IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hugh Hughes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1854.
I, RICHARD HUGH HUGHES, of 95, Hatton Garden, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER'
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in transmitting motive power.
For this purpose, a shaft or axis, which receives motion from a steam engine
or other power, has on it one or more cog wheels, which are not fixed, but are
capable of moving thereon; each of such wheels is connected with the shaft or
axis by means of one or more coiled springs. One end of each spring is fixed
to the shaft or axis, and the other end is fixed to the outer part of the wheel.
These cog wheels give motion to another shaft or shafts by taking into and
driving pinions or cog wheels fixed thereon. The springs are wound up by.
means of a lever or levers, acting on the first shaft or axis by means of a ratchet
wheel fixed on the shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hugh Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
Huan HUGHES, of 95, Hatton Garden, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Hugh Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thercafter 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 TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Richard IIugh Hughes, 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 transmitting motive power.
For this purpose, a shaft or axis, which receives motion from a steam engine or
other power, has on it one or more cog wheels, which are not fixed, but are
capable of moving thereon. Each of such wheels is connected with the shaft
or axis by means of one or more coiled springs. One end of cach spring is
fixed to the shaft or axis, and the other end is fixed to the outer part of the
wheel. These cog wheels give motion to another shaft or shafts by taking
into and driving pinions or cog wheels fixed thereon. The springs are wound
up by means of a lever or levers acting on the first shaft or axis by means of a
ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
which shows a side view of apparatus combined according to my Invention.
The necessary framing for carrying the same is, however, omitted, in order that
the mechanical parts may be fully seen; but a mechanic will readily arrange
framing according to the particular application of my Invention he may desire
to carry out..
.
a is a shaft or axis, which receives motion from a steam engine or other
power through or by the lever f; b is a wheel on the shaft or axis a; it is,
however, not fixed thereon, but is only attached or connected thereto by the
spring c, which at one end c' is fixed to the shaft or axis a, and at the other
end is attached to the cog wheel b, as shewn. The wheel b acts on and drives
the wheel or pinion d, fixed on the shaft or axis e; consequently, when the
wheel b is caused to rotate, it will put in motion the shaft or axis e; and if
there be several wheels b with their springs, and apparatus to aid and combine
together in giving motion to the shaft or axis e, the increased power will be in
relation to the, several springs c, and the combined effort they are making to
get to a state of rest. f is a lever, which by a driver g, pressed on by a spring
h, drives the ratchet wheel i, fixed on the shaft or axis a, and thereby winds up
or puts the spring c into a state of tension; j is a fly. wheel fixed on the shaft
e, as shown.
When only one lever is used, the axis a is to be retained from
moving back by a click or catch; but when two or more levers with their
ratchet wheels are used, a click will be unnecessary. In using this Invention,
the spring or springs c on the axis or shaft a having been wound up to a state of
tension, the outer end or ends of the lever or levers f is or are to be connected
to the axis e in such manner that the rotation of the axis e will cause the
outer end or ends of the lever or levers f to move up and down, which may be
done in any convenient way; and in this manner the two axes a and e will
be continued in motion, and such motion with the power in the axis e may be
transmitted from the axis e to any machinery which it may be desired to
be worked thereby, and this will continue to be the case without further
winding up the springs, unless at any time the tension of the springs is allowed
to run down.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim any of
the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details, so long

page_text: as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,
the mode herein described of combining apparatus for transmitting motive
power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN EDKINS..
RICHD HUGH HUGHES. (L.B.)