Improvements in and relating to Means for Converting Reciprocatory into Rotary Motion.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Means for Converting Reciprocatory
into Rotary Motion.
We. HENRY MINOR STEVENSON, Manufacturer, and LEWIS WAYLAND LANSING,
Gentleman, residing respectively at 601, North Fifth Street, and Otley Avenue,
between Third and Fourth Streets in the City of Perry, County of Dallas and
State of Iowa, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement —
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to means for converting
reciprocatory into rotary motion, and the object thereof is to provide a simple
and effective device of this character consisting of an externally spiral grooved
spindle, an internally spiral-grooved sleeve having its grooves extending on the
same pitch as the grooves in the spindle, and a series of balls loosely fitting
partly within the grooves in the spindle and partly within the grooves in the
sleeve said series of balls being shorter than said grooves and free to travel therein
when the sleeve is reciprocated, whereby the balls are also reciprocated.
A further object is to so combine and arrange the parts of the device that the
balls serve in addition to their function of power transmitters, as anti-friction
bearings, whereby objectionable twist and strain is avoided and a device pro-
vided which may be easily and conveniently operated.
With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features,
and in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully
described and specifically set forth in the appended claims. reference being had
to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which-
Figure is a longitudinal section of a spiral tool driver constructed in accord-
ance with our invention, showing the parts of the tool in their normal operative
positions with the handle or sleeve drawn out to the limit of its stroke.
Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the parts when the sleeve
has been pushed forward to the limit of its stroke to rotate the spindle and tool
bit to the right.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the tool, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a similar view, taken on line 14 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the inner or tool end of the sleeve.
Figure 6 is a part sectional and a part side elevational view of a modified form
of tool driver.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters of refer-
ence designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. A designates
a shaft or spindle to which rotary motion is to be imparted, and this spindle is
formed with a series of circumferential spiral grooves b. semicircular in cross-
section and extending on such a pitch as to permit turning of the spindle by
pressure directed longitudinally thereof against the sides of the grooves. The
outer end of the spindle passes into the inner end of a tubular reciprocating
handle or sleeve B, which is formed with internal spiral grooves of the same

page_text: pitch and equal in number to the grooves in the spindle and semicircular in
cross-section, so that they will form therewith raceways which are circular in
cross-section. The grooves e terminate short of the inner or tool end of the
sleeve to cause the formation of shoulders e, and fitted into the outer end of
said sleeve is a knob or hand-grasp which may be of any approved form and
In the present instance, the
detachably secured thereto in any desired manner.
knob is shown secured by a removable pin c.
Interposed between the spindle and sleeve are a series of anti-friction balls /
which fit partly within the spiral grooves in the spindle and partly within the
corresponding spiral grooves in the sleeve and are free to travel in the raceways
formed thereby in a direction longitudinally of the tool when the sleeve is
reciprocated.
In other words, the balls may be said to travel toward or from the outer end
of the spindle and inner end of the sleeve, simultaneously, in one direction or
the other, and in thus travelling, as the sleeve is firmly held against rotation
by the hand of the operator, the power imparted to the balls by reciprocating said
slove is transmitted to the spindle, which is thereby rapidly rotated. By refer
ence to Figures 1 and 2. it will be seen that the spiral grooves are longer than
the series of balls, and that the latter in the present instance completely fills the
grooves for a distance equal to about one-third of the length of the grooved
portion of the spindle and one-fifth of the length of the grooved portion of the
sleeve. This arrangement, while deemed preferable, is not absolutely essential
and may be varied to some extent to suil varying conditions, but it is essential
in all cases to bave the series of balls shorter than the grooves so as to cause
the balls to travel back and forth in the manner described without the use of a
back channel or return-passage. Figure 1 shows the position of the parts when
the tool is ready for operation, the bulls being located at the inner or tool end
of the sleeve and the outer end of the spindle. When the sleeve is reciprocated
inwardly or forced down on the spindle, the balls travel in the race ways formed
by the grooves towards the inner end of the spindle and outer end of the sleeve
and rotate the spindle to the right, and when the limit of the stroke is reached,
the outer end of the spindle occupies a position near the extreme outer end of
the sleeve and the balls at the center thereof, as shown in Figure 2. When the
sleeve is withdrawn or reciprocated outwardly, however, the spindle is rotated to
the left and the balls travel in the reverse direction until the limit of the stroke
is reached, when the parts are restored to the normal positions shown in Figure 1
in readiness to be operated to again rotate the spindle to the right. It will thus
be seen that when the sleeve is forced down on the spindle the balls travel as
the sleeve as they travel down the spindle, and vice versa when the sleeve
is withdrawn, and that the full stroke equals the full sum of these two travels.
The spiral grooves, therefore, need not extend the full length of either the
sleeve or spindle, but the sleeve is preferably grooved throughout its entire length
when employed in connection with a spindle grooved as shown in order to enable
the balls to be readily inserted and removed at the outer end thereof. If desired.
however, the spindle may be grooved at its inner or lower half only or throughout
its entire length, and the normal positions of the balls varied accordingly. It.
will also be apparent that by employing loose balls and constructing the parts so
that said balls travel freely in the grooves, the objectionable twisting and strain-
ing incident to the use of a relatively fixed member on the sleeve is almost if not
entirely obviated, an antifriction bearing afforded and a tool produced which may
be much more readily and easily operated.
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When the parts of the tool are assembled, the balls are slipped into the grooves
at the outer end of the spindle. A plate or cap is then detachably secured to
the spindle by a screw g' to limit the movement of the balls in one direction.
while the shoulders at the inner end of the sleeve limit the movement of
the balls in the reverse direction and prevent the same from dropping out that
point.

page_text: The inner or tool end of the spindle is formed with a clutch head I which is
adapted to engage a similar clutch head 1 on the inner end of a tool holding
chuck J. This chuck is provided with an opening for the reception of a screw-
driver, auger, drill or other bit, as k, and a spring catch or detent to hold the
same in position. The said two clutch heads are enclosed within a two-part
casing M which is employed as usual as a hand-hold to enable the operator to
properly steady and center the tool. When the sleeve is pushed inward, the
clutch heads are engaged and the bit is rotated to the right with the spindle, but
when the sleeve is drawn outward and the spindle rotated to the left, the clutch
heads are released from engagement and the bit remains stationary as in the
ordinary construction of tools of this class.
In the modification shown in Figure 6, the mode of operation of the parts is
essentially the same, but the construction is varied to a slight extent by extend-
ing the end of the spindle through the outer end of the sleeve and forming it with
a flange n. The knob D in this instance is in the form of a head, screw-threaded
at its base to engage a loose collar encompassing the spindle and retained in
position thereon by the said flange n. The ball retaining cap is also in the
form of a ring having a pendent flange which is threaded into the upper end of
the sleeve instead of being connected to the spindle. The collar allows the
spindle to rotate freely independent of the knob and permits of the knob being held
stationary in the hand to center the tool when the spindle is rotated.
Changes in the form proportion and minor details of construction other than
those specified herein may be made within the scope of the invention, without
departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.
The invention is not restricted to use in connection with a spiral tool driver,
although so shown and described in the present instance, but may be employed
generally in machinery for converting reciprocatory into rotary motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination of a shaft or spindle provided with external spiral grooves,
a reciprocating sleeve provided with internal spiral grooves extending on the same
pitch as the grooves in the spindle, and a series of balls loosely fitting partly
within the grooves in the spindle and partly within the grooves in the sleeve,
said series of balls being shorter than said grooves and free to travel therein
when the sleeve is reciprocated, whereby the balls are also reciprocated, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a spindle pro-
vided with a series of external spiral grooves, a reciprocating sleeve provided
with a series of internal spiral grooves equal in number to those in the spindle,
and a series of balls loosely fitting partly within the grooves in the spindle and
partly within the grooves in the sleeve, said series of balls being shorter than
the grooves and arranged normally at the inner end of said sleeve and adapted to
traverse the grooves foward the inner end of the spindle and outer end of the
sleeve when said sleeve is reciprocated, substantially as described.
3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a revoluble spindle
provided with a series of external spiral grooves, a reciprocating sleeve provided
a detachable handle 11 knob closing
with internal grooves and with
the outer end thereof, a series of balls in said grooves and free to
traverse the same toward and from the outer end of the spindle and inner end
of the sleeve, said series of balls being shorter than the grooves, and a plate or
cap detachably secured to the said outer end of the spindle to hold the balls
confined, substantially as described.
4. The combination of a shaft or spindle provided with external spiral grooves,
a reciprocating sleeve provided with internal spiral grooves, a series of balls
shorter than said grooves and fitted loosely to travel therein when the sleeve is

page_text: reciprocated, means at the inner end of the sleeve to prevent the balls from
escaping at that point, and a plate or cap to prevent the escape of the balls at
the outer end of said sleeve, substantially as described.
Dated the Second day of May 1809.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.