Patent GB-442587-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to clutches
IPC: F16D13/04
Filed: 1934-07-09
Abstract: 442,587. Variable - speed gearing. GALANTE, A., 36, Via XX Settembre, Genes, Italy. July 9, 1934, No. 20084. Convention date, July 8, 1933. [Class 80 (ii)] The driving (or driven) shaft 2 has an arm 5 carrying a pair of connected planet pinions 7 and 8 meshing respectively with wheels 9 and 10, the wheel 9 being fixed on the driven (or driving) shaft 1 while the wheel 10 is freely mounted on the shaft 1 and has claw engagement with a friction disc 16 which is urged by a spring 20 away from a co-operating disc 17 secured to the shaft 1. The wheel 10 carries levers 28, one end of each of which is provided with a weight 29 while the other end coacts with the disc 16 to move it into clutching relationship with the disc 17 as the weights 29 move outwards under centrifugal action. The clutch may be disengaged through a hand lever 32 controlling a sleeve 23 linked to the levers 28. The gears are such that, with the shaft 2 rotating and the shaft 1 stationary, the wheel 10 rotates at a reduced speed in the same direction on the shaft 2. When this speed is sufficient to cause clutch engagement, the drive to the shaft 1 is taken up progressively until a solid drive results. The disc 17 may be connected to the shaft 1 through a lockable freewheel clutch. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91, comprises also the construction shown in Fig. 2 (Cancelled). The wheel 10 is integral with a drum 41 in which are splined clutch plates coacting with plates splined on a member 18 secured to the shaft 1. A pedal-controlled sleeve 46 is slidable on the drum 41, while sleeves 49 and 54, which have a lost-motion connection 80, 81 and between which is interposed a spring 53, are slidable on the sleeve 46, the sleeve 49 being interconnected with the gear lever. The sleeve 46 is connected by links 56 and rods 57 to blocks 59 which are guided radially in the wheel 10 and which have threads co-operating with threads 62 on the shaft 1. Discs 63, 64, 65 splined on the hub of the wheel 10 and provided with spring tongues 63<1>, 64<1>, 65<1> have cylindrical flanges arranged telescopically as shown and coacting with projections 73 on blocks 71 which are radially guided in the wheel 10 and which are connected by links 70 to the sleeve 54. When the sleeve 46 is moved so as to retract the blocks 59 from the threads 62, the clutch is disengaged, and no drive ensues. If it is desired to start the vehicle from rest in low gear, in which case the blocks 71 occupy their outermost position and coact with the flanges of all three discs 63, 64, and 65, the sleeve 46 is moved to bring the blocks 59 into engagement with the threads 62. The wheel 10 thus moves to the left and pressure is applied to the clutch only through the disc 63, the axial movement of the wheel 10 being a minimum. Similarly, if it is desired to start from rest in intermediate gear, the blocks 71 occupy an intermediate position in which they coact only with the discs 64 and 65, and pressure is applied to the clutch through the discs 63 and 64 in series, the axial movement of the wheel 10 being greater ; while for top gear, the blocks 71 occupy their innermost position and coact only with the disc 65, pressure being applied through all the discs in series, the axial movement of the wheel 10 being a maximum. When the blocks 59 are retracted on changing gear, the centrifugal action of the blocks 71 is effective to move them outwards so as to accelerate the re-engagement of the clutch. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.