Patent GB-190815811-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Automobile Transmission Systems.
Inventor: BROOKS BOULTBEE
Filed: 1908-07-25
Granted: 1909-07-22
Abstract: 15,811. Brooks, B., and Alston, F. H. July 25. Motor road vehicles.-In a compact and selfcontained form of variable-speed gearing, of the kind in which a number of chain or other drives controlled by clutches are arranged between the driving and intermediate shafts, and also between the intermediate shaft and the axle or driven shaft, the clutches are actuated through spring connexions by a hand-lever moving in a gate quadrant, and some of the clutches may be disconnected by a pedal independently of the hand-lever ; a reversing-gear of the epicyclic type is provided, the operating-mechanism of which is interlocked with the mechanism controlling the forward speeds. Fig. 4 shows an horizontal sectional plan through the intermediate shaft with all the clutches in their neutral positions, and Fig. 9 shows a similar view of the gate and operating parts with the first forward speed in gear. The crank-shaft of the engine drives the hollow intermediate shaft 10 at either of the two speeds according to which of the sprocket-wheels 8, 9 is clutched to the shaft by the toothed clutch member 21, which is operated by the rod 26 passing through the hollow shaft. The intermediate shaft drives the final shaft or rear axle through either of two sprocket-wheels 13, 14, which are clutched alternately to the intermediate shaft by friction clutches in which a double conical internal member 46 is adjusted longitudinally by a rod 51. The rod 26 operating the toothed clutches is adjusted by transverse movements of the hand-lever 37 in the gate 38, connexion being made through the pivoted lever 29, springs 40, 41, and rod 35. The rod 51 operating the friction clutches is adjusted by longitudinal movement of the hand-lever through the medium of the bellcrank lever 54, 56, rod 57, pivoted lever 59, screwed rod 62, springs 69, 70, and arm 63 carried on the spindle on which the hand - lever is mounted. The pedal 73 is carried by a rotatable sleeve 74 also provided with an arm 76. When the pedal is depressed either the pedal arm or the arm 76 bears against the lever 59 and moves it about its pivot 60 into the neutral position shown in Fig. 4, in which both the friction clutches are out of gear. The springs 69, 70 prevent this declutching action from affecting the setting of the hand-lever. During forward running the reversing-gear rotates freely, but for reversal the member 99 carrying the pinions 98 is held stationary and the drive takes place through the chain-wheel 9, bevel-wheel 92, pinions 98, bevelwheel 95, hollow shaft 10, and thence through either of the two friction clutches and sprocketwheels 13, 14 to the axle. The member 99 is held when required by means of a pawl 102, Fig. 6, engaging teeth on its periphery, this pawl being mounted on a cross-shaft 103 having at the other end an arm 105 which bears on a plate 106. The plate is moved longitudinally, or is rotated about a pivot 109 according to the longitudinal or transverse movements respectively of the rod 35. Slots 108, 111 in the plate allow the arm 105 to drop and put the reverse gear in operation when the hand-lever is in either of the two central slots of the gate corresponding to the two reverse speeds. The outer slots correspond to the four forward speeds. The sides of the reverse slots of the gate are formed with depending portions 85, Fig. 12, so that the hand-lever cannot enter these slots unless the part 90 is consciously depressed by the driver.