IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF FOOTSTEPS FOR UPRIGHT SHAFTS AND SPINDLES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Walmsley, of Heaton Norris, in the County
of Lancaster, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FOOTSTEPS FOR UPRIGHT SHAFTS AND SPINDLES."
Sealed the 26th March 1858, and dated the 9th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Walmsley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th October 1857.
I, SAMUEL WALMSLEY, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster,
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTSTEPS FOR UPRIGHT SHAFTS AND SPINDLES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in forming the upper part of the footstep conical,
and in connecting the upper to the lower part by one or more holes, so that the
lubricating material that escapes from above may descend to the bottom part
of the shaft or spindle to be lubricated. I. also propose to make the conical
part, or that part of the footstep in which the shaft or spindles revolves,
capable of being detached to facilitate repairs, and to allow of a piece of glass
or other hard material being placed at the bottom of the footstep...

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Walmsley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
WALMSLEY, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Walmsley, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Walmsley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Walmsley, 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 Groat Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTSTEPS FOR UPRIGHT SHAFTS AND SPINDLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Walmsley, 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 Samuel Walmsley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in forming the upper part of the footstep conical,
and in connecting the upper to the lower part by one or more holes, so that
the lubricating material that escapes from above may descend to the bottom
part of the shaft or spindle to be lubricated.
I also propose to make the conical part, or that part of the footstep in
which the shaft or spindle revolves, capable of being detached from the lower
part to facilitate repairs, and to allow of a piece of glass or other suitable
material being placed at the bottom of the footstep.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried

page_text: into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a section and Figure 2 a plan of one of my improved footsteps;.
the upright shaft or spindle, partly shewn in Figure 1, revolves in the socket a,
the upper part of which is conical; a circular groove or recess b is formed:
around the conical part, and three or other. convenient number of round or
elongated holes c are bored or otherwise made from this groove in a diagonal
direction to the lower part of the socket a; the object of the conical part is to
convey the oil or other lubricating material from the upright shaft or spindle
to the circular groove b, from whence it descends to the bottom part of the
socket a by the holes c.
By thus constructing footsteps a considerable saving is effected in lubricating
material, as, instead of being thrown off by the centrifugal action of the
revolving shaft or spindle, it runs down the conical part and into the lower
part of the socket a, as above described.
:
Figure 3 is a section and Figure 4 a plan of a footstep which is put together
in two parts marked d and e; the upper part d is conical above, and is pro-
vided with holes c, as shewn in Figure 2, and the lower part e is bored out
rather larger than the shaft or spindle, partly shewn in Figure 3, to form a
receptacle for the lubricating material. The wearing surface being thus
reduced diminishes the friction, and consequently economises the power
required to drive the shaft or spindle. The upper parts of footsteps thus con-
structed may be of brass and the lower parts of cast iron, thereby effecting a
saving in the cost of the metal. Another advantage resulting from this mode
of construction is, that the upper part when worn out can be removed, and
another substituted in its stead without displacing the lower part, thereby
facilitating repairs.
Figure 5 is a section and Figure 6 a plan of another of my improved
footsteps; in this instance, a piece of glass or other suitable material, marked f,
is shewn at the bottom of the lower part e for the shaft or spindle, partly
shewn in Figure 5, to bear upon.
I have shewn the drawings of footsteps suitable for the spindles of machinery
for spinning cotton or any other fibrous material, but by increasing the
dimensions these improvements in the construction of footsteps may be
beneficially applied to upright shafts of any size.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the details given, as the same may be modified, but what I claim is,―

page_text: First, making the upper parts of footsteps conical for the purpose described.
Secondly, making footsteps in two parts to economize material and facilitate
repairs, as described.
And, thirdly, so constructing footsteps that a piece of glass or other suitable
material may be applied thereto for the shaft or spindle to bear upon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Walmsley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
SAM WALMSLEY. (L.S.)