AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSFORMING CIRCULAR MOVEMENTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Louis Thirion, Pastor of Aische-en-Refail,
Province of Namur, in the Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSFORMING CIRCULAR MOVEMENTS."
Sealed the 22nd September 1858, and dated the 24th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Louis Thirion at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1858.
I, ALBERT LOUIS THIRION, Pastor of Aische-en-Refail, Province of Namur,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSFORMING CIRCULAR MOVEMENTS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in connecting the shafts of wheels to which motion
is to be communicated, first, by means of a number of circles or rings cut
through and connected together end to end; in such a manner that the whole
will form an elastic spiral for the purpose of communicating motion from one
shaft to another not in a line with the same. Or, instead of the aforesaid
circles, I employ a number of spirals formed of wire folded one over the other
so as to form but one.
Secondly, by means of a number of circles or rings (the first of which is
attached to the driving shaft) turning upon a curved or semicircular axis, the
circles being connected to each other by bands in such a manner that when

page_text: motion is imparted to the first circle it actuates the second circle, and so on
through the whole number of circles employed, when the motion is transformed
to the desired wheel or shaft.
My Invention will be better understood by reference to the illustrative
Drawing hereunto annexed, in which A is a horizontal shaft worked by a
handle attached thereto; B is an elastic spiral; C is a vertical shaft; and D,
a wheel keyed on the same. When rotary motion is given to the shaft A by
means of the handle thereunto attached, said motion is communicated by
means of the spiral B to the vertical shaft C and to the wheel D, thus both
are made to rotate as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Albert Louis Thirion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
LOUIS THIRION, Pastor of Asche-en-Refail, Province of Namur, in the King-
dom of Belgium, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Albert Louis Thirion, Her special licence that I, the said Albert Louis
Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Albert Louis Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSFORMING CIRCULAR MOVEMENTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, my execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in connecting the shafts of wheels to which motion
is to be communicated, first, by means of a number of circles or rings cut
through and connected together end, to end, in such manner that the whole
will form an elastic spiral for the purpose of communicating motion from one
shaft to another not in a line with the same. Or, instead of the aforesaid
circles, I employ a number of spirals formed of wire folded one over the other
so as to form but one.
Secondly, by means of a number of circles or rings (the first of which is
attached to the driving shaft) turning upon a curved or semicircular axis, the
circles being connected to each other by bands in such a manner that when
notion is imparted to the first circle, it actuates the second circle, and so on,
through the whole number of circles employed when the motion is transformed
to the desired wheel or shaft.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thercon respectively as follows:-
Figure 1 represents an horizontal axis A, A, to which is attached the first
circle of the spiral S, S. Motion being given to the axis A, A, it follows
that all the circles composing the spiral turn at the same time, and commu-
nicate their motion to the axis B, B, and consequently to the wheel R, R.
One half revolution being completed, that part of the spiral at S¹, S¹, will be
found at S, S, and vice versa. Said spiral is made supple, whilst at the same
time it should offer a certain amount of resistance. The necessary degree
of suppleness or clasticity is obtained by means of flattened or sheet iron
(Figure 3), and the amount of resistance obtained by giving to the circles cut
out of sheet iron a certain width, as shewn at L, L, Figure 3. The circles
are uniformly cut according to the line L, L, and joined end to end, so as to
form but one piece or spiral. A number of spirals formed of wire, rolled one
over the other, so as to form but one, may be used. To prevent the circles
spreading out unequally, they can be connected at certain intervals by bands or
wires.
Figure 2 represents several circles turning upon a curved or semicircular
axis. The first circle actuates the second, to which it is attached by a
band C, C; in like manner the second actuates the third, and so on until
the last. It is not important that these circles should be entire, it being

page_text: sufficient that they should turn in the axis. It is obvious that this system
must to a great extent lessen the friction.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "An Improved Method of Transforming Circular Movements,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein mentioned, as there are other ways of
manufacturing the parts without deviating from the principle of my Invention;
but what I claim as my Invention under the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combination of the parts herein described and shewn
by the illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, for the purpose
herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness.
ALBERT LOUIS THIRION. (L.S.)
HENRI FELIX JOSEPH BERNELMAN,
Avt.