IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING RECTILINEAR MOTION INTO ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN STEWART WALLACE of 63 Benwell Terrace Belfast in the County of
Antrim Timber Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING RECTILINEAR MOTION
INTO ROTARY MOTION” to be as follows:-
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My invention is designed to provide improved means for converting reciprocating
or to and fro rectilinear motion into rotary motion without the employment of a
crank, the said invention being applicable for driving machinery of various kinds.
An important object of my said invention is to obviate dead points entirely and
thus utilize the motive power-whatever may be its nature to the greatest
possible advantage.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide two hollow cylinders or
drums through both of which a shaft or spindle passes in such a manner that the
cylinders are concentric in relation to each other upon the shaft and are capable of
revolving loosely thereon in one direction. Within each of the said cylinders or
drums I provide a ratchet wheel each of which wheels has a square aperture
through the centre by means of which it is placed upon a correspondingly square
part of the shaft or spindle. A pawl is pivotted to the interior of each drum these
pawls engaging with the ratchet wheels and being held in engagement there with
by means of suitable springs. The ratchet wheels and pawls are in such relation
to the shaft and drums that the latter are capable of revolving loosely upon the
shaft in one direction, but that on revolving in the opposite direction they carry
the shaft around with them by reason of the engagement of the pawls with the
said ratchet wheels. I also provide a second ratchet wheel and pawl within each
drum for a purpose hereinafter described.
A long frame or yoke is placed outside the drums in such a manner that it is
capable of having imparted to it a to and fro or reciprocating motion and to the
upper part of each side of this frame one end of a chain is securely fastened, the
other end of one of these chains being secured to the periphery of one of the
drums, and the other end of the other chain to the periphery of the other drum;
therefore whenever motion is imparted to the frame or yoke in either direction one
of the drums is driven in one direction and the other in the other direction by
means of the aforesaid chains; and the drum which is rotating in one direction

page_text: causes the shaft to rotate with it whilst the other drum rides loosely over the shaft
in the opposite direction the chain then being gathered around this drum for
driving the shaft at the next stroke of the frame. It will thus be seen that during
one stroke of the frame or yoke one drum is driving the shaft and the other is
gathering the chain, whereas during the next stroke the functions of the drums are
reversed, that is to say, the one which during the former stroke gathered the chain
now drives the axle and the one which then drove the axle now gathers the chain,
and this operation being continued the shaft is driven continuously in the same
direction.
The two additional ratchet wheels heretofore mentioned are designed to provide
means for reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft. The said second ratchet
wheels are placed upon the square portions of the axle or shaft with their teeth
pointing in the opposite direction as compared with the teeth of the first named
ratchet wheels. The pawls of these four wheels are so arranged that when those
belonging to the first two wheels are in gear, those belonging to the two second
wheels are out. of gear, and vice versa; and a stud; lever, or other device is so
connected with these pawls that they may be controlled outside the drums in such
a manner that they may be set to cause the shaft to rotate in either direction, as
desired, the effect of putting the pawls out of gear with their wheels causing such
wheels to be inoperative. It will be readily understood that when the wheels
whose teeth point in one direction are in gear the shaft will revolve one way, and
when the other wheels are in gear it will revolve the opposite way. Two double
pawls may be used for the four wheels instead of one single pawl for each.
The frame or yoke is arranged to slide in, or upon, suitable guides to keep it in
place and this frame is to be connected in any suitable or desirable manner with
the motive power of the machine to which it is applied:
In such a machine as a velocipede it would be necessary or desirable to place the
two drums at some distance apart upon the axle, in which case there would be two
frames or slides each carrying one chain. The mode of applying my invention to
machines of various kinds will however be obvious to mechanicians.
Instead of chains I may employ in some cases cords, gut, or any
material.
similar
My said, invention will be found useful for machines of various kinds amongst
which may be mentioned gas-engines, sewing-machines, lathes velocipedes and
sawing machinery.
3000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLEIE
DIECIFICATION.
I, JOHN STEWART WALLACE, of 63 Benwell Terrace, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Timber Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING RECTILINEAR MOTION
INTO ROTARY MOTION" and in what manner. the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
My invention is designed to provide improved apparatus for converting recip-
rocating rectilinear motion into rotary motion, without the employment of a crank.
An important object of my said invention is to avoid "dead points and
thus utilize the power of a motor to greater advantage than when a crank is
employed.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus, with some of the parts
removed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line x, x Figure 1.
a indicates a shaft, which is carried in suitable bearings. b is a fly-wheel fixed
on the said shaft. c, c¹ are two short hollow cylinders or drums, which are
mounted loosely on the said shaft.
d, d¹, d², d³ are ratchet-wheels firmly fixed on the shaft b within the cylinders
or drums c, c¹. e, e¹ are double pawls, one of which is pivotted within each drum
to operate in combination with the said ratchet-wheels. Each of these pawls is
acted upon by an adjustable spring f so that it is held in engagement with one or
the other of the corresponding pair of ratchet-wheels.
The springs fare flat pieces of steel bent into the form of an arc of a circle so
that they fit within the cylinders or drums and can be moved in either direction
therein. One end of each spring is bent inwards, as shewn, so that it will press
upon the corresponding double pawl. A pin or rod g is secured to each spring f
and projects through a curved slot h¹ in the plate h which closes one end of each
drum. A hand-wheel i is fitted to turn upon the shaft b at the outside of each
drum. This wheel is attached to the projecting part of the rod g so that, when the
said hand-wheel is slightly turned in either direction, the corresponding spring f
will be adjusted to cause the pawl to act upon one or the other of the ratchet-
wheels. If the pawls e, e' are acted upon by the spring f in such a manner that
they engage with the ratchet-wheels d, d², the drums c, c¹ are free to revolve upon
the shaft a in one direction, but, when either drum is rotated in the direction
indicated by the arrow 1; it will carry round with it the shaft a. If, however, the
pawls e e engage with the ratchet wheels d¹, d³, as shewn, the said drums are
free to rotate on the said shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow, but, when
either drum is rotated in the opposite direction, it will carry the shaft round
with it..
k is a frame or yoke, which is connected with any suitable means whereby
reciprocating motion will be imparted to it. For instance it is connected with the
piston rod of a steam-engine or with the treadle of a velocipede or with any other
convenient reciprocating part of a motor or machine.. The said frame is arranged
to slide to and fro in a guide . Two chains are passed partially around each

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drum one in one direction and the other in the other direction, and are secured to
the periphery of the said drum. The chains are secured at 12 to one end of the
frame or yoke k and the other chains are secured at 13 to the other end thereof.
By this arrangement, when motion is imparted to the frame or yoke k in either
direction, one of the drums is driven in one direction by the corresponding chain l,
and causes the shaft b to rotate with it, whilst the other drum is caused to rotate
freely on the said shaft in the opposite direction by the other chain 7, the two
chains being at the same time gathered or wound around their respective drums.
It will thus be seen that, when the frame or yoke is moved in the direction
indicated by the arrow 2, the drum c will drive the shaft and the drum c¹ will
gather the chain, whereas, when the frame or yoke moves in the opposite direction,
the drum c¹ will drive the shaft and the drum c will gather the chain. Therefore,
by the reciprocating movement of the frame or yoke, the shaft a will be driven
continuously in one direction or the other according to the adjustment of the
hand-wheel
Instead of the two double pawls above described, I sometimes use four pawls one
for each ratchet-wheel. Each pair of pawls is then so arranged that, when one is
in gear, the other is out of gear.
In cases where the motion of the shaft does not require to be reversed, a single
ratchet-wheel and pawl in each drum, will be sufficient.
The frame or yoke k is provided with a rod m for connecting it to the piston
or other reciprocating part of the motor or machine to which the apparatus is
applied.
My said invention is applicable to motors for driving torpedoes or torpedo-boats,
and will also be found useful for machines of various kinds, amongst which may
be mentioned gas-engines, sewing-machines, lathes and velocipedes.
When my apparatus is applied to a velocipede, it is necessary or desirable to
place the drums at some distance apart upon the axle or shaft, and two frames or
yokes are required, each of which is connected by chains with one of the said
drums.
The mode of applying my apparatus to different machines will vary according to
circumstances and will be obvious to mechanicians.
. J
Instead of the chains above described, I may employ, in some cases, cords, gut or
similar material.
The construction of my improved apparatus may be somewhat varied without
departing from the nature of my said invention, for example, the frame or yoke k
may be guided in any other suitable manner. Moreover it is obvious that the
chains may be dispensed with and the frame or yoke provided with rack teeth to
engage with teeth formed on the peripheries of the drums.
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JAA Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my. said
'invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
'I'claim is'
t
First. The improved apparatus wherein two drums, mounted loosely on a shaft
and provided with pawls, are arranged in combination with ratchet-wheels fixed
on the said shaft, and are connected or geared with a frame or yoke, substantially
as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second. The means substantially as described whereby I provide for reversing
the motion of the said shaft as above specified..
Dated this 20th day of April 1885..
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ذه المدن
bigliam
LA
178
1 HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.;
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Agents for the Applicant.
2469
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LONDON: Printed by EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty.
For Her Majesty's Stationery Office
1885.
.it.
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