Improvements in Clutch Mechanism.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
Improvements in Clutch Mechanism.
I, GEORGE JACQUES AUSTELL COMONT, of 54, Tasman Road, Stockwell, in the
County of Surrey, Cycle Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
0
This invention relates to clutch mechanism particularly suitable for driving
purposes, and it may be used for cycles, motor vehicles and the like; I will describe
it as applied to a chain driven cycle. The chain wheel is made hollow and provided
with recesses to receive balls or rollers, each recess having a spring which assists the
ball or roller in returning to its required position when the clutch is slipping. In the
hollow of the chain wheel is a ratchet wheel carried upon the spindle, sleeve or other
part through which the driving is effected. The teeth are arranged so as to turn
freely inside the chain wheel unless stopped by the presence of the balls or rollers
which engage between the forward faces of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the
opposing faces of the recesses in the chain wheel. When the teeth of the ratchet
wheel move backwards they merely push the balls or rollers up against their springs
in the recesses and slip past; but when the ratchet wheel rotates in the opposite
direction the teeth catch the balls or rollers and move them forward until they engage
with the recesses as explained, and thus carry the chain wheel round with them.
It is not necessary that there should be the same number of teeth upon the ratchet
wheel as there are recesses in the chain wheel.
Any convenient arrangement of springs may be employed, and I prefer to use the
springs; however I wish it to be understood that I may dispense with them if desired
as I can work the clutch without.
It will be appreciated that rollers will do instead of the balls, but I prefer the balls.
Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.
As an example I may form the teeth upon the faces of the wheels instead of upon the
inner or outer periphery, modifying the parts as may be required.
Although I have described the invention as applied to the chain wheel of a cycle
I may of course apply it to other parts of cycles or other vehicles or machinery.
Dated this 8th day of December 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Clutch Mechanism.
I, GEORGE JACQUES AUSTELL COMONT, formerly of 54, Tasman Road, Stockwell,
35 in the County of Surrey, now of 180, Clapham Park Road, Clapham, in the County
of Surrey, Cycle Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to clutch mechanism particularly suitable for driving pur-
poses, and it may be used for cycles, motor vehicles and the like; I will describe it
as applied to a chain driven cycle. The chain wheel is made hollow and provided
with recesses to receive balls or rollers, each recess having a spring which assists the
ball or roller in returning to its required position when the clutch is slipping. In
the hollow of the chain wheel is a ratchet wheel carried upon the spindle, sleeve or
other part through which the driving is effected. The teeth are arranged so as to
turn freely inside the chain wheel unless stopped by the presence of the balls or
rollers which engage between the forward faces of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and
the opposing faces of the recesses in the chain wheel. When the teeth of the ratchet
wheel move backwards they merely push the balls or rollers up against their springs
in the recesses and slip past; but when the ratchet wheel rotates in the opposite
direction the teeth catch the balls or rollers and move them forward until they
engage with the recesses as explained and thus carry the chain wheel round with
them.
°
It is not necessary that there should be the same number of teeth upon the ratchet
wheel as there are recesses in the chain wheel.
Any convenient arrangement of springs may be employed, and I prefer to use the
springs; however I wish it to be understood that I may dispense with them if desired
as I can work the clutch without.
It will be appreciated that rollers will do instead of the balls, but I prefer the
balls.
Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.
As an example I may form the teeth upon the faces of the wheels instead of
upon the inner or outer periphery, modifying the parts as may be required.
Although I have described the invention as applied to the chain wheel of a
cycle I may of course apply it to other parts of cycles or other vehicles or
machinery.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a clutch constructed in accordance with this
invention applied to the driving wheel pinion of a cycle.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the multiple spring.
The pinion is formed as an annulus A with the usual teeth on its periphery, and
pockets A¹ formed on its interior. Within the annulus A lies a ratchet wheel B,
provided with teeth B¹, having pockets B2 between them. The ratchet wheel B is
attached to the driving wheel hub in some convenient manner.
The pockets A¹ in the wheel A contain locking balls or rollers which are con-
tinually pressed by springs D against the periphery of the ratchet wheel B, so that
they are always forced to enter the pockets B2 between the teeth B¹, while the wheel B
is over-running the wheel A. Thus the balls are always in a position to act positively
as pawls so as to bring about the engagement of the wheel A with the ratchet wheel B
when the pedals of the machine are rotated. The locking together of the two parts
of the clutch is actually brought about by the gripping of the balls C between the
teeth B¹ and the edges of the pockets A¹.
The pockets B2 and A¹ are preferably grooved for the reception of the balls
or rollers C thus enabling less metal to be cut away from the annulus and ratchet
wheel.
The springs D may be separate springs inserted in the pockets A¹ and retained in
some suitable manner, but preferably a multiple spring is formed of a flat ring D
with flaps, to form the springs D, turned in so as to lie in the pockets A'. This
multiple spring is clearly shown in Figure 3.
In the construction shown in the drawings the clutch is provided with side plates
or rings E which enclose the balls C. The plates E are held in place by screw

page_text: bolts El which pass through the annulus A and also through the ring D¹ holding
it in place.
If desired the teeth may be formed on the interior of the annulus A, while
the pockets containing the springs and balls are formed on the periphery of the
wheel B.
It will be understood that a face clutch may be constructed on this principle, and
also the positive action of the balls may be utilized to take the place of pawls in
other ratchet systems.
The balls or rollers C may be attached either in a rotatable or in a non-rotatable
manner to the free ends of springs such as D.
I am aware that clutches have previously been employed in which balls or rollers
engaged frictionally and in a non-positive manner with the two parts of the clutch
between which they were placed, and to such I make no claim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a clutch the combination with two ratchets of balls or rollers acting posi-
tively as pawls in the manner described.
2. In a clutch the combination with a wheel B with external teeth or pockets of a
wheel or annulus A having opposing teeth or pockets with or without springs such
as D to act upon balls or rollers which are carried between the wheels A and B and
serve as pawls in the manner described.
3. In a clutch of the kind described the employment of springs such as D for the
purpose of returning the locking balls or rollers to their required positions substan-
tially as described.
4
4. In a clutch of the kind described a multiple spring such as D D¹ for the
purpose described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete clutch
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
1000
Dated CITIS
day of October 1898.
GEORGE JACQUES AUSTELL COMONT.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.