A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AND MULTIPLYING MOTION." OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OR AND MULTIPLYING MOTION
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Webster, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD
OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AND MULTIPLYING MOTION."
OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OR AND MULTIPLYING MOTION
"
Sealed the 12th June 1855, and dated the 24th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Webster, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th January 1855.
I, JAMES WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AND MULTIPLYING MOTION" to be as
follows:-
My said Invention consists of a method, herein-after described, of causing
an arm or lever moving in a given plane to communicate a rotatory motion
to an axis situated in the same plane, and consequently to cause the
parts of the said axis, and any body attached thereto, to move in a plane at
right angles to the plane in which the said arm or lever moves. I carry my
Invention into effect in the following manner :-I take a strip of sheet metal,
and holding one end of it fixed, give a rotatory motion to the other end, so as
to twist the said strip, and give it a screw-like form. This constitutes the axis
to which a rotatory motion is to be given. To give the said motion, I take an
arm or lever having a forked form at its end; I cause the said fork to embrace.

page_text: the said axis, the said arm or lever being at right angles, or nearly so, to the
said axis. By giving motion to the said arm or lever, its forked end bears
obliquely against the helical edges. of the screw-like axis, and causes the said
axis to revolve. The motion of the arm or lever is multiplied in the axis, that
is to say, the arc through which the axis moves is greater than the are or space
through which the arm or lever moves. My Invention is applicable to the
transmission of motion to the indexes of balances, and other like purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Webster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Webster, Her special licence that I, the said James Webster, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Webster, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AND MULTIPLYING MOTION,"
upon. the
condition (amongst others) that I, the. said. James Webster, by in instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 James Webster, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
My said Invention consists of a method, herein-after described and villus-
trated in the accompanying Drawing, of causing an arm or lever moving in-a

page_text: given plane to communicate a rotatory motion to an axis situated in the same
plane, and consequently "to cause the parts of the said axis and any body
attached thereto to move in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the
arm or lever moves. The motion. of the arm or lever is multiplied in the axis;
that is to say, the arc through which the axis imoves is greater than the arc.or
space through which the arm or lever moves..
I carry my Invention into 'effect in the following manner : I take a strip
of sheet metal a, Figure 1, and holding one end of it fixed, give a rotatóry
motion to the other end, so as to twist the said strip and give it a screw-like
form, as shown at b, Figure 1; the said screw. b, Figure 1, constitutes the axis
to which a rotatory motion is to be given. To give the said motion, I proceed
in the manner which will be understood by reference to Figure 2; that is to
say, I take an arm or lever c; shown in plan at c', the said arm or lever
having a forked end, as represented. The arm or lever c turns upon a joint at
d, the forked end of the said arm or lever c being made to embrace the screw
or axis b, as represented. By raising or lowering the arm or lever c by its
handle c", the forked end of the said lever is made to bear obliquely against
the helical edges of the screw-like axis b, and the said axis is made thereby.
to revolve. By moving the said handle c" rapidly up and down, a rapid alter-
nating rotatory motion is communicated to the axis b. If a drill e be fixed
on the top of the axis b, Figure 2, the arrangement represented in the said
Figure 2 may be used for drilling purposes: Figure 3 represents, in elevation,
and Figure 4, in section, a steam or pressure guage, to which my Invention is
applied for the purpose of indicating the pressure. bis the screw or axis; f
is a lever, the forked end of which embraces the 'screw b; g is a second, lever,
acting on the lever f, as represented; h is a stud, fixed on the top of the vessel,
which is expanded by the steam; as the stud h rises it acts, through the levers
9, f, upon the screw or axis, b, communicating thereto a rotary motion. A
finger i on the top of the axis traverses the graduated scale on the dial k, and
thereby indicates the pressure. The return motion of the lever fand the parts
connected therewith is effected by the spring 1.
Figure 5.represents my Invention applied to indicate the height of water in
a cistern. m is the floating ball, the arm n of which turns upon a joint at o;
the forked end of the arm n embraces and acts upon the screw band index
in the manner which will be understood from the explanation herein-before
given. Where great range of motion is required, I sometimes adopt the
method illustrated in Figure-6. q is a lever, turning upon a joint ; s is a
horse-shoe formed bar, jointed to the lever q at t; two parallel rods u, v,
extend from one arm to the other of the piece s, as represented; the said

page_text: rods u, v, embracing the screw b, on the top of which the index w is situated.
By moving the lever q up and down, a rotatory motion is communicated to the
screw b. Figure 7 illustrates the application of my Invention to a lock. Two
parallel bars x, y, on the screw embrace the screw b, and on the turning of
the said key communicate a rotatory motion to the said screw. To the end
of the screw a screw of the ordinary kind is affixed. As the screw b turns,
the screw advances or retires in the screw box 1, and thereby causes the
bolt 2 to be shot or withdrawn.
Besides the applications of my Invention herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing, my said Invention is capable of being applied to
a variety of other purposes, more or less resembling the applications described;
but I do not think it necessary to enumerate the various purposes to which my
Invention may be applied, as I believe the general nature of my Invention as
well as its mode of application will be sufficiently understood by the description
herein given.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention, the method herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, of changing the direction of and multiplying motion; that is to say,
by causing a fork or two parallel bars to embrace or engage with a screw of
the form described, and by moving in the direction of the axis of the said screw
to communicate a rotatory motion thereto.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
FREDERICK GRAY.
JAMES WEBSTER. (L.S.)