Patent GB-744983-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in power driven vehicles
Inventor: CLERK ROBERT CECIL
IPC: B60K17/04
Filed: 1952-09-17
Abstract: 744,983. Fluid-pressure servomotor-control systems. GYREACTA TRANSMISSIONS, Ltd. Sept. 9, 1953 [Sept. 17, 1952], No. 23390/52. Class 135. [Also in Group XXXI] In a vehicle having the engine unit 6 mounted on the vehicle frame for limited angular movement about the axis of the output shaft 7, the casing of the unit and the frame are interconnected by means responsive solely to the output torque and applying to the casing a moment which irrespective of the angular position of the unit balances the reaction on the casing due to the torque. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the engine unit 6, which may include a flywheel independent of the engine and capable of storing energy to be utilized for driving the vehicle, is mounted oscillatably in cradles on transverse frame members 3, 4. The output shaft 7 of the unit carries a helically splined member 10 engaged with similar internal splines in a sleeve 9 carrying longitudinal splines 13 engaged by a similarly splined member 14 on the propeller shaft 8, springs 16, 17 being arranged between a member 18 on the shaft 7 and a cover 15 on the sleeve 9 and between the cover 15 and the member 10, respectively. The arrangement is such that the sleeve 9 is moved axially on the shaft 7 receiving a torque, such movement being absorbed by the springs and the drive then being transmitted to the shaft 8 and hence the road wheels. The axial movement of the sleeve 9 operates through a lever 21, which is pivoted at 22 on a bracket 23 secured to the engine unit, and springs 24, 25 on either of valves 26, 27 dependent on the direction of the torque on the shaft 7. The valves 26, 27 are arranged in parallel between a hydraulic pump 36 and a doubleacting ram 38, the ram being connected to a longitudinal frame member 2 and to the engine unit. Thus a moment is exerted on the engine unit to balance the torque reaction in the engine unit, the ram 38 having springs normally stabilizing'the unit. Each valve 26, 27 has a duct 34 connecting the ram side of the valve with the back of the valve and a bleed port ensuring that fluid is fed from the pump 36 continuously without increasing the pressure in the ram. In a modification, Fig. 4, the doubleacting ram is replaced by two single acting rams 50, 51, the means controlling the supply of liquid to spaces 48, 49 in the rams being similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The supply of liquid to spaces 57, 58 in the rams is controlled by a pendulum 54 operating on valves 52, 53. This arrangement facilitates the verticality of the engine unit when the vehicle frame is laterally tilted or when the flywheel has a gyroscopic effect due to the earth's rotation on the engine unit. In a modification, Figs. 5 and 6, of the coupling shown in Figs. 1 and 2 between the shafts 7, 8, the shaft 7 carries vanes 65 between plates 60, 62, between which vanes are arranged vanes 66 carried by the shaft 8. The plate 62 carries a sleeve 63 carrying ports 81, 82 which are shrouded by a fixed collar 67 to which is connected at 68 the outlet from the pump and connections 69, 70 lead to the single-acting rams shown in Fig. 4. The collar 67 has grooves 71, 72, 73 in communication with the connections 68, 69, 70. The shaft 8 is formed with longitudinal ducts 75, 78 each having three ports within the plates 60, 62. At their other ends the ducts 75, 78 are formed with ports 76, 77, 79, 80. A further longitudinal duct 89 in the shaft 8 communicates with a duct 90 and bleed port 91 in the shaft 7 and has ports 92, 93, 94 communicating with channels 95, 96, 97 connecting adjacent pairs of intervane spaces. In a further embodiment, Fig. 8, the shaft 7 is connected to the propeller shaft (not shown) by planetary gearing; the shaft 7 carries the carrier 111<SP>1</SP> having its planets 111 meshing with the annular gear 110 connected to the propeller shaft and with the sun gear 112. The gear 112 is carried on a sleeve 113 surrounding the shaft 7, the sleeve carrying a sprocket 114. A chain 115 passes round the sprocket 114 and sprockets 116, 117 carried on the engine unit and is anchored to the frame members 1, 2. Centring tension springs 118, 119 connect the engine unit to the frame members. Reaction on the sun gear during drive transmission between the shaft 7 and the propeller shaft causes tension on one or other side of the chain, which tension balances the torque reaction due to the drive on the engine unit casing. In a modification, Fig. 9 (not shown), the chain is replaced by two belts which are anchored to the frame members, pass round coaxial pulley wheels, are wound in opposite directions round a drum secured to the sun gear and are anchored to the drum, the annular gear being coupled to the engine unit output shaft and the planet carrier to the propeller shaft. Alternatively to the arrangement shown in Fig. 9 the two belts may be replaced by a single chain, a duplex sprocket replacing the coaxial pulley wheels. In a further embodiment, Fig. 10, an endless chain 115 passes over sprockets 114, 120, the sprocket 120 being coupled with a pinion 123 co-operating with a curved rack 124 which is linked by arms 125 to a cradle 119 carrying the engine unit. In an alternative embodiment, Fig. 11, the curved rack is placed by a straight rack 127 which is anchored by a link 128 to the side member 2, centring compression springs 129, 130 being provided. Specification 728,122, [Group XXXI], is referred to.