Patent GB-711385-A (GB)
Title: Mechanical motor car gearing
IPC: B60W30/18
Filed: 1951-12-10
Abstract: 711,385. Change-speed gearing; clutches. KLAUE, H. Dec. 10, 1951 [Dec. 11, 1950; Aug. 4, 1951J, No. 28917/51. Class 80 (2) The main clutch 28, Fig. 1, of a motor vehicle engages centrifugally at a predetermined speed and a control member is so actuated by a cam guide 39 on a spindle 66 operated by the gear lever 31 that the clutch 28 is disengaged prior to each gear change and re-engages when the gear change is complete. The lever 31, turned to give reverse, neutral, and three forward speeds, is also movable to extreme end positions IN in each of which the clutch 28 is engaged irrespective of engine speed. The clutch 28 comprises a casing 8. Figs. 3, 4, on the gear imput shaft 52, co-operating with discs 1, 3, supported by a carrier 13 driven from the engineshaft 18. Spring-loaded centrifugal weights 9 pivot on pins 10 secured to disc 1; and struts 11 act beween the weights 9 and projections 12 on disc 2, whereby, as the weights 9 move centrifugally outwards, the disc 2 is turned relative to disc 1 and, by means of balls engaging cam recesses in the discs, the latter are moved apart to engage the sides of the casing 8. Above a certain speed, projections 26 on the weights 9 contact with abutments 27 on spring-loaded centrifugal compensating weights 23 pivoted on the pins 10, so as to reduce the centrifugal thrust. An axially-movable control member 19 has inclines 21, 22 co-acting through balls 16 with pins 15, 15' slidable radially in the carrier 13, so that, if the member 19 is moved to the right in Fig 3, rods 15 are moved, outwards to engage the tails of the weights 9 and disengage the clutch, while if member 19 is moved to the left, rods 15<SP>1</SP> are moved outwards to engage the heads of the weights 9 to engage the clutch irrespective of engine speed. As shown in Fig. 1, the lever 31 is connected directly by links and levers to the spindle 66, carrying the cam guide 39 and also an arm 38 controlling the constant-mesh gearing through a spring sleeve 41 and a member 43 carrying spring-loaded clutch rollers co-operating with recesses in the interior of the gears loose on the gear output shaft 48. As shown in Fig. 2, however, a mechanical servomotor is used. The lever 31 moves a pair of pistons 57a, 58a in . hydraulic cylinders 60, 61 connected to opposite ends of a cylinder 61 containing a piston 63 carrying a rack 64 engaging a pinion 65 on spindle 66. The cylinders 60, 61 are also connected to cylinders 76, 77 containing pistons which, through bell-cranck levers, operate to engage one or other of two clutches 74, 75 whereby one or other of two bevel pinions 68, 69, meshed with a bevel wheel 67 on spindle 66, is connected to an engine-driven shaft 70. As shown in Fig. 8, spring-loaded tiltable clutch members 86 co-operating with recesses 87 in the interior of the gears are moved along the shaft 48 by a sleeve 92, and a synchronising ring 84 provided between each two gears is axially distorted, so as frictionally to connect the two gears, by the members 86 as they are moved axially. To ensure that the synchronising rings are brought into action before this engaged gear is disengaged, some of the members 86 have axial play in the sleeve 92.