AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLYING POWER, MORE ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO HOISTING OR LIFTING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
April 1867. A communication from abroad by Henry Josiah Griswold,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLYING POWER, MORE ESPECIALLY
APPLICABLE TO HOISTING OR LIFTING MACHINERY," a communication, to be as
follows:-
The nature of the said Invention consists in the employment of an apparatus
or arrangement of mechanism, wherein an externally toothed wheel is geared
into an internally toothed ring whose diameter is greater than that of the
said wheel. Either the wheel or ring is made fast to the shaft or axle to
be driven while the other is attached to a vibrating rod which prevents its
turning on its centre, but allows it to follow the movements of an excentric or
crank, whose excentricity or throw is equal to the difference between tho

page_text: diameters of the wheel and ring. The said excentric or crank is fitted through
the centre of the driving wheel or ring, and when caused to rotate brings all
the teeth of the one successively into contact with all the teeth of the other,
and thereby imparts the required motion to the shaft or axle to be driven.
In adapting the said apparatus to hoisting or winding machinery, the internally
toothed ring is by preference attached to the shaft or axis of the barrel, the
toothed wheel being supported upon an excentric which is caused to rotate by
a pulley or other convenient means. The framing of the hoisting or other
machinery is provided with suitable bearings for supporting the said barrel
whose shaft or axis projects through one side of the said framing. The toothed
ring is secured upon this projecting portion of the shaft. The excentric which
carries the toothed wheel is also fitted to turn loosely upon the same end of
the barrel shaft or upon a pin or stud in line with the same. The said wheel
is attached to one end of a lever, whose other extremity is provided with a
longitudinal aperture or slot, and is secured by a pin passing through the said
slot to any convenient portion of the framing. This pin forms a fulcrum upon
which the lever vibrates, and the mode of securing the said lever allows the
same and the spur wheel to follow the movement of the excentric, but
prevents the rotation of the said wheel upon its axis. This vibrating motion
of the toothed wheel causes each of its teeth successively to act upon each of
the teeth of the toothed ring which is thus caused to rotate and impart the
required motion to the barrel or shaft upon which it is secured. If desired,
the toothed wheel may be fixed upon the barrel or shaft of the winding machine
and the toothed ring upon the excentric, but in this case the motion would be
imparted to the said barrel in a direction contrary to that of the said
excentric. The arrangement first described is found in practice to be the most
advantageous.
In applying this Invention to elevators or "lifts" in factories, mills, and
other buildings, the carriage or platform of the elevator is guided between
suitable uprights, or columns. The shaft of the elevator is provided with a
pinion which gears into a rack supported by the said uprights, and the same
shaft or one connected, therewith carries the toothed, ring. The excentric which
carries the toothed wheel is, connected to a drum or pulley over which au
endless driving belt passes; this belt is carried over two other pulleys
arranged on the outside of the travelling platform, whence it passes over two
other pulleys one at the top and the other at the bottom of the upright
supports. Motion is communicated in any convenient manner to either of these
last-mentioned pulleys and is transmitted therefrom by means of the driving

page_text: belt to the excentric upon the elevator. The said mechanism may also be
advantageously employed to transmit motion from one part to another of a line
of shafting when it is desired that the said parts should run at different
velocities.