IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PULLEYS AND WHEELS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES LEESE WATCHURST, of 33 Blessington Road, Lee, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PULLEYS AND WHEELS and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to the construction of pulleys and wheels for driving
machinery, and for other purposes, whether such pulleys or wheels be made in
halves or whole or to partly spring open.
For this purpose in carrying out my invention I make the rim of wrought iron
or other suitable metal in two parts or halves or it may be constructed as a whole
or made to open in one place only as is usual in constructing pulleys for driving
machinery, the boss being made preferably of cast iron in two parts or halves or in
one piece according as the rim is made of two pieces or of one piece. The boss and
the rim are connected together by rings, as hereinafter described, which are cast.
into or otherwise fastened onto the boss and rivetted or bolted to the rim.
One part of my improvements consists in forming the connection between the
boss and rim of the pulley (whether made in halves or whole or to spring open) of
one or more series of rings according to the size of the pulley or wheel, the part of
the periphery of such rings or of the inner series of such rings which is placed
innermost being cast or otherwise fastened onto the boss and the outermost portion
of the periphery of such rings or of the outer series of such rings having a projection
The rings
or flange which is rivetted or otherwise secured to the rim of the pulley.
are made so as to touch or overlap each other and are fastened together at those
parts by rivets, bolts or clamps.
The rings may be made of wrought iron, steel or other metal and may be formed
so that the broad face of the periphery shall staud at right angles to the plane of
the ring or the broad part of the periphery may be in the plane of the ring. In
this latter case the ring will resemble a plate with a hole cut in it and then I prefer
to make an annular projection round the edge of such hole so that when two rings
overlap the periphery of such rings shall touch on the projections and give support
to each other in the plane of the pulley.
These rings may be circular, oval or of any other requisite shape and any two or
more may be cast or formed together so as to make one piece.

page_text: The two parts of the rim and boss when placed on a shaft are securely bolted
together.
When a light section of iron or steel is used for the rim of the pulley or wheel
I prefer to sink-in the metal round the holes where the rivets which fasten the
flanges of the rings to the rim pass through, so that a large and firm support may
be made for the rivet to hold to.
This mode of increasing the holding surface for the rivets may be applied to the
fastening of spokes or arms (instead of the rings herein described) to the ring of
wheels or pulleys.
The rim may be made so as to be convex on its outside which may be done
either by "spinning" or by bulging it whilst it is being rolled.
If greater strength is required two or more sets of rings (whether containing one
or more series of rings) may be placed side by side between the boss and the rim.
But in order that my improvements may be clearly understood I will proceed to
describe the same in connection with the annexed drawings in which Fig. 1 is an
elevation of a pulley with one series of rings.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a pulley built up of two series of rings.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same.
Fig. 5 is an elevation showing pulley when divided.
Fig. 6 is an elvation of a pulley where the broad face or periphery of the ring
is placed in a direction at right angles to the plane of the pulley.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same.
Fig. 8 is a cross section of the rim and part of a ring or arm showing the method
of sinking in the metal of the rim round the holes where the rivets pass through.
In all the Figures A is the cast iron boss, B B are the rings connecting the boss
to the rim C and fastened together at D D by rivets or bolts. EE are the rivets
fastening the arms, in this case being made in the form of rings as described, to the
rim C, the metal of the ring being sunk in round the holes as shown at F allowing
thereby firm hold for the rivets.
At Ŏ in Fig. 2 the rim is shown convex which may be formed in that way by
the operation known as "spinning" or by bulging the rim in a properly formed roll
whilst it is being rolled.
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:
1. The application to pulleys and wheels of rings or series of rings connecting
the boss to the rim substantially as herein described.
2. The method of forming a firm hold for the rivets which connect the rings,
arms or spokes of pulleys and wheels to the rim substantially as shown in Fig. 8 of
the drawings.
"
3. The methods of forming the rim of pulleys or wheels of a convex section
which consists either in "spinning the same, or in bulging the same while being
rolled as berein described.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1884.
CHAS. WATCHURST.