US400274A - Friction-gear for electric motors - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetS- Sheet 1. G. J. VAN D'EPOELE.

FRICTION GEAR FORELEGTRIG MOTORS.

Patented Mar. Z6, 188-9.

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Charles JfYan Depoel N. PETERi Pmlwlimu n lwr, Washinglon. D4 0.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-She'et 2.

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FRICTION GEAR FOR BLEGTRIG MOTORS. N0.4'00,2.74. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

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CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRICTION-GEAR FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,274, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed July 14, 1887. Renewed November 24, 1888. Serial No. 291,802. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn,in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Gears for Electric Motors, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to improved mechanism for transmitting the power developed in the armatureshaft of an electric motor to the work to be performedin the present in stance to the driving-axle of a car upon which the motor is mounted, the motor and connections constituting the motive power of an electric railway.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation will be fully hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of the running-gear of an ordinary street-railway car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the motor and its connections with the driving-wheels of the car. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the ad j ustable bearin g by which thefrictional connection is adjusted. Fig. 5'is a detail view showing the driving-pinion and the pulleys in engagement therewith.

Similar letters denote like parts throughout.

A is the bottom frame of a car, of which co and B are the front and rear platforms, respectively.

b b are a pair of sills added to the framework of the car, either above, below, or on a line with the ordinary frame for the purpose of supporting the motor C, which is fixedly mounted thereon upon suitable supports or feet, D, which may be provided with lateral flanges for carrying the bearings, within which is journaled the counter-shaftE, which is by suitable mechanism rendered vertically adjustable in its bearings. As shown, how ever, the feet D of the motor 0 stand directly upon the cross-piece d, which is let into the sills b b, and upon the extremities of this cross-piece are located bearing-boxes G, within which are fitted the vertically-movable journal-bearings g, said journal-bearings carrying the counter-shaft E and being secured to or formed integral with the pivoted levers H, which move vertically in suitable transverse slots in the bearing-boxes G, and the position of which is controlled bymeans of adjusting-screws h, passing through their outer extremities, and by means of which the journals and countershaft can be raised or lowered, as desired.

The armature-shaft I is provided with a friction-pinion, 7;, formed with a beaded surface, the beads of which register with the grooves in the friction -pulley F, mounted upon the counter-shaft in line with said pin- To the central projecting portiomJ, of the field-magnet core is secured a strong metallic bracket-bearing, j, within which is journaled a second pulley, K, of less diameter but of the same width as the pulley F, both the pulleys K and F fitting in frictional contact with the opposite sides of the pinion t on the armatureshaft, so as to make a good working-contact therewith. The pulleys K and F are united by means of flexible yielding belts L, the object of the belts being to produce a strong and constant pressure of the pulleys K and F upon the armature-pinion, so that there shall be good workingfrictional contact between them for driving the counter-shaft carrying the pulley F. The belts L may be made in a .variety of ways, so long as their elastic char-.

actor is preserved, and there are no joints or rough places to interfere with their working smoothly. Ordinarily, one or two layers of wire wound in "the form of continuous spiral springs will afford sufficient stiffness and strength, and yet be sufflciently flexible to allow of slight adjustment among the parts; but, however, should this not be suflicient the belts themselves may be provided with a flexible or semi-flexible core-such as rubberor one layer of wire may be wound over another, making a solid yet, elastic belt, until any desired degree of strength is secured. The counter-shaft E also carries one or more drivwhether a single or double driving connection is desired. The pulleys e are formed and grooved substantially as are the pulleys I? and K.

Upon the axle M of the front wheels of the car are rigidly secu red pulleys O, of about the same size, and formed with grooved faces, similar to that of the pulley F, and the pulleys c O are connected by flexible belts L in the same manner as are the wheels F and K.

While I have described the best form of mechanical. connections known to me, and one that while preserving great strength will operate without the disagreeable noise, jar, and inconvenience incident to many other modes of connecting, I propose to modify the arrangement just described by connecting the pulley c and the pulley to be driven by strong flat or corded belting instead of the springbelting here shown, and when that construction. is used I insert a spring-supported belttightener Q, which,while maintaining drivingconnection under all conditions, will yield to admit of sufficient longitudinal movement to prevent injury of the parts in a manner similar to that of the spring-belts illustrated.

The belt-tightener may assume a variety of forms, a convenient embodiment thereof be ing shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It consists of a pulley, q, rotatably mounted at the extremity of alever, q,pivotally mounted between supports extending from below the platform of the car or from any other convenient point, the pulley q bearing against the outside of the driving-belts, and preferably grooved to receive said belts and prevent them from spreading or getting out of place. An adjustable spring, R, is also fixed to the frame of the car, and is arranged to bear downward against thefree end of the lever q, the action of the spring being to force the pulley 1 against the driving-belts with greater or less force, as may be desired.

The grooved driving Wheels and pulleys are preferably of paper; but they may be made of wood or metal, or metal with paper rim, and when made of metal they may be faced with a noi'i-metallic substance, if found desirable, in order to deaden the noise and to give a better purchase to the driving-belts, and at the same time to avoid wear thereupon as much as possible. I find, however, that good results are obtainable with all metal wheels grooved as shown.

It will be understood that the frictional contact between the armature-pinion and the pulleys F and K can be increased or diminishcd, in order to compensate for the changes produced by heat and cold, and kept constantly tight by means of the adjustingscrcws 71 in the extremities of the levers 11 There is, however, no necessity for other ad- ;justability of the connections after the proper tension has been ascertained and the relationship between the motor and the drivingaxle determined. Should, however, any change become necessary in that particular,

the motor canbe reset until the proper working-fn'essure is attained, after which no furand when their relative distance apart is varied by the action of the springs upon which the vehicle is supported.

In many instances it desirable to connect all the supporting-W11eels of the vehicle with the motive power, in order to secure the full tractive eifect of the load, and while not limiting myself to the use of such connection in every instance the plan. view, Fig. 1, shows such connection in place. Upon the axle M is placed an additional belt-pulley, m, of similar size and form as the pulleys O on said shaft, a similar pulley, N, being mounted upon the rear axle, n, the pulleys being connected by belts U, similar in nature to those connecting the motor with the main. or front drivingaxle, M.

Various minor changes and modifications may be made without in any way departing from the scope of the invention, and it will be obvious that the opposite end of the armature-shaft may be also provided. with a friction-pinion gearing direct with the transmit ing devices, as already fully described.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a friction-gearing for electric motors, the combination of a friction-pinion on the armature-shaft, a friction-pulley pressed against said pinion from one direction, a friction-pulley separately mounted and pressing thereagainst from another direction, elastic belts passing over both the friction-pulleys and act ing to hold them against said pinion, a driving-pulley on the counter-shaft, a pulley on the axle to be driven, and belts between the driving-pulley and the axle-pulley, whereby the motion of the arn'iati'u'e-shaii't is commu" nicated thereto, substantially as described.

2. A gearing for electric motors, comprising a friction -pinion on the armatureshaft, a counter-shaft mounted in movable bearings and adjustable to and from the ar1natureshaft, a friction-pulley on the countei shaft engaging the pinion, a friction-pulley independently mounted, and also in contact with the pinion, flexible belts connecting the friction-pulleys and. acting to press them oppo sitely upon the pinion, a driving-pulley also on the said counter-shaft, and connections between the driving-pulley and the axle of the car, substantially as described.

3. In a gear for electric motors, the combination, with the motor having a friction-pinion on its armature-shaft, of a counter-shaft mounted in adjustable bearings, means for adjusting said bearings with respect to the armatureshaft, consisting of a pivoted lever and adjusting-screw, a friction-pulley in conthe pulleys to be driven, substantially as set IO tact with the armature-shaft pinion, an addiforth.

tional friction-pulley, also in contact there- In testimony whereof Ihereto affix my signa- With, spring-belting connecting the frictionture in presence of two Witnesses. Wheels and aotin to press them together upon v T the friction-pinio il, a driving pulley or pulleys CHARLES V A DEPOELE' also upon said counter-shaft, one or more pul- Witnesses:

le'ys on the axle to be driven, and spring-belt- \VILLIAM A. STILEs,

ing extending between the counter-pulley and JOHN R. HoLLIsTER.

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