Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 15th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 16th Sept., 1887.
RESERVE
I RICHARD JAMES HODGES, of 112 Osbaldeston Road Stoke Newington London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved method of frictional gearing for driving
blowing or exhausting fans, blowers, and other machinery in which an increased speed
is required from the comparatively slow motion of a handle or other mode of turning
power, without the intervention or complication of belts, straps, ropes, chains, multiple
tooth wheels or other cumbersome gearing generally employed.
On the side of a blowing or exhausting fan is cast or attached a projecting annular
ring of suitable size, centrally with such ring is cast a projecting boss, which is bored
through its centre to receive the fan spindle, the boss is turned on the outside true
with the inside of the projecting ring and forms a stationary shaft or bearing.
Revolving freely on this bearing or boss is a sleeve or carrier having at each end
(and in line with the centre thereof) two projecting arms one on each side diametrically
opposite to the other, these arms have their ends slotted parallel at right angles to the
axis and longitudinally with the fan spindle, each pair of arms carry a small steel
shaft (running paralled with the sleeve or carrier) the ends of which are flattened and
fitted into the slots, which prevent their turning round, but allow of their being
adjusted outward or inward towards the centre of the sleeve or carrier. Rotating
upon each of these shafts are two friction wheels or rollers of different sizes connected
together by a distance piece which forms one casting with the two wheels, the smaller
wheels or rollers are pressed outward against the annular ring cast on the side of the
fan, by suitable springs acting on the ends of the roller shafts which tend to press
them outwards. The larger friction wheels overhang the sleeve and bearing and are
pressed inward on to a pulley on the fan spindle, (which projects beyond the bearing
or boss) by a spiral or other spring outside the sleeve or carrier which passes across

page_text: the axis of the fan spindle, each end of the spring is attached to the outer or pro-
jecting ends of the shafts carrying the friction wheels, this causes the two larger
friction wheels to press on the fan spindle pulley with equal pressure on opposite sides,
thereby assisting to turn the pulley on both sides which gives double the turning
efficiency to the fan spindle, at the same time reducing the friction, preventing -
eccentricity or wabbling, and allows the fan and gear to run smoothly and free from
noise.
Fitted to the sleeve or carrier is a suitable handle, wheel or pulley, with which it is
rotated causing the fan spindle to revolve at an increased speed.
Dated this 16th day of November 1886.
1

page_text: Improvements in Driving Gear for Fans and other Machinery.
I, RICHARD JAMES HODGES of 112 Osbaldeston Road, Stoke Newington London
(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 :-
This invention relates to an improved method of frictional gearing, for driving
blowing or exhausting fans, blowers, and other machinery in which an increased
speed is required from the comparatively slow motion of a handle or other mode of
turning power, without the intervention or complication of belts, straps, ropes, chains
or largo cumbersome wheels generally employed.
On the side of a blowing or exhausting fun is cast or attached a projecting annular
ring of suitable size, centrally with such ring is cast a projecting boss, which is bored
through its centre to receive the fan spindle, the boss is turned on the outside true
and paralled with the inside of the projecting ring and formes a stationary shaft or
bearing.
Revolving freely upon this bearing or boss is a sleeve or carrier having at each end
two projecting arms diametrically opposite each other, these arms have their ends
slotted parallel and longitudinally with the fan spindle, each pair of arms carry a
small steel shaft, the ends of which are flattened and fitted into the slots, which
prevent their turning round but allow of their being adjusted outward or inward
towards the centre of the sleeve or carrier, rotating upon each of these shafts are two
friction rollers of different sizes connected together by a distanco pioco which forms
one casting with the two rollers, the smaller rollers are pressed outward against
the annular ring on the side of the casing by suitable springs (inserted within
the arms of the carrier) pressing upon the ends of the small shafts which tend to force
them outward, or by a D spring, or other suitable appliance.
The larger friction rollers overhang the sleeve or carrier and bearing, and are
pressed inward upon the pulley on the fan spindle by a spiral or other spring, giving
an equal tension to both shafts and rollers causing the power transmitted to be
equally divided on either side of the fan spindle pulley, which is thereby driven in
equilibrium.
Fitted to the sleeve or carrier is a suitable handle wheel or pulley with which it is
rotated, causing the fan spindle to revolve at an increased speed.
In gears where great increase of speed is required, (and necessarily no possible slip
of the small rollers upon the projecting annular ring) I substitute tooth pinions
for the small rollers which gear into teeth formed on the inside of the annular ring.
In order to make this invention clear and easily understood I have annexed hereto
one sheet of drawings, a description of which is as follows viz. :-
Fig. 1. shows a sectional elevation of a blowing fan and driving gear constructed
according to this my invention. (a) is an annular ring (in this case) cast upon the
side of the fan casing. (b) is a projecting boss which forms a bearing for the sleeve

page_text: or carrier (c) shown partly in section. (d. d. d. d). are projecting arms slotted
at (e. e. e.). (f) are two small shafts with flattened ends, upon which revolve the
double rollers (g. g.). (h. h.) are two springs fitted into holes in the projecting arms
and press outward against the ends of the small shafts ff. (1) is a spiral tension
spring which presses the larger rollers upon the pulley (m) on the fan spindle (n).
Fig. 2. shows a modification of this gear, suitable for very large increase of speed,
and Fig. 3. is an elevation of the gearing &c. (without the fan casing & ring) looking
through A. B. (a) is the annular ring with teeth formed on the inside at (a¹), in
the centre of which is a hollow bush (6). (c. c. c. c.) is a driving plate having a large
projecting boss (d) on one side, which revolves within the bush (b). (i. i.) are two
small bosses which hold the pins (p. p.) carrying the hinged links (r. r.) in the swing
ends of which are fixed the small shafts (s. s.) upon which the pinions (w. w.) and
rollers (g. g.) revolve, and allow of the rollers being drawn together and pressed upon
the fan spindle pulley (m) by the tension spring (1).
The pinions (w. w.) pass through openings in the driving plate and engage with the
teeth on the inside of the ring (a). (a) is a light cover (which entirely encloses the
rollers and excludes dirt &c.) to which is attached the handle (y) by which the driving
plate is revolved, which causes the far-spindle to revolve in the same direction as the
handle at an increased speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is,
1st. An annular projecting ring cast or attached to the side of a fan casing or other
machine for the purpose of operating or rotating the rollers of a frictional equilibrium
gear driving a spindle centrally situated within such ring.
2nd. A sleeve or carrier revolving upon a central boss and having projecting arms
carrying two or more shafts, upon which double friction rollers are caused to revolve
by being pressed outward against a stationary ring by suitable springs for the purpose
of driving a spindle (running through the centre of said boss) in equilibrium.
3rd. A driving plate having a projecting boss or bearing from the centre thereof,
and carrying two or more swing links and shafts upon which friction rollers and
tooth pinions revolve, by engaging with an internal tooth ring, for the purpose of
transmitting motion to a spindle passing through said plate and buss in equilibrium.
Dated this 15th day of August 1887.