Improvements in Driving Gear for Communicating Power or Motion between Rotating Shafts.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Communicating Power or Motion
between Rotating Shafts.
We, CHARLES LIEBMANN KLINE and CHARLES LIEBMANN KLINE, Junior, both
of 254, West 133rd Street, New York, in the State of New York, United States of
America, Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in machines in which heat is employed
to do mechanical work, as, for example, by the expansion of water vapour in steam
engines, or the expansion of hot air or burnt mixture of air and gas in hot air or
gas engines, and the object of our invention is to provide attachments for engines,
of the kind set forth, simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manu-
facture, that operate smoothly and steadily in practical use, and which changes
horizontal or rectilinear motion to rotary motion.
To attain the desired end, this, our invention consists in the construction,
arrangement, and operation of parts herein set forth. In the drawings which
accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation,
and Figure 2 a plan view of our engine; Figures 3 and 4 are views in detail of
the parts of our cam disks, and Figure 5 a detail view of our crank arms.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.
In order to explain our invention we have shown the same as applied to an
engine of the type in which the mechanical force arises from the elasticity and
expansive action of steam, although manifestly our device for transmitting force
may be applied to many machines using an axle or shaft. Referring particularly
to the drawings, A denotes the cylinder of an ordinary steam engine, and B, the
piston rod, and C the connecting rod or pitnam thereof.
The horizontal crank or primary driving crank is journalled in boxes d, and
carries at opposite ends of the same a crank arm E, at the extremity of which is
a preferably rotary crank wrist or roller e. Our vertically disposed cam disks F
consist of a triangular in shape base piece, and superimposed plates provided
with inclined bearing edges f which form interior channels or ways f, in which
one of our wrists e works. These cams are mounted on two concentric secondary
driving shafts G which lie parallel with, but considerably out of line with and
preferably lower than the shaft D, and are journalled in boxes g. The shafts G
also carry gear wheels H which mesh with gear wheels J mounted on the power
shaft K running in boxes k, and carrying the balance or fly wheel M.
It is manifest that various omissions of some particulars could be made without
materially affecting the essential features of our invention, or the operation of
he remaining parts. Obviously the elements of the structure described may be
ocated at an angle to the plan in which are shown; we, accordingly use the
words horizontal" "vertical" and the like in relative sense.
"
In operation, one of the crank wrists e, (Figure 4) upon being rotated in the
lirection of the arrow, will ride up the inclined plate 2, approximately one half

page_text: the length of the plate, going to the end of the channel or way f, as shown in
thin broken lines, and then travelling back to the commencement of the same, as
represented in thick dotted lines; and then leaving the same, take a short circuit
or route across to a point on the edge 1 of the next plate near the beginning of
another channel or way f. The wrist e rides to the end of the plate 1, and then
travels back to about the medium point of the plate, after which it leaves the
plate and goes to the edge 3 of the next plate. In like manner the other crank
wrist e which lies in the same plane with the first one but which extends in an
opposite direction from the shaft D, travels (while the first wrist e is taking its
short circuit from the plate 2 to the plate 1) upward and back again through a
channel or way f of the opposite cam, and then when it is about to make a short
circuit across the said cam, the crank wrist e of the first cam will have reached
the plate 1 and will then travel up its new channel or way; thus for a period both
wrists are in engagement with their respective plates of the opposite cams, at the
time when the crank arms are at and around their dead centres.
It will be observed that each of our wrists e ride up and down the successive
channels or ways of its respective cam, and that as one wrist is out of engage-
ment when it is taking its short circuit or route-the force transmitted by the
cams is intermittent, though the shafts G, being "tied" together by gears trans-
mit a continuous force; and that said crank wrists can never get out of the
interior channels or ways formed by the bearing edges f¹ on the plate F.
Our cam disks are provided with open centres and have bearing edges or faces
forming an equilateral triangle and are also provided with straight lines forming
channels or ways, leading from the points of the triangle.
One of the principal advantages of this invention is that for a certain period or
time both wrists e, e, are in engagement with their respective plates of the opposite
cams; another advantage is that the shafts G are set on a lower plane than is
the shaft D, thus giving additional leverage to the force exerted on the connect-
ing rod, which leverage varies according to the angularity of the crank D, and
is greatest when said crank D is at and around the 90 degree point—its greatest
point of efficiency.
In cases where our engine is utilized for hoisting etc. and an intermittent
action is required, we use a clutch lever M' provided with a bevelled sleeve m,
which passes under the spring or bell crank N, which is connected with the
clutch-box through the shaft K. Upon forcing the lever M¹ in an outward
direction, the box o is caused to engage the spool P which will then rotate in
unison with the said shaft K. If the engine be used for generating electricity,
we use a belt or other engaging means to connect the balance or fly-wheel M
with the pulley of a dynamo or motor.
As it is evident that many changes in the construction and relative arrange-
ment of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope
of our invention, we would have it understood that we do not restrict ourselves
to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described,
but that such changes and equivalents may be substituted therefor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
-
1. In a mechanical movement, a driving shaft, and a secondary driving shaft,
both provided with engaging means; said engaging means being constructed
and arranged to become engaged in a relatively movable relation, and a gear-
wheel secured to the secondary driving shaft, and also another shaft provided with
a gear-wheel to mesh with the secondary shaft's gear.
2. In a mechanical movement, a driving shaft, and two secondary driving
shafts, all provided with engaging means; the engaging means of the secondary
driving shafts being constructed and arranged to become engaged in a relatively
movable relation with those of the primary driving shaft, and gear-wheels

page_text: secured to the secondary driving shafts, and also another shaft provided with
gear-wheels to mesh with the secondary driving shafts gears.
3. In a mechanical movement, a driving shaft, and a secondary driving shaft
mounted out of line with the first named shaft, both provided with engaging
means of relatively different lengths, whereby greater leverage is secured.
4. In a mechanical movement, a driving shaft, and two concentric secondary
driving shafts mounted out of line with the first named shaft, all provided with
engaging means; the engaging means of the secondary driving shafts being con-
structed and arranged to become engaged in a relatively movable relation with
those of the primary driving shaft, and gear wheels secured to the secondary
driving shafts; also another shaft provided with gear wheels to mesh with the
gears of the secondary driving shafts.
5. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a crank shaft and a crank
arm, said crank arm being provided with a rotary wrist or roller which engages
a cam-disk provided with a plurality of bearing edges or faces forming an equi-
lateral triangle and provided with straight lines leading from the points of the
triangle.
6. In a mechanical movement, a cam disk having bearing edges or faces form-
ing an equilateral triangle and provided with straight lines leading from the
points of the triangle.
7. In a mechanical movement, a crank shaft provided with two crank wrists,
located at opposite ends of the shaft, in combination with two cam disks con-
structed and arranged to engage said crank wrists.
8. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a crank shaft and two crank
arms lying in the same plane but extending in an opposite direction; said crank
arms being provided with rotary wrists which engage two cam disks provided with
a plurality of bearing edges or faces forming an equilateral triangle, and pro-
vided with straight lines leading from the points of the triangle.
9. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a crank shaft and two crank
arms, both lying in the same plane but extending in an opposite direction; said
crank arms being provided with rotary wrists which engage two cam disks pro-
vided with a plurality of bearing edges or faces-the radii of the cam disks and
the crank armis being of unequal lengths, whereby each wrist engages its respec-
tive cam disk while at and around the dead centres, and afterwards one of said
wrists engages its respective cam disk while the other one is taking its short cut
across the opposite cam.
10. In a mechanical movement, a crank shaft and a crank arm provided with
a rotary wrist, and also another one lying in the same plane but extending in an
opposite direction, in combination with two cam disks provided with a plurality
of bearing edges or faces---the radii of the cam disks and the crank arms being
of unequal lengths, whereby the leverage of the cam disks vary according to the
angularity of the crank arms, and the cam disks being so positioned that during
the transmission of power, the distance between their axes and the ends of the
crank arms is shorter when said crank arms are at and around their dead centres
than in other positions.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to the Applicants,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.