US235363A - Suspension-bracket - Google Patents

Description

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' G. KNAPP.

Suspension Bracket.

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GARDNER KNAPP, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUSPENSION-BRACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 235,363, dated December 14, 1880.

Application filed September 10, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern Bc it known that I, GARDNER KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspen sion-Brackets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to improvements in spring-reels for suspending bird-cages, hanging pots, &c.;` and it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of devices, as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inV which- Figure l represents a front elevation with the cover of the-apparatus shown as removed. Fig. 2 represents a rearview of theV apparatus with a portion of the case removed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on the line A B, shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 represents a vertical section on the line C D, seen from w in Fig. 3.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

a is the case or support of the reel; and a' is a corresponding cover, between which parts the interior mechanism is preferably inclosed, although, if so desired, the cover a may be entirely dispensed with and the form of the case or supportal may be changed to a bar or bracket to be directly secured to a wall or ceiling with-v out departing from the main features of my invention.

a is a suitable loop, by means of which the reel-case or support for the mechanism can be suspended.

bis the station ary pivot, that is tightly driven into or otherwise firmly secured to the case or support a, as shown. Around said pivot b is loosely movable the spool or reel c, around which is wound the cord d, one end of which is fastened to the. said reel c, and having its outer end, d', projecting outside of the reeli case, to allow the bird-cage or other object to be readily attached and suspended therefrom.

e is a coiled spring, one end of which is attached to the reel c, and the other end to the stationary pivot b, for the purpose of automatically winding up the cord upon the said reel when the weight of the article suspended from the cord is gradually relieved, and this is the sole function of said spring, as it has nothing to do whatever with sustaining the article suspended on the cord, which is accomplished by means of africtional device arranged and constructed as follows:

To the face of the reel c, in an annular recess thereof, is secured the ratchet-ringf, as shown. g is a pawl-plate having recesses, in which the pawls g g g g are loosely movable in and out from the center of said pawl-plate, the outer ends of which pawls engage into the ratchet g when moved by their own gravity to their extreme positions, as shown by the lower and left-hand pawls in Fig. 4. On the face of the pawl-plate g is laid a washer, h, upon which rests a frictional spring-plate, i, as shown.

k is a screw that passes through the springplate t', washer h, and pawl-plate g, and is screwed into the stationary pivot b, as shown7 by which arrangement a frictional resistance is obtained between the face of the pivot b and the rear of the pawl-plate g when one or more of its pawls y g are locked to the ratchet-ring f, and tension is brought to bear on the cord or tape d, and on this frictional resistance I depend entirely for suspending the desired bird-cage or other object, such frictional resistance being adjustable according to the weight of the suspended object by tightening or loosening the screw 7s.

It will be seen that one or more of the pawls g g are automatically locked to the ratchetring j' as long as the cord or tape d is kept taut by the suspended object, which is thus held by the friction between the pawl-plate g and stationary pivot b,- but as soon as the tension on the cord or taped is gradually relieved, as may be occasioned by gently raising the suspended object, the spring e acts on the reel c to turn it around to wind up the slack of the cord or tape d, during which motion of the reel its ratchet-ring f passes freely by the tapering or inclined ends of the pawls g' g.

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To prevent the cord or tape I from tiyiug up l quentlythe reclccannot be accidentally wound and Winding;r too quickly on thc rcel c, in case i up more than one revolution. the object suspended should be instantauc- Iclaimously removed or the cord or tape I be accil. In combination, the case a, stationary 5 dentally broken, I employ a pawl, I, hinged to pivot I), reel c, cord or tape d, spring e, ratchet 25 the said reel c, in combination with a notchf, pawl-plate y, pawls g g g'g', spring-plate i, piu or recess, l', in the upper part ofthe case, and adjustable screwk, as and for the purpose as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by which arraugei described. ment the said pawl l is caused to lock auto- L. In combination, the case a, stationary xo matically into its notch or pin Il by the cenpivot 11,1'eel c. cord or tape d, spring e, ratchet 3o trifugal force acting on the free cud of said if, pawl-plate y, pawls g gg g', spring-plate i, pawl, when the reel c is quickly rotated in the l adjustable screw It, locking-pawl I, with its manner above described. When thc object l notch-pin or recess l', as and for the purpose suspended is gently raised or lowered the said l set forth and described.

15 locking-pawl will rest within its recess c on l In testimony whereot'I have al'ixed my sig- 35 the reel c; but when the reel is quickly libera nature in presence of two witnesses. ted the centrifugal force will throw out the GARDNER KNAPI. pawl I, which will be locked into the recess or Witnesses: pin l as soon as thc said pawl reaches its up- ALBAN ANDRN.,

2o per position, as shown in Fig. 4. and cousei HENRY UHADBOURN.

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