IMPROVE- MENTS IN PULLIES AND RIGGERS, AND IN APPLYING THE SAME TO SHAFTS OR AXES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John William Wetherell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
February 1864.
I, JOHN WILLIAM WETHERELL, of Highgate, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PULLIES AND RIGGERS, AND IN APPLYING THE SAME TO SHAFTS OR AXES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to improvements in pullies and riggers by
which motion is communicated by a band or strap from one shaft or axis to
another where the said axes are not parallel, and also from one axis or shaft
to another in which the said axes are parallel but on which the pullies are
not opposite each other, and lastly, in like applications to shafts which are not
parallel and on which the pullies are not opposite each other.
My improvements consist, first, in constructing pullies and riggers of three-
rings, turned so that one fits loosely within the other, these rings are pivotted
or gimballed the one within the other in a similar manner to the rings in the
mariners' compass, but separated a little (by means of washers) at the pivots,
so that they can move on the pivots with little or no friction. The centre
piece is keyed on the shaft in the ordinary way, and the outside ring is either
plain or grooved like the ordinary strap or band pulley, while the middle ring
serves to connect the two and forms part of the gimballs or universal joint; a
guide or movable fork embraces the outside ring of the pulley, which guide I
suspend from a ball and socket in which it can be turned, moving with it the

page_text: pulley ring which it holds at any required angle to the shaft, but at same time
allows the ring to revolve freely between the prongs with as little friction as
possible; the suspending ball and socket of the fork guide moves with sufficient
friction to keep the pulley in position when adjusted; parallel bars can, if
required, be fixed above the pulley on which to move the guide fork with its
ball and socket in the direction of the length of the shaft, which permits of
the position of the pulley being shifted on the shaft. These bars support it
above the pulley. To the guide fork a handle is fixed at right angles to the
exterior ring of the pulley, which is convenient for moving the fork and pulley,
and affords sufficient leverage to overcome the friction of its suspending ball
and socket. Where the position of the pulley does not require to be changed,
a fixed guide will answer the purpose, and it may be of advantage to furnish
it with friction rollers, which may also be applied to the movable guide.
Instead of the pulley being gimballed as above described, a sphere may be
fixed on the shaft, on which sphere the pulley is fitted, so that it may oscillate
sideways and move in any direction as if gimballed, it is at same time carried
round in the direction of motion of the shaft by a feather in the pulley, fitting
into a segmental recess or groove in the sphere. The same guide fork is
applied to this pulley to keep it in position as above described.