overall: 12 1/2 in x 4 7/8 in x 4 3/4 in; 31.75 cm x 12.3825 cm x 12.065 cm
Object Name:
patent model, motor, spring
Object Type:
Patent Model
Associated place:
United States: Michigan, Detroit
Date made:
1880
Patent date:
1880-04-20
Description:
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John Warren, of Detroit, Michigan, April 20, 1880, no. 226813.
The motor represented is of the class intended to operate light machinery such as a phonograph but differs from most of the class in that it employs a spiral spring instead of the usual coil spring. It converts the rectilinear motion of the spring into rotary motion and equalizes the varying tension of the spring.
The free end of the spring carries a nut that engages in a spiral-grooved motor shaft, which revolves at the axis of the spring. A hand crank, worm, and worm wheel are used to compress the spring by turning the shaft in the reverse direction. The power is taken from a bevel gear on the shaft. A ball nut, which employs a ball to follow in the groove of the shaft, is used because an ordinary nut would not work in the groove of varying pitch. The varying pitch is used to compensate for the varying tension of the spring.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location:
Currently not on view
Related Publication:
Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173
