Improvements in Mechanism for Converting Pressure into Motion at Right Angles to the Direction thereof.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Converting Pressure into Motion at
Right Angles to the Direction thereof.
I, ARTHUR LEE HEGLAR, of Wheat, in the County of Roane and State of
Tennessee, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 mechanical movement, and particularly to such a con-..
struction and arrangement of parts as to convert pressure applied in one direction
into motion in a direction perpendicular to that of the application of pressure,
and to a full understanding of the principle of my invention reference will be had
to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a combination of elements constituting
the mechanical movement embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a side view showing an application of movement, and indicating
one arrangement of parts whereby the said mechanical movement may be utilized
in the operation of machinery.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures
of the drawing.
The essential features of the mechanical movement embodying my invention.
may be found in a rocker 1, mounted upon a suitable base or supporting
surface 2, and having spaced bearing-points 3 and 4 between which is permanently
arranged the nose or reduced end of a wedge-shaped or tapered converting-lever, 5,
the application of pressure being made at the opposite or inner end of the lever,
which may be provided with a suitable seat 6 for the reception of the pressure,
as of a plunger 7. In Figure 1 I have shown the initial and terminal positions
of the rocker and co-operating parts respectively in full and dotted lines. In
the initial position the rocker is shown with the bearing-points 3 and 4 elevated,
the former being slightly above the plane of the latter, and the extremity of the
converting-lever 5 being arranged between said bearing-points (which may be
provided with rollers or analogous friction-reducing devices), whereby the outer
bearing-point 3 is arranged near the tip or extremity of the lever, while the inner
bearing-point is arranged at an intermediate point of the lever. The tapered
construction of the converting-lever is such as to produce a divergence of the
upper and lower bearing-faces thereof, and the angle of divergence of said faces
is such that if the bearing point or seat 6 is advanced in a direction parallel
with the base or supporting-surface 2, and is accompanied by the forward rocking
movement of the rocker, said converting-lever will gradually extend further
through the interval between the bearing-points 3 and 4 until it assumes, finally,
the position indicated in dotted lines. In other words, the angle of divergence of
the bearing-faces of the converting-lever is such that as the movement of the
rocker proceeds, the said lever advances through the interval between the
bearing-points 3 and 4, but the bearing-point or seat 6 travels in a truly horizontal
plane parallel with that of the supporting-frame or base 2.

page_text: In this initial position, the bearing-point of the rocker upon the base or support-
ing-surface 2 is in rear of the plane of the application of pressure to the bearing-
point or seat 6, whereby the stress of the weight applied to said bearing-point or
seat 6, whether consisting in a weight or a fluid actuated plunger, is applied in
advance of the point of support of the rocker, and hence the tendency of the
elements to assume a position of equilibrium causes the rocker to advance and
the wedge or converting-lever to project further through the interval between the
bearing-points 3 and 4 as the lever and bearing-points assume relative positions
allowing such projection. The width of the lever is in excess of that of the
interval between the bearing-points, whereby it cannot, upon reaching the
position indicated in dotted lines, or, in other words, the terminal position, fall
through the interval. In all positions of the parts between the initial and terminal
positions, the bearing-point or seat 6 is of a uniform distance from the plane of
the base or supporting-surface 2.
Various applications of the principles of this mechanical movement are possible,
wherein it may be required to convert a downward pressure, or a pressure in one
direction into a movement in a direction perpendicular to that of the application of
pressure, but for the purposes of illustration, it will be sufficient to indicate but
one, as shown in Figure 2; wherein the frame S carries a base or supporting-
surface 2 upon which the rocker 1 rests, and with which it is connected by
duplicate oppositely-extendings straps, or equivalent flexible means 9. Mounted
for reciprocatory movement in the frame 8 is a traveller 10 having bearings, as
at 11, upon the bearing-points or seats 6 of the tapered or wedge-shaped con-
verting-levers 5", disposed in operative relation with the outer and inner bearing-
points 3 and 4" of the rocker. Pressure is applied to the traveller 10 by means
of a plunger 12, actuated by a piston 13 in a cylinder-port 14, or by any analogous
means adapted for communicating downward pressure, and said downward pressure
of the plunger is preferably communicated to the traveller by means of anti-
friction devices consisting, for instance, of rolls 15.
The traveller is connected by a pitman 16 with the wrist-pin of a crank 17 on
a driven-shaft 18 provided with a suitable fly-wheel 19, or the equivalent therent.
The construction, including a rocker having spaced bearing-points and a con
verting-lever engaged with said bearing-points and receiving the downward
pressure of the traveller, is duplicated in a reversed position, with the members
so related that when one combination of members is in its initial the other is
in its terminal position, and vice versa. The downward pressure of the traveller
is communicated to plungers 7 which are loosely mounted for vertical movement
in the traveller, and are seated upon the bearing-points or seats 6ª, by means of
shifters 20, having segmental bearing-surfaces 21 for contact with the upper
surfaces of said plungers, and adapted to alternately bear upon said plungers.
These shifters are mounted to rock, and have arms 22 connected by a rod 23 to
insure simultaneous movement, and the bearing surfaces of the shifters are so
related that before one leaves the surface of the plunger 7, the other has reached
a position in operative relation with the bearing-surfaces of the contiguous
plunger. These shifters are actuated by an eccentric 24 and a connecting
eccentric rod 25.
The
It will be seen that the movement of the rocker is through a comparatively
small angle, but when communicated to the traveller 10, by means of lateral
bearing-pins or trunnions 26, it is sufficient to accomplish the circular movement
of a crank-pin, when a suitable relation between the diameter of the path of the
crank-pin and the path of reciprocation of the traveller is established.
eccentric produces an alternate disposition of the shifters, or, in other words,
accomplishes the shifting of the weight from one set of converting-levers to the
other or reversed set, and, obviously, the movements of the parts involve the
alternate reversal of the positions of the converting-levers, whereby that lever or 5
set of levers which receives the application of pressure is in the initial position
corresponding with that indicated by the full lines in Figure 1.

page_text: From the above description it will be seen that the essential feature of the
mechanical movement embodying my invention resides in the application of
pressure in one direction, through an intermediate connection consisting of a
converter, to a rocker of which a point concentric with the bearing or rocking
surface moves in a direction perpendicular to that of the application of power,
point 27 in Figure 1 indicating the center of the rocker, or that point which,
during the movements of the rocker, travels in a direction exactly perpendicular
to the application of pressure through the plunger 7 to the bearing point or
seat 6.
It will be understood, furthermore, that various changes in the form propor-
tion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing
from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
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 I
claim is:-
In a mechanical movement, the combination of a rocker mounted upon a sup-
porting-surface and provided at points remote from the point of bearing upon
said supporting-surface with spaced bearing-points, a wedge-shaped converting-
lever disposed in the interval between said spaced bearing-points with its opposite
rearwardly-divergent bearing faces respectively in contact with the bearing-
points, and a plunger upon said converting-lever at a point in rear of the spaced
bearing-points and in front of the bearing-point of the rocker upon the sup-
porting-surface, substantially as specified.
Dated this 20th day of October 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.