IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPRING MOTORS." A communication from abroad by John Beamish Powell
and James Holmes Harper, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
of Amarian
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1881.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex;
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS." A communication from
abroad by John Beamish Powell and James Holmes Harper, both of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
•
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
spring motors,. as hereinafter described. According to this Invention a series of
barrels containing springs, and a series of arbors are so combined that the measure
of power obtained in the unit of time from the whole of the springs is equivalent
to that obtained from one spring only, while the continuance of the power obtained
will be proportionate to the number of springs employed. The chief object of the
Invention is to so combine a series of barrels and their springs, and a series of
arbors or shafts with a fixed frame that there shall be perfect lateral steadiness of
the bearings, and a consequent avoidance of undue friction.
In carrying out this Invention as applied to the construction of a spring motor
in which two coiled springs, for example, are employed the apparatus is constructed
as next hereinafter described, vist. —
To a suitable base is secured the bottom plate of a spring barrel, hereinafter
termed the first barrel, provided with a corresponding upper plate, and between
the two plates, but free from contact therewith, is a coiled spring, one end of the
latter being attached to a pin passing through the barrel near the periphery of the
same, and the other end of the spring being secured to a central shaft or arbor,
bereinafter termed the first shaft, which is preferably made hollow.. This shaft is
n
37

page_text: loose in the upper plate of the first barrel, the lower end having its bearing in a
recess in the lower plate, its upper extremity being supported in the central hub of
a cross frame, hereinafter termed the first frame, which in the present instance
consists of three arms secured to three pillars on the base.
Another spring barrel, hereinafter termed the second barrel, is arranged with its
axis in a line with that of the first barrel, and is constructed in substantially the
same manner as the first, but instead of being fixed it must be capable of revolving,
being provided for this purpose with a journal projecting from its lower plate into
the central hub of the first frame and a shoulder bearing on the top of the
said hub.
This second barrel is connected by a coiled spring, similar to that of the first
barrel, to a shaft or arbor, hereinafter termed the second shaft, which is loose in the
upper plate of the second barrel, and has its upper bearing in the central hub of a
crossframe, second hereinafter termed the frame, and its lower bearing in the lower
plate of the upper or second barrel; and this plate has a central projection fitting
freely into a recess or orifice in the upper end of the first shaft, the projection and
orifice being of a rectangular or other analogous form, so that the second barrel
cannot turn without the first shaft.
The journal of the second barrel is not in contact with the top of the first shaft,
each barrel in the series having a separate support on the fixed frame of the
machine. This frame admits of being constructed in different forms, but a base
and a series of cross frames connected by pillars is preferred, as being the most
simple and economical, cach pillar being composed of sections of tubes and a
central bolt, and the cross frames being confined between the tubes by the nuts of
the bolts.
Steadiness of the shafts is secured by the fixed frames in which the said shafts
have their bearings, and this is of especial importance in machines of this class, as
a very slight lateral strain on one or more of the shafts would otherwise produce
such friction in their bearings as to detract seriously from the power exerted by
the motor. For the sake of simplicity in the example described it has been
assumed that two barrels only, each containing a spring, are employed, but a
complete motor will generally contain a series of more that two barrels, as any
desired number of barrels may be combined with the first or lower fixed barrel by
repetitions of the second barrel with its spring and the second shaft, and adding
other cross-frames to the frame work..
Although the shafts are not in contact with each other the springs and barrels
will so operate that the measure of power obtained from the whole of the springs
will be equivalent to that derived from one spring only, while the continuance of
the power obtained will be proportionate to the number of springs employed.
Power may be transmitted from the uppermost or last shaft of the series to a
sewing or other machine by a suitable arrangement of multiplying wheels or other
gear, the motion communicated to the uppermost or last section of the series of
shafts by the recoil of the springs being transmitted by the said gear to a spindle
which has its bearing in an overhanging arm carried by the uppermost or last
frame, the said spindle being furnished with a disc having notches in its periphery,
to any of which notches may be adapted a corresponding pin forming part of the
operating mechanism of the sewing or other machine.
The motor may be placed beneath the table of the machine so that the latter can
be turned up on its hinges as usual, and when turned down the pin on the machine
will at once enter one of the notches of the disc on the motor, and no further
adjustment will be required.
The speed of the apparatus is regulated by means of a brake disc turning loosely
on a fixed spindle on the frame, the said disc being secured to or forming part of one
of the wheels of the multiplying gearing, and to this disc are adapted two segmental
friction arms pivoted to one end of an arm, forming with the overhanging arm
herein before referred to, a frame which is bolted to an overhanging bearing, herein-
after described, formed on the second or last cross frame.

page_text: The friction arms are connected by links to a pivoted lever, which is acted upon
by a spring which tends to cause the friction arms to exert pressure on the brake
disc, and thereby stop the motor.
The outer end of the lever is connected to a suitable treadle pressure upon which
counteracts the effect of the spring attached to the lever and releases the said disc
from the action of the friction arms, the degree of speed being determined by the
pressure imparted to the treadle; for example, a light pressure on the treadle will
produce a corresponding diminution of pressure on the disc, and the gearing will
rotate slowly, the freedom of the disc from pressure and the speed of the apparatus
increasing as the pressure on the treadle is increased.
The device for winding up the springs consists of a short shaft adapted to an
overhanging bearing on the frame, and carrying a bevel pinion adapted to a bevel
wheel secured to the uppermost or last section of the shaft, a suitable ratchet and
spring pawl being used to prevent the said shaft from turning backwards
independently of the multiplying gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th December 1881.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS." A communication from
abroad by John Beamish Powell and James Holmes Harper, both of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The said Invention relates to a spring motor, in which a series of barrels containing
springs and a series of arbors are so combined that the measure of power obtained
from the whole of the springs is equivalent to that obtained from one spring only,
while the continuance of the power obtained will be proportionate to the number
of springs employed, and the chief object of the Invention is to so combine a series
of barrels and their springs and a series of arbors or shafts with a permanent frame
work that there shall be perfect lateral steadiness of the bearings and a consequent
avoidance of undue friction.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a vertical section of a spring
motor constructed according to the said Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken along the
line 1-2, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the two parts of one of the
barrels and a shaft (hereinafter described) detached from each other; Figure 5 is a
perspective view of the top frame carrying the speed accelerating gearing and brake
of the motor (as hereinafter described), and Figure 6 is a detached sectional view
of part of the frame.
To the base A of the motor is secured the bottom plate a of the first barrel B, of
which a is the upper plate, and between the two plates, but free from contact
therewith, is the coiled spring D, one end of the latter being attached to a pin b
passing through the barrel near the periphery of the same, and the other end of
the spring being secured to the first central shaft or arbor E, which is preferably
made hollow, as shown. This shaft is loose in the upper plate a¹ of the barrel, and
its lower end has its bearing in a recess in the lower plate a, whilst its upper
extremity is supported in the central hub e of the cross-frame F, which in the
present example consists of three arms secured to the three pillars H on the
base A.
The second barrel B¹ and its spring are substantially the same as the first, but
instead of being fixed it should be capable of revolving, its journal i projecting from
the lower plate h into the hub e of the cross-frame F and the barrel bearing at
the top of the said hub.
on
This second barrel is connected by a coiled spring, similar to that of the first
barrel, to a second shaft or arbor E¹, which is loose in the upper plate ¹ of the said
second barrel, and has its upper bearing in the central hub el of a second cross
frame F, and its lower bearing in the plate h of the upper barrel, and this plate
has a central projection f fitting freely into a recess or orifice in the upper end of
the shaft E, the projection and orifice being of a rectangular or other analogous
form, so that the upper barrel cannot turn without the lower shaft.
The journal of the upper barrel is not in contact with the top of the shaft E,
for every barrel throughout the motor should have a separate support on the
permanent frame of the machine. This frame admits of being constructed in

page_text: different forms, but the arrangement of cross frames and pillars is preferred, as
being the simplest and most economical plan, each pillar being composed of sections
of tubes and a central bolt, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, and the cross-frame being
confined between the tubes by the nuts of the bolt.
It will be seen that steadiness of the shafts E and E¹ must always be maintained
by the fixed frames in which the said shafts have their bearings, and this is of
especial importance in machines of this class, as a very slight lateral strain on one
or more of the shafts would otherwise produce such friction in their bearings as to
detract seriously from the power exerted by the motor.
Although I have shown but two barrels, each containing a spring, a completo
motor will generally contain more than two barrels ; indeed any desired nuinber
of barrels may be combined with the lower fixed barrel by repetitions of the
barrel B' and its spring and the shafts E', and by adding other cross frames to the
framework.
Although the shafts are not in contact with each other, the springs and barrels
will so operate that the measure of power obtained from the whole of the springs
will be equivalent to that derived from one spring only, while the continuance of
the power obtained will be proportionate to the number of springs employed.
Power is transmitted from the uppermost shaft of the series to a sewing or other
machine by driving appliances, the construction and arrangement of which will be
understood on reference to Figures 1, 2, and. 5.
It will not be necessary to describe in detail the train of multiplying wheels
which is employed for transmitting the power of the motor, as different systems of
gearing may be used for this purpose. It will suffice to observe that the motion
communicated to the uppermost section of the shaft by the recoil of the springs is
transmitted by the multiplying gear to a vertical spindle m, which has its bearing
in an arm J carried by the uppermost frame F¹, the said spindle being furnished
with a disc n having a series of notches in its periphery, to any of which notches
may be adapted the pin p forming part of the operating mechanism of the sewing
or other machine.
The motor may be placed beneath the table of the machine, so that the latter can
be turned up on its hinges as usual, and when turned down the pin p will at
once enter one of the notches of the disc n, and no further adjustment will be
required.
Turning loosely on a fixed spindle s on the frame F is a friction disc K, which is
secured to or forms part of one of the wheels of the multiplying gearing, and to
this disc are adapted two segmental friction arms L pivoted to one end of an arm M,
the latter forming with the arm J a frame, which is bolted to an overhanging
bearing N formed on the frame F".
The arms L, L, are connected by links t to a pivoted arm P, which is acted upon
by a spring P¹, the tendency of which is to cause the segmental arms L to embrace
the friction disc K, and thereby stop the motor.
The outer end of the arm P is connected to a suitable treadle, pressure upon
which causes a movement of the arm, and a consequent release of the disc K from
the action of the arms L, L, the degree of speed being determined by the pressure
imparted to the treadle; thus a light pressure will serve to but partly free the disc,
and the spindle m will rotate slowly, the freedom of the disc K and the speed of
the spindle m increasing as the pressure on the treadle is increased.
The device for winding up the springs consists of a short shaft w adapted to the
overhanging bearing N of the frame F₁, and carrying a bevel pinion engaging with
a bevel wheel secured to the uppermost section of the shaft, a suitable ratchet and
spring detent being used to prevent the said shaft from turning backwards inde-
pendently of the multiplying gearing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. A spring motor, in which a series of barrels and shafts, each barrel
connected to one shaft by a spring, and the barrel of one shaft being coupled to the
shaft of the adjoining barrel so as to rotate therewith, are combined with a fixed
frame affording separate bearings and supports for the several barrels, all substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination in a spring motor of a barrel D¹ and shaft E¹, connected
together by a coiled spring, the shaft having one bearing in a fixed frame and the
other in the said barrel, and the barrel having a journal adapted to a bearing in
and supported by the said fixed frame, and means for coupling the said barrel to
the shaft of an adjoining barrel, all substantially as herein before described.
Third. The combination of the within described system of barrels, springs, and
shafts, with a supporting structure composed of a base, one or more frames, and a
series of pillars, each consisting of sections of tubes, and a confining bolt, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The top frame F¹ having an overhanging bearing N for the winding
shaft w, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The combination of the top frame F¹ and the multiplying gearing with
a frame bolted to the said frame F¹, and comprising the two arms J and M,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Second day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)