Patent GB-723164-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to combined change-speed gear and brake hubs for bicyclewheels
Inventor: BROWN WILLIAM
IPC: F16D41/30
Filed: 1953-07-16
Abstract: 723,164. Change-speed gear. STURMEY-ARCHER GEARS, Ltd. July 16, 1953 [Aug. 2, 1952], No. 19616/52. Class 80 (2) [Also in Group XXXI] A combined change-speed gear and brake hub for the. rear wheel of a bicycle of the kind embodying epicyclic gearing with uni-directional type forward drive coupling between a part of the gear and the brake hub, and a brake having a brake actuating member and means for coupling said member to a part of the gear for actuation by pedalling backwards is characterized by having lost-motion coupling means between the forward drive coupling such as the pawl carrying rings 29 or 8 (Fig. 1) and the part of the gear such as the annulus 28 or planet carrier 5, whereby forward release movement of the brake-actuating mechanism relative to the hub is possible in spite of engagement of such forward drive coupling. Driving mechanism. In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the sprocket 26 drives a member 23 having axial slots 23a in which a selector dog 33 is slidably actuated by a rod 37. To obtain an increase gear the dog 33 is brought into engagement with an extension 4a of a pin mounting a planet pinion 3 on a carrier 5. The pinion 3 drives an annulus 28 which has a lost motion coupling with a pawl ring 29. The drive is transmitted through pawls 30 and ratchet teeth 21a to the end 21 of the hub shell 20. A direct drive is obtained by engaging the dog 33 with splines 28c in the annulus 28. A reduced gear is obtained by moving the dog 33 beneath the pawls 30 to tip them out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 21a, the splines 28c remaining in engagement with the dog 33. The annulus 28 will now drive the planet pinion 3 and the planet carrier 5 at a reduced speed. The carrier 5 has slots 5b in which are engaged dogs 7a of a cam member 7. A pawl ring 8 carrying pawls 9 and having internal splines 8a surrounds the cam 7. The dimensions of the dogs 7a and splines 8a are selected to give a lost-motion coupling between the cam 7 and the pawl 8. The drive from the planet carrier 5 is transmitted to the hub shell through the cam 7, pawl ring 8, pawls 9 and ratchet teeth 18b in a member 18 splined to the hub shell 20 at 18a. Braking mechanism. The cam member 7 is formed with ramps 7b for balls 11 which are also engaged in complementary ramps 12a in a conical-edged plate 12. Slots 12b in the plate 12 are engaged by dogs 8b in the pawl ring 8. A split internal expanding ring 13 is provided and has a conical inner surface complementary to the plate 12. A further conical-edged plate 14 is provided having an abutment lug 14a which engages with a slot 13b in the ring 13 to prevent relative rotation. A bearing member 15 has lugs 15a complementary to notches 14b in the plate 14 and further lugs 15b complementary to notches 16a in a torque arm 16. Action. When free wheeling or pedalling backwards the hub shell 20 rotates relatively to the gearing in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The frictional drag of the ratchets 21a on the pawls 30 absorbs the lost motion between the pawl ring 29 and the annulus 28. When driving at a reduced gear, with the selector dog 33 underlying the pawls 30, the lugs 7a engage the splines 8a in the position shown in. Fig. 2 and the parts 7 and 12 are relatively in the position shown in Fig. 4 with the balls 11 in the deepest parts of the ramps. When free wheeling or driving with the dog 33 in either of the other two positions, the ratchet teeth 18b over-run the pawls 9 and the frictional drag of the pawls turns the pawl ring 8 to take up some of the lost motion between the splines 8a and lugs 7a. The plate 12 will rotate with the pawl ring 8 and the balls 11 will rise in their ramps and cause axial movement of the plate 12 to bring it into contact with the inner conical face of the brake ring 13. Backward rotation of the pedals will rotate the planet carrier 5 in the same reverse direction, and with it the cam 7. The frictional grip of the conical face 13a on the plate 12 prevents backward rotation of the plate 12 so that the balls 11 produce axial movement of the plate 12 towards the plate 14. The two plates force the brake ring 13 into contact with the member 18 to apply the brake. On pedalling forward the planet carrier 5 and cam 7 are rotated forwardly to release the brake. The pawls 9 are only brought into driving engagement with the ratchet teeth 18b after the lost motion between the splines 8a and lugs 7a (Fig. 2) is taken up by forward rotation of the cam 7. Similarly, the lost motion between slots 28b in the annulus 28 and internal projection 29a on the pawl ring 29 (Fig. 3) must be taken up before the pawls 30 will drive the ratchet teeth 21a. If the bicycle is wheeled backwards, the pawls 9 will be picked up by the ratchet teeth 18b since in an epicyclic gear the planet carrier always moves slower than the annulus. The plate 12 will be carried backwards at the same speed as the hub shell and since the cam 7 drags behind until 8a engages 7a it will also be carried backwards at the same speed and the brake will not be applied.