Improvements in Lever Mechanism for the Transmission of Mechanical Motion.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lever Mechanism for the Transmission of
Mechanical Motion..
I, WILLARD REED GREEN, residing at No. 1325, Gilpin Street, in the City of
Denver, County of Arapahoe, and State of Colorado, United States of America,
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 relates to improved mechanism for the transmission of mechanical
motion. It is useful for many purposes and may serve the function of a crank
in many cases.
One of the objects of the invention is to provide mechanism offering a minimum
of friction with connecting parts and which may, as to itself, follow the lines
of least resistance. Also to provide means to serve the purposes for which it
is suitable at reduced cost.
The invention consists, primarily, of a peculiar form of lever, of any suitable
material and dimensions, the bearings of which at all movable or frictional
points consist of balls and sockets, or their equivalents, said balls being either
integral with the lever or attached thereto as may be mechanically most con-
venient. Said balls may also be made to rotate on said lever, when found
desirable. Other balls may be attached or located at any point on the lever arms,
as the occasion demands.
In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Fig. 1 is an elevation
showing the principal features of my device, and one form of arranging them.
Fig. 2 is a detailed view of one extremity of the lever A, shown in Fig. 1,
showing one form of universal joint attachment, to serve as a connection to
transmit motion from some source of power. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of one
end of the lever A, shown in Fig. 1, showing the ball upon the extremity of
said lever and the ball, cl, placed between the fulcrum and said extremity, to
serve as means for a ball and socket connection. Fig. 4 is a detailed view
enlarged and partly in section of a portion of the universal joint connection
shown in Fig. 2 and taken at right angles to same. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly
in section, showing the mechanism in one of its operative applications. Fig. 6
is an elevation showing the mechanism in one of its operative applications,
and with connections for different sources of power.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts.
In the drawings, A is a lever fulcrumed at a, on a fixed pedestal, B; said
fulcrum allows movement to the lever in any direction by means of the ball
and socket joint a, a, which permits the lever arms to describe cones of revolu-
tion of which the apexes are the center of the ball fulcrum. 6, 1, are the arms
of the lever which may be equal or may have any ratio of desired inequality.
c, c are the extremities of said lever arms and are equipped with means for
engagement with any rotative part with which it is desired to form motive
connection, in such manner that the junction shall have free motion in every
direction and be capable of transmitting the movement of the lever to such
rotating parts, and also of receiving motion from a rotating piece of machinery
and transmitting it through the lever to another motive element.
T

page_text: In transmitting rotary motion from one rotative element to another mounted
on rotary shafting, in axial alignment, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the axis of the
lever moves in the figure of two cones, whose apexes are at the center of the
ball fulcrum and whose extremities describe circles, whose diameters are in
the same ratio as the lever arms. These lever arms are provided at the extremities,
as before stated, with means for making a universal joint connection with the
respective rotative elements, which are in this case, disk wheels D, E, borne on
rotary shafts FF supported in suitable bearings. Said means of connection, is
shown, are ball and socket joints, the balls being formed on or attached to the
lever arms, respectively, and the sockets being formed in or secured to the faces
of the rotative wheels D E. d d' are perforated plates attached by bolts or other-
wise over the ball sockets for greater security of the joint. Now, the two shafts
being thus united by the intermediary lever, it follows that any movement of
revolution imparted to the lever at any point between its fulcrum and either of
the rotative elements, D E, will be communicated to said rotative elements
similarly, as when a crank intervenes. Where the lever is used in place of the
crank of a single engine, the power is applied between the fulcrum and the ball
connected with the rotative disk of the engine shaft.
I have shown in Fig. 2 a form of universal joint connection which may on
occasion take the place of the ball and socket connection, though I consider the
latter preferable for most situations. The said universal joint, which has a move-
ment on the lever arm by a strap limited at each side by collars and also a
swivel connection with the connecting-rod, H, will be sufficiently well understood
without further explanation.
While I have shown and specifically described a certain embodiment of my
invention, it is evident that the details of construction and arrangement may be
varied to suit the circumstances of use without departing from the general prin-
ciples of the invention. It will readily be seen that where the device is used
in place of an ordinary crank, connecting two rotary shafts, the throw may be
in any ratio with that of the delivery-points of the lever dependent on the dis-
tance of the connecting joint of the source of power from the fulcrum.
Several advantages over the ordinary crank for transmitting rotary motion are
apparent. First, the crank is a difficult and costly form to construct, and when
of large size is often liable to accidents. Second, the crank pin, being often
forged entire, presents a difficulty in making a secure rotary attachment thereto,
so as to take up and compensate for wear, which at this point is excessive. The
wear moreover is always in annular lines, and the journal bearings may become
striated in consequence where the friction is excessive.
In the lever, the movement of the ball in its bearing is not continuously rotary
over the same lines but partakes of an oscillatory, conjoined with a rotary move-
ment, which distributes the wear over a considerable spherical surface in lines
which cross each other, and tend to keep both ball and socket truly spherical.
By the spread of the lubricant over a comparatively large surface and at a
relatively slower speed, the coefficient of friction is reduced.
There is also a decided advantage in first cost over the crank. The lever is
a straight piece of shafting, and the bearings can be truly and accurately made
by machinery. The crank, as before said," is often a cumbrous and difficult
piece of forging.
The lever also is susceptible of connection without structural change to
reciprocating motors having different ranges of movement. All that is necessary,
in case a different throw of piston is demanded, is to make the ball and socket
connection at a different point of the lever arm, the ball fulcrum and the
terminal connection remaining the same. Also two or more connecting rods
from different sources of power may be connected to the same lever shaft, at
the respective distances from the fulcrum called for by their respective lengths
of stroke. These connecting rods may cose in from any direction, so that they

page_text: are in the plane of rotation, the fulcrum being supposed to be fixed and immov-
able on its pedestal.
Saving of weight in the saving of heavy shafting is also an element of
advantage, the lever being capable of being extended in either direction from
the fulcrum to considerable distances to meet the rotating members, where a
crank would require shafting up to the source of motion.
An advantage also arises in the use of this mode of transmitting motion, in
the fact that the lever being borne at all points of contact by joints free to
turn independently in any direction and degree, does not rotate upon its own
axis continuously in one direction as does the crank-pin and shaft, but oscillates
in a smaller arc, with a small progressive rotation by which the wear is equably
distributed, and less friction produced.
It is evident that when the device is used in place of a crank, the operative
end of the lever may describe a larger circle than that described by the lever at
the point where the connecting rod of the motive power is attached, thus giving
a greater throw at the delivery point than the length of travel of the piston itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
1. A mechanical movement, consisting of a lever, having a ball and socket
fulcrum bearing and means for making universal joint connections with rotative
bodies operatively connected with said lever and said rotative bodies.
2. A mechanical movement, consisting of a lever having spherically-terminated
ends and an intermediate spherical fulcrum, in combination with spherical
sockets on rotative parts in co-operation with said terminals, and a ball socket
for the fulcrum and said rotative bodies, substantially as specified.
3. In a mechanical movement, a lever having a ball and socket fulcrum, ball
and socket terminal connections, and ball and socket connections at intermediate
points, by which attachment may be made to different sources of power with
different ranges of movement, and rotative elements connected to the terminals
of said lever.
4. A mechanical movement, consisting of a lever, all the movable bearing or
frictional points of which are balls, suitable for making ball and socket joints,
in combination with rotative bodies having sockets operatively connected there-
with, whereby said lever is permitted to transmit revolution to or from revoluble
parts while independently rotating freely on its own axis.
5. A mechanical movement, consisting of a lever, all the movable bearing or
friction points of which are balls, in combination with one or more revoluble
bodies having sockets connected with said balls, and means operatively connected
with a source of motive power, as an engine, whereby revolution is transmitted
to said revoluble bodies from said power through the medium of said lever while
permitting said lever to rotate independently on its own axis.
6. In a mechanical movement, a lever having ball and socket terminals, a ball
and socket fulcrum, said terminals and fulcrum being in alignment, and a ball
and socket connection at an intermediate point for the attachment of parts
designed either for the transmission or for the reception of power, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 20th day of December 1898
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London,
For the Applicant.