IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE- MENT OF MACHINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF HORSE POWER, WHICH HE DESIGNATES AS 'PALMER'S IMPROVED HORSE POWER.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Russell Palmer, of Elizabeth City,
State of North Carolina, and in the United States of America, at
present residing in the City and State of New York, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF MACHINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF HORSE POWER, WHICH HE
DESIGNATES AS 'PALMER'S IMPROVED HORSE POWER.'"
Sealed the 6th October 1853, and dated the 11th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Russell
Palmer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th April 1853.
I, WILLIAM RUSSELL PALMER, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF MACHINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF HORSE POWER, AND WHICH
I DESIGNATE AS PALMER'S IMPROVED HORSE POWER," to be as follows:-
The principal features by which my Invention is distinguished from
horse powers generally in use are,-That I am enabled to secure a
much greater length of arm or lever to which power or force is to be

page_text: applied That my machine is so constructed that one, or two, or more
bands can be attached to and worked with it at the same time, and
thus motion be applied at one and the same time to different machinery:
That my horse power is also so constructed that it can easily and
readily be taken to pieces, and thus rendered more convenient for
carriage and transportation, or for storage, and that it can be made and
furnished at a much lower price than ordinary machines for a similar
purpose.
:
The nature of my Invention consists in increasing the length of the
arms or levers to which the power or force is applied, thus rendering
the power applied much more effective by means of the leverage
obtained and secured; and in applying power or imparting motion to
any machinery by means of a band or bands passing over the ends of
the long levers, and connecting with the machinery, thereby being able
to use the power at the best advantage, and dispensing with the neces-
sity and use of cog wheels and shafts in transferring the-power-obtained
to the movement of machinery.
.
The central framework of my horse power, and from which the
arms or levers radiate, is of small size and extent, being only sufficient
to furnish a proper attachment for the short arms of the levers, and to
provide a suitable fulcrum or point of support for the radiating arms,
all of which are arranged around an upright shaft, which revolves on a
gudgeon, and supported by suitable sockets. The arms or levers pro-
ject horizontally the required-distance; and are supported and protected
from sagging and breakage by strong iron braces, running from the top
of the central upright shaft (which extends some little distance above
the top of the central framework) to about the middle of the arms or
levers. I also sometimes attach the levers to the shaft or shaft drum by
means of a hinge, so that, in, the event of the breaking of a single
or lever, the rest of the machine, will not be disarranged or
injured.
arm
=
Motion is communicated to any desired machinery by means of a belt
or cord, which passes over the ends of the arms, or plays in points of
support attached to the ends of such arms, and extending around the
whole circumference of the wheel, and connecting, by means of

page_text: mechanical arrangements, with the machinery to be moved. The
points of support attached to the ends of the arms, and in or upon
which the belt plays, are so contrived that they retain and hold fast the
belt, and prevent its slipping; while at the same time they allow the
belt, when at the proper position in respect to the machinery, to be
moved by it freely to pass out of such points of support, and without
friction or jar. The belt or belts passing over or around the ends of
the levers or arms, connects, first, with a conical wheeled pulley,
through which motion is imparted to any machinery, and by means
of which arrangement of its conical pulleys different degrees of velocity
may be secured.
The result of the arrangement of construction of my improved horse
power is, that far less friction is created (which decreases to the same
extent the amount of power, actually obtained) and therefore a given
applied power is capable of producing greater results.
My contrivance for increasing the length of the radiating arms or
levers may also be applied, when desired, to the ordinary horse powers,
in which the motion or power is transmitted by means of cog wheel
and shaft gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Russell Palmer, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 11th October. 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM RUSSELL PALMER, of Elizabeth City, State of North Carolina,
and in the United States of America, at present residing in the City
and State of New York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, A.D. 1853,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said.William Russell Palmer, Her
special licence that I, the said William Russell Palmer, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Russell Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should, at

page_text: any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter and during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, examine, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF
MACHINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF HORSE POWER, WHICH I DESIGNATE
AS PALMER'S IMPROVED HORSE POWER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Russell Palmer, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Russell Palmer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and
which form a part of this Specification (that is to say):
The principal features of my Invention or machine, by which it is dis-
tinguished from horse powers ordinarily in use, are, that I am enabled
to secure a much greater length of lever or arm, to which power or
force is to be applied, than is usually secured in other horse powers; and
my machine or horse power is so constructed that two, or three, or
more bands can be attached to and worked with it at the same time to.
different machinery. And my horse power is also so constructed that its
different parts can easily and readily be taken apart or separated, and
thus rendered more convenient for transportation, or carriage, or
stowage, and that can also be made much cheaper than ordinary
machines for a similar purpose.
The nature of my Invention consists in increasing the length of
the arms or levers to which the power or force is to be applied;
thus rendering the power applied much more effective by means of
the leverage obtained, and in applying power, or imparting motion, to
any machinery from the ends of the long arms by means of a band or

page_text: bands, playing in points of support attached to the ends of such arms;
in this manner being able to use the power at the best advantage, and
superseding the necessity and use of cog wheels and shafts in trans-
ferring power to the movement of machinery.
To enable others to make and use my Invention and machine I will
proceed to describe its construction and operation.
The central framework d, d, of my horse power, and in which the
upright shaft or spindle 1, revolves, I make of strong heavy timber, of
two or more inches in thickness, and and about six feet long, a foot and
a half wide, and two feet high. The bottom of this frame or box projects
about a foot on each side, and is firmly fastened by mortise and tenon
joints to heavy bed sills, by which the machine is secured to any place
for working purposes. In the centre of this bottom piece is placed in
an iron plate with a socket, upon which the shaft 1, rests and revolves,
and which also passes through an iron box fitted in the upper side piece
of the frame. The spindle is about 2 inches in diameter, and extends
above the frame a couple of feet, to which part are attached the arms
or levers a, a, a, and their supporters b, b, b; and it is retained in its
proper position in its boxes by means of a journal turned into it, into
which the upper box, which is made of two parts, fits.
To the spindle or shaft, about one-third its distance above the
frame d, I securely fasten a metal plate or other support p, to which
are attached the inner ends of the levers or arms by bolts or screws,
or in any other strong and safe way. The arms or levers I generally
make about twenty feet in length, though their length may be varied
according to circumstances, and from six to seven inches wide at their
outer ends, and five inches at the end attached to the support p. They
should be made of strong inch and a half stuff (when made of wood),
and have also a rib or stay of about the same thickness, of about
one-third their width, and running along upon their upper sides to give
greater strength and to prevent sagging.
At about two thirds of the distance from the spindle or shaft to the
ends of the arms, braces o, o, o, stretch from one arm or lever to another,
from the point of junction of which iron rods or supports b, b, b,
extend from each arm or lever to the shaft, to which they are fastened

page_text: By this
or hooked and screwed by means of a plate p, p. This plate p, p, is
attached near the top of the shaft or spindle, so as to give as much
purchase as possible to the supports b, b. The plate p, may also be
made of much larger diameter, say from eight to ten feet, in which case
boxes of iron or other strong material are to be attached to its periphery,
into which the ends of the levers are inserted and fastened.
arrangement arms of a shorter actual length may be used, and still the
whole distance or length of lever, measured from the central shaft
to the circumference, be preserved. This plate, or wheel, may also be
made of two or three parts, so that, when necessary or more convenient
for carriage, it may be taken to pieces. In the case of the use of
wheel of such large diameter it will also be required to be supported
on its under side by arms extending from the shaft towards the
circumference of the wheel or plate.
At the ends of the arms or levers are attached one or more strong
iron pins or stops c, c. These are bent, as represented in the drawing,
and are intended to be made square as to the part which passes into the
lever, while the other part should be left round; and they should be of
sufficient length to allow them to pass well into or through the arms,
and project two or three inches on the outside. These pins enter the
arms near their ends, and at the sides of the ribs or stays fastened to the
arms, at an angle of about thirty degrees; so that whenever a band
or cord is made to pass between any one of these pins and the arm in
which it is inserted, it is made to take a short bend or turn between the
ribs and the pin, and is thereby prevented from moving or slipping in
the smallest degree, but it is kept and retained as firmly and securely
as if held by cogs and wheels; and power is as easily and effectually
transferred therefrom as from a shaft worked by means of cogs.
I am aware that pins have been used in machinery for the pur-
pose of furnishing a support for revolving belts or bands; but in such
cases the pins have either been inserted at right angles to the surface of
the part in which they were fixed, in which case there was nothing to
prevent their slipping of the band; or else, in cases where pins have been
fixed at an acute angle, there has been no arrangement or contrivance
similar to the rib or stay above described, so that in such case the band

page_text: played in a V shaped groove, which also affords but little resistance to
the slipping of the bands. But, from the shape which I give my lever,
with its rib, and the position in which the pin c, is placed, the band is
wholly prevented from slipping, and thus one great objection to the use
of bands and belts obviated.
Instead, however, of attaching the pins c c, to the arm or lever, in
the manner before described, I sometimes attach to the under side of
the lever a piece of metal, split or forked, as illustrated by the drawing
at A, & B.
By the use of this device the bands receive the same bend or turn
as in the continuance before described; and when a single band only is
required, I generally prefer this arrangement. When 'three bands are
desired, the arrangement becomes peculiarly desirable, as the part of it
which is fastened to the under side of the arm or lever fills the place
of and performs the part of a rib, and between which and a pin, which
should be inserted in the under side, the band passes.
The bend or curve which is given to the curve or wires at their
projecting ends acts as a guide to the belt or band, to keep it in and
make it take its proper place, and at the same time allow such belt or
band to pass freely and without hindrance out of the points of support.
The band r, runs from the arms of the horse power over a pulley v,
which moves a large wheel w, from which motion is communicated to
any required machinery.
The pulley v, is conical in shape, usually made up of three or more,
whose diameters are about as 1, to 2; so that by changing the bands 1, 1,
from one of these pulleys to the other, a different speed may be given
to w, and through it to the desired machinery.
The wheel w, is also constructed so that, while it serves to communi-
cate motion to the machinery, it also at the same time acts as a fly
wheel, equalizing motion and accumulating power.
On one side of the bub or shaft is attached the conical pulley v; to
the other side similar pulleys may be attached, if desired; or it
may be
left free to furnish a support for braces, should any be necessary, to
steady the wheel or to prevent a tendency to swerve from a steady
motion, because of its rapid revolution:

page_text: The periphery of the wheel is made very heavy, as in ordinary
fly wheels, for the purpose of accumulation and equa lization of
power.
The spokes are attached to the sides of the periphery instead of to
the centre, so as to be easily detached when the wheel is taken to
pieces for transportation; they are also made broad, to give greater
strength, and have their broad surfaces parallel to the plane of the
whole revolution, so as to offer as little resistance as possible to the
air.
To decrease friction, and make most available the power accumu-
lated in the fly wheel, motion is transmitted by means of a round band
playing in a groove upon the periphery of the wheel. This groove I
prefer having on the same side of the wheel as that to which the
spokes are attached.
The various parts of the wheel w, and of the frame-work supporting
it, are to be so constructed that they can be separated and put into a
smaller compass for transportation or storage.
The band, after it leaves the levers, passes round a cylinder n,
made with various grooves to receive the band, and thence over the
pulley. Near the cylinder n, and between it and the pulley v, I also
place two cross cylinders, grooved for the passage of the band r,
one above the other; the lower one of which is permanent, while the
upper one may be pressed nearer the lower, as occasion may require.
Their use is to confine or tighten the band when it becomes slack
from use; and this end is accomplished either by helical springs above
the ends of the upper roller, or by having the shaft of the upper roller
project beyond the frame-work which supports it, to which projecting
ends may be attached weights, according to the necessity of the case.
The frame which contains the cylinder n, and the small cylinder m,
the pulley, and the wheel w, is so placed in position, in respect to
the horse power, that the band 7, is made to pass round the cylinder n,
and the pulley, at nearly right angles with the line of direction it
has when it leaves the arms or levers a, a, while it passes from the
pulley v, into the points of support on the ends of the arms or levers
in a straight line. In this manner the band r, is made to act with

page_text: the greatest power upon passing on to the pulley v, while it passes
from off this pulley to the arms easily, and without friction.
The grooves in the pulleys v, and indeed all the grooves in any part
of my machine in which bands are intended to play, I construct in a
new and peculiar manner, so that any decrease in the size of the band,
from wear or stretch, makes no difference in the hug of the band to
the groove in which it plays.
It is well known that round bands playing in grooved pulleys, after
they have been used, become smaller by wear or stretch, and then are
very liable to slip, because they do not sufficiently hug the groove. To
remove this liability, and prevent this result, I make the width of the
groove on the surface or circumference of the pulley more than double
the width at the bottom, and the side surfaces of the groove are
also cut down in a straight line and do not meet together at the
bottom. The groove is thus made nearly of the following shape\
With a pulley grooved after this fashion, a band or cord may be
used at first of a diameter nearly equal to the surface width of the
groove; and as this band becomes reduced in size, either by wear or
stretch, it still continues to hug as tightly the sides of the groove
(though having sunk deeper in the groove), and liability of slipping is
avoided.
I claim, as my Invention, the general arrangement and construc-
tion of my horse power, made as substantially before set forth and
described, with a small central frame work, and having either a larger
or smaller plate or support to which the radiating arms or levers are
attached.
I claim also the peculiar construction of the arms or levers of
my horse power, made with strengthening ribs and with supporting
braces, and in the manner as substantially set forth and described in
my Specification.
I claim also the peculiar construction and arrangement, as sub-
stantially before set forth, of the bent or crooked wires attached to the
ends of the arms or levers, or any arrangement equivalent thereto, by
means of which the band or bands playing at or near the extremities
of such arms or levers are prevented from slipping by means of the

page_text: short bend or kink given the band or bands, while at the same time
such bands pass off from the levers easily and without friction.
I claim also the peculiar construction of the pulleys used in my
machine, whereby the bands are made to hug the sides of the grooves;
notwithstanding the decrease of the size of the bands by wear or
stretch.
I claim also the peculiar construction of the wheel w, which acts as
an ordinary fly-wheel in the accumulation of power, and at the same
time is a medium for the transmission of power to other machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Russell Palmer, have
heretofore set my hand and seal, this Second day of September,
AD 1852
I, Anthony Barclay, Esquire, Her Majesty's Consul, do hereby
certify that William Russell Palmer, named and described in the
preceding instrument, this day appeared, and in my presence did
set his haud and seal thereto, and acknowledge the same to be his
act and deed for the purposes therein mentioned. In testi-
mony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, at
the City of New York, this Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ANTH. BARCLAY. (L.S.)