US726409A - Shaft-driving mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

No. 726,409. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

A. L. GUSHMAN. SHAFT DRIVING MEGHANISMQ APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

'INE uonms PETERS cov Pnm'uuma, WASHVNGYON. u. c.

h l w 0 n I/I'll I I H H WITNESSES UNITED Stratus arnnrr rricnt OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN A.

HAMPSHIRE.

KIMBALL, OF CONCORD, NEW

SHAFT DRWBNG MECHANESWL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,409, dated April 28, 1903, Application filed August 11, 1902. Serial No.'119, 177. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABE LINCOLN CUSHMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Concord, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a shaft driving mechanism; and its object is to provide a compact, self-contained, convenient, and economical driving mechanism suitable for any shaft, but especially useful for drivinga counter-shaft, such as a lathe-counter, where the rotation isrequired to be reversed at will. When a counter-shaft is driven in the usual manner by main shaftin g and belting, a large amount of power is expended in the mere driving of the main shafting and belting. Furthermore, a large amount of power is ex pended in the driving of the main shafting while no other work is being done. Another disadvantage is that the location of the counter-shaft is dependent upon the location of the main shafting, and the best position for a machine to be driven by the counter-shaft with reference to light and convenience often has to be sacrificed. To overcome these difficulties and to accomplish the objects herein named, I have devised a driving mechanism which entirely does away with main shafting and belting and in which the counter-shaft is driven through gearing by a motor which can be started and stopped at will. I thereby provide aself-contained, independent, and portable machine capable of being placed in any desired position, unrestricted by the position of the main shafting and belting, and one in which the loss of power not used in effective work is reduced to a minimum.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of my improved driving mechanism, the motor-casing being shown in plan view. Fig. 2 is a'vertical cross-section through line m to in Fig. 1, the motor-casing being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view, enlarged, of a friction-clutch used in my mechanism; and Fig. 4 shows in side elevation the friction-band or friction-collar used in said clutch.

Like parts are indicated by like letters of reference in all the figures.

A represents a counter-shaftsupported by and journaled in hangers in the usual man- One of the hangers is shown at S.

B is the casing of an electric motor, and C is the armature-shaft or motor-shaft. The motor is of usual construction and is not shown in-detail.

D and D are a pair of opposite bevel-gears loosely mounted upon the shaft A and provided with hubs d and d.

E is a pinion secured to the motor-shaft C, meshing with both gears D and D and adapted to rotate said gears in opposite directions.

T is a sleeve loosely mounted upon the counter-shaft A between the gears D and D, provided with a socket projection U, into which the end of the motor-shaft C projects, and is held centered with the axis of the shaft A, thus holding the pinion and gears accurately and firmly in mesh against any tendency of the pinion toclimb or jar out of place.

H is a sleeve or hub secured to the counter-shaft A by means of the set-screw h, carrying a friction-clutch of any desired character adapted to engage with the gear D, and thereby to rotate the shaft A.

The clutch shown in the drawings is constructed as follows: The hub H, secured by set-screw h or in any suitable manner to the shaft A, is provided atone end with an enlarged cylindrical, chamber N, (see Fig. 3,) within which is located the friction band or collar X. On one side of the chamber N is the enlargement M, having the opening 0, adapted to accommodate the lever J'and lug t. The friction band or collar X, as shown, is a split band extending twice around the hub cl, the two parts being connected by the bridge Y. (See'Fig. 4.) The free ends of the friction-collar are provided with the lugs 45 and 70, respectively. One of these lugs, i, has a bevel face, as shown in Fig. 3.

J is a clutch-controlling lever fulcrumed within the opening 0 and having the bevel face j,corresponding with and adjacent to the bevel face of the lug i,

L is a shipper having a bevel or conical surface Z and is loosely mounted upon the shaft A. The end of the arm of the lever J rests in engagement with the conical surface Z of the loosely-mounted shipper L. The shipper L may be operated by any convenient means, as by the shipper rod or handle R, pivoted at r, and connected with the shipper L by the member R and the connectingbar R R and L are respectively the connecting member and shipper at the opposite end of the mechanism corresponding to R and L. It will be seen that by the swing of the shipper-rod R the shippers L and L may be moved longitudinally along the shaft A to operate the clutches. The opposite bevel-gear D is provided with a clutch similar to that just described. The inward longitudinal movement of the shipper L oscillates the clutchcontrolling lever J, which causes the bevel facej of the lever to engage with the bevelfaced lug '5, thereby clamping the friction-collar to a hub d of the gear D, so that the clutch and the shaft will rotate with the gear D. The reverse movement of the shipper L will release its clutch, and a continued movement will engage the other clutch with the hub 61. Opposite to the enlargement M of the chamber N is the enlargement P, having the opening Q, adapted to accommodate the lug 7c on the friction-collar. The required friction between the collar X and the hub d may be regulated by tightening or loosening the band X when in its normal or inoperative position by means of the set-screw p, which works in a threaded perforation in the side of the enlargement P and engages with the lug on the friction-collar.

n is a check-nut by which the set-screw is clamped in position after it has been adjusted. The lateral play of the lug Zcwithin the opening Q is sufficient to permit some latitude in the tension at which the frictionband may be set.

It will thus be seen that when the motor is operating the gears D and ,D will revolve idly upon the counter-shaftA in opposite directions, that by the swing of the shipperrod B one of the friction-clutches will be thrown into engagement with its corresponding gear and the shaft will be caused to rotate in the direction of that gear, and that to reverse the rotation of the counter-shaft the shipper-rod may be swung in the opposite direction, thus releasing the first friction-clutch and throwing the opposite clutch into en gagement with its corresponding gear.

Z and Z are rigid braces, constituting a yoke firmly secured to the bearing of the motor-shaft and terminating in sleeves loosely mounted upon the shaft A. Said yoke prevents any play or jar of the motor-shaft out of a plane perpendicular to the countershaft A.

F is a wire or red by which the motor is suspended from a beam, ceiling, or any suit-' able point by means of an eyebolt or other convenient means. A suspension-cord may be used, if desired. A motor thus suspended in operative position with relation to the counter-shaft which it is designed to drive has many advantages over a motor supported by a rigid bracket or in like manner. The motor is not limited to a single fixed position, but may be placed in any position which convenience requires within a plane perpendicular to the counter-shaft. Moreover, thesupport being flexible rather than rigid, any jar or vibration of the counter-shaft will be absorbed by the yielding support of the motor and will not prevent the proper meshing of the gears and pinion, which might be interfered with if the motor were rigidly supported.

What 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a counter-shaft,driving mechanism therefor comprising a motor, its yoke, said yoke hung to the counter-shaft and rotatable to any desired position thereon, a motor-shaft, pinion thereon, a pair of gears loosely mounted on the counter-shaft and adapted to be driven in opposite directions by the pinion, clutches on the counter-shaft, and shipper mechanism to engage the clutches alternately with their respective gears.

2. The combination with a counter-shaft, of a driving mechanism therefor, comprising a motor, a motor-shaft centered with the line of axis of the counter-shaft by a sleeve loosely mounted on the counter-shaft having a socketbearingfor the end of the motor-shaft, the said sleeve, a pair of gears loosely mounted on the counter-shaft and adapted to be operated in opposite directions by said pinion,

friction-clutches secured to the counter-shaft,

and adapted to engage with said looselymounted gears, and a shipper adapted to operate the said friction-clutches, whereby the counter-shaft may be rotated in either direction.

3. The combination with a counter-shaft, of a driving mechanism therefor comprising a motor, a suspension-support for the motor, a motor-shaft centered with the axis of the counter-shaft by means of a sleeve loosely mounted on the counter-shaft havinga socket into which the end of the motor-shaft projects, a yoke between the motor and countershaft rotatable thereon to any desired position, a pinion on the motor-shaft, a pair of gears loosely mounted on the counter-shaft, and adapted to be operated in opposite directions by said pinion, clutches secured to the counter-shaft, and means for engaging said clutches with said loosely mounted gears, whereby said counter-shaft may be rotated in either direction, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a driving-shaft; a driven shaft; a pair of gears on one of said shafts; a pinion-gear on the other shaft mesh- IIO IIR'

igo

ing with the two gears; a yoke hung on one Signed by me at Concord, New Hampshire, of said shafts so as to be rotatable thereon to this 30th day of June, 1902.

any desired position, and on which the other shaft is mounted; amotor connected with the ABE LINCOLN GUSHMAN 5 driving-shaft; clutches for the pair of gears, Witnessesz' and shipper mechanism to engage the clutches MARGARET A. MCGUIRE, alternately with their respective gears. NAPOLEON B. HALE.

Images