Patent GB-404443-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to free-wheel devices of power-driven vehicles
IPC: B60K17/26
Filed: 1932-12-01
Abstract: 404,443. Free wheel clutches; variable speed gearing. ZAHNRADFABRIK FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AKT.-GES., Friedrichshafen-on-Bodensee, Germany. Dec. 1, 1932, No. 34069. Convention date, Dec. 19, 1931. [A Specification was laid open to inspection under Sect. 91 of the Acts, June 20, 1933.] [Class 80 (ii).] An arrangement for temporarily releasing a claw-clutch 14 serving as locking-means for a roller free-wheel clutch 13 behind the changespeed gear of a motor vehicle comprises a linkage between the operating-member 10 of the claw-clutch and a control-member of the vehicle such as the clutch-pedal 8, Fig. 1, or the gear-lever 45, Fig. 5, a yielding-member being so arranged that after the control-member has unlocked the free-wheel by direct action during its initial movement, it is free to move alone without further affecting the locking- clutch. In Fig. 1, the clutch-pedal 8 carries a spring-pressed pin 22 which, after moving the connecting linkage 18 to release the locking- clutch 14 by its abutment on a projection 20 of the linkage, yieldingly passes under the projection to allow further independent travel of the clutch pedal. On release of the clutchpedal, the free-wheel is again locked and the yielding-pin 22 passes under the projection 20 in the reverse direction. In a modification, the clutch-pedal 8 is directly connected with the manual control-lever 17 of the free-wheel by a yielding telescopic link comprising radially yielding pins coacting with a constriction in the outer telescopic member. In Fig. 5, the gearshift lever is in two parts 45, 51 pivoted together at 50. Vertically slidable on the lever 45 near the centre of its ball-pivot 46 is a two-armed slide 53 connected through a Bowden cable 55 with the control rod 40 of the free-wheel locking-clutch 14. The control-rod 40 has an independent manual operating-lever 17<1> carrying a detent 42 loaded by a spring 43 onto a double inclined notch 40<1> on the rod 40. Initial forward or backward movement of the gearlever 51 pivots its upper part 51 about the lower part 45, depressing the slide through side arms 52 to unlock the free-wheel clutch. The notch 40<1> rides up the detent 42, thereby loading its spring 43. The parts 51, 45 of the gear-lever then move solidly together to change the speed, whereafter the gear-lever is released and the detent 42, acting on the notch 40, moves the control rod 40 back to the locking position. The slide 53 then moves upwards under the influence of a spring to bring the lever-parts 45, 51 back into alignment. In both forms, the free-wheel clutch comprises rollers 13 wedging against an outer drivenmember 12 which is axially movable on its shaft 11 to engage its internal splines with facial teeth 14 on the inner cam-member 5b of the clutch. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 describes a modification in which depression of the clutch pedal 70, Fig. 6 (Cancelled), beyond a predetermined position unlocks the free-wheel and allows it to remain unlocked after release of the pedal. Signal lights indicate the condition of the free-wheel to the operator. The locking-clutch is operated by a bolt 66 having three detent-notches 78, 79, 80 and operated through a lever 68 by a rod 69 having a lost-motion connection 71 with the clutch-pedal 70. The latter can be moved between the positions K and K1 to operate the main-clutch without affecting the locked condition of the free-wheel. Further depression of the clutch-pedal to the point Fr moves the bolt 66 to unlock the free-wheel. A spring-detent 74 then moves out of the notch 78 into the notch 79, so that, after release of the clutch pedal, the free-wheel remains in this unlocked position. Depression of the clutch-pedal to a further position Bl causes the detent 74 to ride out of the notch 79 and be locked clear of the bolt 66 by overriding the pointed nose of a spring-loaded detent 77 which has a part projecting into the notch 80 in the bolt 66. The bolt 66 is now free to move back to the locked position under the influence of a spring 72, and simultaneously pushes the detent 77 backwards to release the detent 74. The additional movement of the clutch-pedal may be a lateral one. The signal lights are operated by the lever 68 through switches 81. Both the inner and outer members 60, 62 of the freewheel clutch are splined to their shafts and are slidable as a unit so that the member 62 may lock the two shafts together. This subjectmatter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.