Patent GB-190415144-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Speed Gears for Cycles, Automobiles, and similar Vehicles.
Inventor: HASTE FREDERICK CHARLES
Filed: 1904-07-06
Granted: 1905-06-29
Abstract: 15,144. Haste, F. C. July 6. Clutches ; driving-mechanism ; speed, controlling.-Relates to variable-speed gear of the epicyclic type for cycles &c. The normal speed is obtained by locking the sun-wheel of the higher of the two epicyclic gears to the hub by means of a sliding sleeve. The higher epicyclic gear consists of annular teeth 1, Fig. 1, cut in the driver-plate 2, planet-pinions 3, mounted on studs 4 on the hub 5, and a sun-wheel 6 mounted loosely on the axle 7. The lower epicyclic gear consists of annular teeth 8 cut in the driver-plate 2, the planet-pinions 9 mounted on studs 4, and the sun-wheel 10 loose on the axle 7. A clutch designed to allow movement of the sun-wheel 10 in one direction only consists of a ring 11, free to rotate and slide on the axle and provided on either face with inclined teeth which are adapted to engage with teeth 12,13, formed on the sun-wheel 10 and stop-piece 14 respectively. The teeth 12, which are always in gear, are double the depth of the teeth 13, so that, when the sun-wheel 10 tends to move backwards, the inclines of the teeth 12 force the ring 11 to the right until it also gears with the teeth 13 of the stoppiece 14. The sleeve catch 15 is normally forced to the right by the spring 21 into engagement with the teeth of the hub 5. The sleeve has teeth 16 which always engage with the teeth of the sun-wheel 6, teeth 17 which can be disengaged from the teeth 18 of the hub, and teeth 22 adapted to engage with axle teeth 23. The sleeve is moved to the left by a wire 19 acting on a cross-bar 20 which slides in a slot in the axle. When moved into the intermediate position, out of engagement with the fixed teeth 23 and the hub, the higher epicyclic gear is freed and the low speed is obtained. When moved to the extreme left, the sun-wheel 6 is prevented from rotating backwardly, the sun-wheel 10 moving slowly forwards and giving the intermediate speed. In a modification, the sliding sleeve is adapted to be free from the sun-wheel 6 when in the extreme left position, the lower epicyclic gear operating to give the lowest speed. The sleeve carries pawls which are spring- pressed into engagement with ratchet teeth cut in the axle to prevent backward rotation of the sleeve and sun-wheel 6 when in the intermediate position and disengaged from the hub. The normal high speed is obtained when the sleeve is moved to the extreme right, when the sun-wheel 6 is locked to the hub. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the normal is the intermediate speed. The planets 9 of the lower epicyclic gear are mounted on pins 4 on the hub 5, and the annular teeth 8 are formed solid with a ring 35 which fits on pins 29 of the driver-plate 2 carrying the teeth 1. The teeth 30 and planet-pinions 28 of the higher epicyclic gear are cut in the hub 5 and mounted on pins 29 respectively. When the sleeve 31 is moved to the extreme right, its teeth 32, 34 engage with the teeth 33 on the driver-plate 2 and elongated sunwheel 6 respectively, locking the sun-wheel 6 to the driver-plate 2 and giving the intermediate speed. The sleeve 31 is gripped between two cross-bars 37, 38 which pass through a slot in the axle 7. The spring 40, bearing against a hollow nut 41 screwed in the end of the axle and through which the rod passes, normally forces the cross-bar 38 to grip and move the sleeve to the left. The cross-bar 37 engages with slots in the face of the sun-wheel 6 and locks it to the axle to give the high speed. In the intermediate position of the sleeve, the crossbar 37 is disengaged from the sun-wheel 6, freeing the higher epicyclic gear. The clutch then prevents the backward rotation of the sun-wheel 10 and allows the lower gear to give the lower speed.