IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cliff, of the Imperial Potteries, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER."
Sealed the 7th June 1864, and dated the 11th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cliff, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th December 1863.
I, JOHN CLIFF, of the Imperial Potteries, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the driving gear of
machinery, more especially applicable to potter's wheels and lathes, whereby
power may be conveyed or transmitted, and the speed of the moving parts
varied at pleasure, or their direction reversed.
I will explain the Invention as applicable to the potter's wheel. On a
horizontal shaft a disc wheel is fixed near the spindle carrying the potter's
wheel. The spindle rests and turns in a step or socket, and is furnished with a
small horizontal friction wheel (covered or not with leather) which slides on

page_text: the circular, square, or triangular spindle, or on a circular spindle with a
bead rib thereon, and is maintained at any desired position or height by
means of a rod or lever actuated by the operator; it is thus evident that as
the small friction wheel is raised along or up the spindle towards the larger
circumference of the disc, it will acquire an increased speed from the unvarying
revolutions of the driving shaft, and vice versa.
Another method of effecting the same purpose is to cover the periphery of
the small friction wheel with a layer of leather, or other soft or yielding mate-
rial, and to determine the required speed by increasing or diminishing its
bearing pressure upon the said disc by slightly varying the distance of the
lower portion of the spindle from the disc by means of a handle lever, spring
screw, or other convenient contrivance. By this arrangement, notwithstanding
the constant speed of the driving shaft, the speed of the small wheel and
spindle may be varied at pleasure, since as the amount of friction is diminished
between the two wheels so the slip increases, although the speed of the small
wheel is equal at all points of its revolution. In order to reverse the motion
or direction of the rotation of the spindle, I increase its length, and carry it
below the centre of the driving shaft to or near or beyond the lower circum-
ference of the disc, so that the small wheel may be brought down below the
centre of the shaft, and thus be driven by the lower portion of the dise in a
contrary direction. In all cases the motion may be stopped by countersinking
the central portion of the face of the disc wheel, and bringing the small wheel
into such space.
To apply the Invention to an ordinary lathe, the spindle may or may not
be made equal in length to the full diameter of the disc, and may or may not
have two small friction wheels, one on each half thereof; the centre of the
spindle is provided with a horizontal bevel or toothed wheel, or a friction
wheel taking into a vertical bevel or friction wheel on the horizontal shaft of
the lathe. According to the direction required, so the upper or lower small
wheel is brought into action, or left in the central portion of the disc wheel.
The Invention is applicable to various descriptions of machinery which it is
unnecessary to describe. The face of the disc may be provided with a series
of circular or concentric rings of driving teeth, and the small wheel being
likewise provided with teeth; it can be shifted into gear with any of the
circular series of teeth so as to increase or diminish the speed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cliff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLIFF, of the Imperial Potteries, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Cliff, Her special licence that I, the
said John Cliff, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Cliff, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cliff, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cliff, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the driving gear of
machinery, more especially applicable to potter's wheels and lathes, whereby
power may be conveyed or transmitted, and the speed of the moving parts
varied at pleasure, or their direction reversed.
I will explain the Invention as applicable to the potter's wheel. On a
horizontal shaft a disc wheel is fixed near the spindle, carrying the potter's
wheel. The spindle rests and turns in a step or socket, or it may be suspended
in a sliding bearing, and is furnished with a small horizontal friction wheel

page_text: (covered or not with leather), which slides on the circular, square, or trian-
gular spindle, or on a circular spindle with a bead rib thereon, and is main-
tained at any desired position or height by means of a rod or lever actuated
by the operator; it is thus evident that as the small friction wheel is raised
along or up the spindle towards the larger circumference of the disc, it will
acquire an increased speed from the unvarying revolutions of the driving
shaft and vice versa,
Another method of effecting the same result is to cover the periphery of
the small friction wheel with a layer of leather or other soft or yielding
material; or the friction wheel itself may be made of wood segmentally; and
to determine the required speed by increasing or diminishing its bearing sur-
face or pressure upon the said disc by slightly varying the distance of the lower
portion of the spindle from the disc by means of a handle-lever, spring, screw,
or other convenient contrivance. By this arrangement notwithstanding the
constant speed of the driving shaft, the speed of the small wheel and spindle may
be varied at pleasure or stopped altogether, since, as the amount of friction is
diminished between the two wheels, so the slip increases, although the speed of
the small wheel is equal at all points of its revolution. In order to reverse
the motion or direction of the rotation of the spindle, I increase its length, and
carry it below the centre of the driving shaft to or near or beyond the lower
circumference of the disc so that the small wheel may be brought down below
the centre of the shaft, or in the other case beyond the circumference, and thus
be driven by the lower portion of the disc in a contrary direction. In all
cases the motion may be stopped by countersinking the central portion of the
face of the disc wheel, and bringing the small wheel into such space, or
passing it beyond the circumference.
To apply the Invention to an ordinary lathe, the spindle may or may not
be made equal in length to the full diameter of the disc, and may or may not
have two small friction wheels, one on each half thereof. The centre of the
spindle is provided with a horizontal bevel or toothed wheel, or a friction
wheel taking into a vertical, bevel, or friction wheel on the horizontal shaft of
the lathe. According to the direction required, so the upper or lower small
wheel is brought into action, or left in the central portion of the disc wheel.
The face of the disc may be provided with a series of circular or concentric
rings of driving teeth, and the small wheel being likewise provided with teeth,
it can be shifted into gear with any of the circular series of teeth, so as to
increase or diminish the speed.
The Invention is applicable to varicus descriptions of machinery which it is
unnecessary to describe.

page_text: In order still further to explain my said Invention, I annex a Sheet of
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents its application to a potter's lathe..
A¹, A", are fixed discs on spindle H. The spindle is provided with
shoulders outside and inside of the bearings J, J, allowing an equal motion of
the spindle right and left between the wheel C and the discs A', A". Then
the disc A¹ cuts, A polishes; and when the wheel C is out of contact with
each disc, the shaft H stops. One-eighth of an inch move would be sufficient.
The lather could move into three cuts of a knife edge the small lever carrying H
one way or the other with his left hand; or, if a ratchet catch with his elbow:
First catch, cut; second, polish; loose in middle. K, L, loose and fast
pulleys; M, moveable screwed chuck; N, driving shaft; O, driving friction
disc; P, driving strap. At B a good deep shoulder brass, sufficient to keep
the spindle or step D stiff and in place, even without the twisted step-holder E
and the socket E¹; G, leather rim or wood edged disc, which may be secured
at any height according to size of jar. The horizontal shaft N may be pro
longed to work other lathes.
Fig. 2 represents, another illustration of the Invention. A¹ in dotted
lines shewing the change of position of the driving wheel A" to the upper
periphery of the disc B, whereby its motion is reversed. The wheel A" may
be covered with leather at the edge, or it may be wood; or the disc may be
covered or faced with leather or other suitable material, or it may be of wood
only as desired; C, represents the main shaft with the driving disc O as before;
D, D', D, shew various positions of the horizontal friction wheel on the
step;
D is for full speed to cut; D¹ is out of gear to stop the work; D¹¹ for
full speed to polish. The situation of D may be regulated by a pulley and
leg, or by a quick screw and sliding fork.
Fig. 3 shews a method whereby the operator may sit with the disc O encased
between his legs. The shaft running in a line with the floor Z. By this
arrangement a row of men may work the lathes actuated by one shaft, and
all face one way. The step and horizontal wheel may always be kept against
the disc by a helical spring, a screw, or a rod, and a slight toe pressure on a
treddle or wedge may be made to effect a very fine gradation of speed.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to precise details and configuration of parts herein expressed
and shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified without departing
from the principles on which my Invention is based, but what I claim and
desire to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are,
the general arrangement and combination of parts as expressed and shewn

page_text: herein, or any others, substantially to all intents and purposes the same,
constituting "Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting Motive Power,"
according to the title hereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cliff, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
LEVI WHEWELL,
Lambeth.
JOHN CLIFF. (L.B.)