Improvements in Mechanism for Sliding a Sleeve along a Rotating Shaft, especially applicable for Operating Friction Clutches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Sliding a Sleeve along a Rotating
Shaft, especially applicable for Operating Friction Clutches.
I, JOHN WALKER, of 576 West Adams Street, in the City of Chicago, County
of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
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 relates to mechanism for shifting the position of a sleeve,
slidable on a revolving shaft-as, for example, the sliding sleeve of a friction-
clutch-and it is especially adapted to use in connection with heavy clutches,
where a very considerable force is necessary to move said sleeve.
In the drawings my invention is shown in connection with a sliding sleeve
of a multiple disk-clutch substantially like the clutch shown in my application,
No. 7469 filed herewith. As clutches of this character are now often built, the
sliding sleeve and the parts which it moves weigh several tous, wherefore it is
either necessary to provide a very long lever (for which there is generally no
room) or some device whereby said sleeve may be moved by one man.
My invention has to do particularly with the means for supporting the sleeve-
operating lever, the means for operating said lever, and the means for connecting
the lever and sliding sleeve, all of which is hereinafter explained, and pointed out
definitely in the claims.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a friction-clutch provided with my
invention as the means for operating its sliding sleeve. Fig. 2 is a sectional view
on line 22.
The sliding sleeve A is mounted upon the shaft in the usual manner-that is to
say, it revolves with the shaft, but is adapted to slide longitudinally upon it.
A collar a surrounds the sleeve and lies in an annular groove therein, whereby
the collar and sleeve move together in the latter's sliding movement, but do not
revolve together.
B represents a forked lever, the forks of which are supported by and fulcrumed
to a fixed standard C₁ and an arm C, suitably supported in a plane above the shaft.
In the embodiment of the invention shown, the arm C is connected to and extends
from the standard in which one end of the shaft is journaled.
A segmental rack D, curved in the arc of a circle, of which the fulcrum of the
lever B is the center, is suitably supported by standards d. Loosely mounted on
the lever in a position to engage with the rack is a pinion E, with which the
large hand-wheel e is rigidly connected.
-
In front of the rack D is the segmental track d', and a roller el, loosely mounted
on the lever B, rests and rides upon said track, whereby the weight of the lever is
supported.. A guard-rail ³, curved similarly to the track ', is supported above
and parallel with it, and the roller e' lies between the rail and track. The rail
and track are so far apart that the roller engages with only one of them at
a time. The roller is held in place by the flange b' and the collar 6, which
is pinned to said lever. The guard-rail prevents the lever from being so
lifted as to cause the disengagement of the pinion E and rack D. The
pinion E and its hand-wheele are held in place between the collar 6' and the
collar *. This latter collur is fastened to the lever by an easily-movable pin 6*,
and when this pin is removed the collar 6, and the pinion E may be inoved

page_text: backward to the position shown by the dotted lines, which causes the disengage-
ment of the pinion and rack. The lever may then be operated by hand.
The two forks of the lever B are connected with the collar a by means of the
links G, pivotally connected with said forks and with the collar, respectively.
In most clutches the friction-surfaces are slowly worn away. Consequently it
becomes necessary to move the sliding sleeve farther along on the shaft to
produce the frictional engagement. With my device it is desirable when the
lever B has a fixed fulcrum to provide means for adjusting the connection
between the lever and the collar a, whereby the engagement and disengagement of
the friction-surfaces is produced by the movement of the lever B through the
same path at all times. To effect this result, I make the links G adjustable in
length. The links, as shown, consist of two oppositely-threaded ends gg and a
tapped sleeve gl, by which the ends are connected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is:
1. The combination of a sliding sleeve and a pivoted lever suitably connected
therewith and adapted to operate it with a segmental rack, a pinion loosely
mounted on the lever, and means for revolving said pinion, substantially as set
forth."
W
J
2. The combination of a sliding sleeve and a pivoted lever suitably connected
therewith and adapted to operate it with a segmental rack, a segmental track; a
roller loosely mounted on the lever and adapted to ride on said track, a pinion
loosely mounted on the lever and engaging with said rack, and means for revolving
said pinion, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a sliding sleeve and a pivoted lever suitably connected
therewith and adapted to operate it with a segmental rack, a segmental track, a
guard-rail, and. a. pinion and a roller, both loosely mounted on the lever and
engaging with the rack and track, respectively, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of a sliding sleeve and a pivoted lever suitably connected
therewith and adapted to operate it with a segmental rack, a pinion loosely mounted
thereon and engaging with said rack, a hand-wheel rigid with said pinion; and a
movable collar 63, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of a sliding sleeve and a collar in which said sleeve is
revoluble with a forked lever, a fixed standard, and an arm to which said forks are
pivoted and, by which the lever is supported, and adjustable links pivotally
connected with said collar and lever, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a sliding sleeve, a collar in which said sleeve is
revoluble, a pivoted lever, and adjustable links connecting said lever and collar
with a segmental rack, a pinion engaging therewith, loosely mounted on said
lever, a segmental track, and a roller loosely mounted on the lever and riding on
said track, substantially as set forth.
Dated thin noth day of Mach 1905
JOHN WALKER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.