AN IMPROVED COMPENSATING SPRING MOTOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I, DESIRE ARTHEM GENTEUR, of Boulevard Saint-Denis, No 1, at Paris, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for AN IMPROVED
COMPENSATING SPRING MOTOR, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved compensating spring motor, and it is
founded:
1st Upon a special construction of compensating and undulated spring, presenting
on one side an undulated surface of varied shape by which the surface of friction is
diminished and the power of the spring increased. By this construction a great.
economy is effected, the wear of the spring being much less rapid than with the
systems already in use.
•
2nd Upon the general combination of parts of this motor forming a very compact
whole, and combining all the necessary conditions for its good working and
durability.
L
My said motor is constructed as follows: A spring is fixed at one end, by means
of two screws, upon a socket fixed on a shaft passing through a drum; this spring
is undulated on one side, so as only to offer friction at the extreme points of the
projections formed by the said undulations. These undulations are of various
forms, according to the power and speed required.
These novel springs possess greater power than those at present in use and their
wear is not so rapid
The spring which, as before stated, is fixed at one end upon the shaft, is attached
at its other end to the drum by means of screws with counter nuts rivetted upon
the spring; the spring may likewise be furnished with a tenon which fits in an
opening in the drum. This drum carries, on one side, a moveable ratchet wheel,
stopped by a pawl, fixed upon one of the caps of the box or frame containing the
drum, and on the other side there is a toothed wheel formed in a piece with the
drum and communicating the motion of the drum to toothed wheels fixed upon a
small axis, these latter toothed wheels transmit motion to two other toothed wheels
mounted on the central shaft, and these toothed wheels impart motion to a pinion
fixed upon an axis carrying the driving pulley.
This combination may be modified according to the speed to be given to the axis
of the thriving pulley.
+ C

page_text: This axis, at its end which is inside the machine terminates in a cone which
revolves in a notch, provided for that purpose, at the extremity of the small axis
above mentioned, and, at the same time, maintains it. This axis is rivetted, at its
other extremity, to a support fixed, by means of a screw, to the box or frame in
which is the drum. Each end of the central shaft carries a lever, removeable at
will; these two levers serve for winding up the spring. They are each formed
with a head linked to the arm of the lever; this hend contains a roller against
which the extremity of the arm rests. The arm, at its upper end, is cut in such a
manner that its point touches the roller, and also so that a small steel block,
dovetailed into the cut, presses upon the roller at the moment of action, without
loss of time. These levers terminate in handles A rod may, however, be fixed
into a socket at the end of the arm, by means of a pin, and notches are provided at
various points of the rod to regulate the length of the said rod, which terminates in
a stirrup or pedal for winding up the motor by the action of the feet.
On the winding up of the spring it coils itself around the socket of the central
shaft, but it is urged back by its other end, which is fixed to the circumference of
the drum.
When the spring is let go, and begins to unwind, it sets in motion, by the toothed
wheel on the drum, the toothed wheels on the small axis and those on the central
shaft which communicate the motion to the pinion on the axis carrying the driving
pulley.
I provide a break for stopping the rotary movement of the axis of the driving
pulley; this break consists of a rod passing through two lugs on the frame and
carrying a small eccentric or cam. This cam, according to the direction in which
the lever of the break is acted upon, presses against a bearing, slotted throughout
its length, and by this pressure draws the two portions of the said bearing closer
with sufficient strength to stop, at once, the rotary movement of the axis of the
driving.pulley. If necessary, the break may be furnished with a toothed sector.
The means for winding up consist in the combination of an endless screw, acted
upon by a shaft furnished with a handle, and gearing into a wheel, provided with
helicoidal teeth, fixed upon the central shaft of the motor. Or the endless screw
may be replaced by a spur pinion whose axis is in front and gears into a toothed
wheel fixed on the shaft of the drum. Or I employ a counter weight acting upon
toothed wheels which set in motion the pinion of the central-shaft.
The spring may be formed either of a steel plate with one, two or-several
undulations, in order that only the extreme points be subjected to friction; or of a.
flat steel plate, in the middle of which is fixed a brass ribbon which, separating the
spires from each other receives the friction and prevents the spring wearing.
To facilitate the construction, I can use springs provided along their length with
one or several projections, according to the width of the spring and the work to be
done. These projections are formed on the upper surface of the spring, that is to
say, the latter may be rolled with its under surface quite flat, and with one or
several projections on its upper surface. The projections may also be obtained by
a roller which will then leave a corresponding groove or channel on the under
surface of the spring.
avoided.
With this system of springs nearly all friction and wear are
For great tension and heavy work, the springs may be arranged transversely in
the same way as those last mentioned, or the undulations may be repeated in the
direction of the length of the springs at certain equidistant intervals.
In this arrangement when the spring is wound up without pressure in the drum,
the usual expanding force of the first coiling is obtained, and by continuing the
winding the height of the undulations diminishes and they place themselves
consecutively one into the other and add, to the expanding force already obtained,
a resistance ten to fifteen times greater than heretofore obtained with ordinary
springs. It results that, with the same length of spring a great expanding force
on the draft of the spring will be gained over the ordinary system, owing to the

page_text: straightening or expansion of the undulations. As these undulations cannot, in
any case, produce their effect before their turn, as the undulated spires nearest the
centre have first been compressed, and so on up to the last, the nearest to the drum,
the result will be that the winding axis remaining fixed at the finishing point of
the complete winding up, the last stretched spires will begin the work which will
continue until the entire unwinding.
In this manner the force will remain initial until the end of the expansion of the
undulations, the first becoming the last and pushing out one another, as already
explained.
For great power, I use a corrugated spring with greater undulations in order to
avoid friction, the undulated spires being transverse to the winding. A spring of
this construction will give a power one hundred times greater than a flat one.

page_text: I, DÉSIRÉ ARTHEM GENTEUR; of Boulevard Saint-Denis, No 1, at Paris, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED
COMPENSATING SPRING MOTOR, and in what manner-the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to an improved compensating spring motor, which I call
"Genteur's Dynamotor;" it is founded upon the special combination with a
compensating and undulated spring, of various working parts for transmitting
mation, and forming a very compact whole, and combining all the necessary
conditions for its good working and durability, the said spring having on one side
an undulated surface of varied shape presenting a very limited frictional surface
whereby an increase of power is obtained.
I proceed with reference to the annexed drawings to describe fully the working
and the advantages of my motor.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of the motor shewing the general arrangement
of the parts composing the saine, fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on
the line A, B of fig. 1, and fig. 3, a vertical section, taken on the line CD of the
same figure.
Fig. 4, shews the exterior arrangement of the motor, and fig. 5, is a view, in
plan, of the break hereinafter described.
Figs 6, 7 and 8 shew various arrangements for winding up the spring and
indicate at the same time the different positions which the apparatus may occupy.
My said motor is constructed as follows:-a, is a spring which is keyed upon a
bush a', fixed on a shaft b, passing through a drutn c. This spring a, is secured to
the bush by two screws d, d, and is undulated on one of its faces or sides so as
only to present frictional surface at the extreme points of the projections formed by
the said undulations. These undulations are of various forms according to the
power and speed to be transmitted by the apparatus.
These springs, thus manufactured, possess greater power than those at present in
use, and their wear is not so rapid.
The spring a, as before stated, is fixed upon the shaft b, by one of its ends, but
it is also secured to the circumference of the druin c, by its opposite end, by means
of four screws f, f, with lock nuts rivetted on the spring, and furthermore is held
there by the tenon g, which fits in an opening h, in the drum.
This drum c, carries on one side a moveable ratchet wheel i, stopped by a pawlj,
fixed upon one of the caps of the box or frame h, containing the drum, and on the
other side there is a toothed wheel l, formed in a piece with the drum and com-
municating the motion which it receives from the spring of the drum to the
toothed wheels m and m¹, fixed upon a small shaft n; these toothed wheels
transmit their motion to two other toothed wheels o, o¹, mounted on the central
shaft b, and these toothed wheels impart motion to the pinion p, which drives the
shaft g, carrying the driving pulley 7.

page_text: This combination may be modified according to the speed to bo obtained from
the driving shaft
q.
:
This shaft q, at the end which is inside the machine, terminates in a conical end
which revolves in a recess, provided for that purpose, in the extremity of the small..
shaft n, and, at the same time, keeps it in its place. This shaft is rivetted at ita.
other extremity to a support 8, fixed to the box or frame k, by means of the
screw t.
Each end of the central shaft b, carries a lever L, L', removeable at will; these
levers serve for winding up the spring a, and they are each formed with a head u,
jointed at u, on the arm u". These levers L, L¹, may be fixed on the céntral
shaft b, by means of two screws L*, L*, or by a stud (see fig. 1). The head u, of
cach of these lovers, contains a friction roller v, against which the ends v³, of the
arms u bear. These arms, at their upper ends, are formed in such a manner that
their points v¹, touch the rollers v, and so that small steel blocks x, dovetailed into
the cut portions press upon the rollers at the moment of action without loss of.
time.
These levers may 'terminate in handles x' (figs. 1 and 4), or they may be pro-
vided with a rod y, on which are notches y¹, at certain distances apart, for
regulating the length of this rod which terminates in a stirrup or pedal, for
winding up the motor, by actuating the levers by the action of the foot (see the
dotted lines in fig. 1).
On winding up the spring a it coils itself by one of its ends around the bush a',
but it is urged back by its other end which, as before stated, is fixed to the
circumference of the drum c.
When the spring is let go and begins to unwind, it sets in motion, by the
toothed wheel Z, the gear wheels m, m³, working the shaft n, and the wheels o, o¹,
communicating this motion to the small pinion p, which, in its turn, imparts a
rotary motion to the shaft q, carrying the driving pulley r.
I provide a break for stopping the rotary motion of the shaft q; this break
consists of a rod A, passing through two lugs B, B, on the frame, and carrying
a small eccentric or cam wheel C. This cam wheel according to the direction in
which the lever P of the break is turned, presses, by its eccentric part, against the
bearing D, slotted at F, throughout its length, and by this pressure, draws the two
faces of the said bearing closer with sufficient strength to stop at once the rotary
motion of the shaft q (figs. 1, 4 and 5). If necessary this break may be furnished
with a toothed sector (see fig. 1). The means for winding up shewn in fig. 6,
consist in the combination of an endless screw H, acted upon by a shaft I, furnished
with a handle, and gearing into a worm wheel keyed upon the central shaft of the
motor.
Fig. 7 shews another arrangement for winding up, the endless screw here being
replaced by a spur pinion H, whose driving axis is in front, and gears into the
toothed wheel J, fixed on the shaft of the drum.
'
Fig. 8, shews a third arrangement in which the winding up is effected by means
of a counterweight acting upon toothed wheels K, L, which set in motion the
pinion H¹, and the central toothed wheel J.
The spring a may be formed either of a steel plate with one (see fig. 9) two, or
several undulations, in such manner that the extreme points only be subjected to
friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with an undulated compensating spring, of the various
means for transmitting motion constitutive of the motor, substantially as herein
described with reference to figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 of the drawings.
2. The combination of the winding levers, as and for the purposes specified, said
levers being formed with a head containing a friction wheel against which presses

page_text: a steel block dovetailed into the arms of the said levers, as described and as shewn
in figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.
3. The break for arresting the rotary motion of the driving shaft q, consisting of
.a cam wheel or eccentric operated by a rod furnished, or not, with a toothed sector,
as herein described and as shown in figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings.
4. The improved compensating spring motor having its parts constructed
arranged and combined to operate substantially as herein described, and as illus-
trated in the drawings.