AN IMPROVED FRICTION CLUTCH
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the “İnternational
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FRICTION CLUTCH."—A
communication from abroad by Francis Ashbury Pratt and Samuel
Coit, both of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America.
Sealed the 5th April 1870, and dated the 3rd February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said: William Robert
Lake at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd February 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FRICTION
CLUTCH," a communication, to be as follows:-
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The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction and perfect
the operation of the clutch, thereby rendering it more positive in its

page_text: operation, more casily adjusted, and kept in good working order by
ordinary workmen. For this purpose a loose pulley is arranged to fit
closely and turn freely upon a shaft; the inside surface of its periphery
is inclined, wedge-shaped, or bevilled; a rim wheel has a hub which
is fitted closely, and traverses freely upon the aforesaid shaft or upon the
hub of the pulley. The bearing of the hub of the rim wheel may be
fitted to and travel upon the hub of the pulley, thus allowing the said
pulley to have a longer hub, and bearing upon the shaft. The rim of
the wheel is fitted nicely to the inside periphery or bovel surface of the
rim of the pulley, thus producing the union of two wedge surfaces
equal to the whole circumference of the pulley and wheel. A collar is
fitted closely and secured firmly upon the shaft, having ears between
which are fitted and secured dogs by means of bolts or pins, so that they
shall have a close and free action therein. The outer ends of the dogs
take their bearing against a prominence on the wheel, while the heels
thereof are acted upon by the cam-shaped portion of the collar. The said
collar is also provided with sockets chambered to receive dowel or driving
pins, the outer ends of which are provided with a flanged head. Upon
theso pins and within the chamber of these sockets are arranged springs;
the said springs bear at one end against tho head of the pins, and at the
other end against the inner end of the socket chamber for the purpose.
of holding the rim wheel back closcly to the cam-shaped collar when
its surface friction is not required. The inner ends of these driving pins
are firmly secured in the rim wheel, they also serve the purpose of
holding the said rim wheel, in its relative position with the collar, and
the same is driven thereby. An adjusting collar or screw nut is fitted
to the shaft close to the hub of the pulley for the purpose of accurately
adjusting the relative distance or position of the pulley to the action of
tho rim wheel and cam-shaped collar so that a small motion only is
required of the clutch through the medium of the dogs to bring the two
bevel or wedge surfaces of the pulley and wheel firmly together to
secure unity of action of the shaft with the said pulley; by an opposite
motion of the clutch the pulley will turn loosely and freely upon its
shaft. Thus by pushing the cam-shaped clutch collar towards the
wheel (by means of a clutch bar) the outer ends of the dogs are:
expanded, and the heels bearing against the wheel cause the wedge
or friction surface of the pulley and wheel to be firmly compressed
together, thus avoiding the least liability of cramping (which would

page_text: prevent free action) and rendering the apparatus less liable to get out of
order.
By this Invention the heretofore unsatisfactory operation and
difficulty of adjustment is effectually obviated, and the whole device so
5 constructed that its duribility and utility are fully secured..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office, Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer," send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 "AN IMPROVED
FRICTION CLUTCH," a communication to me from abroad by Francis Ashbury
Pratt and Samuel Coit, both of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my exccutors 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction and perfect
the operation of a friction clutch, thereby rendering it more positive
in its operation, more easily adjusted, and kept in good working order by
ordinary workmen,
Figure 1 is a sidic clevation or my improved friction clutch; Figuro z
is an end view of the same; Figure 3 shows side and edge views of
detached portions of my Invention.
A loose pulley a is arranged to fit closely and turn freely upon a
shaft b. The inside rim surface of its periphery is inclined, wedge-
shaped, or bevelled; c is a rim wheel the hub of which is fitted closely
and travels freely upon the aforesaid shaft & or upon the hub of the
wheel or pulley a. The bearing of the hub of the rim wheel c
may be fitted to and travel upon the hub of the pulley a, thus
allowing the said pulley a to have a longer hub and bearing upon
the shaft b. The rim of the wheel c is fitted nicely to the inside
periphery wedge or bevel surface of the rim of the pulley a, thus
producing the union of two wedge surfaces equal to the whole circum.
ference of the pulley and whicel a and c. A collar d is fitted closely
and secured firmly upon the shaft b having cars e between which
arc fitted and secured dogs f (the form of which is clearly shown in
Figure 3) by means of bolts or pins so that they shall have a close and
free action therein. The outer ends of the dogs g¹ take their bearing
against a prominence k on the wheel while the heels thereof g
are acted upon by the cam shaped portion of the collar i, The said
collar d is also provided with sockets k chambered to receive dowel
or driving pins o the outer ends of which are provided with a flanged
head. Upon these pins and within the chamber of these sockets are
aranged springs ; one end of the said springs bears at one end against
the head of the pins, and at the other end against the inner end of the
socket chamber for the purpose of holding the rim wheel c back closely
to the collar when its surface friction is not required. The inner
ends of these driving pins o are firmly secured in the rim whccl c;

page_text: they also serve the purpose of holding the said pulley or rim wheel c
in its relative position with the collar d, and the same is driven thereby ;
p is an adjusting collar or screw nut fitted to the shaft b, and close
to the hub of the pulley a for the purpose of accurately adjusting
the relative distance or position of the pulley a to the action of the
rim wheel e and cam shaped collar i, so that a slight motion only
is required of the clutch through the medium of the dogs f to bring
the two bevel or wedge surfaces of the pulley and wheels a, c, firmly
together to secure unity of action of the shaft with the said pulley a,
and by an opposite motion of the clutch the pulley a will turn loosely and
freely upon its shaft. Thus by pushing the cam shaped clutch collar i
towards the wheel c (by means of a clutch bar) the outer ends g¹ of
the dogs are expanded, and the heels or parts bearing against
the wheel c cause the wedge or friction surface of the pulley and
wheels a, c, to be firmly compressed together, thus avoiding the least
liability of cramping (which would prevent free action) and rendering
the apparatus less liable to got out of order.
By this Invention the heretofore unsatisfactory operation and difficulty
of adjustment is effectually obviated, and the whole device so constructed
that its durability and utility are fully secured.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. In a friction clutch the combination of the screw collar p for
adjusting the pulley a in its relative position with the wheel c upon the
shaft b, substantially as set forth.
Second. The actuating pressure dogs ƒ hung upon fulcrum pins in
the ears e, one part extending over and acted upon by the cam or
wedge collar i and the other part 5 being in a line nearly at a right
angle with the former and acting against the friction wheel c,
substantially as set forth,
Third. The combination of the fixed collar d with the dogs ƒ and
clutch collar i for compressing and locking the wheel c in close contact
with the wheel a, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the fixed collar d, adjusting screw
5 collar P, and actuating collar i with the pulleys or wheels a, c, and
dogs farranged upon the shaft b, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The driving pins o in combination with the friction wheel c and
collar d, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this First day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
D. L. WAGNER.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)