US1313719A - Winding-engine - Google Patents

Description

T. S. MILLER.

WINDING ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED'JAN. 2!. 19m.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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T. S. MILLER.

WINDING ENGINE.

A1PLICATION FILED JAN- 21. 19:0.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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WINDING ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2|. 1918.

1,313,719. Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW J ERSEY.

WINDING-ENGINE.

Application filed' January 21, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVinding-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in winding engines, and more particularly contemplates a winding engine for use in connection with captive balloons for holding the balloon anchoring o-r restraining line, although I desire it understood that said engine is not limited to said use as it may be employed in any relation or combination for which its peculiar advantages may render it adapted.

In practice it is usual to wind the restraining or holding line of a captive balloon on a drum which may be operated to pay out or take up the rope to regulate the elevation of the balloon, and to haul it down when it is desirable to change observers, or in order to escape attack and damage from hostile aeroplanes or pro ectiles. As these balloons may rise as high as 7000 feet in the air, and must sustain the the weight of the observer and the apparatus which it carries, and also of the restraining rope, it is highly desirable that said rope be as light and small as possible in order to reduce the weight, that'said rope will be subjected to as little wear as possible, that it will be stored and operated at the winding apparatus so as to be paid out or taken in smoothly without kink or catching, and that it will berelieved of excessive strains due to the sudden jerks to which 1t may be subjected resulting from gusts of wind causing the balloon to tug or strain on said rope.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved slipping friction driving connection between a winding drum and its driving member, which will be provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Serial No. 213,113.

with automatic means for regulating the pressure orcontact at said connection.

My apparatus may be built in various forms and may be such as to accomplish all the above objects, as well as others. or only a portion of them. For example, by omitting certain parts it may accomplish the result stated in the last paragraph or by omitting certain other parts it may omit the result stated in the last paragraph while accomphshlng those stated in the preceding paragraph.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention capable of accomplishing all of the above objects in the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus including a winding engine of my present invention for controlling the restraining line of a captive balloon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of my novel winding engine;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of an automatic friction set up gear of my invention and forming part of said winding engine;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a deck block for controlling and guiding the restraining line leading from the engine to the balloon;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of a masthead block for guiding the restraining plate or frame consisting of longitudinal parallel side members 2, 3, and cross-members a, 5, parallel to each other and connect- 9 is a pinion 11', mounted on a power shaft 12, .journaled in bearings 13 on the bed plate, and carrying at one end a gear 14: meshing with a pinion 15 on the crank shaft 16 of an internal combustion engine, shown generally at 17. It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of any particular type of motor for supplying power to the shaft 8, and that other types of motor may be employed in place'of an internal combustion engine without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Mounted on the shaft 8 is a member preferably in the form of a bushing or shell 18 preferably cylindrical and of such diameter as to provide a chamber 19 between its Wall and said shaft, in which chamber is located an expansion coil spring 20 surrounding said shaft. One end of said spring 20 abuts an inner end Wall or head 21 of said bushing or shell located adjacent the gear 9, while the other end of the spring abuts a sliding abutment member 22 mounted on said shaft and closing the outer end of said bushing or shell, and capable if a sliding movement lengthwise of the shell and the shaft 8. The abutment 22 is held against sliding movement in one direction lengthwise of the shaft, that is, that direction away from the driving gear 9 by means of a thrust block 23 mounted in a cross-slot 24 in said shaft 8, and moved in said slot lengthwise of the shaft by means of a screw plunger 25, and longitudinally alining pin 25*, said plunger having mounted on its outer end a handwheel 26, by means of which said thrust screw is operable to move the thrust block 28 to move the abutment 22 inward to com press the spring, and thereby increase its force, or said screw may be withdrawn to permit the said abutment to move outward relative to the shell to relieve compression of the spring and thereby reduce its power. I

The force of the spring 20 is exerted against the abutment 22 and the end wall 21 of the shell 18 to move the latter toward the driving member 9. The end wall 21 of the shell 18 is provided with outer clutch teeth 27, slidably interengaging with cooperating teeth 28 on the driving member 9, so that the shell 18 is positively driven by said gear wheel 9. The shell or bushing 18 is provided at its outer end with a circumferential flange 29 extending radially therefrom, and

a friction clutch face 30 on provided with thereof, while the opposite the inner face portion of the driving member 9 is provided with friction clutch face 31 for a purpose which will be presently described.

Mounted and having bearing on said bushing or shell 18 for rotary movement relative thereto, is a winding drum 32 provided on its opposite ends with end flanges having outer friction clutch faces 32*, 32 adapted to frictionally engage the friction clutch faces 30 and 31 respectively, heretofore described, so as to provide for a friction driving connection between the driving member 9 and said drum, and driving force being frictionally applied to both ends of v said drum. It will be apparent that the degree of friction contact between the friction clutch-face on driving member 9 and the face 32 on the drum 32, and the friction clutch member and the face 32 on the drum 32 is dependent upon the degree of force or pressure exerted by thrust mechanism through the spring 20 in thrusting the shell or bushing 18 toward the driving member 9. The friction clutch faces just referred to are so constructed that when suflicient pull is exerted on the drum by a line wound thereon, they will permit the drum 32 to slip relative to the driving member 9, and the friction clutch member on the shell 18, and by regulating the force or pressure exerted by said thrust mechanism the friction contact between the drum and its drivthat the drum will slip relative thereto when.

a pull of sufficient force 2'. e. an overhauling force, is exerted upon the line wound on the drum. By this provision it will be seen that in the event the line wound on said drum is the restraining line of a captive balloon, that the pressure of the friction contact may be so adjusted that the drum will slip relative to its driving means when subjected to a load less than that necessary to break the restraining line so that the latter will be relieved of undue strain due to sudden jerks thereon by the balloon or other causes.

The barrel of the drum 32 is made preferably narrow and with a straight or cylindrical face with curved ends about which the restraining line for the balloon is wrapped for say five or six turns. When the drum is rotated totake up the restraining line the latter coiling upon the drum, slipssidewise thereon. The restraining line as it leads olf the drum must be kept under an initial stress to prevent slippage. This will be accomplished in a manner to be explained later on.

In regulating the degree of contact or pressure between the friction clutch members which connect the drum 32 with its driving means, the screw thrust 25 isoperated to move the abutment 22 inward until the spring 20 is compressed to exert suiticient force to provide such frictional contact at said clutches that under normal circumstances, that is, during normal pull on the line, the drum can be revolved to take up the line or hold it without slipping relative to the driving means. If, for" any reason, the tension in the line should be increased, thereby increasing the lead on the drum, so as to overhaul it and cause it to slip relative to its driving means, I provide means which will permit a certain degree of slipping to take place, and which may then be operated, preferably automatically, to increase the frictional contact or pressure between the friction clutch faces so that the slipping will be prevented for all pulls up to approximately the breaking strength of the line. For example, if the clutches are set so that no slipping movement will take place up to a pull of 2000 pounds, and a pull substantially exceeding that amount should take place, a preliminary or initial slipping movement will be permitted so as to relieve the line of the pull, and upon this initial movement taking place, should the excessive pull continue, the degree of frictional contact or pressure will be increased so as to prevent further slipping action up to the breaking strength of the line. In order to accomplish this result I provide automatic means operated by the initial slipping movement of the drum to increase the expansive force of the spring 20 and thereby increase the degree of frictional contact or pressure between the clutch members con neoting the drum to its driving means. This means preferably consists of a screw thread 33 carried by the outer flange of the drum 32' which thread meshes with a pinion 34 mounted on a shaft 35 journaled in brackets 36, 37, fixed to the bed plate. This shaft 35 carries a beveled pinion 38 meshing with a beveled pinion 39 on a horizontally disposed shaft 40, having bearing as at 41 on the frame, and provided on its outer end with a pinion 42, slidable longitudinally of said shaft 41, but feathered thereto to rotate therewith, and adapted to mesh with a gear 43 affixed to the handwheel 26, heretofore described. The pinion 42 is provided with a hand grasp 44, by means of which said pinion may be moved longitudinally of the shaft 41 to place said pinion in and out of mesh with the gear 43. When said pinion 42 and gear 43 are in mesh, rotation of the drum 32 under pull of. the line will serve through the thread 33, and gear connection described, to rotate said pinion to drive said gear 43, which in turn revolves the screw 25 to thrust the abutment 22 lengthwise of the shaft 8 and thereby increase the force of the spring 20 in accordance with the extent of rotation of the Winding drum, the gear ratio between drum and handwheel will be large, frequently 25 to one or 50 to one. It will thus be seen that while the line is being held by said winding drum, if a pull on the line should be exerted sufiicient to tend to ovehaul the drum and cause it to slip relative to its driving means, that said thread 33 will operate through the connections described to increase the frictional contact or pressure between said drum and its driving means. The degree to which the force of the spring 20 will be increased is proportional to the number of revolutions, or extent of revolution of the drum, so long as the drum slips the pressure on frictional surface increases. The provision for placing the gear 42 in and out of mesh with the gear 43 is made in order that said thrust may be operated either manually, that is, when said gears 42 and 43 are not in mesh, or automatically when said gears are in mesh.

The slack end of the restraining line is led from the winding-drum, carried about a guide block 45, and is wound upon a storage drum 46 having end flanges 47, said drum 46 being mounted upon the shaft 8 concentrically with the winding drum, heretofore described. Provision is made for driving the storage drum, preferably from the driving gear 9, and consists of a friction clutch surface 48, on said driving gear which is adapted to frictionally engage a friction clutch surface 49 on the adjacent head of the drum 46, the latter being provided with a hub 50, which turns upon a hub sleeve 51 carried by the driving gear 9. The drum 46 is placed in driving contact with the gear 9 by means of thrust mechanism consisting of a cross pin 52 arranged in a slot in the shaft 8, and abutting an abutment member 54 slidably mounted on the shaft 8, and housed within an opening in the head of the drum 46. Inside the drum 46 is a sleeve 55 which engages the inner end of the hub 50 of the drum 46, and is thrust toward said hub by an expansion spring 56 abutting the inner face of said abutment member 54 and an inner end wall 57 on the sleeve 55, whereby a frictional contact between the clutch faces 48 and 49 is maintained to a degree established by the expansive force exerted by said spring 56. The initial force of said spring 56 may be fixed by adjusting bolts 58, threaded into said sleeve 55 as at 59, and extending through the abutment member 50 and provided at their outer ends with adjusting nuts 60, which may be operated to pull the sleeve 55 toward, or permitted to be moved away from, the abutment member 50. The cross pin 52 is oper able by a screw thrust 61 to move the said abutment member lengthwise of the shaft to compress the spring and provide for a spring force in excess of the initial force established by means of the bolts 58, and to hold said abutment member against outward v 65, between which movement lengthwise of the shaft under the force of the spring. The function of the drum &6 is to provide for the storage and proper tensioning of the slack end of the restraining line which passes from the said Winding drum 32, so that said line will be maintained at a proper tension on the wind ing drum to withstand pull exerted on the line by the balloon, or other load producing means. The storage drum is connected to its driving means by a frictional contact of such degree as will be-sufiicient to take up the slack end of the line and provide the proper tension on the latter, and for this purpose the frictional contact may be set so as not to slip at any point, say below 200 pounds.

The arrangement of slipping driving surfaces is such that the storage drum may be driven by p wer by slipping elements that will assure the rope being coiled upon the drum with approximately a uniform tension adequate for the proper laying of the rope upon the drum, as well as adequate to maintain the cable from slipping on the hauling drum. It will be seen, however, that the rope or cable gets its grip or hold on the" winding drum 32 by virtue of apparatus whereby the slack side is maintained atan adequate tension to prevent slipping of the rope on the said winding drum. The degree of slipping contact constituting the driving or holding connection between the storage drum and its driving means is initially set and maintained, but may be regulated at will if desired, but the frictional contact between the winding drum and its driving means may vary, or be varied, without changing the frictional driving contact for the storage drum. In other words, the fI'iC-r tional driving contacts between the two drums and their driving means are 'controllable independent of each other.

This diameter of the storage drum .is slightly greater than the hauling drum, hence slippage of storage drum must be continuous.

I have above described the preferred embodiment of the winding mechanism as applied to the operation of a balloon restraining line, and such mechanism may be used in any situation where the balloon apparatus is operated, for example, on land, a

vehicle, or on shipboard. In Fig. 1, I have.

shown the winding engine embodied in a balloon controlling apparatus adapted to be arranged on shipboard, in which situation the restraining line passes from the winding drum beneath a grooved guide wheel 62 at the base of a mast 63. The guide wheel 62 is mounted between side frames 64, between Which is also journaled a lead pulley and said wheel 62 the .rope is passed and led to a head block on the mast. Mounted in the said side frames 64 toward the former by means of a cam 68 fulcrumed on the frame as at 69, and operable by a hand lever 70. The line in passing to the wheel 62 runs between said brake blocks, and the latter are operable to brake the line so as to provide the same with an initial tension when first wound upon the hauling drum.

The head block, heretofore mentioned, consists of a frame 71 having upper and lower pivots 7 2 fulcrumed in bearings 73 on brackets 74 fastened to the mast in any suitable manner. The head block includes a grooved pulley wheel 7 5 and a lead pulley 7 6, between which the restraining line may pass, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 7. It may be desirable to provide the line with hauldown means, in which event I may employ a block 7 7 engaging said line and connected by a haul-down line 78 to a winding drum- 79 of any suitable construction and mode of operation. If desired, the haul-down line may be guided to the drum 7 9 by a deck block 80 anchored to a fixed point as at 8-1.

In the above description I have assumed that the engine remains stationary and that the tension is controlled by the clutches; but there may be cases where a positive backward or inhauling tension at the engine may be desirable, produced for example, by keeping the motor running. In such case it is evident that any backward or inhaul movement of the winding drum will produce a decrease in the frictional hold thereon and a corresponding decrease in the tension.

The apparatus above described contains two generic features of invention which may be used separately or collectively, namely, (1) the automatic means for controlling the tension and (2) the compound friction control by compounding with the slipping friction rip on the winding drum the lesser lip-ping friction grip on the storage drum. That is to say, drum 32, may hold up to say 3,000 lbs. before slipping, while the storage drum 36 may hold upto 100 or 200 lbs. before slipping, or slip continuously at say 100 lbs. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the presence of both these features nor to the form of construction shown. In fact I have already built and operated an engine containing the first feature, but in which the winding drum performs also the storage function by being constructed of suflicient dimensions for the purpose, the separate storagedrum and its appurtenances being omitted.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent of the United States is:

drum, and means actuated by the overhaul whereby the resistance to the overhaul is increased.

2. In combination, a winding drum, a mo tor, a friction between the motor and drum, and automatic means for retarding the slipping movement of the drum when it is overhauled.

3. In combination, a balloon, a holding line, a combined motor and winding drum admitting of overhauling, and means actuated by the overhauling movement of the grum to increase the resistance to the overaul.

4. In combination, a winding drum, a storage drum, a motor, a driving connection including a friction between the motor and each drum, means actuated by the overhaul of the winding drum to increase the resistance to the overhaul, and a rope stored upon the storage drum and wrapped around the winding drum.

5. In combination, a balloon, a holding line, a winding drum, a storage drum, a motor, a driving connection, including a friction between the motor and each drum, and means actuated by the overhaul of the winding drum to increase the friction hold of said driving connection on the winding drum, the holding line extending to the storage drum and wrapped around the winding drum.

6. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, a motor, independent frictions between the motor and drums respectively, and automatic means for retarding the slipping movement of the winding drum when it is overhauled.

7. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, a motor, friction clutch means for establishing a slipping driving connection between said drums individually, and said motor, means for regulating and setting the pressure contact as to said clutch means for the storage drum, and means for automatically varying the pressure contact as to the said clutch for the winding drum.

8. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, a motor, driving means for revolving said drums, means for establishing a driving connection between said storage drum and its driving means, slipping friction meansfor establishing a slipping driving connection between said winding drum and its driving means, and means for automatically varying the degree of friction contact of said friction slipping means.

9. In combination, a windlng drum and a storage drum, a motor, driving means'for revolving said drums, means for establishing a driving connection between said storage drum and its driving means,friction members for establishing a slipping driving connection between said winding drum and its driving age drum and its driving means, friction members for establishing a slipping driving connection between said winding drum and its driving means, and means for automatically increasing the pressure between said friction members upon slipping movement between said members and manually operable means for regulating said degree of friction.

11. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, driving means for revolving said drums, means for establishing a driving connection between said storage drum and its driving means, friction members for establishing a slipping driving connection between said winding drum and its driving means, and means for automatically increasing the pressure between said friction members when the load on the winding drum is increased sufficiently to cause said friction members to slip, and manually operable means for reducing said degree of friction.

12. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, means for driving said drums, friction members providing a slipping driving connection between said winding drum and its driving means, and means for automatically varying the pressure between said friction members of said slipping connection in accordance with the extent of slip between said friction members? 13. A winding drum, friction means for driving the same, and automatic means for increasing the frictional hold of said fr1c tion means when the drum is overhauled.

14. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, means for driving said drums, a slipping friction drive connection between each of said drums and said dIlV- ing means comprising friction members adapted to be in pressure contact, and means for automatically varying the pressure between friction members for driving the winding drum without affecting the driving connection for the storage drum.

15. In combination, a winding drum and a storage drum, means for driving said drums, a slipping friction drive connection between each of said drums and said driving means, comprising friction members adapted to be in pressure contact, and means for automatically increasing the pressure between friction members for drivin the winding drum without affecting the driving connections for the storage drum.

16. A winding drum, friction means for driving the same including members WhlCh 18') may slip when overloaded, and means where by overhauling of the drum operates to increase the pressure between said members.

17. A winding drum, friction means for driving the same including members which may slip when overloaded, means whereby overhauling of the drum operates to 11'1- crease the pressure between said members, and manual means for regulating said pressure.

18. A winding drum, friction means for driving the same including members which may slip when overloaded, a spring for maintaining pressure contact between said members, and means whereby overhauling of the drum; operates to increase the force of said spring to increase said pressure contact.

19. A winding drum, a driving element, friction means for.driving the winding drum comprising a member positively drivenfrom said element, and having a slipping friction driving contact with the drum, a spring for maintaining the pressure contact between said member and drum, and means whereby overhauling of the drum operates to increase the force of said spring to increase said pressure contact.

20. A winding drum, friction means for driving the drum including members which may slip when overloaded, and means whereby overhauling of the drum operates to prevent slipping movement.

21. A winding drum, a driving element, means for driving the winding drum comprising a member having a positive sliding engagement with said element, and a slipping driving contact with the drum, and means for automatically increasing the pres sure of the slipping driving contact with the drum when the drum is overhauled.

22. A winding drum, friction means for driving the drum including members whichmay slip when overloaded, a thrust mechanism for operating said friction means to regulate the pressure between the said members, and means whereby slipping movement between said members acts to increase said pressure- 23. A winding drum, friction means for driving'the same including members which may slip when overloaded, a spring for maintaining pressure contact between said members, thrust mechanism operable to increase the force of said spring, and automatic means whereby the shppmg movement between 'said members causes the thrust mechanism .toact on said spring.

.24. In combination, a driving element having a friction clutch surface, a member positively driven by said element and having a friction clutch surface, a drum having'friction clutch surfaces having slipping contact with the surface on the. driving element and the said member positively driven thereby, and thrust mechanism automatically operable by slipping movement between said friction surfaces to increase pressure contact between'said surfaces.

25. In combination, a driving element having a friction clutch surface, a member positively driven by said element, and having a friction clutch surface, a drum having friction clutch surfaces having slipping contact with the surfaces on the drivingelement and the member positively driven thereby, a spring for maintaining pressure contact between the friction surfaces on said drum and member, and means acting automatically on the spring to increase the force thereof, to thereby increase the pressure be- 7 regulating the pressure between said friction surfaces, thrust mechanism, and means whereby said thrust mechanism is operated by slipping movement of the drum to increase the spring force to increase the pressure between said surfaces.

27. A winding drum, friction means for driving the drum including members which may Sllp when overloaded, a thrust mechanism for operating said friction means to regulate the pressure between said members and means carried by the drum, to automatically operate said thrust mechanism. when the driving members slip relative to each other.

28. A winding drum, friction means for driving the drum including members which may slip when overloaded, a thrust'mechanism for operating said friction means to regulate the pressure between said members,

- and means carried by the drum to automatically operate said thrust mechanism when the driving members slip relative to each other, sald means consisting of gearing for driving the thrust mechanism, and a spiral.

thread driven by the drum for operating said gearing.

29. A winding drum, friction means for driving the drum including members which may slip when overloaded, a thrust mechanism for operating said friction means to regulate the pressure between said members, and means carried by the drum to automatically operatesaid thrust mechanism when the driving members slip relative to each other, said means consisting of gearing for driving the thrust mechanism, and a spiral slip when overloaded, and means whereby thread carried by the drum for operating overhauling of the drum operates to increase said gearing. the frictional hold between said members. 30. A winding drum, friction members In testimony whereof I have hereunto 5' for driving the drum; which members may signed my name in the presence of two sub- 15 slip when overloaded, andmeans whereby scribing witnesses.

overhauling-of the drum operates to increase THOMAS SPENCER MILLER. the pressure between said members. Witnesses:

31. A winding drum, friction members ERNEST PULsroRD,

10 for driving the drum, which members may JOHN SINCLAIR.

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