Improved Means for Effecting the Transmission of Power from Travelling Cables, Chains, or the like to Vehicles or other Bodies to which Motion is Required to be Transmitted.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Effecting the Transmission of Power from
Travelling Cables, Chains, or the like to Vehicles or other
Bodies to which Motion is Required to be Transmitted.
I, HENRY WILLIAM FORD of the Hotel Metropole, Northumberland Avenue
in the County of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention which has been communicated to me from abroad by Hugo Robert Ford
of Buenos Ayres in the Argentine Republic, Civil Engineer, and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for transmitting power
from a driven rope, cable, chain, belt or the like so that the power may be used for
various purposes for which mechanical power may be required, such as for instance
to give travelling motion to vehicles or for working stationary machinery.
In order that this invention may be thoroughly understood I will explain its
nature and the best manner with which I am acquainted for carrying it into effect
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The figures of the drawing show as an example a combination for effecting the
movement of a vehicle from which its other applications will also be understood.
dis a rope, cable, chain, belt or the like (I will refer to it as a rope) driven by
animal, mechanical, steam or other power, which may be at any convenient distance.
The said rope is pressed upon part of the circumference of the wheel a and causes
it to rotate by the frictional pressure. This wheel a so rotating by the pressure of
the driven rope can be geared or connected by any suitable gearing to the axles
& wheels of the vehicle or moving frame m.
The rotating wheels a² upon which the driven rope d is supported, are also
available for transmitting the power of the said driven rope d to apparatus to be
driven. If the friction be increased by pressing the driven rope d against the
wheels a² more power can be obtained from the said wheels a².
The wheels a over or around which the driven rope, passes are supported upon
fixed standards or brackets and may be placed vertically or horizontally or at an
angle so as to keep the rope d in any desired course either straight or curved.
In Figure 1 the elevation is shewn of a moveable frame or carriage m supplied
with wheels to roll upon stationary ropes, chains, cables or rails or on the ground.
The before mentioned driven rope d is pressed by the roller e more or less upon
the wheel a on the moveable frame or carriage m and so the said rope by its force
or friction rotates the said wheel and this rotation is transmitted to the axle or
axles of the moveable frame or carriage m so as traverse it and any load placed
upon it or attached to it.
In transmitting the driving power last mentioned to the axle or axles of the
moveable carriage m the common methods of belts chains, ropes or gearing with
starting and stopping means are available and can be arranged to regulate the
speed as may be required for the several purposes in view. One method is shewn
in Figs. 1. 2 and 3 by ordinary belts with pulleys and varying speed cones.
A rotating wheel a may be provided for each axle if preferred.
The driving rope d when used for the moveable frame or carriage m is
supported upon its wheels a² and as the moveable frame or carriage m approaches
each of these wheels a, the rope d is lifted up and the wheel a, may be pushed
aside for the free passage of the wheel a upon the frame m and then be returned
to its first position under the rope d.
One way of doing this is shewn in Figures 1. 2 and 4. The driven wheel a in
Figure 1 is placed higher than the wheels a so that it lifts the rope d off each

page_text: supporting wheel a² as it approaches it and by the inclined bar p the lever r
Figure 4 is raised and thereby the supporting wheel a² is moved aside as shewn in
Figure 4 and kept there by the bar p until the frame or carriage m has passed
and then the lever » drops and the wheel a, is returned to its former position so
that it again supports the rope d. Another way is shewn in Figures 1 and 3
where the moving frame or carriage m is kept a little on one side of the rope d.
The wheel a lifts the rope d. and bends it out of its straight course sufficiently for
the wheel a to pass clear of the wheel a, and the rope d'is returned to its position
by the guide wheel (Figures 1 and 3).
It is convenient for some purposes to place the wheels a, a little higher than the
wheel a so that the said wheel a may pass underneath the wheels a, in which case
the wheel a leaves the rope d and takes it again after passing each wheel a. In
this case the pressing wheel eg has to be moved aside to free the rope d. The said
wheel e, can be moved and returned automatically if desired by a lever or the like
or by the attendant.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same may be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The transmission of mechanical power from a running rope, cable, chain belt
or the like to wheels by pressing the said rope or the like against a portion of the
circumference of the said wheels so that the said wheels are caused to rotate corre-
spondingly to the speed and power of the said rope or the like and to work or
traverse machines or vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus of the kind described and claimed means for removing the guide
wheels (a2) or for deflecting the rope or the like for allowing a vehicle to pass the
supports and guides substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of November 1801
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.