MACHINERY FOR RAISING AND LOWERING HEAVY BODIES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, SAMUEL GREEN BENNETT, of 3 Willow Avenue Edgbaston in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for MACHINERY
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING HEAVY BODIES to be as follows:-
My invention consists of improvements in machinery, or apparatus, for raising
and lowering heavy bodies, in which fluid pressure is the motive power employed.
In carrying into effect my invention I construct a cylinder bored, in which a
piston works. At one end or in any suitable position, I place a slide or other valvo
which admits and shuts off the fluid working the piston. At the other end of the
cylinder I bolt a tubular casting which is either bored out, or is fitted internally,
with a parallel tube, which tube I prefer to be of steel, solid drawn. At the
opposite end of this tubular casting from that bolted to the cylinder I fix a circular
casing which is bored out in such a manner that when a disc which is turned with
a groove on its periphery is fitted in same, there is a circular groove extending
round this inside periphery of the said casing, this groove being the same size as
the internal diameter of the parallel tube above referred to, and is a continuation
of the same. Inside the said tube I employ a series of balls, pellets or discs, or a
combination of the same. These balls, pellets, or discs I construct of hard steel, or
other suitable material, and they are sufficient in number to equal the length of
the stroke of the piston. When the actuating fluid puts the machine in motion by
causing the piston to travel, the piston rod projecting into the abovementioned
tube, causes the balls, pellets, or discs, to advance, and as on the periphery of the
above mentioned disc there is a projection, working inside the groove to receive the
pressure of the balls, pellets, or discs, caused by the piston, the disc is made to
revolve. The disc is provided with a spindle, which passes through the said disc
casing. On the disc spindle outside the casing a drum, pulley, gear wheel, or rope
wheel, is fixed which sets in motion a chain, rope, band, or other well known
means of communicating motion.
The apparatus may be made double acting by using two cylinders, with their
pistons, tubes, tube casings, one or more discs with suitable disc casing or casings,
the disc spindle being connected by suitable gearing for producing simultaneous
motion. In some cases, for heavy pressures, I use two piston rods attached to one
piston, instead of one rod as above described, two sets of balls pellets or discs and

page_text: ball casings being then required. In other cases especially where the pressure, of
the fluid working the machine, varies, I sometimes employ two cylinders with two
pistons, tubes, rods and tube cases both working on one disc. In the periphery of
this disc and also in the disc casing, I turn two grooves instead of one as above
described. When the pressure is sufficient one cylinder only is employed, both
however being used when required by the varying loads and pressures.
In applying the balls, pellets or discs as above described, lubrication takes place
whilst they are traversing to and fro, through the lower part of the disc casing, and
to which is bolted a cover to prevent grit from entering the interior of the disc
casing.
The cylinder may be lagged, when steam is the fluid used, for the purpose of
keeping it hot.
To lessen the friction of the disc spindle or spindles, I sometimes use rollers or
ball bearings.

page_text: I, SAMUEL GREEN BENNETT, of 3 Willow Avenue, Edgbaston in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for MACHINERY
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING HEAVY BODIES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of improvements in machinery or apparatus for raising
and lowering heavy bodies in which fluid pressure is the motive power employed.
In carrying into effect my invention I construct a cylinder, bored, in which a
piston works. At one end or in any suitable position I place a slide or other valve
which admits and shuts off the fluid working the piston. At the other end of the
cylinder I bolt a tubular casting which is either bored out, or is fitted internally
with a parallel tube, which tube I prefer to be of steel, solid drawn. At the
opposite end of this tubular casting from that bolted to the cylinder I fix a circular
casing which is bored out in such a manner that when a disc which is turned with
a grove on its periphery is fitted in same, there is a circular groove extending
round this inside periphery of the said casing, this grove being the same size as the
internal diameter of the parallel tube above referred to, and is a continuation of
the same. Inside the said tubo I employ a series of balls, pellets or discs, or a
combination of the same. These balls, pellets, or discs, I construct of hard steel, or
other suitable material, and they are sufficient in number to equal the length of
the stroke of the piston. When the actuating fluid puts the machine in motion by
causing the piston to travel, the piston rod projecting into the above mentioned
tube, causes the balls, pellets or discs to advance, and as on the periphery of the
above mentioned disc there is a projection, working inside the groove to receive the
pressure of the balls, pellets or discs, caused by the pistons, the disc is made to
revolve. The disc is provided with a spindle, which passes through the said disc
casing. On the disc spindle outside the casing a drum, pulley, gear wheel, or rope
wheel, is fixed which sets in motion a chain, rope, band, or other well known
means of communicating motion.
The apparatus may be made double acting by using two cylinders, with their
pistons, tubes, tube casings, one or more discs with suitable disc casing, or casings,
the disc spindle being connected by suitable gearing for producing simultaneous
motion. In some cases, for heavy pressures, I use two piston rods attached to one
piston, instead of one rod as above described, two sets of balls, pellets or discs and
ball casings being then required. In other cases especially where the pressure, of
the fluid working the machine, varies, I sometimes employ two cylinders with
two pistons, tubes, rods and tube cases both working on one disc. In the periphery
of this disc and also in the disc casing, I turn two grooves instead of one as above
described when the pressure is sufficient one cylinder only is employed both
however being used when required by the varying loads and pressures.
In applying the balls, pellets or discs as above described, lubrication takes place
whilst they are traversing to and fro, through the lower part of the disc casing,
and to which is bolted a cover to prevent grit from entering the interior of the disc
casing.

page_text: The cylinder may be lagged, when steam is the fluid used, for the purpose of
keeping it hot.
To lessen the friction of the disc spindle or spindles, I sometimes use rollers or
ball bearings.
My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which Fig. 1, is a side elevation, Fig. 2, a plan of same, Fig. 3, an end view of
cylinders. Fig. 4, transverse section on line A B Fig. 1. Fig. 5, end view of disc
casinge. Fig. 6, sectional elevation through disc casing. Fig. 7, transverse section
on line CD Fig. 6. Fig. 8 enlarged view of pellets. Fig. 9 inverted plan of pellets.
Figs. 10 & 11 sectional elevation of disc casing showing balls & discs. Figs. 12 & 13
transverse section of same on line E F, Figs. 10 & 11. The various reference letters
will be found to be uniform in all the drawings.
a and b are cylinders bored to suit pistons c. c. the fluid pressure being
introduced into cylinder a through pipe d. The piston having completed its
stroke in cylinder a, the fluid pressure from the said cylinder then passes through
the pipe e to the underside of piston in cylinder b. f being the release pipe for
fluid from cylinder b, the said release pipe being fitted with a non-return valve to
prevent the pressure from entering the said cylinder b. The pipe d is fitted with a
suitable slide or other valves, to admit and release fluid pressure to cylinders. g is
a tubular casting, in some cases being circular in section as in Fig. 10 & 11, in
other cases rectangular in section as Figs. 2. 6. 7. 8 when the section is circular.
I some times prefer to line the said casting with a solid drawn steel tube. Inside
these circular or rectangular grooves I employ a series of balls, pellets or discs,
which vary in shape as may be found desirable in working. In some cases they
are spherical ash Fig. 10 & 12, in other cases they are circular dises as ¹
Figs. 11 & 13,
In other cases they may be made as shown in enlarged section
Figs. 8. & 9. At the other end of the tubular casting a circular casing j is
mechanically fitted. The discs k which revolve on the spindle are made to fit
accurately in the inside of the said casings j. The rim of the said discs and the
inside of the said casings are mechanically fitted to suit the shape of the balls,
pellets or dises h, and i, as they work in the groove formed in the discs and
casings. On the spindle 1. the spur wheel m, is keyed. This spur wheel
the pinion n. which pinion is keyed to the shaft o. On the said shaft the drum or
pulley p, is keyed which transmits the power to the cage in the usual manner.
gears into
The fluid pressure being introduced in the cylinder a, the piston in that cylinder
is propelled. This causes the piston rod to force the balls, pellets or discs along the
tubular casting g. into the groove in the casing j. and the large disc k. the disc
being compelled to rotate owing to the projection r Figs. 6. 10 & 11 against which
the balls pellets or discs are forced by the advancing piston. The size of the large
disc is so arranged that one half the diar shall be equal to the stroke of the said
piston. On the completion of the stroke of the said piston the fluid pressure
traverses the pipe e, to the underside of the second piston in cylinder b. This
piston at once advances, the process above described being repeated and thus the
ievolution of the said large disc k, is completed. This motion is transmitted to
pulley or drun p. as shown in drawings.
In some instances I only employ one cylinder instead of the double acting
arrangement shown in drawings. In that case the large disc would make one
revolution while the piston is traversing the length of the cylinder instead of the
balf revolution as above described.
Of course the balls, pellets or discs may vary considerably in form and size
without departing from the principal of the invention, the groove in the tubular
casting, the casing & the large disc being made uniform in shape to the said balls,
pellets & discs. The balls, pellets or discs so varying in shape might be called, or
described by other mechanical names, but this will not effect the principle of the
invention, as the shape is immaterial so long as the power can be transmitted
through them by compression.

page_text: They could also be connected together by any mechanical method, thus making
them into a chain, the said chain working inside the said tubular casting, casing,
and disc as described. The construction of the said chain may also vary so long as
the power is transmitted by compression through the said tubular castings, casings
& discs.
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,
1st The general arrangement of parts mechanically fitted together as described
in drawings and specifications.
2nd The combination of the cylinder a, or cylinders a and b, with the tubular
castings g, the circular casings j, the discs k, or any colorable imitation thereof.
3rd The use of balls, pellets or discs, as shown, or of various convenient shapes for
transmitting pressure through the said tubular castings, casings and discs g. j & k.
4th The use of the said balls, pellets or discs when combined together in any way
to form a flexible chain or rack transmitting pressure through the said tubular
castings, casings and discs g. j and k.