AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MULTIPLYING MOTIVE POWER, AND TRANSMITTING IT TO A SHAFT OR OTHER MECHANISM
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Baptiste Meeus, of Arlon, in the Kingdom of
Belgiumi, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MULTIPLYING
MOTIVE POWER, AND TRANSMITTING IT TO A SHAFT OR OTHER MECHANISM."
Sealed the 1st January 1858, and dated the 2nd July 1857..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Baptiste Meeus
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd July 1857.
I... JEAN BAPTISTE MEEUS. of Arlon. in the Kingdom of Belgium, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN-IMPROVED METHOD
OF MULTIPLYING MOTIVE POWER, AND TRANSMITTING IT TO A SHAFT OR OTHER
MECHANISM," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved method of transmitting power from
an engine or other motive agent to a shaft or other mechanism to which
motion is required to be communicated, the object being to obtain greater
power than by the connecting rods, or other arrangements ordinarily employed
for that purpose.
For this purpose I employ an arrangement of levers jointed
together after the manner commonly known as "lazy tongs," one end of
which is attached to or acted upon by the motive power. and the other is con-
nected to the mechanism to be driven. These "lazy tongs may be kept
Price S1

page_text: extended by counterweights, or any other suitable means, in such manner that
when closed by the motive power, they shall have a tendency to resume their
extended position, and thus require very little power to work them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Baptiste Meeus in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
BAPTISTE MEEUS. of Arlon. in the Kingdom of Belgium, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven. in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did. for Herself. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me.
the said Jean Baptiste Mecus. Her special license that I. the said
Jean Baptiste Meeus, my executors. administrators, and assigns. or such
others as 1. the said Jean Baptiste Meeus, my executors, administrators.
and assigns. should at any time agree with, and no others. from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed. should and
lawfully, might make, use, exercise. and vend. within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands. and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MULTIPLYING MOTIVE POWER, AND
TRANSMITTING IT TO A SHAFT OR OTHER MECHANISM: " upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jean Baptiste Mecus. by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal. should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the 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 and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I. the said Jean Baptiste Meeus. 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 in the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "An Improved Method of Multiplying Motive Power, and
Transmitting it to a Shaft or other Mechanism." relates to a novel method of
transmitting power from an engine or other motive agent. to a shaft or other
mechanism to which motion is required to be communicated, the object being

page_text: to obtain greater power than by the connecting rods or other arrangements
ordinarily employed for that purpose.
For this purpose I employ an arrangement of levers jointed together after
the manner commonly known as "lazy tongs." one end of which is attached
to or acted upon by the motive power, and the other is connected to the
mechanism to be driven. These lazy tongs" may be kept extended by
counterweights, or any other suitable means. in such manner that when closed
by the motive power. they shall have a tendency to resume their extended
position. and thus require very little power to work them.
The principles upon which this Invention is based, and its application to
driving various kinds of machinery, will be understood by reference to the
Figures in the accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference.
indicate like parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1, (Sheet 1..) is a diagram representing a jointed set of levers forming
when open a parallelogram, seen in front view. A plan view of these levers
is shewn at Figures 2. They are constructed of iron or other material, and
two of them are double and two single, as seen in the plan view Fig. 2, and
they are loosely jointed together at their extremities. The length of these
levers, and consequently, the distances apart of their axes, may vary according
to the amount of power and speed required to be transmitted.
The power, which is placed as at P, Fig. 1, and sets the apparatus in motion.
is applied at the joint C. which carries a grooved pulley or bowle D, that
works in guides E. and is therefore free to approach or recede from the fixed
point A. below which is the fixed base of the apparatus, and is mounted
between the two standards of a foundation plate G. set upon any suitable
framing F (seen also in a more complex form in Figures 6 and 7. Sheet II.)
A cord 1. attached to the joint C. Fig. 1. and which passes over pullies.
and has a counterweight 2. attached to its other end, serves to keep the appa-
ratus in equilibrium. so that without being loaded, the point C. where the
power is applied, will yield to the slightest force acting upon it either in an
upward or downward direction. so as to produce the same dynamic result
either by ascending or descending power.
The apparatus being arranged as shewn in Fig. 1. representing a jointed
parallelogram, the four angles of which are equal to each other, it should be
understood that if a weight P. or a constant power he applied to the top of
the axis C. and be allowed to descend towards the fixed point A. the upper
and lower angles will open as the point C approaches the base A; the apices
B & B of the other or lateral angles will be pushed further apart, as
indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

page_text: Fig. 2, (Sheet 1.,) represents an apparatus composed of four jointed
parallelograms constructed on this principle, and set vertically one above the
other, and mounted upon the foundation plate G. They are composed of
arms, half of which are single and the others double. as shewn at Figures 2.
and above described. The lowest extremity of these levers is fixed at A. and
therefore on power P being applied at C. and the levers being thus caused to
descend, will assume the position shewn by the dotted lines. the points B. B',
being pushed outwards as well as downwards. and thus by the upward and
downward motion of the levers a lateral motion will at the same time be
obtained, which may either be made to communicate a reciprocating horizontal
motion to a lever as shewn at H. by causing a friction roller on the joint B.
to work in a slot in the said lever H, or it may be made to work a bell-crank
lever as at II'.
Fig. 3 represents another arrangement. in which the levers are jointed in
the middle, as well as at the ends. the levers being in this case longer than the
former ones shewn in Fig. 1. and the fixed point A being in the centre of
the arrangement of levers. On the power P being applied, either above at C
or below at C. the levers will assume the dotted position. and will resume
their normal position on the power being reversed: a lateral reciprocating
motion will by this means he imparted to the points band '.
Fig. 5 shews another arrangement, which is a combination of the two
arrangements above described: Figs. 5* representing detached views of the
levers. This arrangement is the most important and useful in its application.
as will be hereafter seen in describing its various adaptations.
Fig. 6 (Sheet II.) is another example of the application of the arrange-
ment shewn in Figures 1 and 2. On the power P being applied to the
levers at C, they will in descending assume the dotted position, and vice versa
in ascending, and thus communicate motion to the levers or I', and thus,
by means of connecting rods, cause the rod H to drive a beam G. as shewn
on the left-hand side of the Figure, or to communicate motion to a crank and
wheel G by means of the slotted lever I, as seen on the right-hand side of
the Figure.
i
Fig. 7 represents another application of the arrangement shewn at Fig. 3,
to the transmission of motive power; the left-hand side of the figure shewing
the apparatus as it would appear when the point C is in its most elevated
position, and shewing by dots the position it assumes when power is applied
to bring the point C to the lowest point, so as to work the apparatus on the
right-hand side of the Figure. In this instance the friction rollers M, M. on
the ends of the levers at b, b, are made to run on short rails N, N¹. On the

page_text: power P being applied at C. as before mentioned, these friction wheels will be
caused to run backwards and forwards on their rails, and thereby communicate
a lateral reciprocating motion to the levers H, H: the nature of this motion
of course depending upon the kind of lever I or II which is employed, and
the manner in which it is applied to the apparatus.
arm on the left-hand side, is represented as jointed in the middle at G,
motion being by this means transmitted to both of its extremities; It is
shewn as jointed at one extremity G'. the motion being transmitted from its
other extremity above.
In this instance the
Figures 8, 9, and 10 (Sheet [1.) shew two other methods of applying this
arrangement to the transmission of motive power: Fig. 9 represents the
arrangement as applied to the working of a pump, or other similar apparatus
having a horizontal beam jointed in the middle; and Fig. 10 shewing it as
applied to an arm having its fulcrum at one extremity. This compound figure
is represented drawn in and dotted in the same manner as Figures 6 and 7.
On the power P being applied at C, as before, the friction roller D (Fig. 8)
will be caused to traverse along its rail, and act upon a second set of jointed
levers, something like a toggle joint, and provided with a friction roller, which
by working backwards and forwards in the slot of the lever I will through
this latter act upon the beam L, and communicate to it a vertical reciprocating
motion. In Fig. 10 the friction roller at the end of the arms is cansed to act
upon a pair of jointed or toggle levers C. which are jointed above to the
beam H. to be driven and provided with a second friction roller, working in a
vertical slot B, in the fixed framing, by which means an up-and-down motion
will be communicated to the beam II.
Figures 11. 12. and 13. shew another arrangement for transmitting motion;
Fig. 12 represents it as applied to two horizontal rocking beams H. H': and
Fig. 13 as applied to a vertical beam II". On the power P being applied
at C, as before. the jointed levers (which have their fixed point at A) will act
upon friction rollers D. D. working in horizontal slots E. E. in the framing
above, and attached to the connecting rods E*. thereby imparting a rocking
motion to the beams H. I'. In Fig. 13 the upper extremities of the lazy
tongs levers are shewn as fixed at A. and having their moveable bowle at D,
connected with a vertical beam H. to be driven. On power being applied
downwards at C. the levers and their bowle D will assume the dotted position.
and draw the upper part of the beam II" to the left: on the return motion
the contrary action will take place, and so on alternately by which means a
reciprocating action will be communicated to the beam II".
.
Figures 14, 15, and 16. (Sheet 1.) shew another arrangement of apparatus

page_text: for transmitting motive power: Fig. 15* being a partial plan view of the
same Fig. 15 shews this arrangement as applied to communicate an alternate
reciprocating motion to two rocking levers I. II. On power being applied
to the lazy tongs levers (which may he effected by means of a winch and
crank shaft W. W. as shown by the plan view Fig. 15*, or in any other
convenient manner.) the levers will in descending collapse, as indicated by the
yellow colour, and the bowle D at their extremity, which runs in guides E, E,
of the framing. acting through the connecting rods upon the beam at the
point E*, will force it upwards: on the reverse or upward motion of the point
C, the lazy tongs will open and produce a reverse action, as shewn by the blue
colour: it will thus be understood, that by the rotation of the driving shaft W.
and the consequent alternate action of the cranks. an alternate reciprocating
motion will be communicated to the rocking levers or beams Hand II'. It
will be understood that this arrangement is better adapted for transmitting
great power or pressure than great speed.
Fig. 16 represents an arrangement by means of which the reciprocating
motion of one extremity of a lever or beam is transmitted to two jointed arms,
and consequently their four extremities are actuated simultaneously. The lazy
tongs arrangement of levers, shewn at Fig. 14, act upon the lower limb of the
arm at D. and will in collapsing push it outwards, and consequently draw
its upper extremity inwards: this will open the second set of lazy tongs
levers C, and force the extremities of the long levers C" (which have their
fixed central point at A. Fig. 16.) apart in contrary directions, as shewn by
the arrows.
It will of course be understood, that on the return motion the
reverse action will take place, as shown in Fig. 17, which represents a similar
arrangement, but in which motion is shewn as communicated to four levers
instead of two. This arrangement is applicable for actuating oars, or for the sails
of aerial machines, as shewn at C Fig. 17: Figures 18 and 19 represent
another mode of transmitting motion to machines. In both these instances
the lazy tongs arrangement of levers is actuated by means of long levers L. 1,
which are made to vibrate, and open and close the lazy tongs. In Fig. 18
the levers L are actuated by wheel gearing, which causes pins or studs fixed
in the face of the wheels T, T. to work in slots in the end of the levers L, L.
In Fig. 19 the same object is effected by causing pins at the end of the levers
L. L. to work in grooves in the face of a cam plate U.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Method of Multiply-
ing Motive Power. and Transmitting it to a Shaft or other Mechanism." I
desire it to be understood, that what I claim under the above in part recited
Letters Patent is, the mode of, and apparatus herein shewn and described, for

page_text: transmitting power to a shaft or other mechanism.
| claim particularly the
mode or modes herein set forth of combining and applying a system or systems
of levers for the purpose or purposes above mentioned.
In witness whereof, 1. the said Jean Baptiste Mecus. have hereunto
set my hand and seal. the Twenty-seventh day of December. in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness.
J. PYASCH,
a Arlon.
(L.s.) B. MEEUS.