IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, of the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS." A communication from
Georg Duncker, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1880.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS."
A communication from Georg Duncker, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
rubber rope of small
ends of which are
One of the pulleys
whilst the axle of
The object of this Invention is a motor driven by the resilient force or power
accumulated by stretching or tensioning one or more bundles of india rubber bands.
This apparatus may advantageously be used as a motive power, for driving tools,
sewing machines, boats, and other machines or implements.
Each bundle of india rubber bands is formed of an india
diameter, which is repeatedly laid around two pulleys, and the
either connected to each other or fastened to the pulleys.
turns loosely on an axle attached to the frame of the machine,
the other pulley is, by means of a bracket, fastened to a rope which is led over a
loose pulley attached to the opposite end of the frame of the machine, and which
is, with its other end, connected to a tackle. The rope of this tackle can, by means
of a hand lever or a motor, be wound up on a roller placed in bearings of the
machine frame. By winding up the tackle rope on this roller the bundle of india
rubber bands is stretched out and kept in stretched position by a rack wheel
and pawl which is in connection with the roller or its axle.
The tension of the india rubber bundle acting on the circumference of the roller
is, by means of a wheel work, transferred to a driving shaft and pulley and produces
revolving motion of same, which motion may be used for driving tools and
other apparatus.
Instead of using one bundle of india rubber bands and one roller, several
bundles and several rollers may be used, and be coupled to drive the wheel work
and driving shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st February 1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS.”
A communication from Georg Duncker, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
The object of this Invention is a motor driven by the resilient force or power
accumulated by stretching or tensioning one or more bundles of india rubber bands.
This apparatus may advantageously be used as a motive-power for driving tools,
sewing machines, boats, and other machines or implements.
Each bundle of india rubber bands is formed of an india rubber rope of small
diameter, which is repeatedly laid around two pulleys, and the ends of which are
either connected to each other or fastened to the pulleys. One of the pulleys
turns loosely on an axle attached to the frame of the machine, whilst the axle of
the other pulley is, by means of a bracket, fastened to a rope which is led over a
loose pulley attached to the opposite end of the frame of the machine, and which
is, with its other end, connected to a tackle. The rope of this tackle can, by means
of a hand lever or a motor, be wound up on a roller placed in bearings of the
machine frame. By winding up the tackle rope on this roller the bundle of india
rubber bands is stretched out and kept in stretched position by a rack wheel and
pawl which is in connection with the roller on its axle.
The tension of the india rubber bundle acting on the circumference of the roller
is, by means of a train of wheel work or gearing, transferred to a driving shaft
and pulley and produces revolving motion of same, which motion may be used for
driving tools and other apparatus.
Instead of using one bundle of india-rubber bands and one roller, several bundles
and several rollers may be used, and be coupled to drive the wheel work and
driving shaft.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings there is shown a construction of machine
for carrying this Invention into effect. Fig. 1 is a ground plan of the machine, and
Fig. 2 represents a side elevation with the frame partly in section.
This machine is constructed with eight bundles of india-rubber straps x, y, which
are formed by placing a fine string of india-rubber around pairs of rollers a and b,
of which the rollers marked with letter a are kept or fixed turnable to frame z
of the machine, whilst those marked b are movable. The straps or bundles are
stretched out by means of ropes c fastened to collars of rollers 6 and passed over
rollers & mounted in the part f of the frame, which part f is supported by pillar i
and rods g and h. The ropes c are also in connection with pulleys e of tackles,
the opposite rollers v of which are secured to the main frame of the machine.
The ends of ropes c coming from the tackle pulleys e are fastened to drums i,
22, 23, 24, 2º, 2º, 17, 18, and in such manner that those ropes belonging to drums 2³, 24,
5, and 7, are passed directly to its corresponding drums, whilst the ropes belonging
to the drums ¹, 3, 2, and i, are first each passed over a pulley / supported in the
frame and then carried to the corresponding drum. By this latter arrangement
the pressure on shaft is equalized.
To the drums i ratchet wheels n are fastened. The drums are placed loose on
axle l, and by means of levers m and ratchet wheels n the ropes c can be wound up
upon the drums, and the india rubber bundles x, y, be expanded or stretched out.
Each lever m is used for turning two neighbouring drums. Instead of hand power
any other motive power can be used for turning the drums and extending the
india-rubber bundles.

page_text: The motion of the drums is transported to the axle by means of ratchet wheels
and cams placed within the hollow drums and not shown in the Drawings, and
from this axle to the driving pulleys the motion is transported by means of toothed
gear o, P, 9, 1.
By giving a parabolic or conical shape to the drums the difference in the power
of the expanded bundles of india rubber from beginning towards the end of
expansion may be equalized to a certain degree during working of the machine
similarly to a fusee.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim,―
1. The construction of the india rubber bundle x, y, out of a fine string of india
rubber placed repeatedly around a pair of rollers or discs, which discs can, by
means of a mechanical arrangement, be drawn away from each other for the purpose
of expanding the bundle.
2. The combination of bundles x, y, rollers a, b, and tackle c, d, c, v.
3. The general construction and arrangement of the motive power machine driven
by expanded india rubber bundles or bands, substantially as herein described in
reference to, and as shown by, the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
F. H. F. ENGEL. (L.S.)