AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL MOVEMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents.
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL MOVEMENT to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved mechanical movement.
In the construction of an apparatus embracing the several features of this
invention, I provide two or more endless belts or aprons. These belts at one end
pass over and are supported by a horizontal bar, for which, when desired, a roller
may be substituted. The said belts at their opposite ends pass over and are
supported by a roller. This roller has, at different parts of its circumference,
projections, teeth, roughened surfaces, or other gripping surface or device, by which
the roller at one portion of its revolution will act upon the contiguous belt (that is
to say, the belt extended over such portion of the said roller), and operate or revolve
the same until the gripping device passes out of contact with the said belt and thus
permits said belt to cease its motion either wholly or in part. The gripping surface
or device of the roller arranged to act upon one belt, being provided at another or
opposite side of the roller from that arranged to actuate an adjoining belt, it follows
that the two belts will be actuated alternately, so that the upper side of each belt
moves forward toward the roller, alternately with that of the other belt. Any
desired number of the belts may be arranged side by side, each arranged to be
actuated by its own appropriate gripping surface of the roller.
When desired, the belts may be perforated at regular intervals along their
length, and each actuated at the proper time by one or more radial teeth, projecting
from the roller into the perforations of the belt to an extent sufficient to actuate
the same during a portion of the revolution of each belt.
To increase the drag of the belts upon the roller in order that the latter may act
more efficiently upon them, a pendant horizontal cross bar is placed upon the lower
portion of the belt, thereby straining the upper portions more nearly straight,
between the supporting bar at one end, and the roller at the other end of said
belts.

page_text: To better support the upper portions of the belts, and also to promote their drag
upon the roller as aforesaid, a horizontal table is placed underneath the said upper
portions of the belts, and above the lower portions thereof. In order that the belts
may not run laterally from their places, guides are placed beside and between them
to direct each belt properly to and upon the roller. The roller may be rotated by a
crank or other suitable means.
It will be observed that each belt is moved intermittently by the action, upon it,
of the roller, and that the movement of one belt alternates with that of the other or
others, inasmuch as the tooth or other gripping surface or device of the roller which
actuates the one belt, is at a different, portion of the circumference of the roller,
from that which gives motion to the others.
It is manifest that the belts, and other mechanism arranged and operated as
described, may be used for giving or transmitting intermittent and alternating
motion to machines for various purposes when such intermittent and alternating
motion is desirable.
The said invention therefore comprises the novel combination with endless belts
or aprons, of a roller having gripping surfaces or devices at different portions of
its, circumference, for giving an intermittent and alternating movement to the
belts.

page_text: In lieu of the friction producing surfaces, shoulders or projections similarly
situated on the rollers may be employed; for instance teeth projecting radially
from the roller and entering beles in the belts or aprons as indicated in Figure 11
may be employed, or flexible ships of india-rubber inserted radially in the rollers as
shewn in Figure 5, said slips bending when in contact with the belts or aprons
Bo as to act thereon with a considerable frictional surface may be used; or if
desired elastic knobs or studs of india-rubber as indicated in Figure 6 may be
employed.
In practice the belts or endless aprons C are tightened over the roller A to such
an extent that the rotation of the latter will cause the shoulders or projections, or
their equivalents herein indicated, to act upon the said belts or aprons, and by
stretching. the same, increase the frictional or propelling grip of said roller against
the contiguous surfaces of said belts or aprons to rotate or move the same. This
propelling action of the shoulders continues during the contact of the shoulders
or projections or equivalents thereof, with the belts or aprons." In other words, as
each of said shoulders or projections a, or the equivalent thereof as aforesaid, is
brought upward in contact with the contiguous belt or apron C, by reason of the
increased gripping or driving action of the shoulders or projections, an increased
speed is imparted to the movement of the belt or apron.
When the radius of the roller A through the said shoulders is greater than the
radius åt other portions of the roller, the increased speed may be in a measure due
to such relatively increased radius of the driving roller, and inasmuch as the
shoulders a alternate upon opposite sides of the roller A, it follows that this
accelerated movement of the two belts or aprons of each pair alternate, first one
moving faster and then the other. By this means an alternating movement may be
transmitted from the said belts or aprons to any appropriate mechanism.
As the straightening or stretching of the belts or aprons increases their tension
upon the roller, it follows that their propulsion by the projections or shoulders is
secured, although otherwise, that is to say when not acted upon by said projections
or shoulders (or their equivalents) the said belts or aprons, even though acted upon
by the bar D, hereinafter described, are sufficiently slack to permit the movement
of the roller without moving the belts or aprons.
When the driving surface of the roller, as for example the roughened surface is
flush with the circumference of the roller, or when the toothed modification is used,
the belts or aprons will slip on the roller except when acted upon by the driving
surfaces; the whole of the movement of the belts or aprons in such case being due
to the traction of the roller upon the belt or apron.
"
In order that the belts or aprons C may have the requisite drag or tension upon
the roller A, it is desirable that a device such as an idler pulley be used to take up
the slack of the belts or aprons as the shoulders or projections a pass out of contact
therewith, thereby causing the said belts or aprons to pass upon the diminished
circumference of the said roller. This may be accomplished by means of a bar or
weight D (which may be of cylindrical form) placed upon the lower portions 6 of
the said belts or aprons, and retained in position by a suitably stiff plate c, which
latter may be of wood, metal or other material extended inward from the bar B,
but which is sufficiently flexible to allow the bar D to press downward upon the
belts or aprons C.
AT
To further assist the dragging action of the belts or aprons C to ensure the closer
contact of the driving or gripping surfaces or devices of the roller A, there may be
placed underneath the said belts or aprons a fixed table E supported upon a
framework F which latter may be employed for supporting the herein before
mentioned portions of the apparatus.
The roller A being rotated to the right will move the belts or aprons in a
direction indicated by the horizontal arrows in figure 3, and inasmuch as the upper
portions of the said belts or aprons pass over the upper side of the table E, it
follows that the friction exerted upon the said belts or aprons causes them to resist
to a certain extent the action of the roller A, thereby ensuring a sufficient adhesion
4

page_text: of the belts or aprons upon the said roller to ensure their movement by the rotation
of the roller. As each belt is accellerated when acted upon by the adjacent
shoulder or projection a, and as these projections alternate as herein before explained,'
it follows that the increased movement during each revolution of each belt or apron
will alternate with the corresponding increased movement of the belts or aprons
immediately adjoining the same.
As hereinbefore explained this peculiar alternating motion may be applied to
transmitting an alternating movement to any desired mechanism. Thus for
example it may be employed in affording a walking movement, as it may be termed,
to the legs of toy figures, which latter are indicated by the reference letter G in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 and 13 and 14. In this case the legs B₁ of the figures should be
made of flexible material sufficiently stiff, however, to support the bodies of said
figures, the feet or lower ends of the legs being attached to two adjacent belts or
aprons, that is to say, one leg to one belt and one to the other belt, the said legs
being moved forward by the alternately increased movement of the said two
adjoining belts or aprons. Each figure is carried around with the two belts with
which it is connected, as indicated more fully in Figure 3.
It is to be understood that the parts may be so constructed and arranged that
instead of a slow movement of each belt alternating with the rapid movement of
said belt, such belt itself may be allowed to become nearly or quite stationary
during the intervals between the action of the shoulders or projections a, upon the
belts or aprons.
In order to prevent the belts or aprons from slipping laterally out of their places,
fixed guides I are provided upon the table E near the roller A, thereby preventing
any lateral movement or displacement of said belts or aprons during their operation
as aforesaid. In the modification hereinafter described with reference to Figures 9
to 12 inclusive, these guides may, if desired, be dispensed with.
Instead of the construction herein before explained in which the belts or aprons
are actuated by the frictional contact of the circumference of the roller A upon
them, the said belts may be made with openings or perforations m as indicated in
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12. In this case, the shoulders or projections a constitute.
teeth, the roller A being provided with one of these teeth or projections a, for each
of the perforated belts or aprons, the latter being indicated by the same reference
letter as in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, so that at each revolution of the roller A the
tooth or projection a, will pass into one of the openings m, and communicate an
impetus or forward movement to the belts or aprons, which continues during half
of a revolution of the roller, or until the tooth or projection passes out of the
opening during the continued rotation of the roller. By the time this takes place
the next adjacent tooth or projection a, in like manner passes into the adjacent.
opening or perforation m of the next adjacent belt or apron, and imparts motion
thereto, while the first belt or apron being released from the action of the adjacent
tooth or projection a runs loosely upon the roller, so that by this means the two
adjacent belts of each pair receive an alternating motion, each belt or apron being.
moved during one half of a rotation of the roller, and being substantially stationary
during the other half of the rotation.
When desired the roller A, whether made as represented in Figures 3, 5 and 6
or made according to the modification shown in Figures 9 to 12 inclusive, may be
constructed of varying diameter substantially as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10."
Thus for example that portion of the roller designed to carry or operate any given
pair of belts or aprons may be of a given diameter, while those for other pairs of
belts or aprons may be of greater or less diameter, and so on for any desired
number of belts or aprons.
When the modification illustrated in Figures 9 to 12 inclusive is employed, the
teeth or projections a serve in a great measure to retain the belts or aprons against
lateral displacement. But when desired, the guides I may be applied in connection
with said belts or aprons, and the roller toothed as aforesaid to more securely retain
the belts or aprons against lateral displaceinent,

page_text: It is to be understood that a rotary motion as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3
is to be given to the roller A. This may be done by any suitable means, as, for
example, by the use of a crank A2, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. For con-
venience this crank may be made detachable and constructed to be applied when
required to the shaft or gudgeons of the roller A, in the same manner that
detachable cranks are ordinarily applied for the temporary rotation of shafts or
gearing.
•
I have illustrated the application of my said invention to operating mechanical
toys having flexible limbs, this being one of the uses to which my said invention
may be applied. My said invention, may however, be applied to any other appro-
priate purpose, and is capable of useful employment in many different branches of
mechanical construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or aprons C, C,
a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different portions of
its circumference; and a bar or support B, all substantially as, and for the purpose,.
herein set forth.
Second. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or
aprons CC, a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different
portions of its circumference; a bar or support B, and an idler bar D; all substan-
tially as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Third. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or aprons C, C,
a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different portions of
its circumference, a bar or support B; and a table E, all substantially as, and for
the purpose, herein set forth.
:
Fourth. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or
aprons CC, a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different
portions of its circumference, a bar or support B, an idler bar D and a table E, all
substantially as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Fifth. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless.belts or aprons CC,
a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different portions of
its circumference, a bar or support B, and guides I, all substantially as, and for the
purpose, herein set forth.
Sixth. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or aprons C, C,
a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different portions of
its circumference, a bar or support B, an idler bar D, and guides I, all substantially
as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Seventh. In a mechanical movement, the combination of the endless belts or
aprons C, C, a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different
portions of its circumference, a bar or support B, a table E, and guides I, all
substantially as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Eighth. In a mechanical movement, the combination of endless belts or
aprons C, C, a roller A constructed with gripping surfaces or devices a at different
portions of its circumference, a bar or support B, an idler bar D, table E, and
guides I, all substantially as, and for the purpose, berein set forth.
Dated this 20th day of March 190K