IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR CONVERTING A RECIPROCATING TO AND FRO MOTION' INTO A CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES BARLEY SHARP of Odcomb Ilminster in the County of Somerset Clerk
in Holy Orders do hereby declare'the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR CONVERTING A RECIPROCATING TO AND FRO
MOTION' INTO A CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates chiefly to an improved means of converting the reciprocating
to and fro motion derived from the piston of a steam or other motive power engine
into a continuous rotary motion without the employment of ordinary cranks, but
it is also applicable to other purposes where a similar conversion of motion is
required.
In carrying out my Invention I attach to the piston (for example) a rectangular
frame toothed or notched on its two inner sides which are parallel with the motion
of the piston. This frame encloses a wheel toothed for a portion of its circum-
ference and mounted on the shaft to which rotary motion is to be imparted, the
teeth on the wheel being so arranged that when they are in engagement with the
teeth or notches on one side of the frame they shall bo out of gear with those on
the other side of the frame.
When therefore the piston moves in one direction the frame turns the toothed
wheel and consequently its shaft, and as the piston recedes, the teeth of the wheel
becoming clear of the teeth or notches of the rack with which they have been
previously engaged and entering into gear with those of the other rack, the
motion of the wheel and consequently of the shaft is continued in the same
direction, and so on in succession the reciprocating to and fro motion imparted
to the frame by the piston resulting in a continuous rotary motion of the shaft.
In lieu of a frame I may employ two toothed bars or racks whereby a similar
result will be obtained,
In a similar manner the invention may be applied to other purposes where a like
conversion of motion is required.

page_text: I JAMES BARLEY SHARP of Odcomb, Ilminster in the County of Somerset, Clerk
in Holy orders do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR CONVERTING A RECIPROCATING TO AND FRO MOTION
INTO A CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
'
My Invention relates chiefly to an improved means of converting the reciprocating
to and fro motion derived froin the piston of a steam or other motive power engine
into a continuous rotary motion without the employment of ordinary cranks, but
it is also applicable to other purposes where a similar conversion of motion is
required.
In carrying out my Invention I attach to the piston (for example) a rectangular
frame, toothed or notched on its two inner sides which are parallel with the motion
of the piston This frame encloses a wheel segment or wheel toothed for a portion
of its circumference and mounted on the shaft to which rotary motion is to be
imparted the teeth on the wheel segment or wheel being so arranged that when
they are in engagement with the teeth or notches on one side of the frame they
When therefore the
shall be out of gear with those on the other side of the frame.
piston moves in one direction the frame turns the wheel segment or toothed wheel
and consequently its shaft and as the piston recedes, the teeth of the wheel segment
or wheel becoming clear of the teeth or notches of the rack with which they have
been previously engaged and entering into gear with those of the other rack the
motion of the wheel segment or wheel and consequently of the shaft is continued
in the same direction, and so on in succession, the reciprocating to and fro motion
imparted to the frame by the piston resulting in a continuous rotary motion of the
shaft. In lieu of a frame I may employ two toothed bars or racks, whereby a
similar result will be obtained.
In a similar manner, the invention may be applied to other purposes where a
like conversion of motion is required.
And in order that my said Invention may be perfectly understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall take as
an example the application of the Invention to the conversion of the reciprocating
to and fro motion derived from the piston of a steam engine into a continuous
rotary motion, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which represents
a side elevation of so much of a steam engine as is necessary to explain the
Invention.
A represents the cylinder mounted on a bed plate B, C the piston rod and D the
shaft to which rotary motion is to be imparted, carrying the fly wheel E, the
bearings of the shaft D being omitted for the sake of clearness.
To the piston rod C, I attach a rectangular frame F toothed or notched on its
two inner sides which are parallel with the motion of the piston, forming racks a b,

page_text: the frame being suitably guided say for example by an extension c passing through
guides d, and by the frame being supported at e or otherwise so as to ensure its
rectilineal motion.
This frame encloses wheel toothed for a portion of its circumference or wheel
segment G, fast on the shaft D to which rotary motion is to be imparted, the teeth
of the segment being so arranged that when they are in engagement with the teeth
of the rack a they shall be out of gear with the teeth of the rack b and vice versa.
In the position of the parts shewn in the drawing the piston is moving in the
left hand direction, having just commenced its stroke and the rack bis in gear
with the segment G, and communicating motion to the same and thence to the
shaft D, all as indicated by the corresponding arrows. When the piston returns,
the segment G will have become disengaged from the rack b and will be engaged
by the rack a, and the motion of the segment G and consequently of the shaft D is
continued in the same direction, and so on in succession, the reciprocating to and
fro motion imparted to the frame F by the piston resulting in a continuous rotary
motion of the shaft D.
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
Converting a reciprocating to and fro motion into a continuous rotary motion by
means of racks substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 4th day of June 1885,
TH J. HANDFORD,
Agent,
42, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.