Improved Clutch-gear for Machinery.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Clutch-gear for Machinery.
I, EDWARD THUNDERBOLT, of Drummond Street, Carlton, in the Colony of
Victoria, Engineer, at present residing at 158 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, 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 relates to clutch-gear for connecting a rotating shaft with and
disconnecting it from the machinery it is intended to drive, or by which the same
is driven; and the chief object of the invention is to provide means whereby the
connection and disconnection can be effected without the aid of a clutch lever such
as is usually employed with the clutches at present in use, which, as is well known,
are generally put into and out of action by means of a sleeve sliding longitudinally
on the shaft and provided with a circumferential groove into which takes the end
of a clutch-lever pivotted to the framing of the machinery or to some other fixed
point.
For this purpose I employ arrangements of the kind illustrated in the accom-
panying two sheets of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a clutch-gear applied to the end of a shaft for the
purpose of connecting and disconnecting a wheel or pulley to and from a shaft, as
for example in the case of a wheel or pulley X*, mounted on the fore end of the
crank shaft X2 of a marine engine, for the purpose of communicating motion, when
desired, to the air pump or pumps of a governing apparatus of the kind for which
Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the 15th day of August 1893
暑
No. 15,481, or to any other governing apparatus. Figure 2 is a sectional view of
the same taken on line Y-Y of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line Z-Z of Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modified arrangement of similar clutch gear as
applied to some part of the length of a shaft, and
Figure 5a view of another modification as applied to the connection and
disconnection of two shafts situated in line with one another."
✗ represents a disc with arms or stops X₁ bolted to the end of the engine
shaft X, X³ is a boss standing out at right angles to the disc X. X' is a pulley or
wheel mounted on the boss X³ and adapted to rotate freely thereon. This pulley
or wheel may be provided with teeth as shown adapted to take into the links of a
pitch-chain by which motion is to be communicated from the engine shaft X² to
the corresponding pulley of the governor or other apparatus to be driven, or it
may be provided with ordinary teeth for transmitting motion through toothed
wheel work to such governor or other apparatus, or with a rope groove, or a strap
pulley X for transmitting motion by means of a rope or belt. X is a lever
pivotted on gudgeons X' fixed in the boss X8 of the pulley or wheel X'. One end
of this lever is pin-jointed at X' to a bolt X sliding through an opening in the
'pulley or wheel X. The other end of the lever X is pin-jointed at X" to a
ring which is pivotted at X" to studs X14 fixed to the pulley or wheel X*.
The ring X is preferably provided with a grooved or U-shaped flange ✗15.
X is a spring latch fixed to the pulley X', and adapted to take to one side or
other of the projection X on the lever X, according as the free end of the latter
is pushed inwards towards the end of the shaft X or drawn outwards therefrom.

page_text: Xis a plate bolted to the end of the boss X³ for the purpose of retaining the
ulley or wheel X in place on the said boss.
It will now be understood that when pressure is exerted upon the ring X", in
the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, the lever X is caused to turn on its
gudgeons X and to draw the bolt X out clear of the arms X' of the disc X, the
latch X then takes outside the projection X' whereby the said bolt is held in
that position, and motion is not communicated from the shaft X² to the pulley or
wheel X. When, however, the lever X is drawn outwards in a direction opposite
to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, by means of any suitable instrument
applied to the flange X" of the ring X, the bolt X is pushed forward so as to
take into one or other of the spaces between the arms X. One of the latter then
communicates motion through the bolt X to the pulley or wheel X, and the
governor or other machinery connected with such pulley or wheel is thereby set in.
motion. The spring latch X1 slips over the projection X" as the lever X is
pushed inwards, and takes behind the other side of such projection, thereby locking
the lever and holt so as to keep the latter in gear with the arms X' until the
ring X is again pushed inwards to disengage the bolt from the arms.
In the modification shown in Figure 4 instead of the arms X¹ being bolted to
the end of the shaft X2 they are formed with a clip X secured on the shaft by
bolts passing through lugs X20 formed on the said clip. Or the said arms may be
formed on a boss or ring keyed, bolted, or otherwise secured on the shaft. The
pulley or wheel X is adapted to rotate freely on the shaft X2; being prevented
from moving longitudinally thereon by a suitable collar, or by a clip X secured
to the shaft by bolts passing through lugs X" or otherwise. The action of the
modification is exactly the same as that described in reference to Figures 1, 2
and 3.
In the arrangements above described the pulley or wheel X is supposed to be
driven by the shaft X2; but it is obvious that the same arrangements are applicable
to the case where the said pulley or wheel drives the shaft, the only difference
being that in the latter case the bolt X drives the arms X' while in the former
case the arms drive the bolt.
It is obvious that instead of the above described clutch gear being applied to
connect and disconnect a pulley or wheel to and from a shaft it may be applied, by
suitable modifications, to connect and disconnect other parts of machinery to and
from a driving or driven shaft, for example, it may be applied to connect and
disconnect a driving shaft to and from another shaft in line with the same as shown
in Figure 5, by securing the arms X' at or near the end of one shaft X², and the
rest of the gear at or near the end of the other shaft X2* ; but in that case the
bolt X passes through a disc or other suitable guide piece X fixed on the said
shaft X2*, and lever X is pivotted on the boss of the said disc, or otherwise
directly or indirectly to such shaft, the latch X being fixed to the disc or guide
piece X. The operating ring X 12 X is pivotted at X13 to the disc or guide
piece X, or otherwise directly or indirectly to the shaft X**, and is connected
at X" to the lever X. The action of this modification is exactly the same as that
of the other arrangements described.
Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
First. The improved clutch-gear for connecting and disconnecting a pulley,
wheel, or other part of machinery to and from its driving or driven shaft which
consists of a lever pivotted on the driving or driven pulley, wheel, or other part of
machinery mounted loosely on the shaft, the said lever having connected to it a
bolt adapted to slide through an opening in the said pulley, wheel or other part
and to engage with arms or stops secured on the shaft, a spring latch to hold the

page_text: said lever and bolt in position, and an operating ring pivotted to the same pulley,-
wheel, or other part and connected to the said lever, substantially as described.
Second. The improved clutch gear for connecting and disconnecting one shaft.
to and from another in line therewith, which consists of a lever pivotted.
directly or indirectly to one of the shafts, and having connected to it a bolt adapted
to slide through an opening in a disc or other suitable guide piece fixed to the
same shaft, the said bolt being adapted to engage with arms or stops fixed on the
other shaft, an operating ring pivotted directly or indirectly to the first named:
shaft and connected to the stud lever, and a spring latch to hold the lever and bolt.
in position, substantially as described.
Third. In clutch gear for connecting and disconnecting machinery to and from
its driving or driven shaft, the use of an operating ring pivotted to a part rotating.
loosely on the shaft or directly or indirectly to the shaft itself, and connected to..
the lever by which the connecting and disconnecting bolt is operated, substantially-
as described and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. Clutch gear constructed and operating, substantially as described.
E. THUNDERBOLT,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C.,