Flywheel Brake

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THE brake illustrated herewith was designed for use on the flywheel of a heavy Gordon job printing press, having the driving motor belted to the flywheel. It was necessary to construct the brake in such a way that the parts would not interfere with the driving belt. As will be seen by referring to the illustration, M represents the motor; A is the brake shoe, which is supported by two legs, B, with the. belt passing between them. These legs are bolted to the block E which is securely fastened to the floor. The coil springs C assist in holding the brake shoe away from the wheel, and also keep the ends of the shoe from rubbing. The brake shoe is connected by means of two drawbars D, one on either side, with the two bell cranks G which are screwed to the sides of the foot lever K. These bell cranks, drawbars, and brake shoe legs are made from %,-inch band iron, ,4 inch thick. The foot lever is connected with the block H by means of a 6-inch strap-hinge T. as will be noted in Fig. 2 of the sketch, ami the block H is securely fastened to the floor with lag screws. The coil spring J holds the outer end of the foot lever about three inches above the floor, and also assists in holding the braKe shoe away from the flywheel, except when stopping the machine. The spring used was an old-fashioned bed spring, which answers the purpose very well. The brake shoe, foot lever, and floor blocks should Flywheel brake. be, made of hard wood if possible, but any kind will do the work. If desired, the shoe may be faced with a piece of leather belting, smooth side outward, which gives it a much better grip on the wheel. This brake is very powerful on account of the leverage obtained at the foot lever, and also because of the fact that the brake-shoe legs are not placed perpendicularly, but incline somewhat toward the flywheel; thus when the. brake 's applied. the friction tends to force the shoe more tightly under the wheel. With this device the machine may be brought to a stop slowly, or in case of accident. almost instantly, by increasing the pressure upon the foot lever

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