IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND FRICTIONAL BRAKES AND CONNECTORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM HORATIO HARFIELD, of Mansion House Buildings, in the city of
London, Marine Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND FRICTIONAL BRAKES AND CONNECTORS."
This Invention relates to improvements in compound frictional brakes and
connectors for vertical spindles. Hitherto it has been general to use such brakes
in connection with horizontal shafts only and in the few cases in which they have
been used for vertical spindles it has been found that the weight of the one series
of discs pressing upon the other series has caused such a great amount of friction
that it has quite checked the free revolution of the part of the mechanism required
to be released.
My invention has for object to obviate this objection. For this purpose I arrange
the two series of discs as before, one series of discs being connected by means of
keys or feathers to the fixed shaft and the other series of discs being also connected
in the same manner with the revolving portion of the machine, that is to say, to
the part it is required to connect or disconnect, both series of discs being as here-
tofore free to move upon the said feathers longitudinally. In place however of
letting the discs rest one upon the other when the brake is released I either
arrange the discs to act as springs or I provide them with springs so arranged that
when the pressure is relieved the said springs will automatically raise one series of
dises from contact with the other series.
By this means the discs will be free from the compound friction which would
otherwise be caused by the weight of both the series resting one upon the other.
In some cases it is only necessary to provide one of the series of dises with
springs, the discs of the other series resting upon them, in this case the frictional
resistance is only the simple weight of each separate disc of one series resting upon
a disc of the other series, multiplied by the number of discs, and not the compound
friction caused by the weight of both series of discs resting one upon the other.
Tated the 20th d
100%
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Compound Frictional Brakes and Connectors.
I WILLIAM HORATIO HARFIELD, of Mansion House Buildings, in the city of
London, Marine 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:—
.
This invention relates to improvements in compound frictional brakes and
connectors for vertical spindles. Hitherto it has been general to use such brakes
in connection with horizontal shafts only, and in the few cases in which they have
been used for vertical spindles it has been found that the weight of the one series
of discs pressing upon the other series has caused such a great amount of friction
that it has quite checked the free revolution of the part of the mechanism required
to be released.
To obviate this objection I arrange the two series of discs as before, one series
of discs being connected by means of keys or feathers to the fixed shaft and the
other series of discs being also connected in the same manner with the revolving
portion of the machine, that is to say, to the part it is required to connect or
disconnect, both series of discs being as heretofore free to move upon the said
feathers vertically. In place however of letting the discs rest one upon the other
when the brake is released, I either arrange the discs to act as springs or I provide
them with springs so arranged that when the pressure is relieved the said springs
will automatically raise one series of discs from contact with the other series.
By this means the discs will be free from the compound friction which would
otherwise be caused by the weight of both the series resting one upon the other.
In some cases it is only necessary to provide one of the series of discs with
springs; in this case the frictional resistance is only the simple weight of each
separate disc of one series resting upon a disc of the other series, multiplied by
the number of discs, and not the compound friction caused by the weight of both
series of discs resting one upon the other.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a sectional
elevation illustrating my improvements in compound frictional brakes and con-
nectors applied to a vertical cable holder compressor; figure 2 is a horizontal
section of the same; figure 3 is a detachod view of one pair of discs shewing the
springs; figures 4 and 5 are sections shewing different arrangements of forming or
applying the springs. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
In the arrangement shewn in figures 1, and 2; a, represents a cable holder;
b, a vertical shaft revolving in the deck bush c, means being provided for pre-
venting it revolving when required; d and e, are the two series of discs, the series
marked d, being connected by means of the feathers f, to the shaft b, and the other
series of discs e, being similarly connected by means of the keys or feathers g, to
the cable holder a; each series of discs is free, as hitherto, to slide vertically on the
respective feathers; h, is the usual screw for putting pressure on the discs or for
releasing them by operating the hand wheel h¹, having a nut j, the flange k, of
which is embraced by the collar 1, formed in halves and made square in plan so

page_text: that it cannot revolve independently of the spindle. The said parts are all of the
usual construction; i, i, represent springs with which I provide the discs, so that
when the discs are released from pressure the said springs will automatically raise
or separate one series of discs from contact with the other series and thus free the
discs from the compound friction which would otherwise be caused by the weight
of both the series resting one upon the other from the fact of their being placed
so as to be free to slide vertically.
The said springs can be adapted to or form part of the discs-In figures 1,
2 and 3 I shew the springs formed by cutting slots in the discs and bending up or
down the parts marked i; figure 3 shews a detached view of one pair of discs
each provided with such springs i.
Figure 4, shews a detached view of two discs having springs fixed to the discs.
In figure 5, I shew two sets of springs i, fixed to one disc, in which arrange-
ment it will be obvious that the disc next above and below the disc having the
springs will not require springs.
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. Providing or forming the discs, or some of the discs, of compound frictional
brakes and connectors when used with a vertical shaft, with springs in the manner
and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved compound frictional brake and connector herein before described
and illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.