Year: 1897

page_text: WILLIAM SCHERMULY, of 62, Stainsby Road, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Rope Splicer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in differential lifting tackle and pro-
vides for the locking together and unlocking at will the two unequal sized sheaves
in the top block by means of the spindle carrying the sheaves. The spindle is
formed with two portions of round section between which is a portion of square or
other transverse section. The central hole of one sheave is shaped preferably
completely through the sheave to receive the whole of that portion of the spindle,
between the two round portions of the spindle and which may be square or any
shape that would form projections from, the round part. The central hole of the
other sheave is shaped for a certain distance in the same way, the remainder of
the hole being round. The spindle revolves on its round parts in bearings formed
in the fixed sides of the block and is of sufficient length to slide longitudinally
in either direction without its round portion leaving the bearings. When the
sheaves are locked, that portion of the spindle between the round parts, is divided
between the two sheaves when both sheaves run round with the spindle. When
the sheaves are unlocked, that portion of the spindle between the round parts is
contained wholly in one sheave which sheave runs round with the spindle whilst
the other sheave runs on the round part of the spindle. The spindle may be
moved from one position to the other by hand or by any suitable mechanical
means and a suitable means is provided for retaining it in any position. By
lengthening the spindle through the side of the block, a handle can be arranged
to be attached to it, in which case the block can be used as a winch or, a hand-
chain wheel, or, a worm wheel gear may be attached to the end of the spindle.
For "fairleads" to guide the chains on to the sheaves I prefer to use the follow-
ing novel arrangement. The fairleads are constructed so that the chain passes
through a circular aperture one side of which is removable so that the chain may
be put in.
This removable part consists of a roller, curved to suit the diameter of the
aperture, which roller revolves on a pin fixed into lugs on the fixed portion of the
circular fairlead.

page_text: -
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in differential lifting tackle or blocks
and provides for the locking together and unlocking at will of the two unequal-
sized sheaves in the top block by means of the pin or spindle carrying the said
sheaves..
In the accompanying drawings,
1'.
Figure 1 shows in vertical central section the top block of a differential lifting
tackle or block with my improvements applied thereto, and
Figure 2 illustrates my improved fairlead.
a, a are the side pieces or cheeks of the block, and b, are the sheaves thereof.
The sheaves b, are mounted upon a spindle or pin c having circular portions c¹
and another portion of square or other angular transverse section, the circular
portions c¹ being supported in bearings in the side pieces or cheeks a as indicated
at a¹. The central hole or eye of the sheave is shaped square or angular to
correspond with the square or angular portion c² of the pin c, the said square or
angular hole or eye passing preferably completely through the said sheave as
shown at 62, but such central hole or eye may, if desired, be only formed angular
for such a length as to contain the whole of the angular portion c³ of the spindle
or pin c. The central hole or eye of the other sheave b is for part of its length
likewise formed of a similar angular section as shown at 63, whilst the remainder
of the said hole or eye is formed of round, section, as shown at b*.
The spindle or pin e revolves on its circular parts or portions c¹ in the bear-
ings a in the side picces or cheeks a of the block, and such spindle or pin c is of
sufficient length to admit of its moving or sliding longitudinally in either direc-
tion without the said round portions leaving the said bearings a¹. Thus the
angular part or portion of the said spindle or pin may be caused to engage
entirely in the correspondingly shaped portion of the hole or eye b² in the
sheave 61, as shown in the drawing, or such angular part may be caused to engage
partly in the angular portion 63 of the hole or eye in the sheave b and partly in
the corresponding hole or eye 2 in the other sheave b¹.
The spindle c may be moved from its one position to the other by hand, or by
any suitable mechanical means such as an arrangement of a screw and hand, or
chain wheel or the like.
a² is a slide piece which can be lowered to securely retain the spindle or pin c
in that position wherein the two sheaves b, b¹ are locked together.
It will be seen that when the angular part or portion of the spindle or pin c
is in that position in which it is partly inside the angular hole or eye 62 in the
sheave the rest of the said angular length or portion of the pin c being in
the corresponding portion 63 of the hole or eye in the other sheave b, then the
sheaves b, b will be locked together and cannot revolve separately and the block
can be used as an ordinary differential one. But when the spindle or pin c is
moved longitudinally through the said sheaves b, b' so that its angular portion c²
will be entirely inside the corresponding hole or eye 63 in the sheave 61, as shown
in the drawing, then the sheaves b, b¹ can revolve separately and the block can be
used for quicker purchases, such as luff tackle, double whip, or single whip tackle.
By lengthening the spindle or pin c sufficiently through the side of the block and
forming thereon a square or angular part or portion c³, a handle can be arranged
to be attached to it, in which case the block can be used as a crab winch or a
hand chain wheel, or a worm wheel gear may be attached to the said extension c³
of the pin c. When, however, the above mentioned extension 3 is not formed
upon the spindle or pin c I prefer to provide upon the side piece or cheek a upon
this side of the block a similar sliding piece to a by which means the said spindle
or pin c may be securely retained in its other position, or I may in any case pro-
vide any other convenient means for effecting this object.
d, d are small grooved wheels or rollers rotatably mounted upon a spindle e
secured to arms f fixed to the top cross bar or piece of the block, which rollers

page_text: serve to guide the chain, a similar pair being mounted in a like manner at the
other side of the said block.
The above described block can if found desirable be fitted with any of the usual
approved fairleads for guiding the chain on to the sheaves, or I may employ the
device illustrated in Figure 2. In this construction the chain runs through the
circular aperture 9 of an eye or ring h one side of this ring is removable so that
the chain can be passed into the said circular aperture. This removable part
consists of a roller curved or grooved on its face to suit the diameter of the
aperture, and which roller revolves on a pin k fixed into lugs on the fixed portion
of the ring or eye h.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved means for enabling a lifting tackle or block to be used either
as an ordinary differential block, or for quicker purchase such as luff tackle, double
whip or single whip tackle or the like, comprising a spindle or pin having a square,
angular or equivalent part or portion, adapted to fit either entirely into a corre-
spondingly shaped eye or hole in one sheave, or partly in the latter, and partly in
a correspondingly shaped portion of the eye or hole of the other sheave, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The improved fairlead constructed substantially as described with reference
to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.
3. The improved lifting tackle or block constructed substantially as described
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July 1898.
A. F. SPOONER,
823, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.