IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE PULLEY BLOCKS be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I ANDREW JAMES BELL of 298 Lower Broughton Road, Manchester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE PULLEY
BLOCKS to be as follows:-
"
I attach a light frame with two projecting cheeks to the same bolt or pin
which carries the block pullies; on this frame are formed grooves in which the
ropes slide, these grooves may be fixed or moveable; the other half of friction
brake slides on bolts, and by the action of small wheels or pullies is forced against
the ropes gripping all of them at the sametime, thus dividing the strain equally,
whereby any weight may be suspended in safety. When the pullies or wheels are
reversed the friction on the ropes is released, and by the help of a spring the two
halves of the friction brake are forced apart, and any weight may be lowered at
any required speed.-The action of the brake is controlled by a small band.

page_text: "
I ANDREW JAMES BELL of 298, Lower Broughton Road, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE PULLEY-BLOCKS and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is the application to rope pulley-blocks of a friction
clip or brake apparatus whereby the lifting or lowering of heavy weights and
hauling or pulling operations for instance as on ship-board can be facilitated and
performed with less manual labour than has hitherto been practicable. I attach a
light frame with two projecting cheeks to the same bolt or pin which carries.the
block pullies; on this frame are formed grooves in which the ropes slide, these
grooves may be fixed or moveable; the other half of friction brake slides on bolts,
and by the action of small wheels or pullies is forced against the ropes, griping all
of them at the same time, thus, dividing the strain equally, whereby any weight
may be suspended in safety.
When the pulleys, or wheels are reversed the friction on the ropes is released
and by the help of a spring the two halves of friction brake are forced apart, and
any weight may be lowered at any required speed, the action of the brake is
controlled by a small band. Fig 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates a side
view and Fig 2 a front view of an ordinary rope pulley block having my improve-
ments applied thereto and Fig 3 represents a plan of the frictional apparatus
detached from the pulley block. Although shewn as applied, to a pulley block
with three rope pullies it will be obvious that the improvements are equally
applicable to blocks with more or less than three pulleys.
In carrying out my. invention I attach a light metallic frame a with two
projecting cheeks b by preference, to the same central bolt or pin c which carries
the rope pulleys d. In the face of a wooden block e secured to this frame are
formed three grooves f in which the pulley ropes g slide, and mounted upon a
pair of right and left handed screws h and i projecting from the face of this frame
is a corresponding wooden block j similarly formed with three grooves k to receive
the pulley ropes. These grooved blocks are capable of being screwed together so
as to firmly grasp all the ropes g simultaneously and thus to act as a brake upon
such ropes by means of the toothed wheels and m screwed upon their respective
right and left handed screws h and i or two right or left hand screws may be
employed geared together by an intermediate spur wheel.
The hand rope n passing round the pulley o serves to impart revolving motion
to the wheels and m which are geared together as illustrated, and thus cause the
brake-blocks e and j to approach towards or recede from each other, at the will of
the operator.
The action of this improved pulley block will be at once apparent :-So long as
the brake-blocks e and j are free from the ropes g, the latter can be drawn through
the block and the weight be raised or lowered or suspended, but immediately the
hand rope n is pulled down in the direction of the arrow revolving motion is

page_text: imparted to the toothed wheels and m and these acting as screw-nuts upon the
screws h and i thus cause the brake-blocks to approach each other and to squeeze
the ropes simultaneously between them. In this manner the weight is effectually
locked in position, leaving the operators hands at liberty, and such weight thus
remains suspended and cannot be lowered again until the reverse end of the rope n
is pulled, when by a reverse action the break-blocks are caused to recede again
(assisted by the spiral springs p interposed between the blocks) thus loosening
their grip upon the ropes. It will be further observed that these brake-blocks also
afford facility for regulating the lowering of a weight at any desired speed.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The application to rope pulley blocks of a pair of break-blocks, mounted and
operated substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for Applicant.