Improved Belt or Rope Driving Gear.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'Improved Belt or Rope Driving Gear.
ALFRED RICHARD SENNETT of Brentford, Middlesex, Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention enables the driven machine to be placed quite close to the engine
or driving wheel without the great disadvantages and inconveniences which have
been hitherto experienced. Effecting great economy in space at the same time it
diminishes to a very considerable degree the friction on the bearings of the said
wheels. I also increase to a very large amount the grip of the ropes or belting,
and I obviate the necessity of moving the driven machine for the purpose of
tightening the ropes or belts when required and the necessity of shortening the
ropes or belts by cutting.
of
In carrying out my purpose I employ a third or dead wheel which I generally so
mount that it may be moved through a pre-arranged distance and this wheel I call
the dead or tension wheel. I so arrange the driving ropes or belts of which there
may be any convenient number beyond two as to cause such ropes or belts to be in
contact with the driven wheel for a space nearly equal to a semi-circumference
the said driven wheel in cases in which the driven wheel rotates at a greater
number of revolutions per unit of time than the driving wheel, such, for example,
as when the fly wheel of an engine revolving at moderate speed is made to give
motion to a dynamo-electric machine, fan, or other machine running at a high
speed. In cases in which the driving wheel rotates more quickly than the driven
wheel then I cause the said ropes or belts to encircle the driving, instead of the
driven, wheel as above explained, such, for example, as when an electro-motor is
made to give motion to the wheels of a tram car or similar gear.
The tightening of the belting is effected by the movement of translation of the
said dead or tension wheel. Such movement may be produced by a screw and nut
or by any convenient méchanical device, and in some cases I cause the movement
of the said tension wheel to remove the ropes or belts from contact with the driven
wheel, so that the driven machine may be allowed to come to rest whilst the driving
and tension wheels continue to revolve. In other cases I employ any convenient
mechanical device to raise the ropes or belts out of contact.
My improved gear permits of the driving of several sets of driven wheels by
means of the one set of ropes or belts; thus, for example, a dynamo-electric machine
may be driven on each side of the engine fly wheel.
Duted this 5th love of Jonuary 1891
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Belt or Rope Driving Gear.
I ALFRED RICHARD SENNETT of Brentford in the County of Middlesex
England, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what. manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:―
My invention has three principal objects, first, to increase the grip of the belts
or ropes on the wheels, secondly, to decrease the friction on the bearings of the
wheels, and, thirdly to enable the driving and driven wheels to be placed near to
each other. In carrying out my invention I have two or more belts or ropes
DS21

page_text: carried in grooves on the wheels, and I employ a third or tension wheel in addition
to the driving and driven wheels.
To show clearly how my invention is carried out I furnish drawings in which
corresponding parts are represented by the same letters throughout.
Fig. 1. is an elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same showing the wheels furnished with six grooves E.
Fixed supports N carry the axle & of driving wheel A and axle J of driven
wheel C. The third or tension wheel B may be supported in a similar manner or
in the way shown in the drawings hereinafter described.
In Fig. 1. two belts D. D' are shown. The belt D starting from the top of
driving wheel A is carried to the top of tension wheel B partly round the wheel B
over the upper part of driven wheel C to the under part of A and round to the
starting point. The second belt D₁ starts from lower part of wheel A proceeds to
lower part of wheel B partly round it on to the lower part of wheel C on to the
upper part of wheel A round to the starting point. Other belts may be used
similarly. It will be seen that every pair of belts grips almost completely the
whole circumferences of the wheels, and as the tension produced by D on the
wheels is opposite in direction to that produced by D' the friction on the bearings
of the wheels is thereby lessened.
The wheel B is supported by a carrier K moving in fixed frame O. L is screw
working in a corresponding thread in the said carrier K. When it is desired to
tighten or slacken the belts the turning of the screw L moves the carrier K and
wheel B in the desired direction.
Fig. 3. shows in elevation and
Fig. 4 shows in plan a contrivance for removing the belts from wheel C. P is a
bar attached to carrier K and resting on fixed support N of wheel C, at which end
it is toothed. A. bracket Q moving freely about its support S is also toothed and
fits into the teeth of P. The bracket Q carries two grooved pulleys R. When
the carrier K and bar P are moved the bracket Q is turned partly round and the
grooved pulleys R remove the belts D, D' from wheel C.
It is obvious that the action of the apparatus may be reversed. C may be the
driving and A. the driven wheel.
If desired the invention may be used as a combination tension & rolling contact
gear by bringing the wheels up together so that a portion of the rope or belt is in
contact with two wheels.
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:
1. The arrangement of wheels A. B. and C with grooves to receive two
or more belts D, D₁ for the purpose of securing a good grip on the wheels,
diminishing friction and enabling the driving & driven wheels to be placed close
together.
2. The combination of carrier K with screw L in frame O which carrier K
supports wheel B for the purpose of altering the tension of belts or ropes D. D'.
3. The arrangement of toothed bracket Q with projections R in combination
with toothed bar moving with carrier K for the purpose of removing belts D, D
from wheel C.
1001
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.