on the
end of or geared to the rocking shaft at one end and at the other is connected to
the treadle so that as one end of the treadle is depressed the rocking shaft is moved in
one direction and the loose driving pulley thrown into contact with the disc and
when the other end of the treadle is depressed the rocking shaft is moved in the
opposite direction and the loose driving pulley is thrown out of contact with
the rotating disc and against the stationary friction device whereby it is instantly
stopped. If desired a single lever may be employed to move the rocking shaft the
lever being simply attached to the end of the shaft at right angles thereto so that
the feet of the operator may rest thereon one at each side.
In
The loose driving pulley may be constructed with a flange against which a
pivoted friction block or brake may be forced by the treadle. In this case a pivoted
lever will be connected to the treadle carrying at the other end a friction block.
conjunction with this pivoted lever will be a L or bell crank lever which at one
end comes in contact with or is connected to the first pivoted lever and at the other
carries a fork or other device for moving the loose driving pulley to and fro.
The forked bracket for moving the loose driving pulley along the shaft is
preferably placed on the end of the rocking shaft and is made in two pieces bolted
together with a piece to fit into the groove on the boss of the pulley pivoted into
each end.
A spring is employed to normally maintain the loose pulley out of contact with
the friction disc unless when pressure is applied to move it in the opposite direction.
We prefer to place a coiled spring on the rocking shaft fixed at one end and with an
adjustable bush or collar at the other or the spring may be placed between the
disc and pulley or in contact with the treadle or in other convenient position.
By this arrangement the whole of the driving apparatus is stopped when the

page_text: machine to be driven is not at work, thereby doing away with the usual wear and
tear, and all danger to the operator, as the belt can be put on and taken off at will
while both driving and driven pulleys are stopped.
The belt and other parts of the apparatus being stopped it is much easier and
safer to clean and we consider that it is simpler in construction, takes less power to
drive, and cheaper to work than any other driving attachment.
Dated this 5th day of March 1891.
EDWARD PEARSON.
EDWARD YATES WALSH.
machines.
Fig. 1, front elevation.
Fig. 2, plan.
Fig. 3, end elevation partly in section.
Fig. 4, longitudinal sectional elevation.
On the main driving shaft A. we fix a friction disc or clutch B with a loose driving
pulley C running in conjunction therewith preferably on a sleeve or boss forming
part of or fixed to the friction disc. The face of the disc B is placed so that when
the loose pulley is moved in the direction of its axis a corresponding face on the
pulley C comes in contact therewith.
The loose driving pulley C is formed at its other side with a projecting boss c.
In the boss e is cut a groove to receive the forked ends of a pivoted lever D by
which the pulley C is moved to and fro on the shaft A (or sleeve 6) and into and
out of contact with the fixed friction disc B. The lever D is at its lower end fixed
to the oscillating or rocking shaft E which is under the control of the operator and
by which the forked lever can be moved in either direction.
At the side of the loose driving pulley C-opposite to that on which the fixed friction
device B is placed-we affix a brake or stationary friction device F in the form of
a fork or ring or double friction block across the centre against which the pulley
comes in contact as soon as it is moved free of the friction dise B so that as soon as
it is moved away from the disc it is instantly stopped.
The rocking shaft E and pivoted lever D are moved to and fro by means of a
treadle or foot lever G of any convenient form. We at present prefer one pivoted
at or near the centre with a rod, link, or lever, a connecting it with the rocking
shaft E. This rod, link, or lever g is placed on the end of or geared to the rocking
shaft E at one end and at the other is connected to the treadle G so that as one
end of the treadle is depressed the rocking shaft E is rotated in one direction and
the loose driving pulley C thrown into contact with the rotating friction disc B
and when the other end of the treadle is depressed the rocking shaft is rotated in
the opposite direction and the loose driving pulley is thrown out of contact with the
rotating disc and against the stationary friction device F whereby it is instantly
stopped. If desired a single lever may be employed to move the rocking shaft the

page_text: lever being simply attached to the end of the shaft at right angles thereto so that
the feet of the operator may rest thereon one at each side. We prefer to place a
small spring e on the rocking shaft E which will tend to hold the loose pulley away
from the rotating friction disc B and against the brake or stationary friction
device F so that when the operators foot is removed from the treadle G the driving
pulley C will remain stationary.
It will be evident that instead of the fixed brake F a brake block may be lifted
against the pulley C by the movement of the treadle G or rocking shaft E in this
case the loose driving pulley C will be constructed with a flange which will come
against the brake block or against which the brake block will come in contact.
The brake block would be carried at the end of a pivoted link or lever which on
the depression of the treadle G would be moved against the flange of the pulley C
and the pivoted forked lever D would be connected thereto by an L-shaped lever
or in the manner hereinbefore described.
It will also be evident that the friction disc B may be made to slide to and fro on
a feather on the shaft A instead of moving the loose pulley C to and fro and a spring
may be placed between the two to throw them out of contact but we prefer the
arrangement shown in the drawings.
The forked lever D for moving the loose driving pulley C along the shaft A is
preferably placed on the end of the rocking shaft E and is made of one or more
pieces preferably in two pieces bolted together with a piece to fit into the groove c¹
on the boss c of the pulley pivoted into each end.
A single driving belt from the pulley C conveys motion from the driving shaft A
to the sewing machine or other machine to be run and by our invention the whole
of the driving apparatus is stopped-with the exception of the driving shaft A and
friction disc B-when the machine to be driven is not at work thereby obviating to
a large extent the usual wear and tear and all danger to the operator, as the driving
belt can be put on and taken off at will while both driving and driven pulleys are
stopped. The belt and other parts of the apparatus being stopped it is much easier
and safer to clean and we consider that it is simpler in construction, takes less power
to drive and cheaper to work than any other driving attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A friction driving apparatus for sewing machines or other machinery having
on the driving shaft a loose driving pulley provided at one side with a rotating
friction disc affixed to the driving shaft against which it is moved to receive motion
and provided at the other side with a fixed brake or friction device against which
it is moved to stop it substantially as described.
2. A friction driving apparatus with the several parts constructed and arranged
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.