Improvements in Reversing-gear and in Friction-clutches applicable in connection therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: Improvements in Reversing-gear and in Friction-clutches applicable
in connection therewith.
I, CHRISTIAN HERMANN, of 161 High Street, Bristol, in the County of Bristol,
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to an improved device for reversing the motion
of a machine or stopping the same, and is particularly applicable to planing or
other machines.
The invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination, with a loose
pulley of a driving or counter-shaft, of two clutches one of which is driven directly
by the shaft and the other through gears, or, where a simple loose pulley is used
for driving a machine not having a reverse motion, only one of my clutches is
required, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
In planing, grinding, screw-cutting and other machines, the work is done while
either the tool, or the article operated upon, is moving in one direction and during
the return of the work, or tool, no work is done. The power required, therefore,
when moving in one direction is greater than the power required while moving in
the opposite direction.
The object of this invention is to so construct a counter or driving shaft that a
machine driven from such shaft will be driven in one direction at a greater and in
the opposite direction at a lesser speed.
Figure 1 is a horizontal view of a shaft provided with a loose pulley and my
improved reversing-gear.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of my improved reversing-gear and clutch.
Figure 3 is an end view of the loose pulley showing my friction-clutch and the
connection with the shipper-rod.
Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of one end of the friction-clutch, and
Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of one of the clutch-operating arms.
Similar numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the drawings the numbers 4 indicate the hangers, 5 the bearing-boxes, 6 the
shaft journaled in the bearing-boxes supported by the hangers. The shaft 6 may
be a main or line shaft, but usually it is a counter-shaft placed intermediate between
the line or driving shaft and the machine to be driven; the drawings represent the
same as a counter-shaft driven from the main or line shaft through either one of
the pulleys 7 or 8. The pulley 9 is a loose pulley and is connected with the
machine by means of a belt or band. This loose pulley is provided on each side
with a clutch; these clutches may be of any of the many forms of friction or
positive-locking clutches, but I prefer to use my improved clutch as shown in the
drawings and which will be fully described hereinafter. The number 10 indicates
a clutch, secured to the shaft 6 and turning with the same, operated by the sliding-
block 11 to connect the clutch with the loose pulley 9 and thereby turn the pulley
with the shaft 6 and disconnect the same by moving the sliding-block 11 toward or
from the clutch. 12 is a clutch placed on the side of the loose pulley opposite the
side on which the clutch 10 is placed, the clutch 12 is secured to the sleeve 13
which surrounds the shaft 6 and turns loosely on the same The sliding-block 14.
slides on the sleeve 13 and operates the clutch 12. The sliding-blocks 11 and 14 are
connected by the arms 11 and 14' with the shipper-rod 15 and are placed a
sufficient distance apart to permit the sliding of one block so as to disengage the
clutch operated by this block before the other block engages with the clutch
operated by the same, so that both the clutches may be disengaged from the

page_text: pulley 9 and the same turn independent of the shaft 6, or the sleeve 13 and the
machine, connected with the pulley 9 by a belt or band, be stopped, while the shaft 6
continues to revolve. The shipper-lever 16 is connected with the shipper-rod 15
in the usual manner.
:
To the end of the sleeve 13, furthest from the pulley 9, the beveled-gear 17 is
secured or made in one piece with the sleeve 13. The beveled-gear 17 meshes
with the intermediate or idle-gear 18 provided with the sleeve 19 and turning on
the stud 20, and this idle-gear 18 meshes with the beveled-pinion 21 secured to and
turning with the shaft 6. Considering the proportions of the beveled-gear to be
such that the idle-gear 18 has twice the number of teeth on the pinion 21, then the
idle-gear will turn once to two revolutions of the shaft 6 and pinion 21; if, now,
the beveled-gear 17 has the same number of teeth on the idle-gear 18, then the
sleeve 13 will make one revolution to two revolutions of the shaft 6 and will turn
in the direction opposite to the direction of the shaft 6.
My improved clutch consists of the boss 10' secured to the shaft 6 and provided
with the plate 22 extending across the end of the pulley 9 on the outside. The
plate 22 is provided, near the outer ends, with the bosses 23 in which the operating
cams 24 have their bearing. The cams consist of a cylindrical spindle the inner
end of which is formed into the flattened plate 25, the cylindrical portion has its
bearing in the bosses 23 and is provided with the arm 26 in the outer end of which
the adjusting-screw 27 is threaded. The arms 12' are secured to the outer ends of
the cylindrical part of the operating-cams 24 by means of the screws 28, on which
screws the arms 12' are pivoted, so that their position relative to the arms 26 and
the cam-plates 25 can be adjusted by means of the screws. 27. The inward pro-
jecting ends of the arms 121 bear on the curved or tapering end of the operating-
block 11.
The inner side of the plate 22, on each of the two opposite ends, is provided
with the thrust-blocks 29 sliding in suitable grooves, as indicated in Figures 4
and 5, and secured to the plate 22 by the screws 30 extending through short slots
formed in the plate 22; the inner ends of the thrust-blocks 29 are concaved to fit
the hub of the loose-pulley 9 and the outer ends are provided with the projec-
tions 31. The friction-blocks 32 have the bolts 33 extending through holes in the
projections 31 of the thrust-blocks secured to them,-the spiral-springs 34 surround
the bolts 33 and bear against the projections 31 and the heads on the inner ends of
the bolts. The cam-plate 25 extends between the thrust-block 29 and the friction-
block 32, as is shown in Figures 2 and 4. The springs 34 hold the thrust-block 29
and the friction-block 32 against the cam-plate 25 and these blocks are separated
by the partial turning of the cam.
To enable others skilled in the art to use my invention, I will describe the
operation of the same more fully. When the shaft 6, forming the line-shaft,
driven by a prime motor, or the counter-shaft, connected by a belt or band
extending from a pulley on the line-shaft to either of the pulleys 7 or 8, is turning
at a fixed speed constantly in the same direction, and the loose pulley 9 is con-
nected, by means of the clutch 10, with the shaft 6, then motion is imparted to a
machine, connected by a belt or band with the pulley 9, in the same direction in
which the shaft 6 moves. When, now, the machine is to be stopped, the shipper-
rod is moved sufficiently to slide the block, laterally, to engage or release the
clutch 10 from the pulley 9, and, simultaneously therewith, slide the block 14
toward and nearly in engagement with the clutch 12. The loose pulley 9 is, when
all parts are in the position described, held against rotation by the belt or band
connecting it with the machine, the shaft 6 turns in the loose pulley, and the
machine is stopped.
By moving, now, the shipper-rod still further in the same direction towards the
left hand side of the drawings, the block 14 will engage with the clutch 12, connect
the same with the pulley 9, and, as the clutch 12 is secured to and turns with the
sleeve 13, the pulley 9 will turn with the sleeve 13, which sleeve is turned, by
means of the pinion 21, the idle-gear 18 and beveled-gear 17, in the direction
:

page_text: opposite, or against, the direction of the shaft 6 and at a reduced speed, and the
machine connected with the pulley 9 will be turned in the direction opposite from the
direction in which it is driven when the pulley 9 is connected with the shaft 6 by
the clutch 10 and at reduced speed.
If the machine to be driven from the loose pulley 9 is a planing, grinding, or
other similar machine in which the tool or the work is reciprocated, the loose
pulley 9 is connected by shifting the shipper and sliding the block 14 in engage-
ment with the clutch 12 so as to connect the same with the pulley 9 and impart
motion to the machine from the shaft 6, through the pinion 21, idle-gear 18,
beveled-gear 17, sleeve 13 and pulley 9, at reduced speed in the direction in which
the tool performs its work, and the greater power is required to reverse the motion
by shifting the shipper in the opposite direction, disengaging the block 14 from
the clutch 12 and sliding the block 11 into engagement with the clutch 10 to
connect the pulley 9 with the shaft 6, and thus turn the machine in the reversed
direction at greater speed while either the work or the tool is moved to the first
position. By this arrangement the wear on the belts, caused by shipping the same
from one pulley to the other pulleys, is avoided, the manipulation of reversing is
simplified and time is saved.
It is evident that, when my improved clutch is to be used upon machines not
having a reverse motion, one of the clutches, the reversing gears and mechanism
are dispensed with, and that, as shown in Figure 2, the boss 10' of the clutch 10 is
secured to the counter-shaft 6 by the set screw and the loose pulley may be held in
place by a collar to take the place of the sleeve 13.
The operation of my improved clutch is as follows ;-
When the pulley 9 is loose on the shaft 6 and the shaft is turning independent
of the pulley, the shipper-lever 16 and the clutch-operating block 11 are in the
position indicated in broken lines in Figure 2. In this position the cam-plates 25
are parallel with and bearing flat against the adjacent ends of the friction-block 32
and the thrust-block 29, both blocks being drawn against the cam-plate 25 and
away from the inner surface of the rim of the loose-pulley 9 and the outer surface
of the hub of the pulley. When now the pulley 9 is to be connected with and
made to turn with the shaft 6, the shipper-lever is moved into the position shown
in solid lines in Figure 2,-by this motion the shipper-rod 15 and the arm 11' will
slide the operating-block 11 into the position shown in solid lines in Figures 1 and 2,
the inner ends of the arms 12' are forced outward, by the enlargement of the
diameter of the part of the operating-block 11 on which the arms bear, owing to
the curved or tapering end of the operating-block. The arms 12', bearing against
the adjusting-screws 27, move the arm 26 and turn the cam 24, the plates 25 thus
separate the friction-block and the thrust-block on opposite sides of the plate 22
and force the thrust-block firmly against the hub of the pulley 9 and the friction-
block against the inner surface of the rim of the pulley 9, thus connecting the
pulley 9 with the plate 22 and causing the pulley to turn with the plate 22 and
with the shaft 6, and, if the pulley 9 is connected with a machine by a belt, trans-
mitting the motion from the shaft to the machine. By moving the shipper-lever 16
again into the position indicated in broken lines in Figure 2, the operating-block is
moved into the position indicated in broken lines and the pulley 9 is disconnected
by the partial rotation of the cam-plates and the resilient strain of the springs 30.
The construction of the clutch is simple and durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A reversing-gear, consisting of a pulley loose on the driving-shaft, a clutch
adapted to engage with the loose pulley on one side and secured to the driving-
shaft, a clutch adapted to engage with the opposite side of the loose pulley and
secured to a sleeve surrounding the driving-shaft, said sleeve being provided with a
beveled-gear meshing with an idle-gear, a beveled pinion secured to the driving-

page_text: shaft and meshing with the idle-gear, and a shipper device constructed to connect
the clutches with the loose pulley and disconnect the same, as described.
2. The combination with the shaft 6, loose-pulley 9, the shipping-lever 16,
shipper-rod 15, and the arms 11' and 14', of the clutches 10 and 12, the sleeve 13
provided with the beveled-gear 17, the idle-gear 18, the pinion 21 secured to the
shaft 6, constructed to stop, start and reverse the motion of the loose-pulley and
drive a machine connected therewith in opposite directions at different speeds, as
described.
3. In a friction-clutch, the combination with a loose pulley and the plate 22
provided with a boss secured to the driving-shaft, of the thrust-blocks 29, the
friction-blocks 32, the bolts 33 and springs 34, the cams 24, and mechanism, sub-
stantially as described, for operating the cams.
4. The combination with the shaft 6, the loose pulley 9 and the plate 22 pro-
vided with a boss secured to the shaft, of the thrust-blocks 29, the friction-
blocks 32, the cams 24, the bolts 33 and springs 34, the arms 26 forming part of
the cylindrical portion of the cam and provided with the adjusting-screws 27, the
arms 12, the operating-block 11, and the shipper-mechanism for sliding the
operating-block, as described.
5. The combination with the shaft 6, the pulley 9, the shipper-rod, and arm 111
secured to the shipper-rod, of the operating-block 11, the arms 121 pivotally
secured to the spindles of the cams 24, the arms 26 provided with the adjusting-
screws 27, the cam-plates 25, the friction-blocks 32 and thrust-blocks- 29 con-
structed to connect the pulley with the shaft by frictional contact with the boss
and rim, as described.
Dated this 4th dox of Anvil An 1001
:
Signed in presence of
CHRISTIAN HERMANN.
JOSEPH A. MILLER, JR.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.