IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS, WHEELS, AND PULLEYS USED IN MILL GEARING, AND IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM ONE WHEEL OR PULLEY TO ANOTHER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Norman Macbeth, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS, WHEELS,
AND PULLEYS USED IN MILL GEARING, AND IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING
POWER FROM ONE WHEEL OR PULLEY TO ANOTHER."
Sealed the 5th July 1878, and dated the 10th April 1878.
Sealed the 5th July 1878, and dated the 10th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Norman Macbeth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1878.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COUPLINGS, WHEELS, AND PULLEYS USED IN MILL GEARING, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM ONE WHEEL OR PULLEY TO ANOTHER.'
"3
My Invention consists in coupling the ends of shafts by means of a coupling
box, in which the hole for receiving the shaft ends has one or more longitudinal
recesses or grooves cast or cut across its circumference, so that the coupling cannot
touch or bear all round the shaft, but only on such parts as are left projecting
between the longitudinal recesses or grooves, and on the key or keys used for
fastening the coupling upon the shafts. On the key or keys being driven up the
shafts are fastened between the projecting parts separating the recesses and the key
or keys, but on the key or keys being driven back the coupling is loose on the shaft
and can easily be removed or slid along it.
In one arrangement I use only one longitudinal recess, the key or keys being
placed on that side of the shaft which is opposite to the recess, so that the key or
keys on being driven up cause the shafts to bear on those parts of the coupling
near to the edges of the recess.
In another arrangement the coupling may have one or more recesses on that
side of the shafts on which the key or keys are situated, leaving a narrow face or
strip projecting on each side of the recess which is opposite to the key or keys to
bear against the shafts.

page_text: In another arrangement two or more recesses may take the place of the single
recess, which in the first arrangement was placed opposite to the key or keys;
between each two recesses a projecting face or strip is left to bear against the
shaft.
Any convenient form of key or keys may be used.
The same principle may be applied for fastenings, wheels, or pulleys upon shafts.
The boss of the wheel or pulley has one or more longitudinal recesses or grooves
cast or cut across the circumferences of the hole for the shaft.
The key or keys and the recess or recesses may be placed in the various arrange-
ments, as before described, and the recess or recesses may be inade large enough so
that the wheel or pulley may be passed over any swells or collars which may be
upon the shaft.
The apparatus for transmitting power from one wheel or pulley to another con-
sists of a flat band of steel, iron, brass, or other suitable metal of any convenient
width or thickness, to which are attached projecting blocks of suitable shape for
taking into annular grooves of V or other convenient shape passing around the
circumference of the wheels or pulleys, in which may be one or more such
grooves.
The band may be made in one or more layers or thicknesses of metal, and may
have one or more rows of blocks running along the length of the band.
The blocks may be made of wood, iron, leather, india-rubber, or other suitable
material, and may be attached to the metal band at any convenient distances
apart.
In another arrangement the blocks attached to the metal band may be grooved
and take on to one or more raised flanges passing around the circumferences of the
wheels or pulleys.

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 30th August
1878.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COUPLINGS, WHEELS, AND PULLEYS USED IN MILL GEARING, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM ONE WHEEL OR PULLEY TO ANOTHER."
The first part of my Invention relates to an improved mode of coupling shafts
and of constructing wheels and pulleys used in mill gearing, and it consists in
forming longitudinal recesses or grooves in the sides of the holes for receiving the
shaft or shafts in such positions that the shafts are held between the keys and the
faces at the edges of or between the recesses or grooves, the object of the arrange-
ment being to allow of the wheel, pulley, or coupling being bored to a slightly
larger diameter in the hole than the shaft or shafts on which they fit, thus facili-
tating the fixing or removal of the same, and at the same time to provide for the
wheel, pulley, or coupling being rigidly fastened upon the shaft or shafts when the
key or keys is or are driven up.
This novel formation or arrangement of hole is shewn on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings; Figs. 1 and 2 shew the modification of the improved arrangement or
formation of hole which it would be preferable to adopt in the case of an ordinary
box coupling. a is the boss or sleeve forming the coupling box; b, b, are the two
ends of the shafts to be coupled; c is the groove or bed in the coupling box for
receiving the keys; d, d¹, d, are recesses cast or cut across the circunference of the
hole in the coupling box, leaving the projecting faces or strips e, e, which bear against
the shafts, and the faces or strips ff, which are bored out along with the faces e, e,
to a slightly larger diameter than that of the shafts b, b. The two shafts b, b, to
be coupled are turned to equal diameters at their contiguous ends. The centres of
the key groove c and of the faces e, e, are placed at equal or nearly equal distances
apart around the hole for the shafts. The shaft ends b, b, are grooved to receive the
feathers or packings g and g', which are sunk into the shafts, having their top sides
projecting slightly above the surface of the shafts so that the keys h and h¹ may be
entered into the groove c, without coming in contact with the shafts. The packing g
is somewhat thicker than gl, so that the key can easily be pushed past the packing
gl. The groove c is planed taper, having its larger end at c. Both the keys h and
hare driven from the end e', and a slight space is left between their inner ends so
that in driving them out the key h is started first and acts as a drift in driving out
the key h¹. In consequence of the diameter of the bored part of the hole in the
coupling being slightly larger than that of the shaft ends on which it fits, the
coupling can easily be placed in its working position on the shafts, and can also
casily be pushed on one side to allow of one of the lengths of shafting being removed
from its bearings or for other purposes. On the keys h and h¹ being driven up
tight the faces or strips e, e, are drawn against the shafts, thus causing the coupling
box to be fixed upon them, and the keys h and h¹, and thus to be as rigidly fastened
upon the shafts as if it were staked upon them by a triple set of keys, and at the
same time both shafts are held truly in one straight line by the faces e, c, which are
bored parallel. On account of the packings g and g¹ projecting partly above the
surfaces of the shafts, the shafts are prevented from turning in the coupling box in
case the keys h and h¹ become slightly loose.
Neither in the above-described modification of my improved coupling, nor in any
of the following do 1 tie myself to the special arrangement of keys and packings
above described, but any known form of key or keys may be used, and they may
be made in two pieces, one for each shaft end, or in one piece extending right
through the coupling. They may be made rectangular in section or hollowed on
the side in contact with the shaft or shafts, and they may be sunk into the shaft or
shafts or not, as may be most convenient.
Figs. 3 and 4 show how the same arrangement of recesses and faces can be adopted

page_text: for a flanged coupling box, the halves of which are fastened together by bolts. In
this case the keys are driven from the centre of the coupling, and no packings under
them are required.
The faces ff, shewn in Fig. 1, may be dispensed with, and the recesses d', d¹, may
be carried up to the key groove c, as shewn in Fig. 5.
The recesses d', d', in Fig. 1 may be dispensed with, and the faces e, e, may be
carried up to the key groove c, as shewn in Fig. 6.
Two sets of keys inay be used in separate key beds c, c, as in Fig. 7.
When two or more key grooves are used, one or more faces or strips e may be
used, as in Figs. 8, 9, and 10.
The coupling boxes may be made in one or more parts, and the parts may be
fastened together in any convenient manner.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 shew modifications of the improved arrangement or forma-
tion of hole as applied to the central boss or nave of a wheel or pulley; a, in Figs. 12
and 13 is the boss forming the centre of the wheel or pulley; b, the shaft upon
which it is carried; c is the bed or groove for the key; d, d, d', are recesses or
grooves cast or cut across the circumference of the hole for the shaft, leaving the
projecting faces e, e, which are bored to fit the shaft.
The key h may be either hollowed on the shaft side, or it may be sunk into the
shaft or fit on a flat upon it. In order in this case to be able to gauge the size of
the hole when being bored, I cast a third face or strip in the position where after-
wards the groove for the key is planed, which face is bored with faces e, e, and is
afterwards cut away in slotting out the groove c.
The recesses d', d, may be made wide enough to allow the wheel or pulley to
be passed along the shaft over any swell or collar upon it.
The boss of the wheel or pulley may be chambered inside, as in Fig. 13. Where
I use faces at the sides of the key grooves c, as in Figs. 1, 3, and 6, I prefer to make
the diameter of the hole in the wheel or pulley slightly larger than the diameter
of the shaft, so that it can easily be fixed or removed.
The application of my improved mode of constructing the centre bosses of
wheels and pulleys admits of all the variations and modifications of sectional
form and arrangement and number of keys, recesses, and faces that are applicable
in the case of my improved form of coupling box.
The wheels or pulleys with bosses on this improved plan may be cast whole or in
parts.
The second part of my Invention relates to an improved apparatus for trans-
mitting power from one wheel or pulley to another, and consists of a flat
uncorrugated flexible band or strip of steel, iron, brass, or other suitable metal
of convenient width or thickness, to which are attached projecting flexible blocks
or pads of suitable shape for taking into annular grooves of V or other con-
venient sectional forin passing around the circumference of the wheels or pulloys in
which are one or more such annular grooves.
The band may be made of one or more layers or thicknesses of metal, and may
have one or more rows of flexible blocks running along the length of the band, each
row taking into a separate annular groove in the wheel or pulley.
The blocks may be made of any suitable flexible material, by preference leather,
and may be attached to the metal band at any convenient distances apart.
The most convenient forms and mode of construction of my improved apparatus
for transmitting power are shown in Figs. 14, 15, 16, and 17, which represent
different views of a band with a single row of flexible blocks; f is the metal band;
a, a, and b, shew how the flexible blocks may be formed of india-rubber or other
like material; c, d, and e, shew them made from layers of leather; g is the annular
groove in the wheel or pulley.
I prefer to attach the blocks by means of rivets, as the Drawing shews, but bolts
or other convenient means of attachment may be used.
Figs. 18, 19, and 20 shew various sections applicable in the construction of bands
with single rows of blocks.

page_text: Fig. 21 shews a band with several rows of blocks taking into separate annular
grooves in the same pulley.
In Figs. 18 to 21, represents the inetal band; a, the flexible block; and g, the
annular groove in the pulley.
Fig. 22 represents a modification of my improved driving bands; in this case
a double row of blocks a is attached to the metal band f, leaving a V or other
shaped groove between them, which groove takes on the raised flange g, passing
around the circumference of the wheel or pulley.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several convenient
modes of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to
limit myself to the details given, as the same may be considerably varied or modified ;
but what I do claim is,-
First. The various improved modes of coupling the ends of shafts by means of
coupling boxes having recesses or grooves with intermediate faces and with keys, as
shewn and for the purposes described.
Secondly. The improved modes of keying wheels and pulleys on shafts, as
shewn and described."
Thirdly. The improved driving bands shewn and described, consisting of an
uncorrugated flexible band or strip of metal, to which are attached flexible blocks
or pads taking into annular grooves in the wheels or pulleys.
And, Fourthly. Making the driving bands with grooved blocks fitting on raised
flanges on the wheels or pulleys, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Norman Macbeth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
NORMAN MACBETH. (LS.)