US535264A

US535264A - Clutch-operating device

Info

Publication number: US535264A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1912-03-05

Description

(No Model.)

J. B. SMITH. CLUTCH OPERATING DEVICE. No. 535,264. Patented Mar. 5 1895.

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Ma /m PATENT rricnt JOSEPH BRODIE SMITH, OE MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CLUTCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,264, dated March 5, 1895.

Application filed May 2, 1894. Serial No. 509,784. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BRODIE SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clutch-Opcrating Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clutch operating devices for the purpose of stopping and starting machinery at any desired distance from the place where the clutch on the driving shaft is located. For instance the starting device may be located in another room in the building in which the clutch is arranged or it may be arranged in another building at a greater or less distance from the place where the power shaft is located.

The invention is particularly well adapted for use in electric power plants which may be located at some distance from the office of the superintendent, manager, (50., and by the use of this my invention the dynamo in such electric plant may be started or stopped at intervals at the will of the person in charge of such office. Although particularly well adapted for the purpose above mentioned it is equally useful for the purpose of starting and stopping machinery that may be located at a greater or less distance from the place occupied by the superintendent or manager or other person in charge.

In connection with such clutch operating device I use a suitable indicator or alarm or both as may be desired so as to show whether the machine is running or at rest.

Where it is desired to operate anumber of different clutches from one and the same central station or office I prefer to employ a switch board having a series of dials with handles or levers for starting and stopping the individual machines, and-having a series of indicators, one or more for each starting and stopping device to enable the person in charge to ascertain at a glance which one or which ones of the machines in the series are at rest or in operation.

The invention is carried out as follows, ref

erence being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, represents a side elevation of the invention parts thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2, represents a detail front elevation of the switch board mentioned for multiple clutches to be operated from a central station.

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

In the drawings Fig. 1, A represents the main driving shaft which is in constant rotation or at such desired hours as maybe needed for operating the machines driven by it.

B represents the shaft connected to the machine which is to be set in operation when connected to the main driving shaft A.

O is a suitable friction or other clutch de vice by means of which the shaft B may be connected to or disconnected from the driving shaft as is usual in devices of this kind, and I wish to state that I do not wish to limit myself to the use or employment of any particular clutch mechanism as any well known form or construction thereof may be used without departing from the essence of my invention.

The sliding portion 0' of the clutch is suitably connected to a switch lever D as is common in clutch operating devices and need not here be described in detail. The said lever D is pivoted preferably at its upper end cl and has its lower end suitably connected to a piston rod 6 of a piston or plunger E adapted to be moved forward and back Within the cylinder E as shown in Fig. 1.

X in Fig. 1 is supposed to represent the office or station from which the clutch is to be operated, such station or office being located at a greater or less distance from the power station or clutch as herein above set forth. At such central station X I arrange a suitable valve or cut off F preferably provided with a four way cock F having transverse passages f, and f.

G and G are pipes leading from the opposite ends of the cylinder E to opposite sides of the valve or out off F.

His the supply pipe leading to the valve F from any suitable source of hydraulic or air pressure (or vacuum if desired) and I is the discharge pipe leading from the said valve or cut off F as shown in Fig. 1.

g and g are pressure (or vacuum) indicators located on the respective pipes G and G at opposite sides of the valve or cut off F as shown in said Fig 1.

F is a suitable handle or lever attached to the cock F by means of which the latter is operated.

To throw the clutch off from the driving shaft A all that is necessary to do is to turn the cock F to the position shown in Fig. 1 causing communication to be established from pressure supply pipe H through valve portfto pipe G and rear end of cylinder E by which its piston and piston rod are moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 causing the lever D to be moved to the position shown by which the clutch is operated to detach shaft B from driving shaft A and will be held in such position as long as the valve plug F remains in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which position the forward end of cylinder E is connected to the discharge pipe I by means of pipe G and port f in the cock F allowing the liquid in front of piston E to be discharged freely through the pipe I as shown in said Fig. 1.

While the clutch is thrown off as above stated the pressure is on in the gage g and off in the opposite gage 9 indicating at a glance to the person in charge that the clutch is in such thrown off position.

If it is desired to throw on the clutch all that is necessary to do is to turn the cock F so as to establish communication between the supply pipe H and pipe G and between the discharge pipe I and pipe G by which the piston E is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the opposite end of its cylinder causing the lever D to be swung toward said cylinder and causing the clutch to be thrown on and while in such position the pressure will be on the gage g and off from the opposite gage 9 showing to the person in charge that the clutch is in operation on the desired shaft or machine.

I have shown the clutch as operated by bydraulic pressure but this is not essential as if so desired, steam, air or gas pressure or vacuum may be used for the same purpose without departing from the essence of my invention. In connection with this my improved clutch operating device I prefer to use a suitable electric sight or sound alarm or signal and I have for this purpose shown an electric alarm or signal box K located at the office and connected to circuit closers Z, Z, and Z Z by means of wires M and M as shown in Fig. 1.

N is the battery in the circuit. On opposite sides of the lever D are circuit closing projections O 0 adapted to be intermittently brought in metallic contact with the respective circuit closers or sweepers Z, Z, and Z Z as the said lever is swung to the limit of its stroke in throwing 011 or off the clutch by which the circuit is closed through the alarm or signal K and battery N thus giving notice and showing to the person in charge of office or room X that the clutch is off or on as the case may be.

, The alarm and signal K may preferably be made of the electric annunciator kind patented by me November 10, 1891, No. 463,001,

although other suitable electric alarms or signals combined may be used for such purpose.

When a number of clutches are to be actuated from a central office I may prefer to use therein a suitable switch board P as shown in Fig. 2 containing a series of valve levers F F and signal or pressure indicators 9 g as shown in said Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In an apparatus for operating a clutch from a distance, the combination with a clutch and its lever, of a cylinder having a piston connected to the clutch lever, pipes connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder to a source of pressure or vacuum, a reversing valve connected with said pipes to control the pressure on opposite sides of the piston, and pressure gages in communication with the pipes near said valve, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for operating a clutch from a distance, the combination with a clutch and its lever, of a cylinder having a piston connected to the clutch lever, pipes connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder to a source of pressure or vacuum, a reversing valve connected with said pipes, and an electric alarm or indicator connected with the clutch lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 25th day of April, A. D. 1894..

JOSEPH BRODIE SMITH.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRFN, KITTIE M. HANSON.

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