Improvements relating to Keys and Key-ways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Keys and Key-ways.
I, JAMES FRANCIS DOWDING of Dashwood Villas Main Road Bexley Heath in
the County of Kent Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
.
1st. Instead of the ordinary fast or fixed key at present in common use, I use a
key capable of casy and automatic motion in its key-way; and the motion may be
either in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft or wheel containing the key;
or the motion may be in a direction perpendicular to, or at any angle with the axis
of the said shaft or wheel.
2ndly. In the use of a key-way so arranged as to admit of the use of springs or
other well known mechanical device, the said springs or other mechanical device
acting on the key in such a manner as to cause it to engage with the wheel shaft or
other gear as required. Also in making the key-way of such depth, and in such a
form that the key may be wholly contained within the wheel or shaft in which it is
used, or a portion of the key may be allowed to extend beyond the wheel or shaft
in which it is used, the extending portion of the key being used to engage with a
second wheel shaft or other mechanical device suitably prepared to receive or
operate on the said extending portion of the key.
3rdly. In the use of a key-way of such form as to allow the key to move in the
direction of its length, such motion causing the said key to engage with or disengage
from a second wheel shaft or other mechanical device suitably prepared to receive
the said key.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1892.
JAMES FRANCIS DOWDING.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Keys and Key-ways.
I, JAMES FRANCIS DOWDING, of Dashwood Villas, Main Road, Bexley Heath,
in the County of Kent, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :--
Instead of the ordinary fast or fixed key used to key wheels, pulleys &c. on their
shafts, I use a key which is free to move in its keyway, so that said key may
engage with the wheel, pulley &c., or may be withdrawn clear of same (auto-
matically if desired) and allow said wheel &c. to run free on the shaft.
That my
invention may be more readily understood 1 have attached hereto a sheet of
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a section of a pulley, movable key and shaft &c. ;
Fig. 2 a section of two wheels, movable keys and shaft &c., and
Fig. 3 a section of an automatic arrangement.
Similar letters in all figs. refer to similar parts.
Referring to Fig. 1, A is a shaft bored out in the centre to contain the
spindle B, C, D, and spring K, and slotted to take the key N. The said key N is
shown engaging with a pulley M, and as this pulley can run free on the shaft A,
when the said key N is withdrawn, a collar L is fixed on each side of the boss of
pulley M, by the set screws Q, or in any of the usual ways. Said collars are also
slotted and provided with suitable springs P to force the key N into the shaft A,
when required. The said key N has a suitable projection O, which works on the

page_text: enlarged part B of the spindle C, and said spindle may have an enlarged guide
portion as at D and a rounded end E, operated by a lever F, working on a
pin G, carried from the bearing H. A spring K may also be employed for
returning the spindle B, C, D, to its normal position after being moved into the
shaft A by means of the lever F, or said lever may operate the spindle C in
both directions. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The lever Fis
operated in any convenient manner and compressing the spring K, moves the
enlarged part 1, of spindle C, away from under the projection O, sufficiently
far to allow the said projection O to touch the spindle C. The key N will then be
depressed by the springs P, and the pulley M can run free on the shaft A.
By reversing the movement of the lever Fit will be readily understood that
the key N will be forced into the keyway in the boss of the pulley M, when
said keyway and key come opposite one another.
"
"
The aforesaid arrangement may be applied to operate a reversing motion,
either by operating two pulleys driven by an "open" and "crossed belt in
the usual way, or by engaging with two wheels as in a planing machine motion.
Such a method of operating a planing machine table is shown in Fig. 2, where A
is the shaft carried in the bearing H of the main frame W. U is the table
with guides Vand rack T. The wheel M may be used for the "quick return
while the pinion R driving the wheel S will give the reversed motion, and may
be used for the "cut" travel. The keys N, collars L, springs P and spindle B, C,
are substantially as before described, but in this case I preferably have two pro-
jections on each key N, and three enlarged parts B, B & B2 on the spindle C.
The centre part B will then engage with one of the projections on each key N,N',
according to the direction in which the spindle C is moved. It will be seen
that if the spindle C is moved in one direction (to the left say) the key N will
engage with the wheel M, while the key N' will be clear of the pinion R, as
shown while if the spindle C is moved in the opposite direction (to the right
say) the key N' will engage with the pinion R, while the key N will be clear
of the wheel M.
The keys may be made a continuous taper on the edge resting against the
spindle C, said spindle being suitably tapered to accord therewith. Said keys may
also be sunk partly into said spindle, so that the spindle will have a positive
revolution with the shaft. Said spindle may be independently keyed, or otherwise
secured, to produce the same result, or it may be made rectangular. Said pro-
jections on spindle may only be partial, instead of as shown at B, and may work
against projections or inclines formed in the shaft; they may also be loose from the
spindle or be continuations of the keys. The spindle may be operated through the
body of the shaft instead of at the end, by any of the usual well known means.
The springs P may be dispensed with if desired. The shaft A may be hollow
throughout, instead of being bored in from one end to the exact distance required
for the spindle C. The said key may be contained in the boss of the wheel,
pulley &c. and be fitted with springs to force the key into a keyway formed in the
shaft. The key can then be raised clear of the shaft, when required, by taper
collars loose on the shaft and operated by suitable gear so as to work under the
taper ends of said key, or the spring and collars may be arranged to work in the
opposite way to that beforementioned. The said key in such case can also be
raised clear of the shaft by means of the spindle C, a suitable projection on said
spindle, or a loose piece in the key way of shaft, raising the key as required, and
filling up the keyway flush with the surface of the shaft.
When an automatic arrangement is desired I preferably have the key N (Fig. 3.)
forced out by springs X into the key way in the boss M of the wheel. This
keyway is eased away in one direction as shown, so that the boss M will drive the
shaft when running in the direction indicated by the arrow, but will depress the
key N when running in the opposite direction, and so revolve free of the shaft.
The said key may be forced by springs along an incline in the shaft so as to
produce the same effect.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In striking gears a movable key N substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 1.
2. In reversing gears the movable keys N & N' substantially as described with
reference to Fig. 2.
3. In driving mechanisms the inovable key N automatically operated by the
pulley, wheel &c. containing the keyway for said key, substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 3.
4. In apparatus for connecting and disconnecting driving, or driven, mechanisms
from the shafts on which they revolve, the key N, having one or more projections O
and free to move in a slot in the shaft A, together with the spindle C and enlarged
part (or parts) B, or their several equivalents, and with (or without) the springs K
& P, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus as described in Claim 4, the parts referred to therein, but said
key N automatically operated directly, or indirectly, by the driving or driven
mechanism, substantially as described.
6. In apparatus as described in Claim 4, the parts referred to therein, but with
said key N wholly contained in the boss of the wheel, pulley &c. (when said wheel,
pulley &c. is running free on the shaft) together with the means of operating same,
substantially as described.
Dated this Third dar of L1803
.
G. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicant.