IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING CONTINUOUS ROTATORY MOTION TO ENGINE AND OTHER SHAFTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugène Joseph Bésème, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING CONTINUOUS ROTATORY MOTION TO ENGINE
AND OTHER SHAFTS."
Sealed the 7th November 1879, and dated the 12th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugène Joseph Bésème at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1879.
EUGENE JOSEPH BESEME, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING CONTINUOUS
ROTATORY MOTION TO ENGINE AND OTHER SHAFTS."
My Invention relates to means and apparatus for converting the reciprocating
motion of a prime mover into continuous rotatory motion transmitted to engine
and other shafts, my Invention being specially applicable to engines actuated by
steam or other motive power in which the action of a piston or a treadle or other
reciprocating means gives rotatory motion to a shaft.
Upon the shaft to be rotated I mount a sort of pulley, the rim of which consists
of a cylindrical or tubular metal ring resting on or supported by arms projecting
from the said shaft, or froin a nave or boss affixed upon it. The said arms are
capable of a slight oscillating motion in slots formed in the shaft to receive their
inuer or lower ends, or upon the joint pins which connect them to the nave or boss
upon the shaft. The said arms are disposed slightly obliquely to the radius of the
rim, so that when the said rim is turned in one direction the said arms press and
wedge against it so as to be for the time firmly connected thereto, whereas when
the said rim is turned in the other direction the said arins slightly retire and allow
the rim to slide or pass over them freely. Springs are used to maintain the said
arms in position when the rim is moving upon their outer ends.
To the rim of the said pulley are attached two bands or straps of suitable
material, arranged so that when one of the said bands or straps is drawn upon, the
said rim is caused to rotate in one direction; and when the other of the said bands
or straps is drawn upon, the rim rotates in the other direction, a certain portion of

page_text: each of the said bands or straps being alternately wound upon or unwound from
the said rim. The other ends of each of the said straps is connected with the
mover, which in its reciprocating motion first draws upon one of the said straps or
bands and then upon the other, causing the rim of the pulley to rotate first in one
direction and then in a contrary direction, and when moving in one direction the
said rim becomes connected to its arms and to the shaft, and causes the shaft to
rotate with it, whilst when it moves in the contrary direction it is disconnected
from the arms and shaft, and merely passes over the said arms.
By mounting two or more than two of the said apparatus upon the said shaft
the rotatory motion will be continuous. For this purpose the prime mover is made
to act upon a swinging frame or other suitable mechanical contrivance, the effect
of which is to draw in both directions when advancing or retiring. Or two engines
may be used, one acting upon each of the said straps or bands. When only one of
the said pulleys or apparatus is used a flywheel is mounted upon the shaft to
ensure continuous motion to it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eugène Joseph Bésème in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th November 1879.
EUGÈNE JOSEPH BESÈME, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING CONTINUOUS
ROTARY MOTION TO ENGINE AND OTHER SHAFTS."
My Invention relates to means and apparatus for converting the reciprocating
motion of a prime mover into continuous rotatory motion transmitted to engine and
other shafts, my Invention being specially applicable to engines actuated by steam
or other motive power in which the action of a piston or a treadle, or other
reciprocating means gives rotary motion to a shaft. Upon the shaft to be rotated
I mount a sort of pulley, the rim of which consists of a cylindrical or tubular metal
ring resting on or supported by arms projecting from the said shaft, or from a nave
or boss affixed upon it. The said arms are capable of a slight oscillating motion in
slots formed in the shafts to receive their inner or lower ends, or upon the joint
pins which connect them to the nave or boss upon the shaft. The said arins are
disposed slightly obliquely to the radius of the rim, so that when the said rim is
turned in one direction, the said arms press and wedge against it so as to be for the
time firmly connected thereto, whereas when the said rim is turned in the other
direction the said arms slightly retire and allow the rim to slide or pass over them
freely. Springs are used to maintain the said arms in position when the rim is
moving upon their outer ends.
To the rim of the said pulley are attached two bands or straps of suitable
material, arranged so that when one of the said bands or straps is drawn upon, the
said rim is caused to rotate in one direction, and when the other of the said bands

page_text: or straps is drawn upon, the rim rotates in the other direction, a certain portion of
each of the said bands or straps being alternately wound upon or unwound from
the said rim. The other end of each of the said straps is connected with the
mover, which in its reciprocating motion first draws upon one of the said straps or
bands and then upon the other, causing the rim of the pulley to rotate first in one
direction and then in a contrary direction, and when moving in one direction the
said rim becomes connected to its arms and to the shaft, and causes the shaft to
rotate with it, whilst when it moves in the contrary direction it is disconnected
from the arms and shaft, and merely passes over the said arms.
By mounting two or more than two of the said apparatus upon the said shaft,
the rotary motion will be continuous. For this purpose the prime mover is made
to act upon a swinging frame or other suitable mechanical contrivance, the effect
of which is to draw in both directions when advancing or retiring; or two engines
may be used, one acting upon each of the said straps or bands.
When only one of the said pulleys or apparatus is used a fly-wheel is mounted
upon the shaft to ensure continuous motion to it.
Having explained the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings means pursued by me in performing
the same.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation an apparatus or pulley constructed
according to my Invention for transmitting rotary motion to engine or other shafts.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the
same. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are transverse sections of Figure 2, taken respectively
through the lines A, B, C, D, and E, F.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts where they
occur in the different Figures of the Drawing. a is the metal cylindrical rim of
the pulley which is closed at both ends by discs or covers a', a², capable of rotating
upon the shaft b. The said discs or covers a¹, a², are used merely for the purpose
of keeping the rim or cylinder a concentric with the shaft, and might be replaced
by arms projecting from a nave mounted loosely upon the shaft; c, c, c, are three
arms projecting from the shaft b, the inner or lower ends of the said arms being let
into slots or grooves formed to receive them in the said shaft b.
The said arms c
are capable of oscillating motion in the said slots or grooves, and are disposed
slightly obliquely to the radius of the rim or cylinder a, so that when the rim or
cylinder a is caused to rotate in one direction the said arins c press and wedge
against its inner surface so as to be for the time firmly connected thereto, and
when the said rim or cylinder a is caused to rotate in the opposite direction the
said arms c move slightly backwards when their ends become disconnected from
the rim or cylinder a, which is free to slide or pass over them; d, d, d, are spiral
springs connected to the arms c, c, c, as shewn in Figures 2, 4, and 5 for the
purpose of maintaining the said arm c, c, c, in position. Through the rim or
cylinder a, and covers a¹, a², are made holes e, e, e, through which are passed the
rods or bolts f, ff, which attach the covers a', a², to the said rim or cylinder a,
and also serve for securing to the said rim or cylinder the ends h of the bands or
straps g, g', g², which are sunk into the body of the said rim or cylinder and rest
in grooves formed in its periphery, and by which motion is transmitted to the
pulley. The bands or straps g, g', of which there may be any suitable number
when drawn forwards, cause the rim or cylinder a to rotate so as to be gripped
firmly by the ends of the arms c, c, c, which arms being then firmly connected to
the said rim or cylinder rotate with it and carry round the shaft b. When the
strap or band g is drawn upon, the rim or cylinder a is caused to rotate in the
contrary direction, the arms c, c, c, slightly retiring and becoming disconnected
from the said rim or cylinder a, which now rotates without acting upon the said
shaft b, the arms c, c, c, continuing to rotate with the said shaft, and by drawing
alternately upon the straps or bands g, g', and the strap or band g², the rim or
cylinder a will be caused to rotate backwards and forwards, and when moving in
one direction to drive the shaft and wind on the strap or band g³, and when

page_text: moving in the other direction to wind on the straps or bands g, g', without acting
upon the said shaft b.
In some cases the inner or lower ends of the arms c, instead
of being inserted in slots or grooves formed in the shaft itself, may be jointed to a
nave formed or mounted upon the said shaft. It will readily be understood that
by mounting two or more than two of the said apparatus upon the shaft continuous
rotatory motion may be produced by causing the reciprocating motion of the
mover to act alternately upon one and the other of the said apparatus.
of
In some cases, such as when the motive power is transmitted by means of a
treadle, the return motion to the apparatus may be effected automatically by means
suitable spring, the said return motion requiring only sufficient power to draw
round the loose rim or cylinder a and wind thereupon the bands or straps g and gl
The action of the prime mover may be transmitted to the said apparatus by
means of a swinging frame or any other suitable mechanical contrivance, the effect
of which is to draw alternately upon the bands or straps g, g', and upon the band
or strap g, which band or strap g² may be terminated by a spring, so as to correct
any difference of length in the winding and unwinding of the bands or straps g, g¹.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be well understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
said Invention,-
But I claim as my said Invention, the combination and arrangements of parts
constituting the apparatus herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, arms mounted upon a shaft within a rim or
cylinder, which is capable of being rotated in either direction by means of flat
bands or straps wound upon it, the said arms being so disposed and adjusted within
the said rim or cylinder that when the said rim or cylinder is rotated in one
direction, they will press and wedge against its inner surface and become firmly
connected thereto and cause the shaft to rotate therewith; and when the said rim
or cylinder is rotated in the contrary direction, the said arms will slightly retire
and be disconnected from the said rim or cylinder, which will be free to slide or
pass over them without actuating the said shaft, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugène Joseph Bésème, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
EUGENE JOSEPH BESEME. (L.S.)