Year: 1888

page_text: I, CARL VALDEMAR BIRK of Borup, Denmark 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:-
This invention refers to improvements in horse wheels in such manner that only a
comparatively small amount of gearing is necessary for giving a rapid revolving
motion to a pulley or tooth wheel which transmits the motion to the machine which
it is desired to work. As, according to this invention, the frictional resistance is con-
siderably reduced, the horse wheel is very easily worked supposing the useful
resistance to be the same. Besides this all shocks or jars produced in the horse wheel
gear and in all the machines connected therewith by the jerking of the horses on the
pulling bar or beam are prevented, so that this as well as the other parts may be made
of smaller dimensions, and for this reason the horse wheel is easier to work and the
action of the machines actuated thereby is more uniform and therefore better.
On the accompanying drawing a horse wheel is shewn with these improvements
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section and Figure 2 a plan.
The horse wheel in this case has two pulling bars which are each made separately
of two angle irons B resting at one end on a wheel E, said wheel E running on a
circular rail C. The rail C is laid all round a vertical and central shaft A on which
turn the pulling bars. The wheels E are mounted on shaft A, and A, which run in
bearings F, and are connected to the tooth wheels H, and H, by means of universal
joints. The wheels E are loosely connected together by a shaft or spindle m in the
cross piece T. The before mentioned angle iron bars B are jointed to the same cross
piece T and underneath same is mounted a sleeve L surrounding the vertical axle A.
The vertical axle A is tightly keyed in the foot piece K and above the latter is
mounted a hollow axle M provided with a bevel wheel D and surrounding the lower
part of the vertical axle A.
The rotation which is given to the shafts A, and A2 when the wheels E move round
on the circular rail C is transmitted by means of the universal joints S to the bevel
wheels H, and H' and to the before mentioned bevei wheel D and hollow axle or

page_text: sleeve M whereupon the motion may either be transmitted to the machines to be
worked as shown on the drawing by means of bevel gearing C and C₂ or by
a belt pulley. If the horses jerk the pulling bars, the wheels E will skid on the circular
rail so that the bevel wheels H, H, and D are almost exempt from shocks. By a
suitable loading or weighting of the pulling bars B or preferably by increasing the
weight of the wheels E the pressure between the wheels and the circular rail C may
be varied according to the power required from the horse wheel and hence also the
frictional resistance between these parts. In many cases the circular rail C shewn in
the drawing may be replaced by some other firm kind of base.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In horse wheels the application and use of a wheel E fixed on a shaft A,
and running on a circular rail (, or other suitable track, in combination with tooth
wheels HH, which are united by a common pin or spindle m, the latter being con-
nected with a cross piece T and sleeve L and the whole turning upon a stationary
pivot A and for the purpose of transmitting the rotary motion produced by the
wheel Eupon the tooth wheels H₁ H, whence it is transmitted by the tooth
wheels D and C, or other suitable gear to the machine to be driven by the
horsewheel substantially as set forth.
Second-The construction of horsewheel shewn on the drawing.