Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1888
1 PAUL GIFFARD, of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a spring motor operated by compressed air, the said motor
being an apparatus in which mechanical work is stored by means of a handle or
analogous device actuated by manual power for one or more minutes, the work thus
stored or accumulated being afterwards restored or given out automatically for part
of an hour or for one or more hours so as to serve as a motor for driving tools or
apparatus.
By this invention compressed air takes the place of steel springs such as have
hitherto been employed for a like purpose, and this with considerable advantage.
The arrangement and action of the motor will be fully understood by the following
description.
The motor is formed of a cylinder in which is a hollow piston or plunger; this
plunger moves with slight friction in the cylinder; absolute hermiticity of the plunger
is obtained by a washer of semi-hardened caoutchouc embedded in the cylinder walls
and forcibly pressed upon by the cylinder cover which bears upon an interposed
washer of oiled leather, while there is behind the caoutchouc washer a brass washer
which lies in the recess in the cylinder walls. There are small holes in this brass
washer to allow the compressed air to enter a groove in the caoutchouc washer in
order to expand it like a cup leather between the plunger and the cylinder. The
inner periphery or aperture of the caoutchouc washer is conical so that there may
be minimum friction.
At the end of the cylinder is the apparatus or mechanism for charging it with
compressed air. This apparatus or mechanism comprises besides a pump a brass
washer screwed into an aperture or chamber in the cylinder end; this washer carries
a caoutchouc obturator. A metallic valve acted upon by a helical spring bears with
its flange against the obturator which hermetically closes the apparatus. An outer
leather washer serves as a joint to the charging pump.

page_text: This pump is formed of a barrel screwed into the cylinder end and having a piston
composed of a leather washer between guides. The piston rod passes through the
outer end of the barrel and is terminated by a handle.
The hollow plunger before described terminates outside its cylinder in a toothed
rack actuating a pinion; this pinion transmits its movement to a ratchet wheel which
by means of 2 pawls moves a toothed wheel. This wheel transmits the movement
to a train of wheels and to an endless screw. The entire arrangement of gearing is
fixed to 2 side frames connected to the cylinder by screws.
A crank handle for setting or moving the plunger transmits its power through
pinions and wheels to the rack of the plunger.
A driving pulley fixed on the shaft of one of the wheels of the train transmits
the movement derived from the motor to the various apparatus or tools to be
actuated.
The action of the motor is readily understood. The compressed air with which the
apparatus is charged exerts its power on the plunger during its whole stroke and
the movement is transmitted by the rack to the wheels; when the stroke is completed
the plunger is returned by means of the crank handle.
The motor can be arranged either horizontally or vertically; and oil, glycerine or
mercury can be employed to form a hydraulic joint between the plunger and the
cylinder for very high pressures and to keep the plunger lubricated.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1888.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.

page_text: I, PAUL GIFFARD of 1 Boulevard Saint Denis, Paris, France, 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 consists of a spring motor operated by compressed air, the said
motor being an apparatus in which mechanical work is stored by means of a handle,
or analogous device actuated by manual power for one or more minutes, the work
thus stored or accumulated being afterwards restored or given out automatically for
part of an hour or for one or more hours so as to serve as a motor for driving tools
or apparatus.
By this invention compressed air takes the place of steel spings such as have
hitherto been employed, for a like purpose, and this with considerable advantage.
The arrangement and action of the motor will be fully understood by the annexed
drawings and the following description
:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the motor.
Figure 2 is a plan of same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder and its piston or plunger.
Figure 4 is a section of the pump.
Figures 5 and 6 represent a toothed wheel with ratchet wheel and pawls hereinafter
referred to.
Figure 7 represents on a larger scale the valve for charging the motor with
compressed air.
Figure 8 shows a vertical arrangement of the motor.
The motor is formed of a cylinder A, in which is a hollow piston or plunger B ;
this plunger moves with slight friction in the cylinder; absolute hermeticity of the
plunger is obtained by a washer, D, of semi-hardened caoutchouc, embedded in the
cylinder walls, and forcibly pressed upon by the cylinder cover A' which bears upon
an interposed washer D₁ of oiled leather, while there is behind the caoutchouc
washer Da brass. washer C which lies in the recess in the cylinder walls. There are
small holes T in this brass washer C to allow the compressed air to enter a groove D³
in the caoutchouc washer D in order to expand it like a cup leather between the
plunger and the cylinder. The inner periphery or aperture of the caoutchouc washer D
is conical so that there may be minimum friction.
At the end of the cylinder A is the apparatus or mechanism for charging it with
compressed air. This apparatus or mechanism comprises, besides a pump, a brass
washer E, screwed into an aperture or chamber in the cylinder end; this washer
carries a caoutchouc obturator E¹. A metallic valve S, acted upon by a helical
spring O, bears with its flange, against the obturator which hermetically closes the
apparatus. An outer leather washer I serves as a joint to the charging pump which
I will now describe.

page_text: This pump is formed of a barrel F screwed into the cylinder end and having a
piston composed of a leather ring or washer T¹ between guides T' T'. The piston
rod N passes through the outer end N¹ of the barrel and is terminated by a handle.
Z is the inlet valve of the pump. The hollow plunger B before described terminates
outside its cylinder in a toothed rack B', actuating a pinion P; this pinion is fixed
on the shaft P¹ and transmits its movement to a ratchet wheel R (see Figures 5 and 6),
which, by means of two pawls M M moves the toothed wheel O. Instead of this
pawl and ratchet arrangement any other analogous arrangement may be employed.
The wheel O transmits the movement to the train of wheels L L and to the
endless screw L¹. The entire arrangement of gearing is fixed to two side
frames B B connected to the cylinder A by the screws vv.
The crank handle M³ for setting or moving the plunger transmits its power through
the pinions M' and the wheels M³ to the rack B¹ of the plunger; during this movement
the endless screw I can be thrown out of gear by any suitable arrangement.
The driving pulley P* fixed on the shaft of one of the wheels of the train L
transmits the movement derived from the motor to the various apparatus or tools to
be actuated.
The action of the motor is readily understood:-The compressed air with which the
apparatus is charged exerts its power on the plunger during its whole stroke and
the movement is transmitted by the rack to the wheels; when the stroke is completed
the plunger is returned by means of the crank handle.
The motor can be arranged either horizontally, as in Figure 1 or vertically as in
Figure 8, and oil, glycerine, or mercury A² (Figure 8) can be employed to form a
hydraulic joint between the plunger and the cylinder for very high pressures and
to keep the plunger lubricated.
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 :-
1. In a compressed air motor, a cylinder for containing compressed air, means
actuated by manual power for compressing air in said cylinder, a plunger in said
cylinder acted upon by the gradual expansion or dilation of the compressed air therein,
and a toothed rack on said plunger in connection with gearing for transmitting
motion to the tools or apparatus to be driven, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the compressed air cylinder A and its plunger B, of a
semi-hardened caoutchouc washer D formed with a groove D', a leather washer D¹
and a brass washer C, formed with small holes T, whereby the pressure of the air in
the cylinder is itself utilized to ensure hermeticity between the plunger and the
cylinder, as set forth.
3. The combination with the compressed air cylinder A, its plunger B and charging
pump F, of the brass washer E, caoutchouc obturator E', valve S, spring O, and
leather washer I, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with the compressed air cylinder A and its plunger B, of
glycerine oil, or mercury A' whereby a hydraulic joint between said plunger and
:said cylinder is formed as set forth.
5. The improved compressed air motor hereinbefore described and represented in
the annexed drawings.