A Speed Transformer.
Year: 1897

page_text: A Speed Transformer.
We, ROBERT HUGH FORSYTHE FINLAY, Soap and Candle Manufacturer, and
ARCHIBALD HENRY FINLAY, Engineer, both of Victoria Square, in the City of
Belfast and County of Antrim, in Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to the transference of power from one rotating shaft to
another which it is desired to drive at a different speed in the same or the opposite
direction.
For the purpose of reducing the initial speed imparted by an electric steam or
other motor we employ two bevel toothed wheels or friction cones running free
on a slow speed shaft and both in gear with an intermediary bevel toothed wheel
or friction cone or with several of such intermediary wheels or cones running
free upon an arm or arms connected rigidly with the slow speed shaft and trans-
verse to it.
The wheels or cones upon the slow speed shaft are rotated in opposite directions
either by a separate motor connected with each of them directly or by pulleys or
bevel wheels rigidly connected with them and driven off a high speed shaft
attached either directly to one of them or to an outer intermediary wheel with
which both are in gear or by some other well known or obvious arrangement.
A variable difference of peripheral speeds in the wheels or cones upon the slow
speed shaft may be effected by the aid of friction wheels driven by the high speed
shaft and rigidly connected with the wheels or cones on the slow speed shaft,
such friction wheels having concave bevel peripheries so as to gear with an inter-
mediary wheel having a convex periphery and mounted loose upon an axle capable
of turning about the centre of curvature of such friction wheels so that by the
change of its position the peripheral speed of one of such friction wheels may
be altered and the motion of the slow speed shaft be varied proportionately or its
direction reversed. A similar effect may be produced by belts or ropes and double
cone pulleys or pulleys of alterable diameter or other equivalent means.
The intermediary wheels or cones or any of them may be provided with two
working diameters each of which is in gear with one only of the wheels or cones
upon the slow speed shaft or of the wheels or cones rigidly attached to them.
By the different motions thus communicated to the wheels or cones running
upon the arms connected rigidly with the slow speed shaft the centre of each of
such wheels or cones is caused to revolve about the axis of the slow speed shaft
at a greatly reduced velocity which is thereby imparted to the shaft.
An increase of the initial speed may be obtained by the converse of the arrange-
ment we have described.
And we may control the action of the machinery we so construct by the applica-
tion of a brake to a ring encircling the outer intermediary wheels or cones and

page_text: fixed upon the axles thereof and by the application also of a brake to the slow
speed shaft both of which brakes may be worked by the same lever.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1897.
HUGH HYNDMAN,
6, Chichester Street, Belfast, Agent for Applicants.
A Speed Transformer.
We, ROBERT HUGH, FORSYTHE FINLAY, Soap and Candle Manufacturer, and
ARCHIBALD HENRY FINLAY, Engineer, both of Victoria Square, in the City of
Belfast and County of Antrim, in Ireland, 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:-
Our invention relates to the transference of power by means of bevel gearing
from one rotating shaft or motor to another shaft which it is desired to drive at
a different speed in the same or the opposite direction, or by means of such gear-
ing from two independent shafts or motors as hereinafter mentioned.
For the purpose of reducing the initial speed imparted by an electric, steam
or other motor we employ two parallel bevel toothed wheels or friction cones
running free on a shaft hereinafter called the slow speed shaft and both in gear
with an intermediary bevel toothed wheel or friction cone or with several of such
intermediary wheels or cones each running free upon an arm or axle connected
rigidly with the slow speed shaft and transverse to it.
The bevel wheels or friction cones upon the slow speed shaft are rotated in oppo-
site directions either (1) by pulleys connected rigidly with them and driven off
a high speed shaft by belts of which one is crossed, or (2) by bevel wheels of larger
diameter rigidly connected with them on their outer sides and driven off a high
speed shaft attached either directly to an outer intermediary wheel with which
both are in gear or to one of the larger wheels the motion being transmitted to
the other by an cuter intermediary wheel or several of such outer wheels free
to rotate upon their axles, such axles being fixed to a ring or frame. But the
wheels or cones upon the slow speed shaft may also be rotated in opposite direc-
tions (3) by a separate shaft or motor connected with each of them."
The resultant effect of the different motions thus communicated to the inter-
mediary wheels or cones running upon the arms connected rigidly with the slow
speed shaft is that the centre of each of such wheels or cones is caused to revolve
about the axis of the slow speed shaft at a reduced velocity which is imparted
to the shaft and is proportionate to the difference between the peripheral speed
of the wheels or cones upon the slow speed shaft.
A variable difference of peripheral speeds in the wheels or cones upon the slow
speed shaft may be effected by the use of (1) double cone pulleys or pulleys of
alterable diameter, or of (2) friction wheels rigidly connected with the wheels or
cones on the slow speed shaft, such friction wheels having concave bevel peri-
pheries so as to gear with an outer intermediary wheel having a convex periphery
and mounted to rotate free upon an axle capable of turning about the centre of
curvature of such friction wheels so that by the change of position (1) of the
belt connecting the cone pulleys or pulleys of alterable diameter, or (2) of the
outer intermediary friction wheel the speed of one of such pulleys or friction wheels
being altered the motion of the slow speed shaft is varied proportionately or its
direction reversed, and when more than one of these outer intermediary wheels
is employed their axles are arranged to move similarly and simultaneously.

page_text: A similar effect is produced (3) by varying the speed of one or both of the shafts
or motors which actuate the wheels or cones upon the slow speed shaft.
The intermediary wheels or cones or any of them may be provided with two
working diameters each of which is in gear with one only of the wheels or cones
upon the slow speed shaft or of the wheels or cones rigidly attached to them.
An acceleration of the initial speed may obviously be obtained by the converse
use of the arrangements we have described.
And we may control the action of the machine in which the motion is trans-
mitted from one to the other of the larger bevel wheels by an outer intermediary
wheel or several of such wheels by the application of a brake to the ring in which
their axles are fixed and which in this arrangement is supported on the slow speed
shaft and is free to rotate about it; and by the application also of a brake to a
pulley fixed to the slow speed shaft both of which brakes may be worked by the
same lever arranged so that one only can be applied at one time.
The gear wheels or some of them may be enclosed in a case in which the bear-
ings of the shafts may in some of our arrangements be fixed.
And the case may
be supplied with oil or other lubricant or utilized to prevent the access of oil,
moisture or deleterious matter when friction is relied upon to transmit the power.
And in order that our said invention may be more fully understood we shall
now proceed to describe the drawings on the accompanying sheets, the same letters
of reference indicating the same or corresponding parts thereof throughout all
the figures on said sheets.
Fig. I is a plan partly in section of a form (1) of our invention showing two bevel
toothed wheels A and B running free on a slow speed shaft S and both in gear
with two intermediary bevel toothed wheels C, C, running free upon arms P, P,
connected rigidly with the slow speed shaft S and transverse to it. The toothed
wheels A and B are of the same diameter, the sleeve Y being rigidly attached to
the wheel A and all free upon the slow speed shaft S. The pulley I is keyed to
the sleeve Y and driven by a belt off a pulley I¹ on the high speed shaft H. The
wheel B is fixed to the cone pulley J which forms with the end plate X a case for
the toothed wheels. This cone pulley J is driven by a belt off another conc
pulley J on the high speed shaft H. The belt on the cone pulleys J and J
would be provided with a belt fork and screw for shifting its position on those
pulleys. One of the belts is crossed and the other left open so that the pulleys I
and J and consequently the wheels A and B are driven in opposite directions and
are arranged to revolve at equal rates when the belt is in the middle position on
the cone pulleys J and J. When arranged to revolve at different peripheral
speeds they carry the intermediary wheels C, C, slowly round their peripheries
while the arms or axles P, P, turn the slow speed shaft S along with them at a
low velocity in the same direction. The motion of the slow speed shaft S depends
on the position of the belt on the cone pulleys J and J¹, and the direction of
motion depends on which end of such pulleys the belt is nearer to. If a constant
ratio of transformation of speed be required it is not necessary that the pulleys J
and J should be of conical shape but the diameters of such pulleys must be
arranged so as to secure the desired difference of peripheral speed between the
wheels A and B.
Fig. II is a plan partly in section of another form (2) of our invention in which
the wheel A is of rather greater working diameter and has a larger number of
teeth than the wheel B. Two other bevel toothed wheels D and E of equal size
and of greater diameter than A. are attached rigidly to the wheels A and B re-
spectively on their outer sides, and these wheels D and E are driven in opposite
directions (carrying the wheels A and B in the same directions respectively) by
an outer intermediary bevel toothed wheel F fixed to a high speed shaft H. and
in gear with both D and E. The wheels A and B when actuated at the same
speed being of different diameters and having the number of teeth proportioned
to such diameters revolve at different peripheral speeds and turn the slow speed
shaft S at a low velocity as already described.

page_text: The shafts S and H are supported in bearings T, T, and R respectively, pro-
vided in a case M made in two parts or sections to be bolted together enclosing
the several wheels above described the lower or under part or section only of
the case with holding down bolt holes being shown:
Fig III is a longitudinal section showing a modification of the form (2) of our
invention immediately above described. In this arrangement there are the
wheels A, B, C, D, and E as in Figure II, A and D being fixed to the sleeve Y
which is free upon the end of the slow speed shaft S and is bolted to the high
speed shaft H. There are two outer intermediary wheels F, F, whose axles are
fixed to a ring carried by and concentric with the slow speed shaft S and forming
with an end plate X, as shown, a case M to enclose the toothed wheels. The case M
is provided with a brake pulley Z fixed to it, and the slow speed shaft S with
another brake pulley Z¹ fixed to it, which pulleys are acted upon by the brakes W
and W respectively through the lever handle W" so that when the lever
handle W is in one position the slow speed shaft is held fast and the case allowed
to revolve and when it is in another position the case is held fast and the slow speed
shaft allowed to revolve in the opposite direction. But when the lever handle
is in the middle or neutral position neither brake is on and the shaft S is free
to move in either direction independently of the motion of the shaft H, and
Fig. IV is a plan partly in section showing another modification of form (2) of
our invention in which a variable peripheral speed of the toothed wheel B is
effected by the adjustment of an outer intermediary wheel by means of a lever.
In this arrangement the toothed wheels A and B are of equal size and the wheels A
and D are fixed to the sleeve Y upon the end of the slow speed shaft S and bolted
to the high speed shaft H. D, E and F are friction wheels and the axle of F
is mounted on a pin L parallel to the wheels D and E and carried by a bracket K
which is bolted to the bed plate N. The position of the friction wheel F is altered
'by means of a lever U fixed to its axle and operated by a hand screw V so as to
vary the working diameter of the wheels D and E and thus to vary the speed or
reverse the direction of the motion of the slow speed shaft S. The wheels D E
and F are appropriately curved at their peripheries to suit the movement of the
lever U, and a spring, Ö, presses the friction wheel F against the wheels D and E
and motion is transmitted from A and D to E and B through F which is free to
rotate on its axle. When F is in the middle position at right angles to D and E
as shown on this figure they and consequently the toothed wheels A and B when
actuated revolve at the same speed and no motion is transmitted from the high
speed shaft H to the slow speed shaft S, but when F is canted the speed of E and B
is altered and S will revolve in one direction or the other according to the side
towards which F is canted and the speed of S will depend on the extent of F's
cant. The case M encloses the toothed wheels and is bolted to the friction wheel E
and the bearings T, T, supporting the shafts are carried by brackets fixed on the
bed plate N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we would have it to be
understood that we do not claim as of our invention or the exclusive use of bevel
toothed wheels or friction cones, conical or other pulleys, arms, axles, shafts rings,
levers and springs or brakes except when the same are constructed specially and
arranged and employed in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described,
nor do we claim the use of cases, bearings, bedplates or any other of the separate
mechanical parts of our apparatus but we declare that what we claim is:-
1. The use of a bevel toothed wheel or friction cone free to rotate upon an arm
or axle rigidly connected with and transverse to a shaft & in gear with two similar
wheels or cones free to rotate upon or concentrically with such shaft constructed
and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and shown on the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The use of pulleys rigidly fixed to bevel wheels constructed and employed

page_text: substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
shown in Figure I of the drawings hereunto annexed.
3. The use of a conical pulley constructed and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purpose of controlling or reversing the slow speed shaft as.
herein before described and shown in Figure I of the drawings hereunto annexed.
4. The use of an outer intermediary bevel wheel gearing with two parallel bevel
wheels each rigidly fixed to a concentric wheel of smaller diameter gearing
with an inner intermediary bevel wheel constructed and employed substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and shown in Figs. II,
III and IV of the drawings hereunto annexed.
5. The use of an adjustable outer intermediary friction wheel constructed and
employed substantially in the manner and for the purpose of controlling or revers-
ing the slow speed shaft as herein before described and shown in Fig. TV of the
drawings hereunto annexed.
6. The use of a ring and brakes constructed and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein before described and shown on Fig. III of the
drawings hereunto annexed.
7. The use of two shafts or motors connected separately with two bevel wheels
having an intermediary bevel wheel in gear with them employed substantially in
the manner herein before indicated.
8. The several combinations and arrangements of parts constituting our
improved speed transformer constructed and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated by the draw-
ings on the sheets hereunto annexed.
Dated this 4th day of Anril 1898
HUGH HYNDMAN,
6, Chichester Street, Belfast, Agent for Applicants.