IMPROVEMENTS IN MILL GEARING
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Norman Macbeth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1881.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MILL GEARING."
The object of my Invention is to obtain increased strength and lightness in mill
gearing, and my improvements relate to the construction of belt and rope pulleys,
hollow shafts, and bearings used for the transmission of motive power.
The first part of my Invention consists in constructing the rims of belt and rope
pulleys of rolled metal, such as wrought iron or steel, and the arms and bosses of
cast metal, such as cast steel or malleable cast iron, the section of the rim being
such that a rib of metal running round the inner side of the rim, and in immediate
contact with the arms, gives a greater thickness of metal where required for
receiving the bolts, rivets, or screws which serve for fastening the rim to the arms.
The rims may be made of various sections suitable for receiving belts or ropes, and
they may or may not be turned or ground on the working face. The pulleys may
be split in two or more parts for convenience in putting them on the shafts, or the
rim and the arms with their boss may in each case be made in one separate piece.
The pulleys may be fastened to the shafts by means of keys, cone brushes, or set
screws, or in the case of split pulleys they may be bored to fit the shafts, and
clipped to them by means of the bolts fastening the halves of the bosses together.
The arms may be cast of any suitable form or section.
In the case of split pulleys the halves of the bosses may be fastened together and
made to clip the shaft by turning the ends of the bosses conical on the outsides,
and driving hoops with conical holes upon the bosses. The ribs running 'round the
insides of the rims may or may not be bored true, and the arm heads may or may
not be turned or slotted to fit the ribs.
The second part of my Invention consists in forming the rope grooves in large
weighted rope pulleys of rolled strips of wrought iron or steel fastened upon the

page_text: outside of the cast iron weight rim of the pulley, the strips of wrought iron or .
steel being rolled to a suitable section for receiving the ropes.
The rolled strips are thickened at the bottoms of the grooves to give sufficient
metal for receiving bolts, rivets, or screws for fastening them to the weight rim of
the pulley. Any number of grooved strips may be fastened side by side on the
rim of the pulley.
The third part of my Invention consists in filling the ends of iron or steel tubes
by means of wrought iron or steel plug pieces welded into the same, and thus
forming solid ends suitable for coupling the hollow shafts thus formed together in
line. In some cases we forge coupling flanges upon the plug pieces which are
welded into the ends of the tubes, thus forming solid flange couplings on the ends
of the hollow shafts, the halves of which couplings are fastened together by means
of bolts or otherwise.
In some cases I use cast or. wrought iron or steel, or. malleable cast iron flanges
keyed or shrunk upon the solid plugged end of one hollow shaft to couple it to
another hollow shaft having a solid flange forged on the plug piece welded into it..
In some cases I form collared necks or journals upon the plug pieces which are
welded into the ends of the tubes, thus forming swelled or collared ended hollow
shafts.
The hollow shafts may or may not be turned or ground on the whole or part of
their surfaces. The tubes used may be either single in thickness, or may be "cased "
(or double), and they may be butt or lap welded or solid drawn tubes.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in forming adjustable bearings for
shafts by making the pedestal part separate from the hanger, bracket, or pillar clip,
and provided with a bored or cast hole passing through its base transversely to the
centre line of the shaft. The hanger, bracket, or pillar clip is provided with a solid
or hollow wrought iron or steel stud pin, placed horizontally and passing through
the bored or cast hole in the base of the pedestal. The stud pin is fastened to the
hanger, bracket, or pillar clip by casting one end of it into the same, or by fitting it
into a bored hole in the same; this stud pin is the sole support of the pedestal,
which does not come in contact with the hanger, bracket, or pillar clip.
The pedestals may be fastened in position on the stud pins, transversely to the
It is not necessary
centre line of the shaft, by means of keys, set screws, or nuts.
that the stud pins should be turned. By this means hangers, brackets, and pillar
clips combining great strength with lightness may be made.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Norman Macbeth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
July 1881.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MILL GEARING."
The first part of my Invention consists in constructing the rims of belt and rope
pulleys of rolled metal, such as wrought iron or steel, and the arms and bosses of
cast metal; such as cast steel or malleable cast iron, the section of the rim being
such that a rib of metal running round the inner side of the rim, and in immediate
contact with the arms, gives a greater thickness of metal where required for
receiving the bolts, rivets, or screws which serve for fastening the rim to the arms.
The rims may be made of various sections suitable for receiving belts or ropes, and
they may or may not be turned or ground on the working faces.
The pulleys
may be split in two or more parts for convenience in putting them on the shafts, or
the rim and the arms with their boss may in each case be made in one separate
piece. The pulleys may be fastened to the shafts by means of keys, cone bushes,
or set screws, or in the case. of split pulleys they may be bored to fit the shafts,
and clipped to them by means of the bolts fastening the halves of the bosses
together. The arms may be cast of any suitable form or section.
In the case of split pulleys the halves of the bosses may be fastened together
and made to clip the shaft by turning the end of the bosses conical on the outsides,
and driving hoops with conical holes upon the bosses. The ribs running round the
insides of the rims may or may not be bored true, and the arm heads may or may
not be turned or slotted to fit the ribs.
The second part of my Invention consists in forming the rope grooves in large
weighted rope pulleys of rolled strips of wrought iron or steel fastened. upon the
outside of the cast iron weight rim of the pulley, the strips of wrought iron or
steel being rolled to a suitable section for receiving the ropes. The rolled strips
are thickened at the bottoms of the grooves to give sufficient metal for receiving
bolts, or rivets, or screws for fastening them to the weight rim of the pulley. Any
number of grooyed strips may be fastened side by side on the rim of the pulley.
The third part of my Invention consists in filling the ends of iron or steel tubes
by means of wrought iron or steel plug pieces welded into the same, and thus
forming solid ends suitable for coupling the hollow shafts thus formed together in
line. In some cases I forge coupling flanges upon the plug pieces which are
welded into the ends of the tubes, thus forming solid flange couplings on the ends
of the hollow shafts, the halves of which couplings are fastened together by means
of bolts.or otherwise.
In some cases I use cast or wrought iron, or steel, or malleable cast iron, flanges,
keyed, or shrunk upon the solid plugged end of one hollow shaft to couple it to
another hollow shaft, having a solid flange forged on the plug piece welded into it.
In some cases I form collared necks or journals upon the plug pieces which are
welded into the ends of the tubes, thus forming swelled or collared ended hollow
shafts. The hollow shafts may or may not be turned or ground on the whole or
part of their surfaces. The tubes used may be either single in thickness or may
be cased (or double), and they may be butt or lap welded or solid drawn tubes.
I form adjustable bearings for shafts by making the pedestal part separate from
the hanger, bracket, or pillar clip, and provided with a bored or cast hole passing
through its base transversely to the centre line of the shaft. The hanger, bracket,
or pillar clip is provided with a solid or hollow wrought iron or steel stud pin
placed horizontally, and passing through the bored or cast hole in the base of the
pedestal. The stud pin is fastened to the hanger, bracket, or pillar clip by casting
one end of it into the same, or by putting it into a bored hole in the same; this
stud pin is the sole support of the pedestal, which does not come in contact with
the hanger, bracket, or pillar clip.

page_text: The pedestals may be fastened in position on the stud pins transversely to the
It is not necessary.
centre line of the shaft by means of keys, set screws, or nuts.
that the stud pins should be turned. By this means hangers, brackets, and pillar
clips combining great strength with lightness may be made.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figs. 1 and 2 show sections of rims of two belt pulleys made according to my
Invention; a is the wrought rim; b is the strengthening rib rolled with it; c is the
extremity of an arm of the pulley of cast metal; the rim is rivetted (or it may
be bolted or screwed) to a projection or projections at the end of the arm, as
shown.
Fig. 3 shows a modification of this part of my Invention (which I prefer to use, as
it affords greater facility for forming the rib on the rim). The rim is rolled of metal
of equal thickness, and it is recessed around the middle; in the recess extending round
the pulley I place an annular strip of metal b', which, together with the recessed
. rib, serves instead of the rib marked b above referred to for the rivets or bolts to
pass through to connect the rim to the arms.
Fig. 5 shows a section of the rim of a rope pulley for two ropes made according
to my Invention; a, a, are the wrought rims, on each of which is a strengthening
rib b; c is the extremity of an arm of the pulley to which the rims are secured.
Fig. 4 shows a section in which the strengthening rib is not rolled with the rim a,.
but an annular strip of metal 6' through which the bolts pass is placed round the
bottom of the groove in each strip of metal forming the rim; the strips of metal
forming the rim are of equal thickness throughout.
Fig. 6 shows a section of part of a weighted rope pulley made according to my
Invention; d is the weight rim, and on it are bolted two rope rims a, a; any
number of grooved strips may be fitted on one pulley.
Fig. 7 shows in section the ends of two hollow shafts made according to my
Invention; e, e, are the tubes, which may be made of iron or steel; f, f, are plug
pieces welded in the ends of the tubes; g is a coupling.
Fig. 8 shows in section the ends of two hollow shafts in which are welded plug
pieces having coupling flanges.
Fig. 9 shows the end of a hollow shaft in the end of which is welded a plug piece
on which is formed a collared neck or journal.
Fig. 10 shows an adjustable shaft bearing; h is the pedestal, through the lower
part of which passes the pin i, this pin also enters a hole in the bracket j; k and l
are set screws for securing the pin i when the pedestal is adjusted; the pedestal may
slide and swivel on the pin i for adjustment.
Having stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
1. The improved wrought rims with strengthening rib for rope or bell pulleys, as
described and shown on Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
2. The application of a wrought rope rim or rims to the weight rim of a pulley,
as described and shown on Fig. 6.
3. Welding plug pieces with or without flanges or collared necks in the ends of
hollow shafts, substantially as described and shown on Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Norman Macbeth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
night