Improvements in or relating to the Transmission of Power by Means of Ropes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct.. 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Transmission of Power by Means
of Ropes.
We, ARTUR DUFFEк, of Zitná, 9/11, and ADOLF MERREL, of 'Tecuá, 3/II,
Engineers, both of Prague, Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the transmission of power from one wheel to another
by means of a flexible rope or ropes having projections thereon; and it is especially
adapted for driving velocipedes.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of two wheels, A and B, on the same plane, representing
an endless flexible rope, having balls at equal distances apart upon it, arranged and
adapted to fit into corresponding cavities on the periphery on each wheel, for the
transmission of power from the driving wheel to the driven wheel.
Fig. 2 is a plan, partly in section, of the wheel A, and Fig. 4 a section of the
wheel B on the line, and Fig. 3 is a section of a ball secured over a knot
upon the flexible rope.
Fig. 5 is a section through a ball formed with an opening through it to admit the
rope, the opening being closed afterwards by a stopper, as shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 is a section taken through a ball along the line of the rope, and Fig. 8 a
section transverse thereto, which is adapted to join the two ends of a rope together,
thus making it an endless one.
Fig. 9 in section, and Fig. 13 in plan represent another arrangement for coupling
the two ends of the rope together, and
Fig. 10 in section and Fig. 14 in plan (with a stopper removed) indicate another
meaus for joining the rope ends together.
Fig. 11 is an elevation and Fig. 15 a plan of a cylindrical body secured upon the
rope instead of a ball shaped projection, as in the former cases.
Fig. 12 is an elevation (one half in section), and Fig. 16 a plan, of a cylindrical
body secured upon two flexible ropes.
Fig. 17 is a partial elevation of a wheel A, formed with recesses adapted to
receive cylindrical bodies (such as is shown in Figs. 11 and 15), instead of the
balls shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Figs. 19 and 20 are sections through the periphery
of the wheel A upon the lines 1-1 and 2-2 respectively.
Fig. 18 is a partial elevation of a grooved wheel A, having recesses adapted to
receive a simple knotted flexible rope, and Figs. 22 and 21 are sections through
its periphery upon the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively.
Figs. 23 and 24 are partial clevations of the two wheels A and B, adapted for
the double rope means for transmitting power shown in Figs. 12 and 16, sections
through their respective peripheries being shown in Figs. 25 and 26.
Fig. 27 is a section and Fig. 31 a plan of a ball which encloses a knot on the
rope, and Figs. 28 and 32 are similar views of a square block projection.
Fig. 29 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 33 a plan (partly in section) of a square
block projection secured upon two ropes; and Figs. 30 and 34 indicate an elevation
and plan of a hexagon block also secured upon two ropes.
Figs. 35 to 42 indicate solid balls pierced through the centre for the rope to

page_text: pass through, Figs. 35, 37, 39 and 41 being in section, the others being in elevation
or plan.
In the drawings A and B are wheels over which a flexible rope or ropes are
stretched, in order to transmit power from one wheel to the other, as in Fig. 1;
a is a ball shaped body secured upon the rope at equal distances apart corresponding
to cavities formed or left at the same distances apart on the periphery c of the
aforesaid wheels. Knots d are sometimes made at the same regular distances apart,
upon the flexible ropes, and cylindrical bodies v, or other shaped projecting bodies
are secured in like manner upon the double rope r, r.
In applying the invention to practice, knots d are made upon a flexible ropes at
regular distances apart, in the manner indicated in Figs. 3, 6. 27 and 28, and these
knots are sometimes directly applied as projecting bodies in the transmission of
power as shown in Figs. 18, 21 and 22, in which the straight portion of the rope s
lays in the circumferential groove c, the knots d lodging themselves in corre-
spondingly formed cavities b, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 18), guided between
side flanges b'. The bottom of the groove and the cavities are sometimes lined
with rubber g, to reduce wear of the rope. In Fig. 3 a hollow ball a is made to
enclose the knot, and thus give greater resistance to wear and a regular outline to
the projecting body, the ball a is made of metal, and compressed upon the knot.
Figs. 5 and 6 show balls a formed with an opening made to receive a knot d, the
opening being closed afterwards with a stopper f, as shown in Fig. 6.
The two ends s and s¹ of a flexible rope are joined together as shown in Figs. 7 and 8
by a union coupling a¹ and g, outwardly shaped like the other ball formed projecting
bodies. The rope ends are passed through holes bored through the centre of the
parts a and g, the strands being unravelled and wound over metal rings or pieces i
and, butting pieces k and ¹ being inserted over the respective ends s and s¹, and
the parts
and a screwed together as shown; a pin is fitted to prevent the parts
unscrewing.
Another mode of coupling the ends s and s¹ together is shown by Figs. 9 and 13.
Two hollow half balls u, a³, are fitted together over the ends s, s¹ of the
flexible rope, the strands of which are previously spliced over two metal
pieces 12, 13, and a screw or rivet m is passed through the whole and firmly secured
in position.
In Figs. 10 and 14 indicate a method of securing a ball a upon a rope s strung
thereon, by means of molten metal o poured through an upper opening upon the
rope and filling an enlarged space made in the central part of the ball. A stopper o'
closes the upper opening and a rivet n, passing through the centre secures all the
parts together.
In Figs. 11, 15, 17, 19 and 20 are shown a flexible transmission rope s carrying
cylindrical projecting Ledics e secured thereon which are respectively received upon
the periphery of a wheel A in a groove c, enclosed by side flanges e, and having
the transverse spaces e for the reception of the cylindrical bodies e. In Figs. 12
and 16 the cylindrical body w is secured upon two flexible transmission ropes r, 1,
by means of a rivet n with rounded end pieces o as shown. Grooves are made at
each end of the cylindrical body ir, with an enlarged central space to receive the
increased diameter of each rope, r, as indicated in Fig. 12, the rounded end pieces o
covering them; the whole being clamped together by the rivet n, which passes
through both the ropes ?. Figs. 18, 21 and 22 have already been described, in
reference to the transmission of power by a simple knotted rope.
In transmitting power by a double rope r, r, as indicated in Figs. 12, 16, 29, 30,
33 and 34, wheels A and B, as shown in Figs. 23, 24, 25 and 26 are used. In
these, Fig. 25, is a transverse radial section through the tooth c² in Fig. 23, or
the tooth in Fig. 24, which enter the space between the parallel ropes r, and the
cylinders w, the latter entering the transverse spaces e², in the wheel A, and 62 in
the wheel B, Figs. 24 and 26.
A screwed ball coupling a and a', surrounding a knot d, is shown in Figs. 27
and 31; and a screwed square block coupling w₁ and g', also surrounding a knot d,

page_text: is shown in Figs. 28 and 32; the knot in each case assists in supporting the
projecting body, which in turn protects the knot. In Figs. 29 and 33 a square
block w² is supported between two ropes r, r and secured together by a rivet n n¹
passing through the centre of the ropes, in the same manner as that already
described for Figs. 12 and 16; and Figs. 30 aud 34 represent the same construction
but with a hexagon block w³ as the projecting body. Other forms may be used for
the same purpose.
Figs. 35 and 36 indicate a solid ball a bored through to receive the ropes which
is intended to fit closely thereon, a rivet n being put through the ball and rope to
hold them securely together. In Figs. 37 and 38 the hole for the rope is made
larger, and the balls are secured in their relative position by filling up the space
with molten metal or alloy. In Figs. 39 and 40 the molten metal is poured into
holes u, u², on opposite sides and at right angles to the line of the rope to secure
the balls a in their relative positions.
In Figs. 41 and 42 a combination of the two methods last named are shown, for
securings and s¹ together.
We do not limit ourselves to the exact forms of the projecting bodies, or methods
of securing them upon the ropes used, as these may be varied without departing
from the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. The herein described means for the transmission of power, consisting of the
combination of two wheels A and B having cavities on their peripheries at regular
distances apart, an endless flexible rope with projections thereon at regular distances
apart corresponding to and adapted to fit into the said cavities when in operation,
substantially as and for the purpose specified and shown in the drawings.
2. In a means for transmitting power, the combination of an endless flexible rope
having knots tied thereon at regular distances apart, with two pulleys each having
cavities on its periphery of corresponding form and distance apart to receive the
said knots when operating, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
3. In a means for transmitting power the combination of an endless flexible rope
having knots tied thereon at regular distances apart, with projecting spherical or
other symmetrically shaped body enclosing the said knots, and two pulleys each
having cavities on its periphery of corresponding form and distance apart to receive
the said projecting bodies when operating, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
4. In a means for transmitting power the combination of two endless flexible
ropes linked together by projecting bodies secured thereon at regular distances
apart, and two pulleys each having on its periphery projecting teeth with inter-
vening spaces arranged and adapted to receive the said projecting bodies when in
operation, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
5. In a means for transmitting power the combination of an endless flexible rope
having projecting bodies mounted thereon at regular distances apart, one of the
said bodies being adapted to enclose and unite the two ends of the said rope
together, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
6. In a means for transmitting power by an endless flexible rope, the method of
securing projecting bodies on the said rope consisting of forming a hole or cavity
through each of the said bodies and placing them on the rope at the required equal
distance apart, and securing them together in the said position by filling the said
hole or cavity with molten metal, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
7. In a means of transmitting power by an endless flexible rope, the method of
securing the two ends of a rope s, s', within and to a projecting body a by means
of molten metal poured into one or more cavities u formed within the said body,

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described, and shown in Figs. 41
and 42 of the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.