IMPROVEMENTS IN FRICTION CLUTCHES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Simon of 7 St Peters Square Manchester Civil
"
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FRICTION CLUTCHES
communicated to him from Abroad by The Berlin-Anhaltische Maschinenbau-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Simon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1883.
HENRY SIMON of 7 St Peters Square Manchester, Civil Engineer
"
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN FRICTION CLUTCHES [Communicated to me from Abroad by The Berlin-
Anbaltische Maschinenbau-Actien Gesellschaft of Berlin in the German Empire an
incorporated Company
This invention has reference to that description of friction clutches wherein a
sleeve, sliding upon one part of the shafting has radial arms carrying blocks at
their ends which, on the motion of the sleeve, are moved outwards so as to be
brought into frictional contact with a circular rim on a disc fixed on the other part
of the shafting, so as by the frictional contact to cause the one part of the shafting
to carry round the other part.
According to the present invention, instead of connecting the friction blocks to
the sliding sleeve by rigid arms as heretofore, they are connected thereto by
S shaped or otherwise curved springs, so arranged that on sliding the sleeve
towards the flanged disc the blocks are first brought in contact with the latter,
and then, on continuing the motion of the sleeve, the spring arms will be gradually
compressed so as to press the blocks against the flange with an increasing elastic
force, the pivots by which the arms are attached to the sleeve being by such move-
ment carried slightly beyond the vertical line through the pivots at the other end
of the arms, so that there will be no tendency for the sleeve to move backwards
again, and consequently the clutch will be kept in gear without any application of
force being required after it is once put in gear.

page_text: Furthermore, instead of forming the frictional surfaces of the sliding blocks and
the flanged disc plain, they are formed with V shaped projections and recesses, so
that by the increased frictional contact thus afforded, in combination with the
elastic pressure of the spring arms, a most effectual coupling together of the two
parts is obtained, while at the same time owing to the gradually increasing pressure
of the spring arms, such coupling together is effected very gradually and without
shock, and also owing to the direction in which the force is transmitted to the
blocks being at about right angles to that in which the sleeve is moved, a com-
paratively small force exerted on the latter will cause the blocks to be pressed
against the flange with very considerable power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Simon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th September
1883.
HENRY SIMON of N° 7 St Peters Square, Manchester, Civil Engineer "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FRICTION CLUTCHES." A communication to me from Abroad by The
Berlin-Anhaltische Maschinenbau Action Gesellschaft of Berlin in the German
Empire, an incorporated Company.
This invention has reference to that description of friction clutches wherein &
sleeve, sliding upon one part of the shafting, has radial arms carrying blocks at
their ends which, on the motion of the sleeve, are moved outwards so as to be
brought into frictional contact with a circular rim on a disc fixed on the other part
of the shafting, so as, by the frictional contact, to cause the one part of the shafting
to carry round the other part.
According to the present invention, instead of connecting the friction blocks_to
the sliding sleeve by rigid arms as heretofore, they are connected thereto by
S shaped or otherwise curved springs, so arranged that on sliding the disc towards
the flanged disc, the blocks are first brought in contact with the latter, and then,
on continuing the motion of the sleeve, the spring arms will be gradually com-
pressed, so as to press the blocks against the flange with an increasing elastic force,
the pivots by which the arms are attached to the sleeve being, by such movement,
carried slightly beyond the vertical line through the pivots at the other end of the
arms, so that there will be no tendency for the sleeve to move backwards again,
and consequently the clutch will be kept in gear without any application of force
being required after it is once put in gear.
Furthermore, instead of forming the frictional surfaces of the sliding blocks and
the flanged discs plain, they are formed with V or similarly shaped projections and
recesses so that by the increased frictional contact thus afforded, in combination
with the elastic pressure of the spring arms, a most effectual coupling together
of the two parts is obtained, while, at the same time, owing to the gradually
increasing pressure of the spring arms, such coupling together is effected very
gradually, and without shock, and also, owing to the direction in which the force is
transmitted to the blocks being at about right angles to that in which the sleeve
is moved, a comparatively small force exerted on the latter will cause the blocks to
be pressed against the flange with very considerable power.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a front view of the above described
improved friction clutch, and Fig 2 shews a cross section of the same.
The sleeve A sliding upon but revolving with the shaft B is connected to the
friction blocks C, which slide in guides on the plate D, by means of the S shaped
springs E, so that when the sleeve A is pushed inwards, the blocks are first brought
in contact with the rim F' of the disc F on the shaft G, whereupon the springs E
will be compressed somewhat on the continued motion of the sleeve, thereby
increasing the frictional contact between the blocks and disc, and on A completing
its motion and attaining the position shewn at Fig. 2, the pivots a of the springs
connecting them to the sleeve connecting them to the sleeve will be carried slightly
beyond the plane in which the outer pivots b are situated, and there will conse
quently be no tendency for the clutch to become disengaged again, as before
stated.
The contact surfaces of the rim F1 and blocks C are formed with V grooves, as
shewn, or they may be of other similar shape so as to increase the frictional

page_text: Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim,―
In friction clutches, the use of spring arms connecting the sliding sleeve with
the friction blocks, in combination with grooved contact surfaces on the said blocks
and on the rim with which they gear, substantially as described.
"
In Witness whereof I the said Henry Simon have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twelfth day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight
hundred and eighty-three.