Friction Clutch Adjustments
There are three positions of the starting and stopping lever: Starting, operation, and stopping. When pulled all of the way out the lever is in starting position. When the lever is in starting position, the eccentric screw in the starting and stopping lever pulls against the lug in the vertical lever and causes the upper lug to force the automatic stopping pawl off the upper stopping lever. This sets the machine in action. When the lever is half way out it is in operating position and allows the machine to start when a line is sent in. When the lever is pushed all the way in the clutch is thrown out of action and the machine is stopped.
When making any adjustments, have the lever in starting position (out as far as it will go). If the automatic stopping pawl is resting on the upper stopping lever, the adjustments could not be made, as the lower stopping lever would be forcing the forked lever against the collar, throwing the friction clutch out of action.
The friction clutch should be adjusted so as to have 15/32 of an inch between the collar and the shaft bearing. Place a 15/32 inch gage between the right-hand side of the collar and the left-hand side of the shaft bearing. If the distance is less than 15/32 of an inch, dress the leather buffers with a file. If the distance is more, place cardboard under the buffers to increase the thickness. On old-style machines this adjustment was made by two nuts, one on each side of the clutch rod. Putting cardboard under the buffers will not satisfactorily drive the machine if something else is wrong. If there is too much packing under the leathers the starting and stopping lever will have no effect on the clutch and the machine will not stop properly.
The upper stopping lever and the lower stopping lever are fastened by pin pivots to a steel shaft which passes through the vertical lever. This allows a limited up and down movement of the stopping levers. The shaft is held in position by a set screw in the top of the vertical lever bracket. When the machine is in action the forked lever must be free of the collar. If it is not, the clutch does not get the proper pressure on the inside of the pulley, because the forked lever would push against the collar and force the rod and clutch outward. To be sure the forked lever is free of the collar, adjust so there is 1/32 of an inch between the lower stopping lever and the forked lever. This adjustment is made by the screw in the lower part of the upper stopping lever.
When the upper stopping pawl comes to rest on the upper stopping lever, it forces the adjusting screw in the lower part of the upper stopping lever against the lower stopping lever, and the bottom end of the lower stopping lever causes the forked lever to force the collar out, throwing the clutch out of action and stopping the machine. This gives a horizontal movement from a vertical action. The automatic stop pawl should rest on the upper stopping lever ¼ of an inch when the machine is at normal. This adjustment is made by loosening the set screw which holds the shaft in the vertical starting lever, and moving the lever sidewise. When the stopping pawl rests ¼ of an inch on the upper stopping lever, the automatic safety pawl will also rest on it exactly the same, as both pawls are adjusted the same.
Fastened to cam No. 10 are two pawls. One is the automatic stopping pawl and stops the machine after it has made one complete revolution. The other is the automatic safety pawl, and stops the machine when a line fails to transfer from the first to the second elevator. These two pawls are adjusted by screws that pass through the pawl and strike the lug of the cam, and are held against this lug with a spring. The distance from the left-hand side of the pawl to the left-hand side of the cam should be 15/16 of an inch.
The vertical lever is fastened to the column, at the back of the machine above the forked lever, by a hexagon head machine screw at its upper end. The lower end is held in place by the shaft which passes through the lever into the machine frame. The only time the vertical lever is in action is when the machine is started by the starting and stopping lever. On the starting lever is an eccentric screw which stands behind the lower lug of the vertical lever. When the starting and stopping lever is pulled out, the eccentric screw engages the lower lug and pulls it forward, causing the upper lug to push the stopping or safety pawls clear of the upper stopping lever. There are three lugs on the vertical lever: The upper lug, the lower lug, and the lug inside of the bracket.
There is a headless screw in the vertical lever bracket, the front end encircled by a spring. This spring forces the vertical lever back to its normal position after the lever has been pulled forward by the starting and stopping lever. When pulled forward, the upper lug strikes against the automatic stopping pawl forcing it clear of the upper stopping lever. This adjustment is made by means of the headless screw in the lever bracket. The proper adjustment forces the stopping pawl 1/16 of an inch clear of the upper stopping lever. The lug inside the bracket should permit the upper lug to clear the stopping pawl 1/64 of an inch when the lug is at rest. This adjustment is made by turning the adjusting screw in the column opposite the headless screw. This screw regulates the stroke of the inner lug.
Unless the upper vertical lug, after pushing the stopping pawls off the upper stopping lever, returns clear of the pawls, it would prevent the pawls from seating properly on the upper stopping lever.
The adjustment of the lower lug of the vertical lever and the eccentric screw on the starting lever should be made by releasing the set nut on the eccentric screw and turning the screw until there is 1/32 of an inch between the screw and the lug. If this adjustment is not properly made it will interfere with the upper lug and throw it out of adjustment.