Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Grooved Pulleys and Drums, and Mechanism or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Grooved
Pulleys and Drums, and Mechanism or Apparatus therefor.
We SAMUEL GIBSON RHODES, WALTER RHODES and EDGAR RHODES
trading as Rhodes Bros., Engineers of Hanover Lane, Park Lane Leeds in the
County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows --
Our invention refers to the construction and manufacture of grooved pulleys,
more especially such as are employed in the transmission of power from one shaft
to another where ropes are employed instead of belts. It is however applicable to
almost all kinds of grooved pulleys, such as where the pulleys are used for friction
drive, or merely as guide pulleys; and also to drums, such as the winding drums of
or in connection with colliery winding apparatus, crane barrels (where ropes are
used), and the like.
Our invention is more particularly applicable and advantageous where the pulley
requires to have many grooves, or is run at a very high speed, or where it is of
importance to minimise the slip between the driving rope and the pulley.
Our invention consists in forming the periphery of the pulley or drum of
corrugated wrought iron or steel. The plate of the necessary length and width
may be either corrugated in a straight form and afterwards rolled or bent circular
and welded; or the straight flat plate may first be rolled and welded to form a
plain cylinder and the corrugations afterwards formed therein or thereon; or
lastly the corrugations may be formed either on the straight plate or the plain
cylinder by a suitably constructed press or presses. The end flanges may be turned
radially outwards or inwards, and perpendicular or inclined to the axis of the pulley.
The boss of the pulley may be formed of cast or malleable iron or steel, and
connected to the periphery of the drum either by disc or truncated ends, or flat or
round iron or steel arms. When round rods or arms are used, these may con-
veniently be rivetted to the outer portions of one or more of the corrugations.
When the pulleys are not of inconveniently large size, we prefer to form the
periphery in one piece. Where the size or diameter is very great, the periphery
may conveniently be built up in two or more pieces or lengths, by means of
corrugated butt straps and countersunk rivets.
The grooves when advisable may be trued up either by turning or by suitable
grinding apparatus.
In the case of winding drums for collieries, it will be necessary to make the
corrugations so as to form a screw or spiral; whilst to produce conical drums, the
corrugations may be blocked (i.e. pressed) on a plain cone; or on a flat plate
forming a segment of an annulus of the requisite size, and afterwards bent or rolled,
and welded or connected up with butt straps and rivetted; or lastly such conical
drums may each be formed by rolling spirally and conically a plate having a single
corrugation.
In the case of a large driving drum on the main shaft of an engine, which it is
desirable to use as a fly wheel, the drum may be made sufficiently heavy by
attaching a cast iron rim within the corrugated periphery of the drum or pulley,
either in one piece or in segments. It will be evident, that such a fly wheel pulley
can be run at a much higher speed, than would be safe with one the periphery of
which is formed of cast iron only.
Moreover pulleys made according to our invention may be made much
lighter and stronger, and may be run at much higher speeds than pulleys, the rims
of which are formed of cast iron; and besides owing to the better "bite" of the rope

page_text: on wrought iron or steel than on cast iron, pulleys made according to our invention
drive with much less slip, and consequently greater steadiness in running.
Dated this 15th day of March 1890.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, A.R.S.M. Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Grooved
Pulleys and Drums, and Mechanism or Apparatus therefor.
We SAMUEL GIBSON RHODES, WALTER RHODES, and EDGAR RHODES
trading as Rhodes Bros., Engineers of Hanover Lane Park Lane Leeds in the
County of York 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 refers to the construction and manufacture of grooved pulleys and
drums, more especially such as are employed in the transmission of power from one
shaft to another where ropes are employed instead of belts. It is however
applicable to almost all kinds of grooved pulleys, such as where the pulleys are
used for a friction drive, or merely as guide pulleys; and also to drums, such as the
winding drums of or in connection with colliery winding and haulage apparatus,
crane barrels (where ropes are used), and the like.
Our invention is-more particularly applicable and advantageous where the pulley
requires to have many grooves, or is run at a very high speed, or where it is of
importance to minimise the slip between the driving rope and the pulley.
Our invention consists in forming the periphery of the pulley or drum of
corrugated wrought iron or steel. The corrugations are preferably of the shapes
at present used in cast iron pulleys for rope driving. We propose to form the
corrugated peripheries of the drums, in the case where the rope to be used is of
considerable diameter, and where consequently the depth and width of a corrugation
are considerable, by rolling the same out of flat sheets to the shape of the corruga-
tions as is shewn in Figs. 1, 3, 7, 8 and 13 in section; so that the thickness of the
plate remains practically unaltered during the rolling. Owing to the comparatively
great depth of the corrugations and the consequent indraw or lessening of the hori
zontal width of the plate; it is impossible to carry out the bending to the finished
section at one operation or passage through the rolls, and on this account the rolls
are formed with the successive grooves increased in depth and lessened in width in
going from one end of the rolls to the other. This is illustrated in Fig. 10 which
shews a radial section near the surfaces of a pair of rolls. The increase in the
depth of the corrugations is accompanied by a decrease in the width, so that the
distance between the summits of any two adjoining corrugations, measured along
the line of the corrugations, remains approximately the same, that is (for example)
the distance abc is approximately equal to def.
In the case where the size of the rope, and consequently the depth and width or
pitch of the corrugations are comparatively small, we prefer to roll the corrugated
periphery for a drum from a solid bar, in which case the ridges between and forming
the sides of, the corrugations or grooves are rolled solid as illustrated in Fig. 5,
which is drawn to a very much larger scale than Figs. 1 to 4.
For single groove
pulleys, we roll the bars to a Y section, as illustrated in Fig. 15, the vertical part
serving to attach the spokes or disc to the rim. The corrugated plates may be
rolled out in a straight form, and after being cut to length, may be bent to shape
in a roll bending machine; or the straight flat plate may first be rolled and welded
to form a plain cylinder and the corrugations afterwards rolled therein or thereon;
or lastly the corrugations may be stamped or pressed therein or thereon on a plain
flat plate between dies. We prefer the method of rolling out in the straight

page_text: form suitable stock lengths of varying width and having varying numbers and
sizes of corrugations.
The end flanges may be formed or arranged in any manner convenient for the
attachment thereto of the ends of the arms. Thus in Fig. 1. the outer sides of the
two outside grooves are inclined at about 45°, so that the heads of the rivets
attaching the ends of the arms to the periphery of the drum, are clear off the rope
as it enters and leaves these grooves. See also Fig. 8. In Fig. 7 the outer side
of the outer groove is shewn Hanged horizontally outwards, and the end of the arm
bent to correspond.
Where the breadth of the pulley is considerable, we form the boss split in two
halves, and of the shape illustrated in Fig. 6, of cast or wrought metal or stamped
out of iron of considerable thickness. Such a boss is usually connected to the
periphery of the drum either by flat arms as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, or by flat
discs (Figs. 3 and 4), or by conical discs with flanged circumferences where
necessary.
In order to stiffen and strengthen drums of large size we propose to cross the
arms as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When round rods are used for arms, the boss
may be of the shape ordinarily used for wrought iron split drums, and the outer
ends of the arms may be rivetted either in the bottom of one of the grooves as
illustrated in Fig. 5, or the outer end of the arm may be flattened so as to fit in the
recess between two grooves and rivetted to the top of the corrugation.
Where the width of the pulley is considerable, the periphery may be built up
of two or more widths (see Figs. 13 and 14). The longitudinal joints may be made
by means of butt straps of special section to fit the insides of the peripheries of
the drums, as shewn in Fig. 7, being stamped or bent curve and made fast with
countersunk screws or rivets. Or single curved junction pieces as shewn in Figs. 8
and 9 may be employed for this purpose. This latter method is not applicable in
the case of the peripheral section illustrated in Fig. 5.
The grooves when advisable may be trued up by turning or suitable grinding
apparatus.
In the case of winding drums for collieries, it will be necessary to make the corru-
gations form one continuous screw or spiral. For cylindrical winding drums our
invention may have little advantage to offer, but it is specially applicable for the
construction of conical or fusce winding drums. The method of forming such a
drum is illustrated by Figs. 11 and 12. AS or U shaped section (Fig. 12) of iron
or steel is rolled out in straight lengths, and afterwards bent preferably in an over-
hung bending mill to the curve of that portion of the spiral for which it is intended.
The various lengths are then connected together in place by countersunk rivetting
as shewn. The conical or fusee periphery may be connected to bosses on the axle
of the engine by flat or round arms or by discs.
In the case of the large driving drum on the main shaft of an engine, which it is
desired to use as a fly wheel, or in the case of a fly wheel which it is desired to use
as a large rope driving pulley, the corrugated cylinder or sheets may be attached to
the fly wheel, either by side brackets bolted to the rim (see Fig. 13) or arms of the
fly wheel, the outer face of the brackets being cast corrugated to suit the inner
surface of the periphery of the drum, and connected with countersunk screws or
rivets passing through the bottom of the grooves, or side plates as illustrated in
Fig. 14, may be bolted to the fly wheel rim or arms, and rivetted at the outer end
of the plates between two adjoining corrugations. It will be evident that such a fly
wheel pulley can be run at a much higer speed than would be safe with one the
periphery of which is formed of cast iron only.
Moreover pulleys made according to our invention may be made much lighter
and stronger, and may be run at much higher speeds than pulleys the rims of which
are formed of cast iron; and besides owing to the better bite of the rope on wrought
iron or steel than on cast iron, pulleys made according to our invention drive with
much less slip and greater steadiness in running.
We wish it to be understood that the illustrations shewn in the accompanying

page_text: drawings and described, are to be considered merely as illustrations, and we do not
limit ourselves to the exact details of shape and relative dimensions shewn, nor to
the exact details of the arrangements; but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is-
1° The construction, manufacture, and use of pulleys and drums having their
peripheries formed of corrugated wrought or sheet iron or steel.
2 The manufacture of corrugated wrought iron or steel plates or sheets for the
peripheries of pulleys and drums, by passing such plates or sheets through rolls
provided with corrugations of varying width and depth substantially as and for the
purposes herein described, and illustrated by Fig. 10.
30 Rope pulleys or drums having corrugated wrought iron or steel peripheries
and split bosses and connected together by straight or inclined, flat or round arms,
or by flat disc or truncated ends as herein set forth.
4° The methods of forming the longitudinal joints of the periphery of a drun or
pulley (constructed according to our invention) substantially as described and as
illustrated by Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
5° Fusee or conical winding drums manufactured substantially as herein set forth
and illustrated by Figs. 11 and 12.
6° Single grooved pulleys manufactured substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated by Fig. 15.
Dated this 10th day of December 1890.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.