US1447516A - Winding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 6, 1923.

H. L. PITMAN WINDING MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2

mi m Ma 6, 1923. 1,447,516 v H. L. PITMAN WINDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2 1919 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES HENRY L. PITMAN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

WINDING MECHANISM. I

Appfication filed January 2, 1919. Serial no. 269,311.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. PrrMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of. New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Winding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to spring motors for driving the turn tables which carry the records in phonographs, and embodies improvements upon my pending applications 19:9,855 and 193,138. I 1

Owing to the great length of the multiplehelix spring disclosed in said applications, its tension increases very gradually as it winds, and hence fails to give adequate warning that it has been sufficiently rewound, and therefore there is liability of the spring becoming overwound and perhaps injured.

One of the objects of the invention is to pre vent overwinding of a spring whose winding and unwindingmotions progress in the same direction as is customary in phonographs. To attain this object there is provided a device which is efiective at any stage of unwinding, and which is preferably dependent upon the condition of the spring itself, for' preventing overwinding. That is, the spring is {self-locking, or provided with a lock which may be brought automatically into play for checking overwinding. In the preferred form of this feature, the inner helix of the spring, during the rewindi'ng operation, contracts upon a core which is normally idle,

but which, when gripped by the said helix.

is caused to turn therewith, and bring into use a stop by swinglng the same into engagement with a ratchet wheel connected to the winding devices. tocheck the same.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings. 1

Figure 1 is a part-sectional side elevation of the floor of a phonograph, with a spring motor secured to the under side thereof, and embodying the present improvements in one form. I

, Figure 2 is a bottom plan of the motor and appurtenances.

Figure 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating thereleased position of the overwind-check device; and also-showing in dotted lines the released position of the backcheck for the motor spring.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3.,

Figure 5 is a sectional longitudinal View of the winding shaft and its appurtenances; said shaft shown detached from the stubshaft or winding head to which it is to be coupled and bywhich it is to be driven.

Figure 6 is a friction washer which cooperates with the locking pinion seen at Figure 7 Figure '7 is an enlarged view to illustrate the tensioned motor spring as under control of the lock which prevents it from unwindmg. 7 Figure 8 is a view of the ratchet wheel which is attached to the winding shaft to be used in locking the same against overwi'nding, i I I Figure 9 is a detail view ofone end of the spring-winding shaft upon which is to be fitted the overwind-check ratchet wheel seen at Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation to illustrate the frictional connection between the brake arm and the regulating arm, to permit relative adjustment therebetween. while enabling the regulating arm to control the operation of the brake arm;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one end of the winding shaft. opposite from the end seen at Figure 9.

'- As usual in the phonograph, therecordis carried upon a turn table which is mounted upon a central vertical shaft 20, extending up through an opening 21 in a bed or plate 22, and supported at its upper end in a'bearing 23 and at its lower end in a step or bearmotor barrel 25, which turns about a'horiz ontal shaft 26, and has at one end a gear27 to drive a pinion 28, which is mounted upon 7 ing 24:. This shaft 20is revolvedby a springv one endof a horizontal shaft 29,- the latter .iiinite'dby'a stop arm 45 also pivoted loosely upon the stub carrying a spiral gear to drive a spiral pinion 31 on said turn-table shatt 20. y To wind the spring a cranlg 32 lsscrewed upon a threaded end or crankshaft 33, which projects from the framework and carr es a driving pinion 34 to mesh with a winding gear 35, which is preferably pinne dat 37 to a stub shaft 38, which is connected to detachablehshaift 26 by a tongue and a groove coupling 39, 40. j H At Figure 7, the driving pinion 34 andthe winding gear 35 are shown in mesh w th'an idle pinion 41',- so that all three gears lnthe train are locked;'hcnce, the shaft 26 cannot be rotated reversely by the spring. The ten sion of the spring is in a direction opposite i from that indicated by the arrow at Figure 7. Towijnd the spring, the crank '32 is turned in the directionshown by the arrows at Figures 1 and 7:. This turns thev driving pinion 34 and thereby revolves the winding gear. 35*,j as shown by the arrows. As fgear ;35., starts-, it carries the locking pinion 4 1 bodily away. tronrthe position at Figure 7. to the position at Figure 1, where it cannot interferefwith the rotation of the driving pinion .34. The locking pinion 41 remains in this released position; revolving idly, during the ensuing winding of the spring motor by the crank 32. For this releasing movenient, the'p'inion 41 ispivoted upon an idle arm 42, which is pi'votedlo'osely on the stub shaft 38. A friction washer 43 always opposes .the iiidep'enr'lentj rotation of the locking pinion '41 said washer for this purpose being interposed between said pinion 41 and i rema n permanently in the machine while thearm42gFigure 5. The pinion 41 is pivoted upon a shoulder screw 44 threaded into said arm. It will be perceived that the initial winding 'movement of the gearc35 "carriesjzhe pinion. 41 and arm 42 from tl1eFigure 7 position to the Figure 1 position, inasmuch as itis easier for the ar'mjand pinion to swing 'afway:t'r'o'in the pinion 34 than it is for the pinion '41 to turn upon its own axis 44, owing to the presence oit'friction Washer 43. Theteethotthe .pinions 34 and41 iiiay "be 'beveled to "give su'fhcient clearance during this unlocking operation. The releasing movement OfpllllOIl 41 and arm 42 may be shaft 38 and having a finger 46 to catch over the pinion arm 42, said arm 45being-arrestedby striking the hub of the 55 operation, "the locking piniop 41 revolves crank, as atFF i'gure During the winding idly and noiselessly. As soon as 'crank-32is "released; the motor "spring reacts upon the winding gear 35'jdriving the same in the oppolsite direction tt'ronilt'hearrow seen in Figpre 1, and thereby swinging the locking pinion '4'1 again into mesh with thefwinding ipinion 34;:as a't 'Figure'fl'sothat the train becomes relocked," and .it'urth er unwinding of the spring is prevented.

helix '48, through which the winding shaft 26 extends. The outer helix is hooked over a headed supporting stud 49 projecting 1nwardly from thedriving gear 27; the lastwheat-r this helijc b'eing also confined within a supporting hook 50,.which also projects inwardly from. the gear 27.. It isiiotedr at this point that this gear 2"! may form the head of casing or barrel 25, .ivhich is iii the form of a long cylinder secured at one end by screws 52 to said head, and at the opposite end having a head 53,.which is loosely centered upon the main or winding shaft 26, or upon a core (or. sleeve) 54. which is loose upon said shaft. The end ofthe innermost helix 48 is hooked under the head off a screw 55, threaded into a collar 56 upon the shaft 26. When said collar and shaft; are rotated by the crank 32; as already eiiplained. saidinner helix 48 wound up, the winding motion being coinniunicated to the outer helices. This collar'56 has a. reduced inner end 57 upon which it the end whorlsof the helix 48: the opposite end of the helix surrounding the loose core 54 and supportable h by- H The end of the shaft 26 is'reduced at 58 to receive collar 56. 57} which abuts against the. shoulder at the end of the reduced porthe shaft-'26 with the spring 47 is being asse'mbled or w1thdrawn. The tongue or flattened port on 39 of the reduced section 58 of the shaft fits in the transverse groove of a head 61 on stub shaft The disk 62.v'liich.:ma y be formed or fixedupbn the collar 56; may serve to. take theend; thrust of certain 'of the helices, so that therewill not be friction-between said helices and. the inner-face of the gear ,27. Wl'llChrlS loosely pivoted upon hub'63 torfned jnpon the collar "56. -The transverse groove 40 extends entirely across the large head .61, and-receives the divisions of a tongue 64 which is formed. upon the euter end oi the collar 56, so that said collar. is directly driven by the stub shaft 38, together. with said in-ner helix 48. i i .u a

The right-hand end of the. windingshatt .26. at Figure 5,,is detachably mounted,there being provided for this purpose a removable stud '65; secured by a set screw 66 -in the 'irameworl: 67, and h-aving on its inner end a nipple 68,,wl'1ich serves as abearingfor s'aid shaft 26, this shaft having its end a bore 69 to fit uponsaidnip ple; By loosening the screw 66 and withdrawingrthe stud 65, the shaft 26, together with the springbarrel 25. may be moved endwise and tilted up and detached from the head '61 of the stud shaft 38, whereupon the barrel 25 may be withdraw The loose core or sleeve 54 is also used in preventing overwinding of the spring motor. This core remains stationary upon the revolving shaft 26 during the winding of the spring; the core being held against rotation by an arm 70 having a spring 71; said spring and arm being pivoted upon a stud 72. .secured by a set screw 73; and said arm and spring may be confined upon the inner projecting end of the stud by means of washer 74 and screw 75. One end of the spring may bear against a stud 76, and the other end against a portion which is rigid with arm 70. The power of the spring 71 is sufficient to hold the arm 70 against the tendency of the sleeve 54 to revolve with the shaft 26 during the winding operation; but, when the winding proceeds to suchan extent that the whorls of the innermost helix 48 contract so much as to grip the sleeve 54. as shown at Figure 4 and in dotted lines at Figure 5, the sleeve iscaused to rotate by. the friction ofthe whorls thereon; this being the end of the helix 48 which is oppositefrom the hooked end at and which is free to tighten upon the core or sleeve 54. The opposite ends of said helix are relatively revoluble to an extent to permit this contraction and gripping. The core 54, being thus automatically rotated, pushes the arm '70 to the left from the position at Figure 8 to the position at Figure 4. to bring dog or stop 77 into" the path of one of the teeth of ratchet wheel 78. and" there by arrest-the shaft 26 and? stop the winding. It is noted that said ratchet or stop wheel 78 may have an oblong central opening 79 to fit upon a key portion 80 formed upon the right-hand end of the winding shaft 2-6. so. that the ratchet wheel and shaft must revolve together, and danger of injury is avoided. Hence the spring is self-locking against overwinding. The arrest of the winding depends upon the condition ofthe spring 17 itself. In other words,when the spring has been tensioned to an extent to cause the innermost whorls thereof to bind upon the sleeve 54: the stop ,77 is automatically thrown into position to arrest the winding. This may happen. at any stage in the rotation of the spring barrel 25. The diameter of the core 54 is such as. to be gripped by the helix whorls before the contraction in diameter of the several helices has proceeded far enough to enableany helix to contact with the next inner helix. In other words; a clearanceis always left between the several helices, to prevento-vertensioning of the spring, and to preventthe whorls ofv the helices from. no sily scraping over one another, or sllp-plng between. one

another, and to permit free flow of lubricant between adjacent whorls. The arm may work in a peripheral slot 81 formed in the core 54; near its end, and thereby prevent longitudinal displacement of the core; while one end of the slot forms a shoulder to engage the arm 70 for throwing in the stop, as already explained.

As soon as the Winding is arrested. the operator releases the crank 32, and the motor spring react-s as hereinbefore explained, the winding shaft 26 turning backwardly until the locking pinion 4:1 remeshes with the driving pinion 34, as at Figure 7 and, during this backward rotation of shaft 9-6, the sleeve 5% may turn therewith by reason of the engagement of the spring-pressed arm 70 with the shoulder on the sleeve, as well as by the grip of the whorls 48 upon the sleeve. The spring 71 will, therefore, swing the stop 77 out of the path of the ratchet 78 as at Figure 3, so as to release the ratchetwheel and shaft for a subsequent winding operation; a finger 81 on the stop engaging a pin 81 to arrest the releasing movement of the stop.

The device for governing the speed of rotation of the usual turn table on shaft 20 may comprise a gear 83 on said shaft, to mesh with a pinion 84:, to which is fixed a spiral gear 85, which meshes with a worm 86, the latter carried upon a shaft 87, which is thus caused to revolve at high speed, thereby separatingcentrifugal weightsSS which are carriedupon flexible arms 89. whereby the arms are shortened. thereby pulling a brake disk 90 against a brake arm 91. and so controlling the speed of rotation of the disk 90 and hence of the turn table. In order to set the brake arm 91 to regulate the speed as required, there may be used a con troller comprising a button 92 fixed upon the upper end of a vertcial shaft 93, which has a bearing in a boss 94 secured to the base plate 22; said shaft carrying at its lower end an arm 95. having a pin 96 to engage a slot. 97 in a long regulating arm 98. so that rotation of the button will vibrate said regulating arm 98. The latter has a connection with the brake arm 91, and ac cordingly controls or sets the latter. The controllermay be provided with an index 99 to co-operate with. scale 100, to determine the speed of operation; and a stop 101 may be used withsaid index and button, so that in starting the motor by turning the button. the index may be arrested by said stop and thereby the brake arm 91 may be mecha-ni cally set to a point which will give the de sired speed of the turn table.

The frictional connection between the regulating arm 98 and the brake arm 91 will now be explained, the parts being shown, separated at Figure 13 and assembled at Figure 10. Said regulating arm 98 has fixed thereto a hub section or portion 102 in the form of a, plate pivoted to fit upon a post or-stud in the form of a shoulder 103 formed on. ascrew 104, The two parts 102, 98 are connected by a, screw 105, which holds the part 98 down in a fitted seat formed by sides 106 stuck up from the plate 102; so that the parts 98 and 102 are detachably fixed together. The brake arm 91 is pivoted upon the same stud 103; and a compression spring 107 surrounds the stud and presses the arm plate 102 against the hub of the brake arm 91 with great force, so they are boundtogether andordinarily move together. A friction plate or washer 108 is inserted between the head 109 of the stud and the brake arm 91, and doubles the effect of the frictional connection between the lever 98 and the brake arm 91, since this friction plate has a tongue 110' extending to and fitting between the sides 106 of the lever plate 102, so that the Washer must turn with said regulating arm 98, while it may move up ordown independently of 98. Thus relativemotionbetween the brake arm 91 and said regulating arm 98 is opposed by a friction upon both thetop and bottom surfaces of arm 91'. The resistance here is too strong to be overcome by the pressure of the brake disk 90 against the brake arm 91.

The movement of brake arm 91 in one direction, that is, to the rightat Figure 2, is limited by its engagement with the frictiongoverning disk 90; and its motion in the opposite direction, or towards the left at Figure 2, is governed by an end of. a screw 111 striking a fixed stop 112, said screw forming an adiustable stop to regulate the extent of throw of the brake arm 91. Thus the regulating arm 98 may have considerable vibration upon its pivot 103 while maintaining a fixed relation to thebrake arm 91; and this vibration is sufficient to accommodate the purpose. of the motor-starting and speed-regulating button 92. But in adapting the apparatus to different types of phonographs,the lever 98 may be swung independently, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, to accommodate different positions in which the controller (92) may be located in the machine during the process of manufacture; this relative shifting being per mitted by the frictional connection between the parts 98 and 91. Wherever said arm 98 maybe thus swung, it'will thereafter perform the function of controlling the arm 91 already explained. Thus the arm 98 adapts the motor mechanism to difierent types of phonographs, and is inexpensive to make, and readily detachable and adjustable to ac commodate the controller, as it does not need to be bent or distorted in order to accommodate the mechanism to different phone-graphs. I I

Variations maybe resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having. thus described. my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a spring. comprising a coil, means to wind said spring, a device within said coil and normally stationary while the coil turns, but gripped and turned by the coil as. the latter decreases in diameter when tensioned, and a stop brought into play by said device when turned by said coil, for arresting the winding of the spring.

2. The combination of a spring comprising a helix, winding means connected to one end of said helix, a core within said helix and normally stationary while the helix turns, but gripped and turned by the helix at. the other end thereof as the spring contractsunder tension,and a stop brought into play by said core for arresting the winding of. the, spring.

In a spring motor, the combination of a-spring comprising a he1ix,a revoluble core within the helix, means to wind the spring, means to hold said core stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the'helix'as the latter contracts upon winding thereof," and a stop brought into play by said corefor arresting the winding. J I

4:. In a spring motor, the combination of a spring comprising a helix, a revolub-le core within the helix, means to wind the spring, means to hold said core stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the helix as the latter contracts upon winding thereof, a stop brought into play by said core for arresting the winding, and a spring to restore said stop device tonorma-l released p0 sition. g

5. In a spring motor, the combination of aspring comprising a helix, a revoluble core within the helix, means to windthe spring, means to hold said core, stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the helix as the latter contracts upon winding thereof, said winding means including a winding shaft concentric with said core and having a ratchet wheel, and a stop normally released but movable said core into engagement with said ratchet wheel to stop the winding.

' 6. In a spring-motor, the combination of a spring comprising a helix,a revoluble core within the helix, means to wind the spring,

vmeans to hold said core stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the helix as the latter contracts upon winding thereof, said wind- .ing means including a winding shaft concentric, with said core and having a ratchet wheel, a stop normally released but movable by said core into engagement with Said ratchet wheel to stop the winding, 'and a spring to return said stop to normal released position, together with said core.

7. In a spring motor, the combination of a spring comprising a helix, a revoluble core within the helix, a winding shaft within said helix, a ratchet wheel mounted upon said shaft, said core being in the form of a loose sleeve upon said shaft and having a periph eral slot, and a pivoted stop, said stop having an operating arm within said slot, to be engaged by 'thecore as the latter is turned by the contracting helix, to move said stop into enga ement with said ratchet wheel.

8. Tn a spring motor, the combination of a spring comprising inner and outer helices, a revoluble core within the inner helix, mea'nsto wind the spring, means to hold said core stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the inner helix as the latter contracts upon winding thereof, and a stop brought into play by said core for arresting the winding.

9. The combination of a multiple helix single wire continuous spring, a winding shaft for said spring, said shaft extending centrally through the spring, a stop normally released, said shaft carrying thereon a stop member, and spring operated means brought automatically into play at the conclusion of the Winding operation,'for effecting engagement between said stop member and said normally released stop, to prevent overwinding.

10. The combination of a multiple helix single wire continuous spring, a winding shaft for said spring, said shaft extending centrally through the spring, a stop normally released, said shaft carrying thereon a stop member, and means dependent upon the tensioned condition of the spring, for effecting engagement between said stop member and said released stop to prevent overwinding.

11. The combination with a revoluble spring barrel, of a single wire continuous motor spring comprising helical coils nested one within another within said barrel, one end of said spring connected to said barrel to drive the same, a central shaft upon which said barrel is loosely mounted, the other end of said spring being connected to said central shaft to enable the shaft to wind the spring, a stop mechanism normally ineflective to control said shaft, and means dependent upon the tensioned condition of the spring for bringing said stop mechanism into play to stop said shaft, to prevent overwinding.

12. The combination with a revoluble spring barrel, of a motor spring comprising helical coils nested one within another within said barrel, one end of said spring connected to said barrel to drive the same, a central shaft upon which said barrel is loosely mounted, the other end of said spring being connected to said central shaft to enable the shaft to wind the spring, a stop mechanism normally ineffective to control said shaft, and means operating between said shaft and a contracting portion of said spring, for automatically arresting the wind ing operation of said shaft.

13. The combination of a single wire con tinuous multiple-helix spring comprising a nested series of connected helices separated one from another to give clearance, winding means for said spring, and means automatically efiective during the tensionjng of the spring and before any helix contracts sufficiently to impinge upon the next inner helix, for checking the winding operation,

14. In a spring motor, the combination of a spring comprising inner and outer helices, a revoluble core within the inner helix, means to wind the spring, means to hold said core stationary during the winding of the spring, said core engageable and rotatable by the inner helix as the latter contacts upon winding thereof, and a stop brought into play by said core for arresting the winding before the outer helix can contract sufficiently to grip the inner helix.

15. The combination with a revoluble spring barrel, of a single wire continuous motor spring comprising helical coils nested one within another within said barrel, one end of said spring connected to said barrel to drive the same, a central shaft upon which said barrel is loosely mounted, the other end of said spring being connected to said central shaft to enable the shaft to wind the spring, a stop mechanism normally ineffective to control said shaft, and means dependent upon the tensioned condition of the spring for bringing said stop mechanism into play to stop said shaft before the coils contract sufiiciently to grip one another.

HENRY L. PITMAN.

Images