IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN CONVERTING IN CONVERTING MOTIVE POWER FROM RECIPROCATING TO INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Andrew Comber, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN CONVERTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Andrew
Comber at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th September 1875.
I, WILLIAM ANDREW COMBER, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE
IN CONVERTING MOTIVE POWER FROM RECIPROCATING TO INTERMITTENT ROTARY
MOTION," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
ratchet braces, being also applicable in converting motive power from
reciprocating to intermittent rotary motion in cases where the recipro-

page_text: cating motive power is also required to produce an intermittent rotary
motion.
The Invention consists in cutting or making teeth of suitable form on
the outside of the shaft to be turned, or on a collar or other separate
piece attached to it, and in surrounding the teeth with a deep ring
attached to or made in one piece with a lever, the other end of which
receives the reciprocating motive power. This ring has within it two
or more equidistant narrow projections or shoulders running the depth
of the ring and parallel to the enclosed shaft, and in the recesses thus
formed are placed stout rectangular palls or pieces of metal, one end of
each of which butts against one of the shoulders, and the other ends
engage in the teeth cut on the shaft before described. At the back of
these palls are fastened flat steel springs of such lengths as to fill up
the space to the next shoulder, and butt up against it.
"
Preferably the shoulders, palls, and springs are (each) three in number,
and the teeth are of any number consistent with strength not a multiple
of three, so that the palls will engage in the teeth alternately, and will
therefore have the same effect as one pall has on a shaft three times the
size or with three times the number of teeth, with the advantages in
this improved arrangement of compactness, simplicity, strength, and
lightness.
These improvements are chiefly applicable to ratchet braces and all
ordinary ratchet actions, but they may be applied to any shaft requiring
a continuous rotary motion by having two sets of the arrangement
described, and working them alternately by a rocking lever.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Andrew Comber,
Her special licence that I, the said William Andrew Comber, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Andrew Comber, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH INVEN-
TION IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN CONVERTING MOTIVE POWER FROM RECIPROCATING TO
INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Andrew Comber, my executors 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 William Andrew Comber, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
ratchet braces, being also applicable in or to the means of converting
reciprocating motion into intermittent and continuous rotary motions
applicable to machinery requiring such conversions of motion from one
part to another, but it is especially applicable to the construction and
working of drilling ratchet braces (and all ordinary ratchet actions), in
which application it is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
The Invention consists in cutting or making on the outer periphery of
the shaft or drilling stock 1, or other part to which the rotary motion is
required to be given, ratchet shaped teeth 2 (or these teeth may be
formed on a collar or other separate piece firmly secured to such part),

page_text: and in surrounding such part whereon the said teeth are cut or formed
with a deep ring or collar 3 (Figures 1 and 2), which may be firmly
secured to or made in one piece with the lever or handle 4 or other part,
to the other end of which the reciprocating motion is given, and which
ring has formed on its inner periphery, and running nearly or wholly its
full depth and parallel to the shaft or other part to which the converted
motion is required to be given, two or more opposite or equidistant
narrow projecting shoulders 5, and in the recesses 6, between which arc
dropped or loosely placed stoutly formed rectangular pawls 7, one end
of each of which butts against one of the said shoulders 5, as shown in
Figure 2, and the other ends of which engage consecutively in turn
with the said teeth 2, and to the backs of which pawls are rivetted flat
steel springs 8 in such a manner as to butt against the next shoulder 5
in advance.
The pawls and springs (a combination of which is shown separately in
Figures 3) are otherwise boxed in and kept in position by a shoulder 9,
formed on the stock or part 1 below the teeth 2, and by an adjustable
ring or washer 10 above them (see Figure 1). The effect of this com-
bination and arrangement of parts (whatever the application of the
principle). is that upon every alternate motion of the reciprocating lever,
that is, at its every forward movement, one of the said pawls is caused
to bear with a considerable leverage against one of the said teeth on the
part to which it is required to give the intermittent rotary motion, and
to impart motion thereto upon the next similar stroke of the recipro-
cating lever, the next pawl in advance engages with another of the said
teeth and imparts a further rotary motion, and the action is thus
continued.

page_text: of teeth, and with the consequent advantage of compactness, simplicity,
strength, and lightness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the above
described improved means of converting reciprocating motion into inter-
mittent and continuous rotary motions, and the application and employ-
ment of the same to the construction and working of drilling ratchet
braces and all ordinary ratchet actions, and to machinery in general
requiring such conversions of motion from one part to another, sub-
stantially as described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Andrew Comber, have