A New or Improved Brake or Frictional Device.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Brake or Frictional Device.
I, WILLIAM HOPKIN AKESTER, of "Glencoe," Crondace Road, Fulham, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved brake or frictional device, and has
for its object to obtain a simple and efficient device for stopping, retarding or
regulating the rotary or longitudinal reciprocating or other movement of rods,
shafts, or the like, or for analogous purposes.
In carrying my invention into effect, I employ a box or case which, when
employed in connection with a rotary shaft or rod, is preferably cylindrical, but
which may be of other desired form, and I close this case at both ends by means of
suitable caps or ends, and I form in each of such ends or caps a central opening to
allow of the passage therethrough of the rod or shaft.
1 fill this box or case with spherical pellets formed of iron, steel, or other suitable
material, and I provide one or both ends or caps of the box or case with a projecting
plug or piston which enters the box or case at a cylindrical part thereof, and is
threaded to engage a corresponding thread upon the case or box and I form or fix
upon the exterior of such cap a ring of mitre or bevelled teeth which engage a
corresponding pinion upon a shaft or spindle which receives motion by any suitable
means and I am thus enabled by rotating the pinion in one direction to compress
the spherical pellets upon the shaft or rod passing therethrough, and thus apply
any desired amount of friction thereto, according to whether it is required to
arrest the movement of the shaft or rod, or merely to retard the same.
It will be evident that I may, if desired, employ other means than those herein-
before described for causing the plug or piston to compress the spherical pellets
around the shaft or rod passing therethrough, that is to say, I may dispense with
the mitre wheel and pinion and give rotary motion to the plug or piston in any
other desired manner, or, I may dispense with the screw thread upon the plug or
piston and impart a simple rectilinear movement thereto by means of external
levers, cams, or the like.
Dated this 4th dev of November 1909
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for, the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Brake or Frictional Device.
1. WILLIAM HOPKIN AKESTER, of "Glencoe," Crondace Road, Fulham, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical 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 :-
This invention relates to a new or improved brake or frictional device, and has
for its object to obtain a simple and efficient device for stopping retarding, or
regulating the rotary or longitudinal reciprocating or other movement, of rods,
shafts, or the like, or for analogous purposes.
In carrying my invention into effect, I employ a fixed box or case which, when
employed in connection with a rotary shaft or rod, is preferably cylindrical, but
which may be of other desired form, and I close this case at both ends by means
of suitable caps or ends, and I form in each of such ends or caps a central
opening to allow of the passage therethrough of the rod or shaft.

page_text: I fill this box or case with spherical pellets formed of iron, steel, or other
suitable material, and L, provide one or both ends or caps of the box or case with a
projecting plug or piston which enters the box or case at a cylindrical part
thereof, and is threaded to engage a corresponding thread upon the case or box,
and I form or fix upon the exterior of such cap a ring of mitre or bevelled teeth which
engage a corresponding pinion upon a shaft or spindle which receives motion by any
suitable means and I am thus enabled by rotating the pinion in one direction to
compress the spherical pellets upon the shaft or rod passing therethrough, and thus
apply any desired amount of friction thereto, according to whether it is required to
arrest the movement of the shaft or rod, or merely to retard. the same.
It will be evident that I may, if desired, employ other means than those herein-
before described for causing the plug or piston to compress the spherical pellets
around the shaft or rod passing therethrough, that is to say, I may dispense with
the mitre wheel and pinion and give rotary motion to the plug or piston in any
other desired manner, or, I may dispense with the screw thread upon the plug or
piston and impart a simple rectilinear movement thereto by means of external
levers, cams, or the like.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying, drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. represents a longitudinal section of a brake or frictional device con-
structed according to my invention, and,
Figure 2. is a similar view, representing a slight modification thereof.
In both figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference.
Referring to Figure 1, a. represents a fixed box or case and d. represents a shaft
or rod, which may receive either a reciprocating longitudinal movement, or a
reciprocating or continuous rotary movement according to the nature of the
mechanism with which it is connected, but which mechanism forms no part of the
present invention, and this rod or shaft is adapted to be acted upon by the frictional
device or brake hereinafter described.
The box or case a., when employed in connection with a rotary shaft or
rod d., is preferably cylindrical, but it may be of other desired form as will be
readily understood, and the case a. is at one end permanently closed by an end
wall a whilst the other end thereof is closed by means of a moveable plug or end b.
and both the end a' and the plug b. are provided with central openings to allow of
the passage therethrough of the rod or shaft d.
The box or case a. is filled with spherical pellets c. formed of iron, steel, or other
suitable material, and the end b. is made in the form of a projecting plug or piston
which enters the box or case a at a cylindrical part thereof, and is provided with a
thread 6 to engage a corresponding thread a² formed upon the interior of the box
or case a. whilst a loose central apertured washer e. is threaded upon the rod or
shaft d. and interposed between the end of the plug or piston b. and the spherical
pellets c.
Upon the exterior of the plug b. is formed a ring of mitre or bevelled teeth 6³
which engage a corresponding pinion 63 fixed upon a shait or spindle which
receives motion by any suitable means, so that by rotating the pinion 63 in one
direction it is possible to compress the spherical pellets c. upon the shaft or.rod d.
passing therethrough, and thus to apply any desired degree of frictional pressure
thereto, according to whether it is required to arrest the movement, of, the shaft
or rod d. or merely to retard the same.
In the example given at Figure 2, in lieu of the fixed. end a to the box. or
case a. a second plug or end b. is employed, the threads b¹ of each. plug b. being
reversed as compared with those of the opposite plug and the threads as of the

page_text: case a. being correspondingly formed, whilst in lieu of the ring of bevelled teeth 6,
a spur wheel or ring of spur teeth 62 is substituted therefor, and a pinion & fixed
upon a countershaft is caused to engage each of the spur wheels b³.
By these means, upon rotating the countershaft 6 in one direction both plugs or
ends b, will be caused to advance and press the spherical pellets c. around the
shaft d, whilst upon reversing this movement the pressure will be modified or
removed, as will be readily understood.
It will be evident that I may, if desired, employ other means than those herein-
before described for causing the plug or piston b. to compress the spherical pellets c.
around the shaft or rod d. passing therethrough, that is to say, may employ any
suitable mechanical device other than those herein before described for rotating the
plug or piston or the plugs or pistons b.
Or, I may dispense with the screw thread & upon the plug or piston b. and the
corresponding screw thread upon the box or case a., and impart a simple rectilinear
movement to such plug or piston by means of external levers, cams, or the like,
without departing from the peculiar character of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a brake or frictional device, the combination of a box or case, a rod or
shaft passing therethrough, a number of spherical pellets surrounding the rod or
shaft, a piston or pistons adapted to compress the spherical pellets upon the rod
or shaft and means for advancing or retracting the piston or pistons, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In a brake or frictional device, the combination of a box or case, a rod
or shaft passing therethrough, a number of spherical pellets surrounding the rod
or shaft, a piston or pistons threaded to engage corresponding threads upon the
box or case, a mitre wheel or the like fixed with each piston and a corresponding
pinion driven by any suitable means and adapted to rotate each piston in order to
compress the spherical pellets upon the rod or shaft, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 4th day of August 1893.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.