Rope-driving Arrangement for Oranes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1886
Complete Left, 8th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Apr., 1887.
Rope-driving Arrangement for Oranes.
I, GEORGE RUSSELL, Alpha Works Motherwell, Lanarkshire, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The object is to convey the power for driving travelling cranes, by means of an
endless rope or cord, in such a manner that all the pulleys revolve in the same
direction, so as to avoid reverse bends in the rope or cord, and thus lessen wear.
According to one modification-as applied to an overhead travelling crane: the
driving pulley revolves on a horizontal axle, fixed near end of one of the longitudinal
rails on which crane travels. The driven pulley is fixed on crane, at same height,
on horizontal shaft, which actuates the various movements of the crane: this pulley
is not opposite the driving pulley but nearer centre of crane. There is one guide
pulley fixed on crane near driven pulley, but on further side from driving pulley,
at same height running on an axle slightly inclined from the horizontal, so that its
upper edge is exactly opposite the driven pulley on crane, while its lower edge
is exactly opposite the driving pulley. Near further end of the longitudinal rail,
is fixed another guide pulley at same height but inclined at an equal angle in the
opposite direction to the guide pulley on crane, so that its upper edge exactly
opposite the driving pulley, and its lower edge opposite the driven pulloy. The
endless rope or cord leads from top of driving pulley, passing over and round guide
pulley at opposite end of rail, thence to underside of driven pulley, round it and over
top of guide pulley on crane, thence to under side of and round driving pulley to
top which completes the circuit of rope or cord.
1
T
1000

page_text: I, GEORGE RUSSELL of Alpha Works, Motherwell, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, 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 :-
My Invention of rope driving arrangement for cranes, relates to such cranes which
have the power communicated by an endless rope or band. The usual arrangement
hitherto, is to have three pulleys on the crane; one of which is the driven pulley, the
other two being guide pulleys to keep the rope or band in contact with the driven
pulley. As these guide pulleys revolve in the opposite direction from the driven
pulley, the bend on the rope is reversed twice. This wastes considerable power, and
also increases the wear of rope. According to one modification of my Invention
as applied to an overhead travelling crane, the driving pulley revolves on a
horizontal axle, fixed near end of one of the longitudinal rails, on which crane travels.
The driven pulley is fixed on crane at same height, on horizontal shaft which actuates
the various movements of the crane. This pulley is not opposite the driving pulley,
but nearer centre of crane.
There is one guide pulley fixed on crane near driven pulley, but on further
side from driving pulley, at same height running on an axle slightly inclined from
the horizontal, so that its upper edge is exactly opposite the driven pulley on crane,
while its lower edge is exactly opposite the driving pulley. Near further end of the
longitudinal rail is fixed another guide pulley, at some height, but inclined at an
equal angle in the opposite direction to the guide pulley on crane, so that its upper
edge is exactly opposite the driving pulley, and its lower edge opposite the driven
pulley. * The endless rope leads from top of driving pulley, passing over and round
guide pulley at opposite end of rail, thence to under side of driven pulley, round
it and over top of guide pulley on crane thence to under side of and round driving
pulley to top which completes the circuit of rope.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of the arrangement for an overhead
travelling crane. A is the driving pulley, from which the power is to be com-
municated to the driven pulley B, which is fixed on a shaft on crane.
O is a guide
pulley at extreme end from driving pulley, and D is a guide pulley fixed on crane
near the driven pulley. The pulleys A and B are placed so that the crane can travel
till they are opposite each other, with a sufficient clearance space to avoid contact,

page_text: as at Fig. 3. The guide pulleys are inclined in opposite directions, so that C has
its upper edge in line with A, and its lower edge in line with B; while D has
its upper edge in line with B and its lower edge in line with A. The lead of driving
rope is as follows-beginning at top of A to top of C, bottom of C to bottom of B,
top of B to top of D, bottom of D to bottom of A which completes the circuit. When
the driving pulley A revolves, all the other three pulleys revolve in same direction.
The driving rope in passing over the pulleys bends only in one direction from the
line, and the pulleys can be of large diameter. This will be specially advantageous
if wire rope be used. This arrangement is applicable to all kinds of travelling cranes,
driven with any description of rope. In some cases the pulleys may be placed
horizontally, or at any suitable angle.
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 :—
The arrangement of rope driving gear applied to moveable or travelling cranes,
substantially as herein described, and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this Seventh day of March 1907