IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING CLUTCHES FOR CONNECTING ONE ROTATING BODY TO ANOTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Jesse Sterling, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Jesse Sterling, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COUPLING CLUTCHES FOR CONNECTING ONE ROTATING BODY TO ANOTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ezra Jesse Sterling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1882.
EZRA JESSE STERLING, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States
of America, "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING CLUTCHES FOR CONNECTING
ROTATING BODY TO ANOTHER,"
ONE
This Invention relates to that class of coupling clutches that grasp around the
body to be rotated and hold the same with a firmness of grasp proportioned to
the power exerted to rotate the body.
When my improvement is employed to connect the ends of two line shafts
together, I employ a helix preferably made of a square steel rod wound up in a
screw form, with an interior diameter corresponding to the external diameter of
the shafts that are to be connected; the ends of this helix are connected to the
respective line shafts near their abutting ends; the connection may be by bolts
through eyes at the ends of the helix, but preferably one end and sometimes both
are made with latch projections connecting with notched collars screwed to the
respective shafts.
The latches slide past their catches if the driving shaft is
accidentally started the wrong way, the direction of the coil of the helix being such
that the rotation of the driving shaft tends to wind up the helix and cause it to
grasp with great firmness around the adjacent ends of the line shafts and cause the
rotation of the driven shaft. This coupling is compact and very strong and holds
the shafts perfectly in line; it is however preferable to introduce a central pin into
central holes in the ends of the respective shafts.
The same character of coupling clutch is used to connect a loose rotating pulley
with the shaft around which it rotates when not coupled, or to couple a rotating

page_text: shaft with a pulley that would otherwise be stationary or to form a frictional coupling
between any two rotating devices in machinery. In these cases one end of the
helix is made fast to the shaft, or to the cylindrical hub or collar thereon, and the
other end is connected permanently or by a latch with a friction ring that
surrounds the shaft, hub or collar, that is revolving, and there is a lever to press
this ring into contact with the revolving surface, so that the movement will wind
up the helix and cause it to contract powerfully around the respective surfaces and
clutch or grasp such surfaces so firmly that the revolving motion from the driving
mechanism is communicated through this helix to the device that is to be driven.
The lever that acts upon the ring will usually have its fulcrum upon one arm of
the driving pulley and receive motion from a conical sleeve slipped endwise upon
the shaft.
In some instances the helix is made of a wire rope. In order to apply this
coupling clutch to shafts in the most convenient manner the pulley is sometimes
made in two parts bolted together, and in some instances the helix is applied inside
of a cylinder and caused to expand outwardly against the interior of such cylinder,
the ends of the helix being connected as aforesaid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ezra Jesse Sterling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th January 1883.
EZRA JESSE STERLING, of Brooklyn in the State of New York, United States
of America, IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING CLUTCHES FOR CONNECTING ONE
ROTATING BODY TO ANOTHER,
My present invention relates to that class of coupling clutches that grasp around
the body to be rotated and hold the same with a firmness of grasp proportioned to
the power exerted to rotate the body.
When my improvement is employed to connect the ends of two line shafts
together, I employ a helix made preferably of a square steel rod wound up in a
screw form, with an interior diameter corresponding to the external diameter of
the shafts that are to be connected the ends of this helix are connected to the
respective line shafts near their abutting ends. The connection may be by bolts
through eyes at the ends of the helix, but preferably one end and sometimes
both are made with latch projections connecting with notched collars screwed to
the respective shafts.
•
The latches slide past their catches if the driving shaft is accidentally started
the wrong way, the direction of the coil of the helix being such that the rotation
of the driving shaft tends to wind up the helix and cause it to grasp with great
firmness around the adjacent ends of the line shafts and cause the rotation of the
driven shaft.
This coupling is compact and very strong and holds the shafts perfectly in line;
it is, however, preferable, to introduce a central pin into central holes in the ends
of the respective shafts.
The same character of coupling clutch is used to connect a loose rotating pulley
with the shaft around which it rotates when not coupled, or to couple a rotating
shaft with a pulley that would otherwise be stationary, or to form a frictional
coupling between any two rotating devices in machinery.
In these cases one end of the helix is made fast to the shaft or to the cylindrical
hub or collar thereon, and the other end is connected permanently or by a latch
with a friction ring that surrounds the shaft, hub or collar that is revolving and
there is a lever to press this ring into contact with the revolving surface, so that
the movement will wind up the helix and cause it to contract powerfully around
the respective surfaces and clutch or grasp such surfaces so firmly that the
revolving motion from the driving mechanism is communicated through this helix
to the device that is to be driven. The lever that acts upon the ring will usually
have its fulcrum upon one arm of the driving pulley and receive motion from a
conical sleeve slipped end wise upon the shaft.
In some instances the helix is made of a wire rope. In order to apply this
coupling clutch to shafts in the most convenient manner the pulley is sometimes
made in two parts bolted together and in some instances the helix is applied inside
of a cylinder and caused to expand outwardly against the interior of such cylinder,
the ends of the helix being connected as aforesaid.
In the drawing
Fig. 1. is a section of the said friction clutch, and
Fig. 2. is an elevation of the same, the pulley being in section and the lever clutch
being of a different construction from that shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 3, shows a wire rope helix.
Figs. 4. and 5. are partial sections of modifications in the lever connections.
Fig. 6. is an elevation of the latch shown in fig. 5.
Fig. 7. shows the helix for coupling together the parts of line shafting, and
Fig. 8. represents a modification of the bearing for the end of the lever.

page_text: 1
The shaft a, is presumed to be connected to the mechanism that is to be driven
and the pulley b, to be in constant revolution from the action of a belt or gearing
to the prime mover.
The helix c. is of a size to surround the cylinder hub d, of the pulley b. and one
end of this helix is permanently connected to the shaft a, by the ring or collar d',
and the other end is made with a finger or a latch connection to the ring f. This
ring f. and helix c, are loose upon the cylindrical hub d. of the pulley b. hence said
pulley and hub revolve freely without turning either the ring f, the helix or the
shaft a, but when pressure is brought to bear against the ring f, by a lever and
press block or by the means hereafter described, then the revolution of the hub d,
gives more or less revolution to the ring f, and winds up the helix c. contracting it
upon the hub d. in such a manner as to cause the helix to grasp said hub more or
less firmly according to the extent of friction on the ring f, hence the shaft a, will
be started gradually and turn regularly there being more or less slip of the helix
on the surface of the revolving hub.
I employ a ring f, that has a grooved periphery in which is a presser block 7.
hinged to a lever m. the fulcruin of which is upon one arm of the pulley b. and the
longer arm of the lever is acted upon by the sliding coupling sleeve n. upon the
shaft a. which sliding coupling is moved by the coupling lever usually employed.
The sleeve n. and lever m. may be connected by a link s. as in fig. 2. which acts
as a toggle joint or the sleeve n. may be bevelled as seen in fig. 1, to act beneath
and raise the longer end of the lever and apply the pressure to the friction ring f.
There should be a shoe at the end of the lever m. to take the wear against the
coupler sleeve n. and an adjusting screw r. to move the shoe as the parts wear, and
also to adjust the parts to vary the pressure upon the friction ring.
It will be evident that if the shaft a. was continuously revolved and the pulley
was the device to be driven, the ring f. and cylindrical helix will be around the
shaft a. and the opposite end of the helix be connected to the pulley instead of the
collar d'.
This improvement is available where a split pulley is applied upon a shaft
already in place. In this case the helix is made of a wire rope as shown in fig. 3.
It is to be understood that the direction in which the helix is wound is to be such
that the frictional detention of the ring will cause the helix to be wound more
tightly.
In cases where this improvement is applied to a helix that is within a shell, the
direction in which the helix is wound is to be such that the frictional detention
by the ring at the end of the helix shall cause the helix to expand within the shell.
If it is desired to balance the parts, a second lever m. and its presser block l.
may be applied at the opposite side of the pulley, in which case the friction upon
the ring will be applied by the presser blocks l, instead of the hub and presser
block.
In some instances the direction of revolution may be accidentally and temporarily
reversed and the helix might thereby be injured. To prevent this the end of the
helix may be connected to the ring by a latch so that the ring will act to wind
up the helix when the parts are revolved in the correct direction, but the parts of
the latch will separate when moving in the wrong direction.
In fig. 4. the end of the spring is shown as terminating in a bevelled hook that
engages with a bevelled stud t, on the side of the ring and in figs. 5. and 6. a
spring latch t. is shown as pivoted to the ring and engaging the hooked end of
the helix,
In cases where the power is to be communicated from one shaft to another that
is in line with the driving shaft, the collar d. will be bolted upon the driving
shaft and the helix and ring will revolve with the motor shaft and the helix will
be wound up and grasp a cylinder or hub keyed on the driven shaft whenever
pressure is applied by the lever to grasp the ring between the block l. and said hub
on the shaft that is to be driven. This construction is represented in figs. 5. and 6.
In some instances it is preferable to employ a yielding connection between the

page_text: lever m, and the friction block ; such a connection is shown in fig. 8. in which
there is a yoke fastened to the block and extending up around the end of the
lever m. with a spring intervening between the lever end and friction block as
shown. This spring renders the parts slightly yielding but the screw that passes
through the lever upon touching the bottom of the yoke applies a rigid pressure
to the block l.
The two line shafts a. a. fig. 7. are coupled by the helix c. that is between the
clamps de d³. and terminates in looks t. t. that engage the respective clamps.
When the motor shaft is revolved so as to wind up the helix c. it is contracted
and grasps the exterior surfaces of both shafts a & a'. so that they are firmly
coupled and revolve together; if, however, the motor shaft should be turned the
wrong way, the spring hooks t. cease to act and motion is not given to the second
line shaft. This coupling device is. employed where there is risk of injury to
machinery in consequence of being turned backwardly.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my Invention
First. The combination with the motor and the shaft or device to be revolved
of a ring f. mechanism substantially as described for applying friction to such ring
and a helix connected at one end to the ring and at the other end to the motor or
device to be revolved, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination in a friction clutch of a ring, a friction pad to act on
the ring, a revolving device, a device to be revolved thereby and a helix of wire
rope extending from the ring to the device that is to be revolved, substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination of a helix with the two parts that are to be revolved
and the connections for the respective ends of the helix substantially as set forth,
whereby the power is exerted to wind up the helix and cause it to contract and
firmly grasp the shaft or cylinder to be revolved substantially as specified.
Fourth. The combination of a helix with the two parts that are to be revolved,
a latch at one or both ends of the helix substantially as set forth, whereby the
helix is wound up and caused to grasp the shaft or cylinder within it, substantially
as specified.
In witness whereof the said Ezra Jesse Sterling have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 94th day of November D 1000
Witnesses
CHAH SMITH 140 Nassau St New York,
GEO. T. PINCKNEY,,
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EZRA. J. STERLING (L.S.)