IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernesto Abbiati and Giovanni Battista Siccardi, both of
the City of New York, State of New York, in the United States of America,
Engineers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Ernesto Abbiati and Giovanni
Battista Siccardi at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th
May 1880.
ERNESTO ABBIATI and GIOVANNI BATTISTA SICCARDI, both of the City of New
York, State of New York, in the United States of America, Engineers. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS."
Our Invention consists in the arrangement of an endless chain or band running
on suitable wheels, and provided on its outer surface with suitable arms having
cups or receptacles to receive metal balls or weights at their ends, in connection
with a shaft having spiral flanges to receive the weights or balls, and carrying the
same on the spiral flanch or thread-way upward, so as to fall or discharge again
when arrived at or near the top, into the cups on the endless chain, and thus move
said chain or band, which being provided with suitable teeth working into one of
its wheels, will rotate the same and its shaft and produce a motive power.
In order to explain the Invention as completely as possible we now proceed to
describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the numerical figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively as follows:-
The accompanying Drawing represents our Invention reduced to a complete
practical form and construction, although we do not confine ourselves to the special
construction of the various parts thereof, as therein shewn and described in the
following Specification, since they may be varied at will, provided the essential
features of the Invention are retained.
A is a wheel provided with teeth on its circumference, and B is a plain wheel
arranged in a suitable frame C. Over these wheels an endless band or chain D is
stretched and provided at its inner surface with teeth a meshing into the teeth of
the wheel A, and provided at regular distances with arms E having cup-shaped
receptacles & on their ends to receive metal balls J. At the underside of the arms
E suitable brackets E' are arranged bearing upon the surface of the next lower
arm to stiffen the arms.

page_text: F is an upright shaft supported perpendicularly in the frame C and placed as near
as possible to the ends of the cups D; this shaft is provided with a flanch b wound
spirally around said shaft, and forming a regular spiral or thread-way nearly its
whole length.
The shaft of the toothed wheel A is provided with suitable gear wheels m, m',
giving motion to the shaft W, which latter is connected through suitable gearing
N, M, with the wheel P attached to the shaft F for the purpose of giving a regular
motion to said shaft F.
Metal balls J are placed into the cup receptacles & at one side next to the shaft
F, which will cause the band or chain D to move downward, thereby giving motion
to the wheel A, and by means of the connecting gearing above described to the
upright shaft F.
When an arm E arrives near the centre of the lower wheel B the ball J in its
cup-receptacle d comes in contact with projecting arms H firmly attached to the
frame C, which arms support or hold said ball while the band or chain D moves
away, and after having brought said ball clear of its cup allows the same to slide
down on its edge and fall upon the spiral flanch b, by which it is then carried
upwards in the thread-way formed by said flanch.
A half round tube or upright rods placed at each side of the balls close to the
shaft F keep the balls in the thread-way upon the flanch b during this upward
motion.
When the ball has arrived near the top of the shaft an opening in the half-round
tube, or an enlargement of the space between the upright rods, allows this ball J to
fall from the spiral flanch 6 into a suitable trough, by which it is guided again in
the cup receptacle of one of the arms E to assist in moving the chain or band D,
and thus the motion is continued.
Instead of this chain band running over wheels, as above described, one large
drum may be arranged provided at its periphery with suitable receptacles to receive
the metal balls, and suitable troughs must then be arranged between the upright
shaft and this drum, one from the upper end of the thread way to lead the balls
into the cup receptacles, and one below the drum to conduct the ball from the same
back again upon the spiral flanch.
Having now fully described and set forth our Invention, and the nanner of
performing the same, we wish it understood that we claim,-
First. The combination of the wheels A and B with the band or chain D provided
with cup-receptacles d at its outside, with an upright shaft F provided with a spiral
flanch band connected by suitable gearing with the shaft of one of the wheels,
together with a number of metal-balls J arranged to operate in the manner and for
the purpose, substantially as herein described and set forth.
Second. We claim, in combination with the shaft F provided with a spirally
wound flanch b and a number of metal balls J, a half round tube or two or more
guiding rods, in the manner and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ernesto Abbiati and Giovanni Battista
Siccardi, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
In presence of
HENRY E. ROEDER.
ERNESTO ABBIATI.
(L.S.)
GIOVANNI BATTISTA SICCARDI. (L.s.)