Rack (device)

“ When, now, the pinion p turns (see fig. 1 and 3) , the rack, slide, and cylinders roll in the grooves, till the end of the rack comes to that pinion; which, finding no more teeth, swings round the last, and taking a new position, reverts the motion, till the other end of the rack comes to it, and occasions another return: ad inf. This will be better seen at the third figure, which is an end elevation of a part of the Machine.—There, P shews the slide and one of the teeth of the rack (which teeth are longer than the rest, as seen near L M, in fig. 1.) ”

“ Various machines are employed to overcome the resistance of the plate to the passage of the wire. In general, the wire is held by pinchers, near the end, and as fast as it is drawn through the plate, it is wound upon a roller, by the action of a wheel and axle, or other power. Sometimes, a rack and pinion are employed for this purpose, and sometimes a lever, which acts at intervals, and which takes fresh hold of the wire every time the force is applied. ”

“ A Kitchen Utensil Hanger
Every cook knows how troublesome it is to have several things hanging on one nail. When one of the articles is wanted it is usually at the back, and the others must be removed to secure it. A revolving rack for hanging a can opener, egg beater and cooking spoons, etc., takes up less space than several nails, and places every article within easy reach as well as providing individual hooks for all the pieces.
The Hook Support Revolves so as to Make Each One Readily Accessible for Hanging Utensils
The rack is easily made of a block of wood, 2-1/2 in. ”

“ The length of the rack is equal to the length of the two carbons. The fall of the rack is controlled by a friction break, B (Fig. 3) , which acts upon the last of a train of three wheels put in motion by the above weight. The break, B, is fixed at one end of a lever, B A, the other end carrying a soft iron armature, F, easily adjusted by three screws. This armature is attracted by the electromagnet, E E (whose resistance is 1,200 ohms) , whenever a current circulates through it. The length of the play is regulated by the screw, V. The spring, L, applies tension to the break. ”

“ Be sure every piece is in its proper position before driving in the brads and then be positive that no brad is being driven at a point where the dowel must be free to move in the hole. It is always best to assemble the rack completely and by closing and opening it learn clearly just where the brads are to be placed. ”

“ When the rack is in gear, the chuck is a universal one, all the jaws moving simultaneously and equally, whether they be set in such position in their slots as may be necessary to grip an oval or round piece of work; when the rack is out of gear the jaws may be moved by their respective screws so as to run true as for round work, or to hold the work to any degree of eccentricity required. ”

“ Racks are put on the tables to keep things from falling off, and sometimes the rocking is so bad that even the racks are not altogether satisfactory. In front of you is a rack just wide enough to hold your plate, and, when you are taking soup, the edge of it is just even with the rack. ”

“ As you know, you cannot nicely work a railway by adhesion only much above a gradient of one in fifty with sharp curves upon it, or one in forty on a straight line, consequently the rack is the thing to use then, I fancy, for on the Abt rack railway the pinions on the engine can be easily put in and out of gear on the rack, and the journey be continued by simple adhesion, as by an ordinary locomotive, and the rack system works all right round moderate curves. ”

“ To test the fit of the feed screw to the feed nut, put the latter in gear and operate the rack motion back and forth.
To determine whether the cross slide is at a right angle with the ways or shears, take a fine cut over a radial face, such, for example, as the largest face plate, and test the finished plate with a straight edge. If the face plate runs true and shows true with a straight edge, so that it is unnecessary to take a cut over it, grind a piece of steel a little rounding on its end, and fasten it in the tool post or clamp, with the rounded end next to the face plate. ”

“ The racks should be made very strong and substantial to guard against being broken by ice in the winter, for should the rack give way at any inopportune time the admission of sticks and other rubbish might wreck the wheel. ”

“ The rack itself is not part of a circle, but almost flat centrally, and sharply bent at the ends. In short, the curve is such that the rack teeth engage with the eccentric cog at all points of the latter's revolution. ”

“ A tool rack that is serviceable for almost any kind of a tool may be made by placing rows of different-size screw eyes on a wall close to the workbench, so that files, chisels, pliers and other tools, and the handles of hammers can be slipped through the eyes.
A place for every tool saves time, and besides, when the tools are hung up separately, they are less likely to be damaged, than when kept together on the work-bench. ”

“ A locking motion is fitted to the machine by which, when the rack P is released in the manner described, the stop rod is locked in such a way that until the rack has been wound back by hand into proper position the frame cannot be started. ”

“ Between the adding gear H, and the keys which act to drive it, is a ratchet and gear device consisting of the ratchet pawl pivoted to the adding gear H, the ratchet I6, and its pinion gear, the segment gear I2 fast to the rock shaft I, the nine arms I1 fast to the rock shaft and the pins I2, which are arranged in the key levers to contact with and depress the arms I1 of the rock shaft varying distances, according to the value of the key depressed. ”

“ When the key is again depressed, another tablet rod rises, but before its shoulder has passed the co-operating latch the first tablet falls upon the latch, which gives way to allow the rod to fall, when the last rod rises and remains exposed to view. These latches are weighted in such manner as to remain in place as the rod rises, but to give way when it is desired that the rod shall fall. The device is an ingenious one, but is chiefly valuable in this connection as showing that, prior to the Ritty and Birch patent, the sliding bar was well known as an equivalent for the pivoted wing. ”

“ The reason for providing two chains instead of one is to enable the operator to make two different kinds of rack in one garment by setting the studs on one chain for let us say a one-needle rack, and on the other for a two-needle rack. This arrangement permits the use of very short chains, as the racked pattern may repeat itself on the chain any number of times, where if a single chain were used it would be necessary to have a chain long enough to have a stud for each time the plate racked, when two patterns are required, and this would necessitate the use of a very long chain at times. ”

“ Some of the best in use consist of a vertical iron rack, which is occasionally forced upward by the teeth of a pinion: a geer wheel on the same axle with the pinion being driven by the thread of a horizontal screw, to the head of which is attached a crank. By a machine of this construction, properly proportioned, one man may raise about twenty tons weight. Vertical screws, turned by levers, have been frequently used for the purpose of raising vessels to repair. ”

“ The common-sense modern method is the well-stocked rack or cabinet with a compartment for each size of the series, with the compartments numbered and the larger pieces of the material numbered to correspond. An arrangement like this invites an orderly habit in persons who would otherwise be careless.
The usual style of furniture rack is shown in Fig. 35. This is made in several sizes to hold quantities large or small according to the requirements of the room. The position of a rack like this should be near the stone at a level near the height of the working surface. ”

“ The axle of the impression cylinder carries a toothed wheel working in a rack on the bed or table, the wheel having at two parts of its circumference the teeth planed off so as to permit of the return of the table without moving the impression cylinder, which is again thrown into gear with the rack by a catch, so that the same tooth of the rack always enters the same space on the toothed wheel, and thus a good register is secured. ”

“ There are to such a lock one or more dials, with a series of letters or figures stamped on them; there is to each dial a hand or pointer connected by a spindle with a wheel inside the lock; on the wheel is a notch which has to be brought to a certain position before the bolt can be moved. There are false notches, to add to the difficulty of finding the true notch in each wheel. To adjust the notches to their proper position, a nut on the back of the wheel is loosened, and the pointer is set at any letter or figure chosen by the user. ”

“ Useful, but not life-or-death essentials, are a tabouret at, say, $3.25, a footrest for a little less, and a magazine rack for $5 or $10. The problem of keeping periodicals in easy reach without too much of a "litter'ry" effect has not yet been solved. The open rack is the best compromise between sightliness and utility, because it is more apt to be used than the more ambitious arrangements with doors. ”

“ These templates are in metal, and for epicycloidal teeth from 15 to a rack, and having a diametral pitch ranging from 11⁄2 to 32.
The principles of action of the machine are that a segment of a ring (representing a portion of the pitch circle of the wheel for whose teeth a template is to be produced) is fixed to the frame of the machine. Upon this ring rolls a disk representing the rolling, generating, or describing circle, this disk being carried by a frame mounted upon an arm representing the radius of the wheel, and therefore pivoted at a point central to the ring. ”

“ The chief operating part of the mechanism is the rack finger A—shown in its position when in gear—which is hinged on a vertical rod or plunger K, sustained in a frame or bearing S fastened to the carriage. Referring to Fig. 181, the whole of the apparatus moves with the carriage and is self-contained. Attached to the faller is a connecting rod or link B, which is coupled to a hinged lever O formed at its outer end with a toothed rack or quadrant finely pitched. ”

“ The springs, which by the turning of the key must be raised together with the tumblers, are attached to levers, and press upon the latter at their centre of gravity, in consequence of which all crowding towards either side is prevented, and the key can be turned with facility, in spite of the many combination parts which it has to raise; and the springs themselves are by their positions so little called into action, that their strength can never be impaired by use.
The lock has also another very complete arrangement in the detector-tumbler, which is attached to the cap or covering of the lock. ”

“ There are two forms of "going-barrel" keyless mechanism— (1) The rocking bar; (2) the shifting sleeve. The rocking bar device is shown in Figs. 209, 210. The milled head M turns a cog, G, which is always in gear with a cog, F. This cog gears [Pg 426] with two others, A and B, mounted at each end of the rocker R, which moves on pivot S. A spring, S P, attached to the watch plate presses against a small stud on the rocking bar, and keeps A normally in gear with C, mounted on the arbor of the mainspring.
Fig. 209.—The winding mechanism of a keyless watch. ”

“ Of the numerous but smaller varieties known by the collective name of cabinet locks, there are the cupboard, the bookcase, the desk, the portable desk, the table, the drawer, the box, the caddy, the chest, the carpet-bag, and many other locks. All these locks are further called straight, when the plate is to be screwed flat against the wood-work; cut, when the wood is to be so cut away as to let in the lock flush with the surface; and mortise, when a cavity is excavated in the edge of the door for the reception of the lock. ”

“ It was a little more than ten feet square; in the center a seat with curving outlines rose from the floor, apparently made of the same rubbery material as the floor itself. A metallic track ended just in front of the seat; following back, his eye caught the outline of a kind of lectern, now pushed back against the wall of the cell, with spaces below the reading flat and handles attached. Against the back wall of the cell stood a similar device, but larger and without any metal track. Beside it two handles dangled from the wall on cords of flexible wire. ”

“ The form of combination floor and table push in Fig. 20 is the most solidly constructed device of its kind. The lower part is set in a hole bored in the flooring, the metal flange keeping it in place and preventing its slipping through.
21 The floor push attachment works as follows: The central metal rod is divided into two parts B D, by an insulating piece of hard rubber. When depressed against the action of the spiral spring by the foot, the upper part B connects together the contact springs A C, closing the circuit of bell and battery. ”

“ A piece of common wire, bent in the form of the shackle, is put in between the ends of the lock; the spring or elasticity of the wire tends to force [139] the ends apart; this causes the pins or studs on the rod to press against the inner edges of the rings. By trying all the rings in succession, some one of them will be found to bind or cling more than the others; this is turned round until the cessation of the bind shews that the notch in the ring has been brought into its right position relatively to the pin on the rod. ”