Patent GB-248006-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in means for facilitating the changing of speed
IPC: B62M25/02
Filed: 1926-02-22
Abstract: 248,006. United States Automatic Shift Co., (Assignees of Broders, C. E.). Feb. 21, 1925, [Convention date]. Facilitating changing speed.-In variable-speed gearing suitable for vehicles employing toothed wheels slidable into mesh, the act of disconnecting the main clutch brings a train such as 66, 63, Fig. 1. into action, by which the clutch shaft 54 and lay shafts 57 are driven from the driven shaft, and change can be effected without shock. The synchronizing means comprising an independent shaft 64 and a gear 67 for the purpose can be used with any control means such as the hand selector means shown in Figs. 29 and 30, but is described in the first place as combined with semi-automatic shifter mechanism shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6, 10 and 11. When a pedal 8, Fig. 11, upon a shaft 9 is depressed, clutch D, Fig. 2, is opened, gears 66, 63 are engaged and the shaft 64 is driven from tail shaft 52 at twice the speed so as to enable direct-driving clutch 60 to be disengaged and gear 50 to be enmeshed silently with gear 57a upon countershaft 57 for middle speed. The change back to high speed may be effected after simply declutching. Low speed and reverse will usually be brought into driving mesh when the vehicle is at rest by sliding a gear 52 to left and right. Preselection is effected at any time by setting a lever 20, Fig. 11, a spring coupling 29, Fig. 6, being thereby strained. Actuating-slides 1. 2 are adapted to be reciprocated in opposite directions through a slider 13. When the pedal 8 is depressed to open clutch D, the slides 1, 2 move oppositely until apertures 31 are presented to a lug-carrying disc 18 feathered on a shaft 19 acted on by a spring 29. The disc 18 snaps round into a selector position to connect either of two selector bars 3, 4, Fig. 10, to either of the slides 1, 2 as described in Specification 236,212. The bars 3, 4 carry striking-forks 5. On release of the pedal, the slides 1, 2 first move back far enough to effect the speed change, whereupon a pawl 14, Fig. 2, acts to free the slider 13 and allow the clutch D to be subsequently fully engaged. The synchronized means acts simultaneously. The semi-automatic device referred to comprises a cam stop 34, a lever 73 acting to declutch the gear 67, and a cam 32 upon the disc 18, which co-act with arms 26 &c. loose upon the shaft 19, with the result that upon a setting of lever 20, repeated depressions of pedal 8 brings, high and second speeds into action alternately without shock. The application is described to an arrangement with a universal joint between the main clutch and the speed gear. An arrangement is described in which the friction pair 66, 63 is replaced by a toothed pair and a friction clutch. An arrangement shown in Fig. 27 comprising in effect a two-speed gear upon the synchronizer shaft 64 is to speed up the clutch teeth 60 for the high speed engagement, as well as the wheel 57a for the second speed. Another arrangement has a two-speed epicycle train upon the shaft 64 for the same purpose, all controlled by the locking cam 34. A manually controlled device equivalent to the last arrangement is shown in Figs. 29 and 30. Bars 119, 120 correspond to the bars 3, 4, Fig. 10, and a pivoted cam catch 124 corresponds to the cam 34 and its coacting parts to ensure the proper synchronizing actions when required.