An Improved Spring Motor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th May. 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Motor.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., 4, South
Street, Finsbury, in the county of London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Rodolphe Hessé, of
Marseilles, in the Republic of France,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a spring-motor and comprises the improvements hereafter
described.
A primary motor spring is enclosed within a barrel connected to a toothed wheel
which I call a power wheel. The outer end of the spring is fixed to the inner side of
the barrel and the inner end is fixed to a pivot or arbor which is capable of being
revolved, so as to gradually wind up the spring and thereby place it in tension; the
barrel being meanwhile fixed. The tension being thus obtained, the pivot is fixed by
means of a ratchet wheel and, the barrel being released, the spring in unwinding will
impart to the barrel, to which it is fixed a rotary motion until the spring is completely
unwound. The power wheel being fixed to the barrel will obviously have a similar
motion, which is transmitted to a pinion carrying a grooved pulley, which transmits
its movement to a reel fixed to another pulley; the movement is continued to be
transmitted through a series of similar pulleys and the last of such pulleys transmits
its motion to a reel fixed on a pulley, thereby communicating its movement to
another pulley which is fixed to a disc.
It will also be obvious that toothed wheels or other suitable gearing can be sub-
stituted for the herein before described pulleys. If pulleys be employed tensions must
be provided working constantly upon the driving cords or bands so as to cause a
perfect bearing upon the parts in contact.
In order to increase the power of the motor in proportion to the resistances to be
overcome, one or more spring motors can be combined with the one herein before
described so as to work in connection therewith.
The disc hereinbefore described is arranged to receive a pulley, a fly wheel
or its equivalent for driving the apparatus or machine which it is desired to
operate.
•
The
In order to set the apparatus at work, a lever is provided terminating in a pedal; by
bearing lightly with the foot upon the pedal a tappet is moved, which tappet is fixed
or formed on the lever. The object of this tappet is to nullify the resistance of the
brake wound upon the barrels, the object of the said brake being to moderate the
speed imparted to the wheels or pulleys, etc., forming the interior mechanism.
tappet then displaces the brake lever. This movement, by slackening the tension of
the brake allows the springs to act more freely, which springs having less resistance
to overcome exert their force upon the transmitting mechanism and increase the
speed.
On the pedal lever is a fork, which actuates another lever which transmits the
movement to a pawl. This arrangement forms a simple, convenient and easy means
of starting the motor. 1t first causes the disengagement of the pawl and though this
disengagement has been effected the tappet will not yet have touched the brake lever.
The brake remains then, applied until, continuing the pressure exerted on the foot-
lever, the action of the brake is more or less diminished, which thus allows the
developing force of the springs to operate more or less rapidly. An enormous facility
is thus afforded of giving, whenever required, the means of increasing or diminishing
the speed.
In some cases it is important that the brake should not be the sole means of

page_text: preventing a too rapid uncoiling of the springs. The strength necessary for this purpose
of a flat spring bearing on the lever would be too great to be constantly exerted: for
this reason a speed regulator is provided for causing an almost uniform movement.
To this end I arrange on the reel having the highest rate of speed a driving cord,
actuating a shaft to which are adapted pallets or flies, which in their rotary movement
beat against the air. The resistance which the air offers varies proportionately to the
square of their speed. It results then, that when motion commences the resistance
offered to the said flies is small. The motive force being too great to produce an
equilibrium the speed of the machine consequently increases. But this acceleration
of motion causes also an increase of resistance to the flies and then an equilibrium is
gradually established between the power and the resistance. It now only remains to
give through the pedal the desired speed of action. For a machine of a given speed
a regulator would be applied having flies in proportion to the resistance required to
equilibrate the power.
The surfaces of the flies would be in inverse proportion to the speed, that is to say,
the greater the speed to be produced, the smaller will be the surfaces of the flies and
vice versa.
Thin
OLL 1
ր
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Motor.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by Rodolphe Hessé, of Marseilles, in the Republic of France) 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 a spring-motor, and comprises the improvements hereafter
described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved spring-motor; and
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken through the case
of the apparatus.
A primary motor spring is enclosed within a barrel A connected by screws, bolts or
or other suitable means to a toothed wheel F which I call a power wheel. The outer
end of the spring a, figure 1, is fixed to the inner side of the barrel A, and the inner
end is fixed to a pivot or arbor b which is capable of being revolved, so as to gradually
wind up the spring and thereby place it in tension; the barrel being meanwhile fixed.
The tension being thus obtained, the pivot is fixed by means of a ratchet-wheel and pawl
and, the barrel being released, the spring, in unwinding, will impart to the barrel, to
which it is fixed a rotary motion until the spring is completely unwound. The power
wheel F being fixed to the barrel A will obviously have a similar motion, which is
transmitted to a pinion P¹ the arbor of which carries a grooved pulley P, which
transmits its movement to a grooved reel or boss B₁ fixed to a pulley P3; the
movement is continued to be transmitted through a series of similar pulleys and
reels or bosses B2, P', B', P, and the pulley Ps transits its motion to a reel, or
boss B, figure 1, fixed on a pulley 1, thereby communicating its movement to
another pulley B' which is fixed to a disc D.
It will be obvious that toothed wheels or other suitable gearing can be substituted
for the hereinbefore described pulleys. If pulleys be employed tensions must be
provided working constantly upon the driving cords or bands so as to cause a perfect
bearing upon the parts in contact.
In order to increase the power of the motor in proportion to the resistances to be

page_text: overcome, one or more spring motors can be combined with the one hereinbefore
described so as to work in connection therewith.
Each of the barrels A is provided with a peripheral division and with spherical
projections intended to engage in holes made in a steel band Y which thus serves
to unite all the barrels and transmit the power of all the springs to the single
pinion P. The springs are wound separately by their arbors b.
The disc D is arranged to receive a pulley, a fly-wheel or its equivalent for
driving the apparatus or machine which it is desired to operate. The motor can be
applied to the apparatus or machine to be driven in a very simple manner and
without it being necessary in any way to alter the latter. For example, if the motor is
required to drive a sewing machine, the sheet-iron or wooden case in which it is enclosed
is placed at the foot of the sewing machine stand to which it is firmly fixed by means
of screws or bolts underneath the table of the sewing machine. The fly-wheel of
the latter mounted on the shaft which is usually driven directly from the treadles
must be disconnected therefrom and be fixed to the disc D. The motor is placed
outside the frame of the sewing machine so as to leave proper space for the knees of
the machinist under the table.
In order to set the apparatus at work, a lever Ligure 1, is provided terminating
in a pedal, by bearing upon which lightly with the foot a tippet C is moved. This
tappet is fixed or formed on the lever at the point N¹. The object of this tappet is
to nullify the resistance of the brake strap c upon the barrels, the object of the said
brake being to moderate the speed imparted to the wheels or pulleys, etc., forming
the interior mechanism. The tappet C then displaces the brake lever M which
oscillates at the point O and is attached to the brake strap. This movement, by
slackening the tension of the brake allows the springs to act more freely, which
springs having less resistance to overcome exert their force upon the transmitting
mechanism and increase the speed.
Pivoted on the pedal lever L at the point K is a double link R, R which actuates
a lever T S R fulcrumed at S and which through the medium of a rod T U, transmits
the movement to a pawl U V X having its fulcrum at V. This arrangement forms
a simple, convenient and easy means of starting the motor. The pedal lever first
causes the disengagement of the pawl U V X and though this disengagement has
been effected the tappet will not yet have touched the brake lever M N. The
brake remains then applied until, continuing the pressure exerted on the foot-lever L,
the action of the brake is more or less diminished, which thus allows the developing
force of the springs to operate more or less rapidly. An enormous facility is thus
afforded of giving, whenever required, the means of increasing or diminishing the
speed.
In some cases it is important that the brake should not be the sole means of
preventing a too rapid uncoiling of the springs. The strength necessary for this
purpose of a flat spring f g h bearing on the lever M N would be too great to be
constantly exerted for this reason a speed regulator is provided for causing an
almost uniform movement. To this end I arrange on the reel or boss B³ having the
highest rate of speed a driving cord, actuating a shaft Z to which are adapted
pallets or flies, which in their rotary movement beat against the air. The resistance
which the air offers varies proportionately to the square of their speed. It results
then, that when motion commences the resistance offered to the said flies is small.
The motive force being too great to produce an equilibrium the speed of the machine
consequently increases. But this acceleration of motion causes also an increase of
resistance to the flies and then an equilibrium is gradually established between the
power and the resistance. It now only remains to give through the pedal the desired
speed of action. For a machine of a given speed a regulator would be applied
having flies in proportion to the resistance required to equilibrate the power.
The surfaces of the flies would be in inverse proportion to the speed, that is to say,
the greater the speed to be produced, the smaller will be the surfaces of the flies
and vice versa.

page_text: 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
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
claim is :-
The improved spring-motor hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated the 8th day of May 1890
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.