An Improved Automatic Safety Clutch, applicable to the Suspension of Electric Arc Lamps, and for other purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Safety Clutch, applicable to the Suspension
of Electric Arc Lamps, and for other purposes.
ROBERT CORNELIUS QUIN of 18 Hamilton Road Brighton Electrical Engineer
and GEORGE JOSEPH PHILPOTT of 17 Daubigny Road Brighton, Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically securing or
fixing arc lamps, weights, or other things, which are suspended by rope or ropes or
equivalents in the event of breakage of the aforesaid suspension rope or ropes
or equivalents.
We would construct this apparatus in the following manner. When the arc
lamp or other weight is suspended from a single length of rope or its equivalent we
would cause this rope to pass over a suitable wheel, the said wheel being attached
to an arm which would be pivotted at its other extremity in such a way that under
normal conditions this lever arm is subjected to either compression or tension
along its axis. We would also cause this aforesaid rope to pass through or between
a suitable gripping device or clutch actuated by the lever arm to which the wheel
is attached in such a way that any movement of the aforesaid lever arm opens or
closes the said gripping device or clutch.
In the event of two or more suspension ropes or equivalents being used we
provide our apparatus with one lever arm and attached wheel for each rope, which
said lever arms may be connected together if desired; and each lever arm may be
caused to actuate a separate gripping device, or one gripping device may be
provided through which all the ropes pass, this latter gripping device being
actuated by one or more of the lever arms.
Dated this Seventeenth day of Mar 1895.
ROBERT CORNELIUS QUIN.
GEORGE JOSEPH PHILPOTT.
An Improved Automatic Safety Clutch, applicable to the Suspension
of Electric Arc Lamps, and for other purposes.
We, ROBERT CORNELIUS QUIN of 18 Hamilton Road Brighton, Electrical
Engineer, and GEORGE JOSEPH PHILPOTT of 17 Daubigny Road Brighton,
Electrical 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically securing
or fixing are lamps, weights, or other things which are suspended by rope or ropes
or equivalents, in the event of breakage of the aforesaid suspension rope or
ropes, or equivalents.
We would construct this apparatus in the following manner. When the arc
lamp, or other weight is suspended from a single length of rope, or its equivalent,

page_text: we would cause this rope to pass over a suitable wheel, the said wheel being attached
to an arm which would be pivotted at its other extremity in such a way that, under
normal working conditions, this lever arm is subjected to either compression or
tension along its axis. We would also cause the aforesaid rope to through,
or between, a suitable gripping device or clutch actuated by the lever arm to
which the wheel is attached, in such a way that any movement of the aforesai.l
lever arm opens or closes the said gripping device or clutch.
In the event of two or more suspension ropes, or equivalents, being used, we provide
our apparatus with one lever arm & attached wheel for each rope, which said lever
arms may be connected together if desired, and each lever arm may be caused to
actuate a separate gripping device, or one gripping device may be provided through
which all the ropes pass, this latter gripping device being actuated by one or more
of the lever arms.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a form of safety clutch applicable when only one
suspension rope, or equivalent, is used. It is intended to be fixed to a bracket, or
crane arm, as the case may be, from which the arc lamp, or other weight is
suspended.
A is the suspension rope B the link for attaching the arc lamp, or other
weight; C is a sectional view of the containing case the front portion of which is
removed in order to show the mechanism; D is the lever arm, pivotted at its lower
extremity E the attached pulley wheel; F. F are connecting rods actuated by
the aforesaid lever arm and operating to open or close the eccentric wheels G. G.
forming the gripping device.
It will be easily seen that the lever arm D is subjected to compression along its
axis (or nearly so) when an arc lamp, or other weight is attached to the link B
and the rope A held taut; or in other words, when the forces due to the weight
& to the suspension are balanced (or nearly so).
In raising or lowering the arc lamp, or other weight, the direction of this
resultant force of compression (normally along the axis of lever arm, or nearly
so) will alter slightly, opening or closing the gripping device, but not to such
an extent as to obstruct the free travel of the rope, or other equivalent. If,
however, the rope, or other equivalent, should break on the suspension, or hauling
side of pulley wheel, the resultant force of compression will (by reason of the
abolition of the suspending force) be at a considerable angle (in a downward
direction) from the axis of the said lever arm D. The result will, therefore, be
to lower the said lever arm, and so operate, by means of the connecting rods F. F,
to rotate the aforesaid eccentric wheels G. G. to such an extent as to cause them to
seize the rope, and thus prevent the arc lamp, or other weight, from falling.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a form of safety clutch adapted for use with two
ropes, or equivalents, (either of which may be fixed or attached to a bracket, or
crane arm as the case may be, or both of which may be moveable, or they may
form the flow & return of an endless rope).
H. H. are the rope or ropes, as the case may be (above mentioned); I. the
hook, or other attachment to which the arc lamp or other weight is fixed; J is
the containing_case (the front portion of which is removed in order to show the
mechanism); K. K. are lever arms; L. L. the attached pulley wheels; M are
connecting rods; N. N. are the eccentric wheels forming the gripping device.
It will be seen that, with Fig. 2, the arc lamp, or other weight, is attachel by
means of the hook I. to the containing case of this safety clutch. It is obvious,
therefore, that the safety clutch will travel up & down with the arc lamp, or other
weight. Further, it will be observed, that under normal working conditions, there
is a resultant force of tension along the axis (or nearly so) of each lever arm K. K.
Should, however, one rope (or one arm of the endless rope, as the case may be)
break, the lever arm pivotted on the side nearest the broken rope will be lowered,
and the lever orm on the side nearest the sound rope will be raised (by reason of
the alteration of direction of the resultant tension forces, due to the severing of
one rope) operating, by means of the connecting rods M, the gripping device N, N.,

page_text: & causing it to hold the rope & thus prevent the arc lamp, or other weight, fron
falling.
It is obvious, that we can considerably modify the details of this arrangement,
without in any material way departing from the general design herein described.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. An improved form of safety clutch, consisting of a lever arm & attached
wheel, over or under which the suspending rope, or equivalent, travels; the said
lever arm being so placed that it is subjected, under normal working conditions,
to either compression or tension along its axis (or nearly so); together with a
gripping device actuated by the aforesaid lever arm substantially as herein
described.
2. An improved form of safety clutch consisting of a lever arm or arms &
attached wheel or wheels, over or under which the suspending rope or ropes, or
equivalents, pass; the said lever arm or arms being so placed as to be subjected
under normal working conditions to either compression or tension along their axes
(or nearly so); together with a gripping device or devices actuated by one or
more lever arms, substantially as herein described.
Dated this Ninth day of November 1895.
KUBI. C. QUIN.
КОВІ.
G. J. PHILPOTT.