Improvements in Friction Clutch Mechanism.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
[Communicated
автожа Dy DAMUEL ELICKOX WHEELER, 01 гаплети,
Connecticut, United States of America.]
Improvements in Friction Clutch Mechanism.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows: -
This invention has for its object the production of an improved friction clutch
pulley mechanism, for transmitting and controlling power, the improvements
rendering the same operable with less fatigue to the operator and enabling the
parts to be better and more quickly controlled, the pulleys having anti-friction
thrust bearings, having balls or rolls to thereby enable the pulleys to be run with
the minimum of friction.
.
In mechanisms of the class referred to, it has been customary by the movement
of a lever to press the two pulley parts together, so that one may drive the other,
the movement of said lever also acting to remove a brake from the driving pulley
and the brake in its releasing movement compresses a spring, so that the operator
to keep the pulley running must continually hold the lever against the stress of
the said spring.
This holding of the lever against the spring is very fatiguing to the operator,
and frequently produces results harmful to the said operator.
In operating the old form of friction clutches the power consumed in overcoming
the friction created at the "thrust" ends of the device is greater than that
necessary to drive the machine.
The introduction of anti-friction thrust bearings as in this device saves this
great loss of power.
In this invention, I have employed anti-friction thrust bearings at opposite
ends of the combined pulleys; and have combined with the lever for controlling
the pressure an auxiliary lever which controls the brake so that the first move-
ments of the pressure controlling lever quickly releases the brake, leaving it at
rest, where it will remain without effort on the part of the operator, and thereafter
by further movement of the pressure controlling lever, any desired degree of
pressure may be exerted, thereby controlling the speed, the lever remaining
practically in any position in which it may be put by the operator, thus relieving
the said operator from the necessity of exerting strain through the leg to keep up
the pressure.
One part of this invention consists in a driving and a driven pulley having
friction faces, means to sustain said pulleys, an anti-friction thrust bearing for
one end of the hub of the driven pulley, and an anti-friction thrust bearing at
one end of the driving pulley and means to force the said pulleys together, whereby
the said pulleys when pressed together are free to run between the rolls or balls
of the said thrust bearings, substantially as will be described.
The stand or bracket is and may be of any usual or suitable construction, it,

page_text: having a bearing to receive the stud on which rotate the pulley parts to be
described.
The stand or bracket also has a second bearing which receives a rock-shaft.
This rock-shaft has attached to it at one end an arm provided with a friction
pad to at times bear against the driven pulley to be described, the arm also, having,
a projection to support one end of a spring the opposite end of said spring rest-
ing against a lug which may have a recess to receive said end.
The rock-shaft has also attached to it a vertical arm having preferably a cam
portion and also preferably a heel, the said arm carrying the pad, rock-shaft, and
vertical arm constituting one form of brake device.
The stand or bracket also supports, loosely a short shaft said shaft having an
annular groove which is entered by the point of a suitable screw screwed into a
part of the stand and held in adjusted position by a suitable set nut.
The short shaft has fixed on it by one or more suitable set screws, a pressure
controlling lever the same having a segmental face, a portion of which presents a
plane or vertical surface and an inclined surface, said lever also having extended
from it a roller or other stud which extends over the cam-faced portion of the arm
the parts being so placed that when the roller or stud has moved down on the
arm to release the brake and compress the spring, the pressure of the latter is
exerted against the stud substantially in line with the centre or fulcrum, so that
the stud is on a dead centre relatively to the thrust of the brake.
The stud may be made hollow from one nearly to its opposite end to leave an
oil chamber, one end of the oil chamber being stopped by a plug.
This stud has at one side an oil inlet, which, when the stud is in place in the
stand or bracket, is in communication with an oil hole in the said stand or bracket,
thus enabling the oil chamber to be filled.
The stud is further provided at its top side with a long slot, in which is placed
a suitable oil absorbent, such for instance as a wick, and preferably thereafter the
wick is covered in the said slot by a strip of leather.
The stud has a shoulder against which revolves loosely a washer, said washer
at its outer side bearing and running against a series of rolls or bails, held, in a
ball cup, forced on a reduced portion of the said stud.
The said ball cup enters a recess in the stand or bracket.
The stud receives on it the driven pulley, the outer end of the hub of said pulley
resting against the said washer.
At the interior of the pulley, there is a hub end, surrounded by a flange, and the
inner side of the said pulley has a leather or other suitable friction face, which is
acted upon with more or less pressure by the friction face of the driving pulley,
made, as a hollow shell and provided externally with band grooves of different
diameters to thus gain the requisite speed.
This driving pulley has its hub provided with an anti-friction thrust bearing,
to be described, which surrounds the reduced portion of the stud.
The thrust bearing of the driving pulley is composed, of a ring, having a
flanged end, and inside this ring is a loose washer, and a fixed ball cup, and a
series of rolls or balls are placed between the washer and ball cup, the washer being
exposed through the flange of the ring at the outer end of the driving pulley.
This ring is forced into the bore of the hub of the driving pulley, and it and its
contents always rotate with the rotating driving pulley.
The reduced end of the stud is provided with a loose thimble, the inner end of
which bears against the loose washer, and the outer end of this thimble is borne
against with more or less pressure by the face of the segment.
The outer end of the pressure controlling lever has connected to it a rod, which
is joined at its opposite end to a treadle provided between its ends, so that the
depression of the inuer end of the treadle will pull the lever down, and the
depression of the outer end of the treadle will raise the lever.
Normally the arm will be elevated, and in this condition the substantially
vertical part of the segment will be opposite the end of the thimble, and at the

page_text: same time the roller stud will rest at the upper end of the cam surface, and
between it and the heel, leaving the spring free to act and force the pad against
and so as to act as a brake for the driven pulley.
To start the driven pulley, the operator will depress the lever and it, in the
first part of its movement, will act on the cam surface, and will move the brake
device to remove the pad from contact with the pulley, and this movement also
compresses the spring, but the stress of the spring is not exerted to lift the lever,
as heretofore, owing to the location and position of the roller stud, and thereafter
by further depressing the said lever, the inclined face of the segment, pushes
on the thimble and causes it to bear on the loose washer, forming part of the
thrust bearing of the driving pulley, and force the said pulley against the inner
side of the pulley to be driven by it, the outer end of the hub of the latter pulley
being pressed against the loose washer of the inner thrust bearing, the faces of
the two pulleys being thus pressed together firmly, so that the driving pulley will
turn the driven pulley with it, the two pulleys running freely as one on the said
stud between the anti-friction thrust bearings.
By pressing down the heel end of the treadle hard, the roller stud will act on
the heel and cause the pad to be forced against the driving pulley, with a force
in excess of the strength of the spring.
This invention is not limited to the particular means shown to support the
pulleys.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:—
This invention has for its object the production of an improved friction clutch
pulley mechanism, for transmitting and controlling power, the improvements
rendering the same operable with less fatigue to the operator and enabling the
parts to be better and more quickly controlled, the pulleys having anti-friction
thrust bearings, having balls or rolls to thereby enable the pulleys to be run with
the minimum of friction.
In mechanisms of the class referred to, it has been customary by the movement
of a lever to press the two pulley parts together, so that one may drive the other,
the movement of said lever also acting to remove a brake from the driven pulley
and the brake in its releasing movement compresses a spring, so that the operator
to keep the pulley running must continually hold the lever against the stress of
the said spring.
This holding of the lever against the spring is very fatiguing to the operator,
and frequently produces results harmful to the said operator.
In operating the old form of friction clutches the power consumed in overcoming
the friction created at the "thrust" ends of the device is greater than that
necessary to drive the machine.
The introduction of anti-friction thrust bearings as in this device saves this
great loss of power.

page_text: In this invention, I have employed anti-friction thrust bearings at opposite ends
of the combined pulleys; and have combined with the lever for controlling the
pressure an auxiliary lever which controls the brake, so that the first movement
of the pressure controlling lever quickly releases the brake, leaving it at rest,
where it will remain without effort on the part of the operator; and thereafter,
by further movement of the pressure controlling lever, any desired degree of
pressure may be exerted, thereby controlling the speed, the lever remaining
practically in any position in which it may be put by the operator, thus relieving
the said operator from the necessity of exerting strain through the leg to keep up
the pressure.
One part of this invention consists in a driving and a driven pulley having
friction faces, means to sustain said pulleys, an anti-friction thrust bearing for one
end of the hub of the driven pulley, and an anti-friction thrust bearing at one
end of the driving pulley, and means to force the said pulleys together, whereby
the said pulleys when pressed together are free to run between the rolls or balls
of the said thrust bearings, substantially as will be described.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the same fully with reference to the accompany-
ing drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a clutch pulley mechanism embodying this
invention.
Fig. 2 is a section through the pulleys and the stand.
Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the brake device;
Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the inner side of the pressure controlling lever,
and a part of the brake device with which it co-operates;
Fig. 5, is a detail view of the shaft d; and
Fig 6 is an enlarged view of the stud a' with an anti-friction thrust bearing
on it.
The stand or bracket A is and may be of any usual or suitable construction, it,
as shown, having a bearing a to receive the stud a¹, on which rotate the pulley
parts to be described.
The stand or bracket also has a second bearing as, which as shown, receives a
rock-shaft b.
This rock-shaft has attached it at one end an arm 61, provided with a friction
pad 62, to at times bear against the driven pulley to be described; the arm also
having, as hercin shown, a projection 63, to support one end of a spring 64, the
opposite end of said spring resting against a lug c, which may have a recess to
receive said end.
The rock-shaft b has also, as herein shown, attached to it a vertical arm c¹ having
preferably a cam portion 2, and also preferably a heel c³, the said arm b, rock-
shaft, and arm c¹ constituting one form of brake device.
The stand or bracket also loosely supports a short shaft d, shown in Figure 5,
having an annular groove d', which is entered by the point of a suitable screw, as d²,
screwed into a part of the stand and held in adjusted position by a suitable set
nut ³.
The short shaft d has fixed on it, by one or more suitable set screws e, a pressure
controlling lever e¹, the same having a segmental face e, a portion of which
presents a plane or vertical surface as at 2, and an inclined surface as at 3, said
lever also having extended from it a roller or other stud c*, which extends over
the cam-faced portion of the arm c¹, the parts being so placed that when the roller
or stud has moved down on the arm c¹, to release the brake and compress the
spring, the pressure of the latter is exerted against the stud substantially in line
with the centre or fulcrum d, so that the stud is on a dead centre relatively to
the thrust of the brake.
The stud a' is herein shown as made hollow from one end nearly to its opposite
end so as to leave an oil chamber f, one end of which is stopped by a plug f.
This stud a¹ has at one side an oil inlet f, which, when the stud is in place in.

page_text: the stand or bracket, is in communication with an oil hole f³ in the said stand or
bracket, thus enabling the oil chamber to be filled.
The stud is further provided at its top side with a long slot f, in which is placed
a suitable oil absorbent f, such for instance as a wick, and preferably thereafter
the wick is covered in the said slot by a strip of leather fo.
The stud has a shoulder g against which revolves loosely a washer g¹, said washer at
its outer side bearing and running against a series of rolls or balla g², held, as
shown, in a ball cup g, forced on a reduced portion of the said stud.
The said ball cup enters a recess in the stand or bracket.
The stud receives the driven pulley h, the outer end of the hub of said pulley
resting against the said washer g.
At the interior of the pulley, there is a hub end h³, surrounded by a flange h³,
and the inner side of the said pulley has, as shown, a leather or other suitable
friction face, which is acted upon with more or less pressure by the friction
face m of the driving pulley m³, made in the form of a hollow shell and provided
externally with band grooves of different diameters to thus gain the requisite
speed.
This driving pulley has its hub provided with an anti-friction thrust bearing,
about to be described, which surrounds the reduced portion g6 of the stud.
The thrust bearing of the driving pulley is composed, as shewn, of a ring n,
having a flanged end n', and inside this ring is a loose washer n², and a fixed ball
cup ³, a series of rolls or balls being placed between the washer and ball cup.
The washer is exposed through the flange of the ring at the outer end of the
driving pulley.
This ring is forced into the bore of the hub of the driving pulley, and it and
its contents always rotate therewith.
The reduced end g of the stud is provided with a loose thimble o, the inner
end of which bears against the loose washer n³, and the outer end of this thimble
is borne against with more or less pressure by the face of the segment e².
The outer end of the pressure controlling lever el has connected to it a rod 7,
partially shown, which is joined at its opposite end to a treadle pivoted between
its ends, so that the depression of the inner end of the treadle will pull the lever
down, and the depression of the outer end of the treadle will raise the lever.
Normally the arm will be elevated, as in the drawings, and in this condition
the substantially vertical part 2 of the segment will be opposite the end of the
thimble o, and at the same time the roller stud e will rest at the upper end of the
cam surface, and between it and the heel c³, leaving the spring 6 free to act
and force the pad against the driven pulley so as to act as a brake thereon.
To start the driven pulley, the operator will depress the lever e¹, and it, in the
first part of its movement, will act on the cam surface &, and will move the brake
device to remove the pad from contact with the pulley h, and this movement also
compresses the spring, but the stress of the spring is not exerted to lift the
lever, as heretofore, owing to the location and position of the roller stud c*, and
thereafter by further depressing the said lever, the inclined face 3 of the segment,
pushes on the thimble and causes it to bear on the loose washer n², forming part
of the thrust bearing of the driving pulley m', and force the said pulley against
the inner side of the pulley h, to be driven by it, the outer end of the hub of the
latter pulley being pressed against the loose washer of the inner thrust bearing,
the faces of the two pulleys being thus pressed together firmly, so that the driving
pulley will turn the driven pulley with it, the two pulleys running freely as one
on the said stud between the anti-friction thrust bearings.
By pressing down the heel end of the treadle hard, the roller stud will act on
the heel and cause the pad to be forced against the driving pulley, with a force
in excess of the strength of the spring.
This invention is not limited to the particular means shown to support the
pulleys.

page_text: Having now' particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim in friction clutch-
mechanisin is:-
1. A separate pressure device for clutching the driving and driven pulleys inde-
pendent of the brake device, but connected therewith to operate the latter, said
connection being substantially on a dead center with said brakes when the latter
is released from the braking position, whereby the latter has no tendency to move
the pressure device, substantially as described.
2. An independent pressure device, separate from the brake device, having a
segment provided with a straight and an inclined face, to force the said pulleys
in driving contact, the said pressure device also serving to effect the release of
the said brake device during the first part of its movement, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with the above claimed pressure device of an anti-friction
thrust bearing against which the driven pulley runs, a driving pulley having an
anti-friction thrust bearing, a support for said pulley, and a brake device, sub-
stantially as described.
4. The combination with the stud or shaft, an anti-friction bearing carried
thereby, and the loose driven pulley on said stud or shaft; of the driving pulley
having secured in its hub an anti-friction thrust bearing composed of a flanged
collar, a washer, a ball-cap, and a series of balls, and a thimble surrounding one
end of said stud or shaft and acting against the loose washer in the driving pulley,
and a pressure controlling lever, to operate said clutch mechanism, substantially
as described.
Tad this 21st day of Ton 1808
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.