IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING POWER TO WINDLASS AND OTHER BARRELS USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS
Year: 1863

page_text: States of America, at present residing at the Queen's Hotel, Leeds, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING
POWER TO WINDLASS AND OTHER BARRELS USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
WEIGHTS. A communication from abroad by E. B. Requa, residing at
Jersey City, in the said United States of America.
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 28th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Baldwin Cronin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th December 1863.
I, JOHN BALDWIN CRONIN, of New York, in the United States of America,
at present residing at the Queen's Hotel, Leeds, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLYING POWER TO WINDLASS AND OTHER BARRELS USED FOR RAISING AND
LOWERING WEIGHTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in applying power to
windlass and other barrels used for raising and lowering weights. For these
purposes a windlass or other barrel suitable for raising and lowering weights
is mounted, and is capable of turning freely on its axis or shaft. Near one
end of the shaft or axis is fixed a disc, and on one end of the barrel there is
also a disc, and the arrangement or construction of the parts is such that the
barrel may be at liberty to turn freely on its shaft or axis when the two discs
are separated, but when the disc on the barrel and the disc on the shaft or

page_text: axis are brought and pressed together, the barrel will be put in motion by the
disc on the axis or shaft. On one of the discs there is formed a projecting
circular rib of a V or other suitable section, and in the other disc there is
formed a corresponding groove by which or other suitable surfaces, when the
two discs are brought together, the one driven by power will drive the one on
the barrel. The shaft or axis at one end is supported by and turns on a
centre, the other end of the shaft or axis is received into a sleeve, which at
its outer end is supported by a centre or point. The axis or shaft at one end
turns in a bearing and the sleeve at the other end is supported by a bearing.
The centre which is applied to the outer end of the sleeve is capable of being
moved to and fro by a lever fixed on the screwed axis of such centre. This
screw passes through a fixed female screw or nut, and there is a collar between
the end of the barrel and the inner end of the sleeve, against which the sleeve
presses when the centre is screwed up so as to bring the two discs into contact.
The power to drive the windlass or other barrel is applied in any suitable
manner to the shaft or axis, which, when at work, is caused constantly to
revolve together with the disc fixed thereon. The two discs have a tendency
to keep a short distance apart by reason of a spring placed between them, or
other mechanical means. A break band or strap is, where required, applied
to retard or stop the barrel when the two discs are separate, in which case it
is preferred that the two ends of the break band or strap should be fixed to
two plates or pieces by hinge joints. The other ends of the two plates or
pieces are fixed by hinge joints to a point below the barrel or at other con-
venient place, and the parts where the two ends of the friction band are fixed
are arranged to be drawn towards each other by a foot lever, so that the band
may be caused to embrace the friction surface of the barrel more and less
tightly.
SPECIFICATION in. pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Baldwin Cronin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
BALDWIN CRONIN, of New York, in the United States of America, at present
residing at the Queen's Hotel, Leeds, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Baldwin Cronin, Her special licence that I, the
said John Baldwin Cronin, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Baldwin Cronin, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING POWER TO
WINDLASS AND OTHER BARRELS USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS," a
communication to me from abroad by the Inventor, E. B. Requa, a person
residing at Jersey City, in the said United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Baldwin Cronin, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Baldwin Cronin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in applying power to windlass
and other barrels used for raising and lowering weights. For these purposes a
windlass or other barrel suitable for raising and lowering weights is mounted,
and is capable of turning freely on its axis or shaft. Near one end of the
shaft or axis is fixed a disc, and on one end of the barrel there is also a disc,
and the arrangement or construction of the parts is such that the barrel.
may be at liberty to turn freely on its shaft or axis, when the two discs are
separated, but when the disc on the barrel and the disc on the shaft or axis
are brought and pressed together, the barrel will be put in motion by the disc
on the axis or shaft. On one of the discs there is formed a projecting circular
rib of a V or other suitable section, and in the other disc there is formed
a corresponding groove, by which, or other suitable surfaces, when the two
discs are brought together, the one driven by power will drive the one on the
barrel. The shaft or axis at one end is supported by and turns on a centre,
the other end of the shaft or axis is received into a sleeve, which at its outer

page_text: end is supported by a centre or point. The axis or shaft at one end turns in
a bearing, and the sleeve at the other end is supported by a bearing. The
centre, which is applied to the outer end of the sleeve, is capable of being
moved to and fro by a lever fixed on the screwed axis of such centre ;
this screw passes through a fixed female screw or nut, and there is a collar
between the end of the barrel and the inner end of the sleeve, against which
the sleeve presses when the centre is screwed up, so as to bring the two discs
into contact. The power to drive the windlass or other barrel is applied in
any suitable manner to the shaft or axis, which when at work is caused
constantly to revolve together with the disc fixed thereon. The two discs
have a tendency to keep a short distance apart by reason of a spring placed
between them, or other mechanical means. A break band or strap is, where
required, applied to retard or stop the barrel when the two discs are separate,
in which case it is preferred that the two ends of the break band or strap
should be fixed to two plates or pieces by hinge joints. The other ends of the
two plates or pieces are fixed by hinge joints to a point below the barrel or at
other convenient place, and the parts where the two ends of the friction
band are fixed are arranged to be drawn towards each other by a foot lever, so
that the band may be caused to embrace the friction surface of the barrel more
or less tightly.
And in order that the said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A in the Drawing is the subtaining frame supporting all the parts; A' is
the drum; B is a disc permanently fixed thereto, and both revolve freely on a
shaft C, said shaft has permanently fixed thereon near one end the disc D;
both discs are shown in section; the said discs are fixed on the corresponding
ends of the said shaft and drum respectively, so that they may revolve in close
proximity; they have V-form friction surfaces turned upon and in their faces
respectively, the one fitting in the other, as seen in the Drawing. Motion is
imparted to the apparatus by acting on the disc D with a pinion or band, and
said disc is rotated continuously in the direction required to wind the rope or
chain around the drum. When the drum is not to move with the driving
disc D, it is commonly held away by a spring introduced between the discs,
and when the drum is to partake of the motion of the driving disc, it is carried
over with its own dise B towards the driving disc by any suitable contrivance
operated by an attendant thrusting the friction or clutch surface of the two

page_text: discs together, where they are forcibly held by the operator during the hoisting
action.
The means I employ to produce and maintain the thrust consists of a
lever L combined with a screw F fitted in a suitable nut or female screw fixed
to some part of the sustaining frame of the machine. The force required to
maintain the connection of the discs reacts on some part of the frame, inducing
great friction between the frame and the moving parts adjacent. To avoid
such friction, I provide two centre bearings, one at each end of the shaft,
arranged in line with the centre thereof, that at the end where the force
is applied being moveable and the other stationary. The moveable bearing is
formed on one end of the screw F, fitted in a nut making part of a bracket G
permanently fixed to the frame A; on the other end of the said screw F is
attached the lever L, usually by a set screw, the lever has a balance weight on
one end, and a bandle at the other end; f is the fixed central bearing, and is
set in the bracket K, also fixed to the frame.
:
To communicate the pressure exerted by the screw and lever to the drum I
employ a sleeve or cap E intervened between the drum and the screw and
lever, or its equivalent. This sleeve is nicely fitted on the end of the shaft, so
as to revolve thereon, and the exterior is fitted in suitable boxes in the
frame A. The outer end of the said cap E has the form of a cone, the apex
of which is in line with the centre of the shaft and of the moveable bearing
on F, and receives the pressure of said bearing as exerted by the screw and
lever or other device. The cap E is sufficiently long to leave a space between
the interior end thereof and that of the shaft. The screw and lever do not
require to be combined with the sleeve or cap aforesaid, but may be used in
connection with any device intervened as aforesaid that is competent to
transmit the pressure
of the screw and lever to the drum. The lever L has a
balance weight at one end, and is so adjusted on the screw that when such
balance holds the lever in a perpendicular position, as it is seen in the
Drawing, the pressure is reversed from the sleeve. When the clutching or
V surfaces of the discs are to be thrown together the attendant grasps the
lever and draws it forwards, turning in the screw and lifting the balance
weight, and when the operator desires to disconnect the surfaces of the discs
he has only to let go the handle, when the balance weight drops and turns out
the screw, withdrawing the pressure. When the pressure is withdrawn the
drum is allowed to be revolved freely by the fall of the hammer or weight,
lifted or otherwise. To make the friction as light as possible between the
sleeve and the end of the drun, while the latter is freed from the motion of
the driving disc D, and revolving in the opposite direction in lowering, &c.

page_text: ་
I have introduced a collar T between the sleeve and the drum; said collar is
not, however, necessary to the successful use of the sleeve or cap. If desired
a brake inay be applied to the periphery of the disc B to control or arrest the
fall of the hammer or other weight during the descent thereof.
From the above description it will be apparent that the thrust required to
maintain the clutching or V surface of the discs in contact in the connection
of the drum. with the motor is received and resisted wholly by the fixed and
moveable centre bearings, and therefore during all the laboring or lifting
action of the apparatus, the entire revolving mechanism directly associated with
the drum is practically running between centres, thus rendering the friction
resulting from end thrust merely nominal, and completely removing all
disadvantages usually associated therewith.
In the above Invention I do not confine myself to the precise details
specified, but shall vary the parts as circumstances and occasion require, while
retaining substantially the features herein described.
What I claim as new in the above, and as the Invention, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, the combination of fixed and moveable centres or centre bearings
with a drum and the friction surfaces of fast and loose discs or their equivalent,
substantially as described.
Secondly, the construction and use of the sleeve or cap as arranged on the
shaft, and intervened between the centre bearing and drum for the purposes
set forth.
Thirdly, I also claim imparting the end thrust required to effect and
maintain the contact of the friction or clutching surfaces by means of the
screw fixed in the lever or its equivalent in combination with the sleeve or
other competent device, arranged and used substantially in the manner and
for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Baldwin Cronin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
'Witnesses,
H. C. HOWELLS.
JNO. ANDERSON.
JOHN B. CRONIN. (L.S.)