Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
I GEORGE HICKS HARRIS of Wadebridge in the County of Cornwall, Engineer,
Millwright and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My Invention relating to apparatus or means for compensating for, or equalizing the
motion of cranks, has reference to the use in combination with a crank motion, of a
wheel and pinion in conjunction with a compensating balance, whereby the engine,
water wheel or other motive power in which the crank is employed is relieved of the
uneven or differential action of the crank.
In carrying out my Invention as applied in combination with a single crank, for
example, I key or secure on the crank shaft a toothed wheel with which engages a
toothed pinion fast on another shaft or axis, the said toothed pinion being of a
diameter one half that of the toothed wheel and consequently making two revolutions
to one revolution of the wheel. Fixed on the axis on which the toothed pinion is
secured, or rotating with the said pinion, is a crank or lever, to which a balance bob,
weight, spring, pneumatic, steam or any other suitable compensating balance is
attached. I find a convenient arrangement to be, to place on the crank or lever an
adjustable weight which is brought to or kept from the centre of the pinion axis
according to the weight required to compensate for the strain on the crank head. The
weight is raised whilst the main crank is being relieved of its work at what is
commonly called the centre, and by reason of the pinion axis giving double the number
of revolutions of the main crank shaft, the weight thus lifted is returned to assist or
compensate the said main crank when in full work both in forward and backward
action, thus throwing an equal strain on the motive power, which may be applied to
either wheel or pinion or their respective shafts.
It is obvious that the pinion may be mounted loose on a stud-centre or other suitable
axis, provided the compensating.crank or lever is attached to or arranged in connection -
with the pinion so as to rotate or work in unison with it.
When the double crank is used the pinion should be made of a diameter one fourth
that of the wheel to give the necessary compensation.
Dated this 11th day of June 1887.
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C.,
Agent.

page_text: Equalizing the Motion of Cranks.
I GEORGE HICKS HARRIS of Wadebridge in the County of Cornwall, Engineer,
Millwright and Machinist 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 :—
My Invention relating to apparatus or means for compensating for, or equalizing the
motion of cranks, has reference to the use in combination with a crank motion, of a
compensating balance applied in such a manner that the engine, water wheel or other
motor in or with which the crank is employed is relieved of the uneven or differential
action of the crank.
My Invention is applicable both in cases where a rotary motion is converted into a
reciprocating to and fro motion and vice versa.
In carrying out my Invention, as applied in cases in which the rotary motion
produced by a water wheel, for example, is converted into a reciprocating to and fro
motion, with the employment of a single crank, I key or secure on the crank shaft a
toothed wheel, with which engages a toothed pinion, fast on another shaft or axis, the
said toothed pinion being of a diameter one half that of the toothed wheel and conse-
quently making two revolutions to one revolution of the wheel. Fixed on the axis
on which the toothed pinion is secured, or rotating with the said pinion, is a crank or
lever to which a balance bob or weight, a spring, or a pneumatic, steam, vacuum or
any other suitable compensating balance is attached. I find a convenient arrangement
to be to place on the crank or lever an adjustable weight which is brought to or kept
from the centre of the pinion axis according to the weight required to compensate for
the strain on the crank head. In the operation of the apparatus, the weight is raised
whilst the main crank is being relieved of its work at what is commonly called the
centre and, by reason of the pinion axis giving double the number of revolutions of
the main crank shaft, the weight thus lifted is returned to assist or compensate the
said main crank when in full work both in forward and backward action, thus throwing
an equal strain on the motive power, which may be applied to either the wheel or the
pinion or to either of their respective shafts.
When the double crank is used the pinion should be made of a diameter one fourth
that of the wheel to give the necessary compensation.
And in order that my said Invention may be perfectly understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the accompanying sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side sectional elevation of a
portion of a motive power engine imparting a rotary motion and apparatus driven
thereby receiving a reciprocating to and fro motion, with my Invention applied in

page_text: connection therewith, according to one mode of carrying out the same. Figures 2 and 3
are diagrams illustrating modifications hereinafter described.
Referring to Figure 1, A is the crank shaft, suitably supported in plummer blocks
or bearings not shewn in the drawing. B is the crank and C its connecting rod, tho
outer extremity of which is connected to the device C¹, to which a reciprocating to
and fro motion is to be imparted. On the crank shaft A.I key or secure a spur
wheel D, having engaging therewith a spur pinion E, which is fast on a shaft or axis F,
suitably mounted in bearings not indicated in the drawing. The spur pinion E is of
a diameter one half that of the spur wheel D and consequently makes two revolutions
to one revolution of the said wheel. G is a crank or lever which may either be secured
on the shaft or axis F, or attached to the spur pinion E so as to rotate therewith.
To this crank or lover is attached an adjustable weight H, which is set at a suitable
distance from the centre of the shaft or axis F according to the weight required to
compensate for the strain on the crank head when in the positions 1 and 3.
Assuming the crank shaft A to be revolving to the right and the shaft or axis F
consequently revolving to the left as indicated by the corresponding arrows, the
crank B to be for the moment at 1 and the compensating weight in the position 6,
as the crank B revolves towards 2 the strain becomes gradually less on the crank
shaft A and the compensating weight H gradually loses power as it descends from 6 to 7
and requires a force to raise it to 4 equal to that of which the motive power is relieved
by the action of the crank B at 2; a gradual increase of power is then required to
carry the crank B to 3, so in proportion does the power decrease which is required to
raise the weight H to 5, and the weight H is again at 6 when the crank B arrives at 3.
Similarly for the other semi-revolution 3, 4, 1 of the crank B, as the strain on the crank
shaft A diminishes as the crank B approaches 4 and again increases after the crank B
passes that point and until it arrives again at 1, so in like manner the power which the
weight requires in performing its revolution, corresponding to the semi-revolu-
tion 3, 4, 1 of the crank, alternately increases and diminishes as herein before
explained.
Power is thus stored up at the points of the crank's motion called the centres which
power is given out to compensate where greater power is required or where the crank
is in full work, and by these means the strain thrown on the motor in or with which
the crank is employed is approximately uniform.
When a double crank is used, the diameter of the pinion E should be equal to one
fourth that of the wheel D to give the necessary compensation.
In the example illustrated, the invention is employed with a motor and apparatus
in which a rotary motion is converted into a reciprocating to and fro motion. It is,
however, equally applicable in inverse arrangements in which a reciprocating to and
fro motion, say, for example, that imparted by the piston of a steam engine, is converted
into a rotary motion of the shaft to be driven, the motive power being taken off
either from the wheel D or from the pinion E, or from either of their respective
shafts A, F.
When the motive power is not applied to or taken off from the axis F of the pinion E,
the said axis may consist of a stud centre or other suitable axis, on which the pinion E
is mounted loose, provided the compensating crank ог lever G is attached to
or arranged in connection with the pinion so as to rotate or work in unison
with it.
If the speed of the pinion E, or of its shaft F, (when the pinion E is fast thereon)
is too high for the weight H by its falling to compensate or equalize the motion, being
faster than gravitation, I may employ in substitution for the weight H any other
suitable compensating balance such, for example, as steam or air pressure, or a
vacuum, or a spring, applied in combination with the crank or lever G.
One mode of applying steam or air pressure or a vacuum for the purpose is illustrated
in diagram in Figure 2, and a mode of applying a spring is illustrated in diagram in
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Referring to Figure 2, I is a cylinder, attached to or carried by any stationary part
of the apparatus or fixed or suspended in any suitable manner, in which cylinder is

page_text: fitted a piston K, the rod L of which is connected by a connecting rod M with the
crank or lever G. Above the piston K is admitted say, for example, at 8, steam or
air under pressure, or, if desired, a vacuum may be produced underneath the piston
whilst the upper part of the cylinder is open to the atmosphere, the pressure or vacuum
being continuously applied and so regulated that the piston will act on and with the
crank or lever G in substitution for the weight H, that is to say power will be
stored up at the points of the main crank's motion called the centres, which power
will be given out to compensate where greater power is required or where the crank is
in full work.
In the diagram, Figure 3, a helical spring N is employed above the disc or piston K
in substitution for the weight H, or for steam or air pressure or vacuum, the spring
being alternately compressed and extended as will be well understood without further
explanation. The tension of the spring N can be adjusted by raising or lowering the
disc or piston K on the rod L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the samé is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with a crank or cranks, of a compensating balance, whereby
power is stored up at certain points of the motion of the crank or cranks and
given out at other points of the motion of such crank or cranks, and the motion is
thus compensated for, or equalized, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with a crank or cranks, of a wheel and pinion, in conjunction
with a compensating balance, whereby the motion of the crank or cranks is compensated
for, or equalized, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with a crank shaft, of a toothed wheel fast thereon, a toothed
pinion gearing with such toothed wheel, a crank or lever rotating or working in unison
with the said toothed pinion and having applied thereto a weight (adjustable or not)
or a spring, or pneumatic steam or vacuum apparatus, the whole arranged and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 10th day of March 1888.
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C.,
Agent.