Electrically Actuated Apparatus for Disengaging Couplings and other Mechanism.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electrically Actuated Apparatus for Disengaging Couplings and
other Mechanism.
I CARL BLANKE of 22 Alleestrasse, Barmen, Germany, Envelope Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED APPA-
RATUS FOR DISENGAGING COUPLINGS AND OTHER MECHANISM," and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying drawings
:-
My said invention relates to an improved device actuated by electricity for putting
couplings, driving belts, or similar means used for transmitting power, out of gear
from any desired position. The essential feature of my said invention consists of a
weighted lever provided with subsidiary levers and detents so that on the latter being
released in the manner hereinafter described the weighted lever may fall and thus
allow the main lever, connected with a coupling, strap fork, or the like appliance, to
fall and stop the machinery to which the power is being transmitted.
I prevent to the greatest possible extent the weight of the said main lever, which
according to the work it has is more or less heavy, from bearing on the releasing
mechanism proper, so that the latter retains such a sensitiveness that it can always
act with perfect certainty. This certainty of action is perfectly obtained by my said
invention which further provides for the automatic setting of the mechanism as soon
as the weight is lifted.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood I will at once
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying three sheets of
drawings. In all the four figures of the said drawings the same letters refer to the
same parts so that specific reference to the separate figures will only be made
occasionally in order to facilitate the description.
In the said drawings H is the main disengaging lever or bar which is usually
weighted to a sufficient degree to enable it to perform its work, and is connected with
the part of the driving gear which is to be thrown in and out of gear and is supported
by the swinging bracket or arm A fitted on the outside of the plate W which
forms the back part of the frame carrying the principal parts of the releasing
device. The said swinging bracket A is held in position by the toggle or jointed
strut m n the lower end m of which is secured to the shaft o mounted in the frame.
The lever a and the detent b are also secured to the shaft o which also carries the
lever c which is free to rotate on the shaft o.
The detent b which butts against a lever d provided at its extremity with a roller i
prevents the shaft o from turning and the swinging bracket or arm A from moving
downwards. The lever d, pressed down by a spring f, as well as the weight lever h
are fitted on the pin and the said lever d when abutting against the detent & holds
the lever in its raised position by means of a projection Figures 1 and 4, the lever
meeting with resistance in a recess of the said projection. The swinging bracket A is
held up so long as the detent 6 stops the lever d, that is to say while the small weight
lever h remains in the raised position as shown by the position of the different parts in
Fig. 1. In order to keep the said lever h in the raised position a cord & guided over
a pulley y and wound on the boss k of the lever p is fastened to its free end. When
the cord is pulled the lever p has a tendency to turn in the direction of the arrow pl
Fig. 1, but is prevented from doing this by the armature 9 of the electro-magnet E
coming in contact with the lever p provided at the end with a small roller.
as the current is closed at any part of the circuit the arinature q is attracted and
the lever P is liberated the weight lever h then falls and raises at the same time the
lever d over the detent b thus freeing the shaft o. The swinging bracket A can now
by the action of the weight of the main disengaging lever H fall down, the toggle m n
As soon

page_text: being at the same time bent. The parts then take the positions shown in Fig. 4 of
sheet 3. The inclined position of the arm A frees the main disengaging bar H shown in
Fig. 4 and allows it to fall. On the descent of the small weight lever h the lever p
is caused by means of the cords to make nearly a revolution and to take the position
as shown in Fig. 4 resting against the stop t.
The attraction of the armature 9 by the electro-magnet will be effected the more
readily the less there is pressure exerted by the lever p. This pressure depends upon
the pull on the cords exerted by the weight lever hand this again is to be adjusted
to the pressure which the detent exerts on the lever d. In order to reduce this
pressure which is caused by the weight acting on the main disengaging lever H which
has to be put in and out of gear the toggle or jointed strut m n as shown in Fig. 1 is
placed between the arm A which carries the whole weight of the main disengaging
lever H, and the shaft o, by this means only a very small part of the pressure of the
disengaging lever H tends to cause the rotation of the shaft o; the detent b exerts a
correspondingly diminished resistance to the lever d, this enables a comparatively light
weight being given to the small weight lever and therefore the pressure exerted by
the lever pupon the armature q is correspondingly light.
In order to bring the mechanism selfactingly into the position shown in Fig. 1 when
the part of the machine which was thrown out of gear is to be put into gear by the
raising of the main lever H, the swinging bracket A has its free end forked so that
when the main disengaging lever H strikes the longer part of this fork in its upward
movement it is carried along and is turned up: this causes the lower part of the fork
to come under the bar H and to support it as before. Further the hereinbefore
mentioned lever a and the lever c are mounted on the shaft o. The lever chas
attached to its free end a cord u passing over a guide-pulley w and is wound in a
contrary way to the cord s on the boss of the lever p.
When the lever falls the
cords is pulled downwards and at the same time the cord u is wound on the boss k,
this is accomplished when the mechanism passes from the position shown in Fig. 1 to
that shown in Fig. 4. On the return of the lever c to its last-mentioned position,
i.e. as shown in Fig. 4, where it is supported by the stop e the pull on the cord u
causes the reverse action, that is to say the lever p is turned back, the cord s is wound
on and consequently the lever is raised. When the lever p is stopped by the
armature of the electro-magnet the lever d falls in front of the detent 6 thereby again
setting the releasing mechanism. On turning back the detent b the lever d can pass
it, the spring pressing thereon yielding to allow of this. When set for action the
toggle m n which connects the swinging bracket A and the shaft o is supported by
one end of a stop M the other end of which also supports the swinging bracket A as
shown in Fig. 4 when thrown out of gear.
The lever c is free to turn on the shaft o so that it can follow at once the pull of the
cord u when it is wound up on the release of the lever p. The shaft o only turns in
the same direction as the lever c when the lever d has passed the detent b; but when
putting into gear or when turning the shaft o backwards the lever c must also
partake of the turning of the shaft o; it must therefore be in firm connection with
the shaft when throwing out of gear whereas it must be able to turn independently
when putting into gear.
In order to effect this the lever a fixed on the shaft carries in the middle a movable
double sneck or catch 201
2°
A spring a presses on the end which by this means
is caused to engage with the lever c; this occurs when the mechanism takes the
released position shown in Fig. 4. When putting into gear, while the arm A moves
upwards and the shaft o, and the lever a connected therewith, turn back, the hook
catches the lever c and brings it into the position shown in Fig. 1. The other end r
of the double hook is at the same time pushed under the part z Figs. 1 and 3 and
causes a lifting of the end behind the lever c resulting in the disengagement of the
said lever c. In this way when the armature q is drawn down by the closing of the
current at any part of the circuit in case of danger or for other reasons the lever c
can yield at once to the pull of the weight lever h, and when the detent b is freed
from the lever d releasing the main lever H the lever a, fast on the shaft follows

page_text: the lever c, passes it a little when the catch » catches behind the lever c so that when
turning the shaft o back as above described this lever c must return with the lever a
when again putting into gear.
My said invention may be used for the simultaneous stoppage of two or more trains
of mechanism.
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-
1. The use combination and arrangement of parts constituting the device actuated
by electricity for the purpose of releasing a bar used for disconnecting a train of
mechanism from its source of power substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. An electrically actuated stopping device for releasing the main disengaging
lever H consisting of the supporting bracket A, connected by a toggle or jointed
strut m n to the shaft o provided with a detent and means for setting the device in
action substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and shown in the
accompanying drawing.
3. In the hereinbefore described device for stopping a train of mechanism the use
of the lever c mounted on a detent shaft o and capable when the device is set of
freely moving on the shaft o and also the use of the lever a and a double catch r¹
for the purpose of bringing the lever c into rigid connection with the shaft o when
being set, the whole acting substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Fifth day of September 1889.
JULIUS ALLMANN & Co.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
JULIUS ALLMANN & Co.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.