Improvements in Dividing Engines, and in the Application thereof to Wheel Moulding Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
Improvements in Dividing Engines, and in the Application thereof
to Wheel Moulding Machines.
I, JAMES PRIDE, of 109, Medlock Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
'follows :-
My invention relates to improvements in dividing engines and in the application
thereof to wheel moulding machines and has, in the said application, reference
principally, although not exclusively, to improved mechanism for moving the
moulding piece through that proportion of the circle through which it must be
moved exactly if the pitching is to be accurate. The use of the invention is
advantageous and profitable for many reasons, but chiefly because it confors all
the advantages of a moulding by machinery without any of its drawbacks,
inasmuch as a machine made according to my invention is quickly taken down,
occupies but little room when it is stowed away, can be erected as quickly as
it was taken down, dispenses with the cost of complete wheel patterns as well as
with the trouble and loss incidental to the use of segmental pattern pieces, and
lastly, because it possesses a more trustworthy and exact pitching mechanism than
the scheme of change wheels frequently used, although the latter can be used with
the other portions of my invention.
Parts of the invention are applicable to dividing gear generally, without
alteration of functional construction.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, 1 provido a central column and a
base for it. These are of any suitable and convenient construction.
The radial arm is, as heretofore, pivoted upon the column, and suitable provision
is made for holding it fast thereto at any point of the circle. It is of course
extensible, and any suitable device or mechanism for extending or shortening it
may be adopted. I prefer to use the following. I mount a horizontal blook
fashioned after the manner of a double guide block upon the column. The arm is
a longitudinal frame having its sides of a proper cross section to engage with the
sides of the guide block. The arm is travelled to and fro upon the block by a rack
and pinion or screw and nut gear or the equivalent of either.
The front end of the arm is fitted with a vertical slide and from the sliding head
thereof projects and depends the arm which carries the moulding piece and the fine
adjustment. This block is brought downwards by a rack and pinion or other
equivalent gear and returned by a cord pulley and counterpoise mechanism. The
cord is made fast to the sliding head, passed round a drum and then led over the
pulley on the inner end of the radial arm from which the counterpoise depends.
The drum above mentioned has the cord led round it at least once so that they
cannot move independently of each other, and is fast upon a worm which engages
with a wheel gearing in the rack upon the back of the sliding head. The fine
adjustment is a screw and travelling block device at the extremity of the arm last
mentioned, and by its means the radial distance of the moulding piece can be
adjusted with exactitude. I do not confine myself in respect of the number of
teeth in the latter.
For the purpose of moving the arm about its axis and pitching the teeth, I make
use of a worm and worm wheel gear in combination with the pitching mechanism.
The wheel-which I refer to hereafter as the master wheel-is fast upon the
column in the horizoutal plane. I do not coufine myself in respect of the number

page_text: ?
of teeth in the master wheel. It is convenient that the number should be not
more than 100 and is, preferably, less than that. It is referred to hereafter as 70.
The relation between the number of teeth in this wheel and the principle operation
and use of the pitching mechanism is important. It is explained further on. The
worm which gears with the master wheel is carried upon a horizontal shaft which
has its bearings in suitable brackets projecting from the side of the radial arm.
Two of these arms project from the guide block above described at a proper
distance apart to receive the worm and a detachable horse-shoe distance piece.
The function of the latter is to provide for the worm shaft being moved through
its bearings far enough to take the worm out of gearing with its wheel.
This worm shaft is fitted at its front end with a suitable handle for turning it.
A definite number of its revolutions-say one-moves the master wheel for the
distance of one tooth so that as many turns of the handle as there are teeth in
the master wheel will carry the pattern piece through one revolution round
the column.
The improved mechanism for pitching the pattern piece is as follows. The use
of it replaces the change wheels frequently used.
The bearing of the bracket which carries the front end of the worm shaft above
mentioned is fitted with a loose bush which projects from the front end of it. A
device is provided in the bearing by which the bush can be held to it, and a second
one by which the worm shaft can be held to the bearing. The projecting portion
of the bush carries a spur wheel, which has 100 teeth because as this part of my
invention is to be worked by decimals, that number is the next highest multiple of
ten by itself above 70 the number of teeth in the master wheel. Behind this spür
wheel there is an aunular plate having its edge divided into 100 equal divisions
and one radial notch cut through its periphery. In front of the said wheel thoro
is a second annular plate the periphery of which is notched decimally. Suitable
devices are provided by means of which these plates can be held to the spur wheel
at any point of a revolution. The said bush end carries a 100-tooth worm wheel
in front of the last mentioned annular plate to which it is hold fast. The divisions
or annular plates and the teeth in the last mentioned worm wheel correspond in
number with the teeth on the spur wheel. This worm wheel is rotated by a worm
the shaft of which has its bearings in brackets carried by the single notched
annular plate and is to be used for work in which more than usual exactitude is
required.
•
The handle of the first mentioned worm shaft is provided with an automatio
detent by which the two annular plates and the spur wheel can be held
together.
It is evident if the wheel to be moulded-hereinafter referred to as the new
wheel is to have fewer teeth than the master wheel, the motion about its axis of
the worm which gears with the former must be less than a circle in proportion to
the ratio that exists between the respective numbers of teeth in the master and
new wheele, respectively. I will assume that the latter is to have 62 teeth. It
has been already assumed that the master wheel has 70. The ratio is there-
fore 8885. Consequently the motion of the worm for each tooth to be
moulded must be '885 of a turn. This part of my invention provides for barring
the worm from being turned through 115 (the difference between the ratio and unity)
of a turn.
The shaft is made fast to the front bearing by means of the proper device. The
pointer on the detent dovice of the shaft handle and the zero on the front annular
plate are brought together, the front plate loosened-from the spur wheel 'behind it,
turned until the 885 division on it coincides with the pointer and then made fast to
the spur wheel. The back plate is loosened from the said wheel and turned until
the notch in its periphery is aligned with the 885 notch in the front plate, and then
made fast to the wheel in front of it. The shaft is set free from its bearing, and
the handle turned in the direction opposite to the one in which the plates were
“turned, until the automatic detent on the handle falls into the aligned notches in the

page_text: peripheries of the two plates. By that time the master wheel has made '885 of a
turn and the radial arm is pitched for the moulding of the next tooth.
Dated this 6th day of March 1893.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dividing Engines, and in the Application thereof
to Wheel Moulding Machines.
1, JAMES PRIDE formerly of 109 Medlock Street, Kirkdale, but now of
34 Newark Street, Walton, both in Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to improvements in dividing engines and in the application
thereof to wheel moulding machines, and, in respect of the latter, has reference
principally, although not exclusively, to improved mechanism for moving the
pattern piece through that proportion of the circle through which it must be moved
exactly if the pitching is to bo accurate. The use of the invention is advantageous
and profitable for many reasons, but chiefly because it confers all the advantages of
a moulding by machinery without any of its drawbacks, inasmuch as a machine
made according to my invention is quickly taken down, occupies but little room
when it is stowed away, can be erected as quickly as it was taken down, dispenses
with the cost of complete wheel patterns as well as with the trouble and loss
incidental to the use of segmental pattern pieces, and lastly, because it possesses a
more trustworthy and exact pitching mechanism than the scheme of change whoels
frequently used, although the latter can be used with the other portions of my
invention.
Parts of the invention are applicable to dividing gear generally, without
alteration of functional construction.
In order that my invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood, I will now describe it and them in
detail, roferring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therowith. The figures illustrate the special
application of the invention to, and the use of a dividing engine made according to
the said invention as, a wheel moulding machine.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. The central column and the
pattern piece leg are shown as broken and shortened in order to bring the radial
arm and the mechanisms for dividing or pitching, as well as for rotating the said
arm, within the sheet.
Figuro 2 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of the dividing mechanism.
Figure 3 is a front elevation corresponding with Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan corresponding with Figure 1 as far as regards as much of the
invention as stands above the level of the foundry floor.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the radial arm, dividing mechanism and the upper
portions of the central column and leg of the pattern carrier, illustrating a
modification of my invention.
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a front elevation.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, I provido a special base for the machine which is
buried in the sand of the foundry floor beneath the level at which the wheel is to
be cast. This special hase consists of a.strong socket a tapering from its top to a
narrower diameter at its bottom, a flange_projecting outwards from the top at a
right angle with the axis of the socket. The flange may be circular in plan and

page_text: wide but I prefer to add to it four wide arms a' at right angles with each other
and all in the same plane as the flange. The object of the width of the flange or of
the arms is to prevent the excess weight of the radial arm on one side of the
central column pulling it out of its working position which is, necessarily, vertical,
as illustrated in Figure 1. b is the usual removable central column. Its lower 5
end b' is tapered to fit the socket a, and the opposite end of it is fitted with an eye
bolt by which the machine can be easily removed, and which serves also to hold
the mastor wheel down on its seat.
0
Gi
The top end of it and a shoulder & receive and support the head which serves
as a horizontal guide through which the radial arm & can be traversed as heretofore. 1
The traversing device consists of a pinion d' having its bearings on the head o and
gearing with a rack on the arm d. dis a stud fast in the head o and projecting
through a horizontal slot in the side of the arm d. Its outer end is screwed and
fitted with a wrench the oye of which is wider than the slot d'. This wrench
serves to hold the arm & in its adjusted position upon the head c. e is the pattern
piece slide. It is adapted, as heretofore, to slide vertically in either direction in a
guide &' formed upon the front end of the arm d. The slide is moved downwards
by means of a winch handle e fast upon a transverse shaft e³ which has its bearings.
in the front end of the arm d and carries a spur wheel e fast upon it, which spur
whool gears into a vertical rack e recessed in the back of the slide. It is lifted by
a counterpoise at the rear of the arm. The counterpoise. and slide are connected
together as follows. is a shrouded drum upon the end of the shaft e. f' is a
cord which is, after one end of it has been made fast to the drum, taken a few turnS
about the latter, led over a guide pulley f turning freely upon a fixed axis Dear
the rear end of the arm d, and there made fast, by its opposite end, to the 2
counterpoise. is the leg to the lower end of which the pattern piece is made
fast. I interpose a fine adjustment in respect of the working length of the arm d,
between the pattern piece and the said arm, by means of the following device.
is a block having a vertical groove formed in one side of it into which the leg
fits-sec Figure 4. is a rigid oxtension, to the front of the machine, of the 3
bottom of the slido e. e', e' are two vertical stops fast on the same side of the
extension as that on which the leg is to be carried. The distance at which
they are set apart is equal to the width of the block ƒª added to the length of the
traverse which is to be given to it. is a stout screwed and nutted bolt. It is
passed through the extension & the block and the leg fand serves to hold the
two latter to each other and to the extension. is a traversing scrow. It has its
bearings in and upon the extension and the stops e', e' in which it has only a
rotary motion.
The pattern piece consists of three portions-g, a short are adapted to represent
the outer balf of the rim of the wheel during the act of moulding, g', one of two
teeth and a half tooth, (the latter severed along the radial plane bisecting its root
and nose) and, a radial guard piece. The face which this guard presents in
Figure 1 is in the same radial plane as the rear side of the half tooth above men-
tioned, (which is a tooth and a half behind the one showing in the figure) the
guard piece being fixed upon or to the said rear side.
For the purpose of moving the arm & about its axis, I make use of a worm and
worm wheel gear. The wheel h is the master wheel of the engine and is fast upon
the top of the stationary column b, standing thereon in the horizontal plane. I do
not confino myself in respect of the number of teeth which it has,-I have illustrated
it as 70.
The relation between the number of teeth in the master wheel and the principle,
operation and use of the pitching mechanism, is important. It is explained at
length further on.
.
The worm wheel gears with a worm ' on a horizontal shaft A² to which it is
held by a feather (not shown in the figures) engaging in a slot e in the shaft. 5
This slot is continued for the whole length of the shaft ' to provide for the latter's
moving with the radial arm & further from or nearer to the column b, The

page_text: principal bearings, in which the shaft is carried and turns are provided by a
bifurcated bracket of fast to the head c. The two bearings stand at a proper
distance apart to receive between them the worm and a horse shoe piece or
saddle piece. This latter is a moveable piece and its function is when in its place,
to keep the worm in gear with the master wheel, and, when out of its place, to
make room for the worm to be put out of gear with the master wheel by its being
pushed up to either of the two bearings of the shaft h³. When the saddle piece i
is in its place, it rests by its ends, saddlewise, upon the two bearings c³, c³, and
straddles the worm A. It is provided with removable studs which are passed
through one of its bifurcations under the shaft h' and into the other of them.
"
The front end of the shaft is carried by a bracket fast to the adjacent-side
of the radial arm d. The outer end of this bracket is prolonged into a long
bearing through which 'the said end projects to be there fitted with a winch
bandle by which it can be turned about its axis. A definite number of revolutions
of the shaft moves the master wheel one tooth. I assume, for the sake of this
Specification, that this number is 1, so that as many turns of the handle has there
are teeth in the master wheel will carry the pattern piece through one complete
revolution round the column b.
The improved mechanism for pitching the pattern piece is as follows. The
bearings in the bracket A' above mentioned is fitted with a loose bush 4º, which
projects past the front end of it. Dovices for holding the bush in the bearing and
the shaft to the bush are necessary. I illustrate set screws h', working radially
to the common axis of the three parts mentioned, the former engaging in an annular
groovo in the bush so as not to prevent its being turned about its axis. The pro-
jecting portion of the bush receives a disc fast to it. This may be a spur wheel
but a plain diso answers every purpose. Behind this disc there is an annular plate
or disc & moveable about the bush A', having its edge divided on its face decimally,
and a radial notch in its periphery coincident with the 100th and the O divisions.
But the divisions may be dispensed with. The disa k is of a sufficient diameter to
present its divisions and notch outside the disc j. In front of the latter disc there
is a second annular plate or disc likewise moveable about the bush Aª, also divided
decimally on its front face along the edge thereof. is a radial extension of the
plate, having cut in it a radial notch coincident with the 100 and the 0 divisions.
The disc is of the same diameter as the disc j, the projection of the extension ♪¹
being coterminous with the radius of the disc . Suitable devices are necessary
for holding the discs and to the disc at any point of a revolution. I have
illustrated the use of bolts and wing nuts and, the respective bolt heads being
recessed in the disc and presenting the screwed ends on the respectively outer
faces of the discs & and l. m is a 100-tooth worm wheel fast on the front end of
the bush in front of the diso and of a smaller diameter than it. . Both the
wheel and the plate are hold fast together by any suitable device, such as
pins. The worm wheel m is rotated by a worm m', the shaft m³ of which has its
bearings in brackets m³ pivotted upon and carried by the disc k.
The winch handle is provided with a spring or other type of automatio
detent in adapted to hold the two disos k and to the disc by engaging in the
notches, of the former (and between two of the teeth of the wheel, if a spur
wheel is used instead of a disc j).
It is evident that if the wheel to be moulded-hereinafter referred to as the new
wheel-is to have fewer teeth than the master wheel, the motion about its axis of
the worm which gears with the said master wheel, must be more than a circle in
proportion to the ratio that exists between the numbers of teeth in the master and
new wheels, respectively. I will assume that the latter is to have 62 teeth. It
has been already assumed that the master wheel has 70 teeth. The ratio is
therefore =1-129. Consequently, the motion of the worm ' for each tooth to
be moulded, must be through 1-129 revolutions. The dividing mechanism of the
present invention provides for the worm not being turned through the '871 (the
difference between 129 and unity) of a revolution. The action in this movement

page_text: is the same as that which would take place in a fractional setting, excepting that
the detent m' on the handle is carried over the notch &, making one complete
revolution, and drops into the notch which is 129 in advance of the notch
It is assumed that the plato & is divided up to 1000-100 subdivided by 10. The
Bet screw is tightened, the bolt and nut are slackened and the plate turned
until the notch is vertically over the axis of the shaft A'. The bolt and nut are
then tightened and the detent m' is placed in the notch . The bolt and nut
aro then slackened and the diso and worm wheel m turned until the notch
coincides with the division 120 and the bolt and nuttightened again. The set
Borew now holding the shaft fast in the bearing is slackened, the
detent m lifted out of the notch and the handle turned forward until the
detent drops into the notch 1. The arm & will have been moved the distance of
one pitch.
The set screw is tightened up again; the plate & slackoned, turned until
the detent engages in the notch A, tightened again and the handle A* turned
as before.
The dividing engine constructed as above described is used as a wheel moulding
machine in the following way. The special base is first set. in the foundry floor
with its axis truly vertical. The machine is then fixed in it and adjusted, and a
bed strickled in the sand. The machine is next removed, leaving the base above
inentioned behind. I then take a pattern of the new wheel, representing all
portions of the wheel from the centre up to and including the inside face of the
rim, and fix a pin adapted to fit the soaket a of the special base, to the boss of it
after the manner of fixing a core print to a boss, by passing a bolt through them
both. The pattern is then laid on the strickled bed, the pin entering the socket a.
The boss and arins (and the inner portion of the rim, if the cross section of the
latter makes it desirable) are then moulded, bottom and top boxes being used as
heretofore. The top box is then taken off its fellow and the pattern and pin
drawn, leaving a mould truly concentric with the circle of teeth and the outer half
of the rim that will be pitched by the moulding machine afterwards. The latter is
then set up again in its base and the pattern piece lowered into position by turning
the winch handle e. The short are now stands within the space for the rim, and
the two teeth and a half in their space, for it must be understood that the bottom
box had not been rammed up to the rim of the wheel pattern. While the said
teeth and the radial guard gare down in the moulding position, sand g' is rammed
into the spaces between the outer pattern tooth g', the middle pattern tooth and
the half tooth, outside them and up to the guard. The function of the latter is
to prevent sand falling into the already finished mould of the inner half of the
wheel rim. The pattern pieco is then raised, moved about the central column as
far as may be required, and lowered again. This will bring the outer half (the
one visible in Figure 1) of the outer tooth gl of the pattern pieco into the print of
the half tooth next the guard, when sand is rammed up to the pattern piece as
before, the presence of the said outer half tooth in the print of the half tooth
safe-guarding the last print of the pattern piece against the entrance of sand and
the guard acting as already described. is one face of the said print between
the outer and middle pattern teeth.
Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7 there is a vertical groove a' in the side of the
foot b' of the column b which is intended to engage with a stud a radial to the socket
to prevent the risk of the column being turned about its axis during the process of
pitching. The counterpoise for raising the slide is replaced by a spring n
compressible between a disc n fast on the rear end of the cord and the cover n³
of a cylinder n' fixed on the side of the radial arm d. The cylinder cover n³ is
perforated to allow the cord to pass through it. The fine adjustment illustrated
in Figures 1 and 4 as interposed between the leg and the slide e for supple-
menting the rack and pinion gear d'd, is omitted from the modification now being
specified because I find that the said rack and pinion gear does not require supple-
menting inasmuch as it is sufficiently accurate. The clip or wrench too is

page_text: replaced by an ordinary uut n. The saddle piece i does not straddle either the
worm ' or the bearings c. It straddles the worm shaft only and that on either
side of the worm. The saddle
piece is held to the bracket of by pins nº. The
shaft Aª has a fourth bearing n². In the dividing mechanism, the disc j is replaced
by a disc n* carried by the bearing ; and the disa i by a radial arm which carries
the extension. The bolding devices, both present thoir nuts to the front of
the machine. The bearings for the worm shaft m² are pivoted upon the bracket A³.
For use when more than usual exactitude is required, I fix a graduated disc n' to
the bracket ³, and a suitable index to the worm shaft to be used in conjunction
with it. The detent m is adapted to engage with its notches by a spring and to
be rocked on its axis n' out of engagement by n push on the push piece n in the
hundle /*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a master wheel of a rotary shaft having a definite
angular volucity relatively to that of the said wheel and divided discs, fixed disc
and detent by which the relation between the pitch of the master wheel and that
of the circle to be divided or of the new wheel may be added to or subtracted from
a divided circle representing the circumference of the master wheel.
2. The combination with a master wheel of the dividing mechanism constructed
and adapted to operate substantially as described with reference to Figures 2
and 3.
8. The combination with a master wheel of the dividing mechanism constructed
and adapted to operato substantially as described with reference to Figures 5, 6
and 7.
4. The combination with a dividing mechanism mounted upon the end of a
radial arm moveable about a central column of a special socketted base adapted to
be buried in the foundry floor and to there recoive the lower end of the said
column and a rising and falling leg fast to the pattern piece slide and a pattern
piece adapted when down in the moulding position to receive the sand from the
outside of the circle of the wheel and to prevent it from falling into the already
completed mould.
5. The hereinbefore described method of using a pitching mechanism in
connection with moulding toothed wheels.
•