Patent GB-423799-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in mooring apparatus
IPC: B64F1/14
Filed: 1933-08-04
Abstract: 423,799. Variable - speed gearing. AMERICAN ENGINEERING CO., Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia, U.S.A. Aug. 4, 1933, No. 22015. Convention date, Oct. 3, 1932. [Class 80 (ii)] [See also Groups XXX and XXIX] A mooring device comprises a winch, an hydraulic transmission, a variable-speed gear transmission driven by the said hydraulic transmission which in turn drives the winch, manual means for regulating the speed of the hydraulic transmission, and automatic means responsive to load conditions for regulating the speed of the gear transmission. The hydraulic coupling, Fig. 5, comprises a central cylindrical member 29 about which elements 31, 32 are rotatably mounted. The rotor 31 is driven through gearing 37, 38 from a shaft 39 coupled with the electric motor 4, Fig. 1, and is formed with radial cylinders 57-60 in which work pistons 61. The outer ends of the pistons of cylinders 67, 58 are slidably mounted within a ring 63 constituting the inner race of a roller bearing 64, the outer race 65 of which is secured to a guide block 66 ; an outer race 69 and guide block 70 are similarly associated with the cylinders 59, 60. The rotor 32 is similarly arranged, with the exception that two separate guide blocks 108, 109 are associated with the outer cylinders 93, 94 respectively, the cylinders 91, 92 being associated with a single guide block. A system of passages 87, 88, 89, 90, 115, 116 is disposed within the member 29, the passages 89 and 90 being centrally arranged and the passages 87, 88 at one end being connected by external pipes with the passages 115, 116 respectively at the other end. Ports 83-86, 111-114 opening from these passages communicate respectively with the cylinders 57-60, 91-94. The guide blocks 66, 70, 100, 108, 109, Fig. 14, are all mounted to slide transversely within the casing, thus varying the eccentricity of the outer rings 65, 69, &c., with respect to the member 29 ; the positions of the blocks 100, 108, 109 are controlled by the screws 110, while those of the blocks 66, 70 are controlled by sliding rods 71, 72 secured to a crosshead 73 mounted on a shaft 75 geared to a handwheel 82, Fig. 1, the arrangement being such that when one of these rods is moved inwardly, the other is withdrawn. As the rotor 31 is driven by the motor 4, the eccentricity of the rings 65, 69 produces a reciprocating motion of the pistons, and oil is pumped through the system to the cylinders of the rotor 32, the reactions between the piston ends and the eccentric rings causing the member 32 to rotate in a direction and with a speed dependent upon the various eccentricities ; the whole device thus constitutes a continuously variable and reversable change-speed gear under the control of the hand-wheel 82. The rotor 32 is geared to a shaft 49 carrying a pinion 53 which meshes with the outer teeth 54 of an annular gear 55 forming part of the planetary transmission 3, Figs. 1 and 8. The inner teeth 165 of the gear 55 mesh with planet wheels 162 which in turn mesh with wheels 163, all the wheels 162, 163 being mounted on a rotary member 166 free to rotate on a shaft 19 carrying a sun wheel 164 which gears with the wheels 163. The stub shafts on which the wheels 162 are mounted carry, on the other side of the member 166, brake drums round which pass interconnected brake bands, and the member 166 itself carries a brake drum having a band which is so interconnected with those of the wheels 162 that when the latter are free to revolve the member 166 is held against rotation, and vice-versa. The positions of the brake bands are controlled by a device 197 comprising a cylinder in which a piston is moved by oil from a variable discharge pump of known kind, the position of the piston being controlled by a valve which determines to which side of it oil is admitted. This valve is controlled by pressure operated means connected with the main hydraulic system. In the mooring operation, the brake bands on the planetary gear are first set so that the member 166 is locked and the planet wheels are free, so that there is a considerable step-up ratio between the annulus 55 and the shaft 19, the rope thus being hauled in rapidly. If resistance is offered, for example, by wind pressure on the dirigible, the pressure in the hydraulic transmission rises, and if this reaches a predetermined amount, the device 197 operates the brake bands to lock the planet wheels and free the member 166 ; this has the effect of coupling the annulus 55 direct to the shaft 19, and a greatly reduced ratio is obtained. If the resistance rises still more, a further pressure-sensitive device 156, Fig. 14, operates to reverse the positions of the rods 71, 72, thus reversing the drive and causing rope to be paid out. The winch proper comprises a winding-drum 12, Fig. 1, geared to the shaft 19, which is provided for safety with a hand brake 23. A guide 13 for the rope is traversed by a lead screw operated by a chain drive 16 from the shaft on which the drum 12 is mounted.