A NEW FORM OF LAMINATED SPRING.
Page 66
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A Résunté of Recently Published Patent Specifications.
RANK WOODBEAD, in specifica
tion No. 2p8,4:-..1u, shows a new form of laminated spring in which no shacklesor slippers: are needed. A careful inr:)ection. Of the drawing will show that the top leaf (a) -carries "only one of the eyes, and that .the leaf 'next to it • (b) carries the other. eye, and is connected . by Means of the .central.depreSsien the other leaves excepting (a), which is 'ree• to elide 'through the centrat clamp (d) and is ,steadied in relation to the " other leaves-by the clips sheWn: A-filiing_piece,'(c) clamps the lo'wei leaves to thi bed and is held' down by' the plate (d), thrinigh whichthe leaf '(w) is free ,te slide. means" of this conetniction the spring' is able tb. accomModate itself te. the liatyiiig length due ' t'o the straightening of its arc snider .
, Shackleiehave always been a source of rattle unless kept in good order,so if an etlieient 'spring:can he madeto work -without' them it is a step towards :
s:mplificatiou. It is, however, neces
sary that the sliding leaf should be kept well lubricated throughout. its whele length, -otherwise there Will be great reeistance to movement.
A Shorter Gearbox.
!A COMPACT gearbox. is shown in specification No. 257,413, of Percy Riley. The object of the invention is to provide a short and Spordy. gearbox, and thereby 'to reduce noise due to spring or shafts. The left-hand end is that to which the engine is coupled, and the usual spigot and operating pinion arc provided; The layshaft is driven in the usual manner and is always running, and carries with it the gears for first, second and third speeds.
The shaft which carries the sliding members is mounted on a bearing at one end and in the spigot at the other. The main point of the invention lies in the eliding members and the way in whieh they are mounted on the shaft. A sleeve, which is Provided with eplInes, both internal and external, slides on the shaft, and has dogs at both ends and a groove or collar to receive a yoke of the usual type employed for sliding gears. Mounted upon this sleeve is a pair of sliding -wheels, which engage in the splines of the sleeve and so transmit their drive to the shaft. On the right will be seen the third-speed gear, which Suns freely on the. shaft, and is pro
vided' with internal dog teeth. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and arrows indicate the ;: gears that engage in order 'to provide the four speeds. It will be nen that the operating gears and the thirdspeed gears are of the helical type; which goes to produce a silent running box. -PM reverse is shown, and when this is provided for for the very short and compact appearance of the box may -be somewhat lost, as the addition' of an extra pair of wheels will lengthen the whole outlay.
We notice that the first-speed gears are situated in the centre of shafts, exactly where one might expect the greatest amount' of spring when under load. Another point which we consider open to criticism is the fact that the sliding gears are mounted on a double set of splines, one outside the other.' In the ordinary course of manufacture it is found difficult to ensure perfect concentricity where splines are used for the mounting of gear wheels, but in the present case there is a double chance of eccentricity owing to the errors in manufacture.
A .Self-energizing Brake.
4p01,+PHE KECLIET:R, of Bois Colombes, France, in specification No. 249,818, shows a 'very simple form of self-energieingbrake, which, however, is only self-energizing when the drum is moving in one direction. Two shoes and an expanding earn are employed, but the hinge which connects the shoes is of the floating type, not being anchored.
Anchorage of the shoes is effected by means of the two links which eonnect the awes to a non-revolving member situated on the axle. The arrow indicates the direction in which the selfenergizing effect is Produced, and it will be seen that as the shoes bear on the
brake drum and by their adhesion are inclined to follow the direction of the drum the links which act as an anchorage will, try to follow the curve indicated by the letters (A. A.), whilst the shoes will be following the line (B, B). and so will increase the pressure exerted against the drum. Such a brake might be-useful When applied to front wheels, but for rear wheels the self-energizing effect that is demanded to-day is one that will act equally in either direction. Neither _maker nor user could accept anything less.
So many patent S have been granted recently for really efficient brakes that we think there is but little room for brakes that do not contain all the features that go to make for excellence and efficiency.
Pneumatic Bus Door Closing.
THE opening and dating of doors of one-inan bens by means of pneumatic pressurt is . described in the specification of the -National Pneu matic Co., of New York, No 241,878. Mention is made of the fact that a driver who has to be continually opening and closing the doors of his bus during a working day May suffer from fatigue end the object of this invention is to provide a means whereby he may ' be relieved of this exertion and which at the same time provides a more convenient form of door for the purpose.
Pneumatic pressure is provided by any convenient' means, such as a compressor driven by -the' engine, and is coupled to a tank where a storage of compressed air may be held at a predeterioined pressure sufficient for the working of the doers whilst the engine is not running. The driver is provided with a control handle situated in a convenient position for handling ; pipes lead from this valve to a pneumatic motor, details of 'which are not given, which controle the movements of the door.
The door is of the folding type, only one half being hinged to the frame, so that, when open, the doer folds into onehalf of its original width, and consequeutly requires a smaller well in which to open.
It will be noticed that the door is on the right hand of the driver, but it must be remembered that the 'drawing is American,. and that the vale Of the road there' iS the reverse to outs.'