or Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Speed Gear for Motor Driven Launches, Motor Cars, and Rotating Shafts of Machinery generally.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr. 1899.
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov. 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan. 1900
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov. 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Speed Gear for
Motor Driven Launches, Motor Cars, and Rotating Shafts of
Machinery generally.
We, TANGYES LIMITED, of Cornwall Works, Soho, in the County of Stafford,
Engineers, and JAMES ROBSON, the younger, of No. 48, Linwood Road, Hands-
worth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
The said invention consists of the construction and arrangement or combi-
nation of parts hereinafter described constituting new or improved starting,
stopping, reversing and speed gear for motor driven launches, motor cars, and
rotating shafts of machinery generally the said invention being especially appli-
cable to the propeller shafts of motor driven launches.
We will describe the said invention in its application to the propeller shaft
of a motor driven launch.
We arrange the motor and propeller shafts in line and on or near the opposed
ends of the said shafts we place respectively the two parts of a friction clutch
preferably a friction clutch of the kind commonly called a cone clutch, the she-
part of the said cone clutch being fixed to the end of one of the shafts, say, the motor
shaft, and the he-part of the said cone clutch being keyed loosely or otherwise
to the other or propeller shaft so as to be capable of a longitudinal sliding
motion thereon. At or near the open or larger end of the she-part of the cone
clutch described, is a V or other groove constituting a pulley groove. On the
propeller shaft and at a short distance from the he-part of the cone clutch is a
grooved pulley and on the said shaft and between the boss of the grooved pulley
and the boss of the sliding or he-part of the cone clutch is preferably a strong
coiled spring.
The he-part of the cone clutch is operated, that is thrown into and out of
gear with the she-part of the said clutch on the motor shaft, by a hand lever,
projections on which engage in a neck in the boss of the he or sliding part of
the cone clutch. The hand lever described has at or near its pivoted end a short
arm carrying a short shaft crossing at right angles, but in a different plane,
the axis of the propellor and motor shafts. The said crossing shaft carries two
idle or loose running grooved. pulleys. On the operation of the hand lever for
disengaging the two parts of the friction clutch the crossing shaft is moved in
the direction proper for increasing the distance between it and the propeller
shaft. Over the grooved pulley on the propeller shaft and the grooved part of
the friction or cone clutch and under the idle or jockey pulleys of the short
crossing shaft, an endless rope or flexible driving belt or cord is arranged.
The length of the endless driving belt or cord is such that when the two parts
of the clutch are in their closest engagement, the driving belt is so slack as not
to effect a grip on the pulleys on which it is placed and the propeller shaft is
driven through the friction clutch directly by and consequently in the same
direction as, the motor shaft.

page_text: On the disengagement of the two parts of the friction clutch the driving belt
or cord is, by the motion of the crossing shaft carrying the idle pulleys from
the propeller shaft, tightened on the several pulleys and the propeller shaft is
driven from the motor shaft by the cord. or. belt gearing described and in a con-
trary or reverse direction to that of the motor shaft. By bringing the he or
sliding part of the friction clutch by means of the hand lever described into an
intermediate position the bite of the driving belt or cord on the pulleys is
exactly neutralised by the friction between the two parts of the clutch and the
propeller shaft is thereby brought to rest. By moving the operating lever in
either direction from the midway position and thereby varying the position of
the he- or sliding part of the clutch, the speed of the propeller shaft with res-
pect to that of the motor shaft may be reduced to any desirable extent whether.
the said propeller shaft be running in the same or the reverse direction to that
of the motor shaft.
Although we have described the use of grooved pulleys for the driving belt
or band we wish it to be understood that ordinary or plain pulleys may be em-
ployed in conjunction with a flat driving belt or band.
We may so arrange the belt gearing as to provide where thought necessary
or desirable more than one driving belt or cord for transmitting the power of
the motor shaft to the propeller shaft.
The application of the said invention to the starting, stopping, reversing and
speed gear of rotating shafts other than the motor and propeller shafts of a
launch differs in no essential respect from its application to the motor and pro-
peller shafts of a launch as hereinbefore described.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact con-
struction of the details of the mechanism hereinbefore described as these may
be varied to suit the particular position or kind of machinery to which it is to be
applied without departing from the essence or nature of the invention.
Dated this Fourth day of April 1899.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
New or Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Speed Gear for
Motor Driven Launches, Motor Cars, and Rotating Shafts of
Machinery generally.
We, TANGYES LIMITED, of Cornwall Works, Soho, in the County of Stafford,
Engineers, and JAMES ROBSON, the younger, of No. 48, Linwood Road, Hands-
worth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
The said invention consists of the construction and arrangement or combi-
nation of parts hereinafter described constituting new or improved starting,
stopping, reversing and speed gear for motor driven launches, motor cars and
rotating shafts of machinery generally the said invention being especially appli-
cable to the propeller shafts of motor driven launches.
We will describe the said invention in its application to the propeller shaft
of a motor driven launch.
We arrange the motor and propeller shafts in line and on or near the opposed
ends of the said shafts we place respectively the two parts of a friction clutch,

page_text: preferably a friction clutch of the kind commonly called a cone clutch, the she-
part of the said cone clutch being fixed to the end of one of the shafts, say, the motor
shaft, and the he-part of the said cone clutch being keyed loosely or otherwise
to the other or propeller shaft so as to be capable of a longitudinal sliding
motion thereon. At or near the open or larger end of the she-part of the cone
clutch described, is a V or other groove constituting a pulley groove. Un the
propeller shaft and at a short distance from the he-part of the cone clutch is a
grooved pulley and on the said shaft and between the boss of the grooved pulley
and the boss of the sliding or he-part of the cone clutch is preferably a strong
coiled spring.
The he-part of the cone clutch is operated, that is, is thrown into and out of
gear with the she-part of the said clutch on the motor shaft, by a hand lever,
projections on which engage in a neck in the boss of the he- or sliding part of
the cone clutch. The hand lever described has at or near its pivoted end a short
arm carrying a short shaft crossing at right angles, but in a different plane,
the axis of the propeller and motor shafts. The said crossing shaft carries two
idle or loose running grooved pulleys. On the operation of the hand lever for
disengaging the two parts of the friction clutch the crossing shaft is moved in
the direction proper for increasing the distance between it and the propeller
shaft. Over the grooved pulley on the propeller shaft and the grooved part of
the friction or cone clutch and under the idle or jockey pulleys of the short
crossing shaft, an endless rope or flexible driving belt or cord is arranged.
The length of the endless driving belt or cord is such that when the two parts
of the clutch are in their closest engagement, the driving belt is so slack as
not to effect a grip on the pulleys on which it is placed and the propeller shaft
is driven through the friction clutch directly by and consequently in the same
direction as, the motor shaft. On the disengagement of the two parts of the
friction clutch the driving belt or cord is, by the motion of the crossing shaft
carrying the idle pulleys from the propeller shaft, tightened on the several
pulleys and the propeller shaft is driven from the motor shaft by the cord or
belt gearing described and in a contrary or reverse direction to that of the
motor shaft. By bringing the he or sliding part of the friction clutch by means
of the hand lever described into an intermediate position the bite of the driving
belt or cord on the pulleys is exactly neutralised by the friction between the two
parts of the clutch and the propeller shaft is thereby brought to rest. By mov-
ing the operating lever in either direction from the midway position and thereby
varying the position of the he- or sliding part of the clutch, the speed of the
propeller shaft with respect to that of the motor shaft may be reduced to any
desirable extent, whether the said propeller shaft be running in the same or the
reverse direction to that of the motor shaft.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in side elevation and
partly in vertical section starting, stopping, reversing and speed gear construc-
ted according to the said invention applied to the motor and propeller shafts of
a launch.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the same on the dotted line, Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a similar view to Figure 1 with modified clutch mechan-
ism; and Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent plan views of the rope pulleys showing
how the speed of the propeller shaft with respect to that of the motor shaft may
be varied to suit different requirements.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
We will first describe the arrangement Figures 1 and 2.
a and b are the motor and propeller shafts respectively. On or near adjacent
ends of the said shafts we fix respectively the she-part and he-part of a
friction cone clutch. In one piece with the she-part c¹ of the cone clutch is the
grooved pulley c. The propeller shaft b is capable of a sliding or endwise motion
to and from the motor shaft a thereby permitting of the engagement and dis-
:

page_text: engagement of the two parts of the cone clutch. The motion of the propeller
shaft b, and he-part 2 of the cone clutch is effected, by the operating
lever e¹, e turning on the spindle f (see Figure 1) claws e, e carried by the long
arm e of the operating lever engaging in the neck g (see Figure 2) in the
boss of the he-part 2 of the cone clutch. The short arm e² of the operating
lever projects at about right angles to the long arm e¹ and carries a horizontal
shaft or spindle h on opposite ends of which are arranged grooved guide or
jockey pulleys h¹, h² which on the motion of the operating lever e¹, e² are raised
and lowered, that is, have a slight angular motion given to them in a vertical
plane.
The propeller shaft b has a grooved pulley i connected thereto by means of a
sliding feather or key 22. The said pulley 2 and shaft b consequently rotate
together while the shaft b is capable of an endwise motion independent of the
pulley, the pulley being retained in position by the engagement of the pro-
jection or finger on the bracket in the neck in the boss of the pulley i.
Over the pulleys c and i and under the guide or jockey pulleys h¹, h² an end-
less rope or band d is arranged.
The action of the mechanism is as follows.
When the operating lever e¹, e2 is in the full line position represented in
Figure 1 the two parts c1, c2 of the friction clutch are engaged together and the
guide or jockey pulleys h¹, h² are in their raised position in which position the
The pro-
said pulleys are out of frictional contact with the endless rope d.
peller shaft b is consequently driven directly by and in the same direction as
the motor shaft a.
If the operating lever e¹, e² be moved into the dotted line position indicated
in Figure 1 the he-part 2 of the clutch will be brought out of contact with
the she-part c¹ of the clutch and at the same time the guide or jockey pul-
leys h', he will be depressed to such an extent as to tighten the rope d on the
series of pulleys c, h¹, h² and i. The rotation of the motor shaft a is conse-
quently transmitted to the propeller shaft 6 through the endless rope d the
rotation of the propeller shaft being in a reverse direction to that of the motor
shaft a, as will be understood by an examination of the drawings.
If the operating lever e¹, e2 be moved about midway between the dotted and
full line positions represented in Figure 1 the rotation of the motor shaft will
not be transmitted to the propeller shaft 6 in other words in this position of
the operating lever the propeller shaft b is stationary.
By moving the operating lever e¹, e² more or less to a position between the
midway and either of the extreme positions the propeller shaft may be driven
in either a forward or reverse direction but at a reduced speed as herein before
stated.
In order to render unnecessary hand pressure on the operating lever to pre-
serve the two parts c', c² of the cone clutch together when in engagement we pre-
fer to employ a coiled spring on the shaft b between the grooved pulley i
and the he-part 2 of the cone clutch.
We wish it to be understood that friction clutches other than a friction cone
clutch may be employed to couple the two shafts directly together. For example
an ordinary expanding friction clutch of the kind represented in Figure 3 may
be used. In this arrangement a hollow cylindrical ring c¹ constitutes the she-
part of the clutch and an expanding ring 3 constitutes the he-part of the said
clutch. In this case, the propeller shaft b would not have an endwise motion
with each operation of the lever e¹, e² as described with reference to Figures 1
and 2. The method of reversing would however be the same as in the first des-
cribed arrangement.
Although in the arrangements represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the pulleys
and are of the same size we wish it to be understood that the pulley i may
be larger than the pulley c as represented in Figure 4 or the said pulley i may

page_text: be made smaller than the pulley e as represented in Figure 5 to suit varying
requirements.
And we may so arrange the rope gear as to provide where thought necessary
or desirable more than one driving rope for transmitting the power of the motor
shaft to the propeller shaft as represented in Figure 6 where pulleys are
arranged to accommodate two driving ropes.
Although we have described and represented the use of grooved pulleys for the
driving rope, we wish it to be understood that ordinary or plain pulleys may be.
employed in conjunction with a flat driving belt or band.
The application of the said invention to the starting, stopping, reversing and
speed gear of rotating shafts other than the motor and propeller shafts of a
launch differs in no essential respect from its application to the motor and pro-
peller shafts of a launch as hereinbefore described.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact con-
struction of the details of the mechanism hereinbefore described as these may
be varied to suit the particular position or kind of machinery to which it is
to be applied without departing from the essence or nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as the said invention :-
The new or improved starting, stopping, reversing and speed gear for motor
driven launches, motor cars and rotating shafts of machinery generally herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the said gear
consisting essentially of a friction clutch the two parts of which are arranged
on the adjacent ends of the driving and driven shafts respectively and the com-
bination therewith of pulleys on the driving shaft and shaft to be driven and
guide or jockey pulleys, an endless driving rope or band or ropes or bands
passing over the series of pulleys the said guide or jockey pulleys being raised
or lowered as required so as to tighten or slacken the endless rope or band or
ropes or bands on the series of pulleys by the hand or operating lever by which
the friction clutch is operated the several parts being arranged and worked sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated the 23rd day of November 1899.