IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harriet Goodhue Hosmer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th December 1883.
HARRIET GOODHUE HOSMER, of Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
This invention relates to that class of motive power engine in which the power
is derived from the swinging of two or more pendulums and the invention consists
in a novel arrangement of parts whereby each pendulum in its flight shall be
caused to raise and release another pendulum the raising being necessary to ensure
the proper length of swing.
In carrying out my invention as applied to two pendulums I attach to each
pendulum a chain which I pass round pulleys or wheels placed at either end of the
base plate and I secure to the axle of each pulley or wheel a second chain which is
in connection with and works a lever. This lever actuates a catch motion to
release a pendulum and at the same time by suitable means effects the raising of
the pendulum sufficiently to ensure its swinging the full distance required.
The force of the pendulum is utilized for obtaining motive power by means of
pawls suitably secured thereto and which take into the teeth of a ratchet wheel in
connection with a fly wheel.
At the end of the swing of each pendulum there is a slight pause which gives
time for wheel and lever to finish the work of raising.
The catch motion above referred to may consist of a slide attached to each
pendulum and provided with a bowle which by coming into contact with an
inclined plane will cause the slide to rise until the inclined plane is passed when
the slide will drop and the pendulum will be held stationary by the inclined plane.
The inclined planes are mounted on centres so that one end may be depressed to
release the sliding catches of the pendulums.
The action of the apparatus may be described as follows:-One pendulum is
started by being raised slightly above its resting point and during its swing say
from right to left its chain becomes slack and allows the lever to rock on its
fulcrum.
This lever releases the second pendulum as before described.
The pulleys or wheels are provided with weights which cause the wheels to turn
to take up the slack of the pendulum-chains.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent_filed
by the said Harriet Goodhue Hosmer in the Patent Office on the 7th June
1884.
HARRIET GOODHUE HOSMER of Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
"
This Invention relates to that class of motive power engine in which the power
is derived from the swinging of two or more pendulums and the Invention consists
in a novel arrangement of parts whereby each pendulum in its flight shall be
caused to raise and release another pendulum the raising being necessary to ensure
the proper length of swing
In carrying out my Invention as applied to two pendulums I attach to each
pendulum a chain or cord which I pass round pulleys or wheels suitably placed for
the purpose and attach to a lever or arm which is connected with and actuates a
catch motion to release a pendulum and at the same time raise the pendulum
sufficiently to ensure its swinging the full distance required.
The force of the pendulum may be utilized for obtaining motive power by means
of pawls suitably secured thereto and which take into the teeth of a ratchet wheel
in connection with a fly wheel, or in any other convenient manner.
At the end of the swing of each pendulum there is a slight pause which gives
time to finish the work of raising the other pendulum
In the accompanying Drawing Fig: 1 is a front elevation of my improved
apparatus Fig: 2 is a plan view taken on the line Z Z of Fig: 1 and Fig: 3 is a
side elevation of the apparatus.
X and Y are two pendulums which are conveniently carried on knife edges or
centres in a suitable framing A.
Each pendulum is provided with an adjustable slide a at the lower end of which
is a bowle a--The length of this slide is adjusted by means of the nut a².
b is a rock lever or arm which is pivotted on and stands up vertically from an
axle c suitably mounted in brackets pendent from an adjustable frame c¹ carried by
the framing A.-On the same axle c and secured to the lever b is a toothed
sector 6. In gear with the sector 6' is a pinion d which is mounted on an axle d'
carried in brackets also pendent from the frame c¹.
Rocking on the same axle d¹ and secured to the pinion d is a lever or arm d³
to the outer end of which is attached a chain or cord e in connection with a
pendulum.
f is an inclined plate which is pivotted in any convenient manner to the
frame c¹. The outer end of this plate in its normal position rests on the top of the
vertical lever or arm b and the plate carries at its opposite end a counterweight.
The object of this plate is to raise the slide a as the pendulum swings, over the
end of the lever or arm b which serves as a catch to hold the pendulum at the end
of its swing.
The arm or lever b also serves when rocked on its pivot to raise the pendulum
preparatory to a fresh stroke or vibration.
The amount of rise to be given to the pendulum will be regulated according to
the work required to be done thus if greater power is required the rise will be
greater so that the force of the swing of the pendulum will be greater.—The means
by which the raising of the pendulum is effected is by lengthening the slide a.-
The frame c¹ is provided with slotted lugs which rest on the frame A and are held
down by means of thumb screws or in any other convenient manner whereby the
apparatus may be adjusted.

page_text: The above described mechanism for catching and releasing the pendulum is
duplicated for each pendulum so that when there are two pendulums as shown in
the drawings there will be four catching and releasing mechanisms
In describing the action of the apparatus I will refer to the several catching and
releasing mechanisms as 1. 2. 3. 4
The apparatus being at rest let pendulum say X he released automatically or by
hand and let it swing say from right to left.-As it commences to swing it will
slacken the chain or cord which is attached to it and this chain or cord being
secured to a lever d³ say 3 will raise and release the pendulum Y which is con-
nected by cord to lever 4. The slackening of this cord allows for the raising and
releasing of pendulum X for its return stroke.-Pendulum X is connected by a
second cord to lever 1 and by the slackening of this cord raises and releases
pendulum Y for its return stroke.-This pendulum is connected by a second cord
with lever 2 and the slackening of this cord releases pendulum X on a fresh stroke
and so on.
The dropping of the levers d by their own weight will turn the pinions & on
their axles. This will communicate corresponding motion to the sectors 6' which
will cause the levers or arms b to rock outwards.-This rocking outwards of the
arms b will push the pendulums outwards and raise them until the arms b will
pass the bowles a¹ and release the pendulums.-As the arms b rock outwards the
inclined plates will drop and thus leave free play to the pendulums.
If desired the levers d³ may be prolonged beyond the fulcrums and may be
provided with a rolling weight which will assist the levers in returning to their
normal position otherwise they have to be raised by the pendulum and will thus
cause a drag on the same, or the rolling weight may be placed in any other suitable
position to effect the same object.
I would here remark that I do not intend to confine myself to the exact details
herein described as these may be considerably varied.
Having now described my Invention for "Improvements in motive power
engines" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I claim :
First: In a motive power engine in which the power is derived from the
swinging of two or more pendulums the combination with the pendulums of means
for raising and releasing one pendulum by the swinging of another pendulum
whereby a continuous movement of the pendulums is ensured substantially as
shewn and described
Second: The arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein shown and
described and constituting a motive power engine.
In witness whereof I the said Harriet Goodhue Hosmer have hereunto set my
hand and seal the sixth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four