Patent GB-450205-A (GB)
Title: Continuously variable change speed mechanism
IPC: F16C3/28
Filed: 1935-10-31
Abstract: 450,205. Variable-speed ratchet gearing. SUNDBERG, G. A., 22, Torild Wulffsgatan, and HAMMARSTROM, N., 32, G÷taborgsgatan, both in Gothonburg, Sweden. Oct. 31, 1935, No. 30065. Convention date, Oct. 31, 1934. [Class 80 (ii)] The throw of a driving crank is automatically reduced by the load on the driven shaft as opposed by hydraulic pressure, which latter may be further controlled by the torque on the driving shaft, the position of a vehicle accelerator-pedal, and a manual lever. A crank-pin 3, Fig. 1, rotating bodily with the driving shaft about an axis 25, pivotally carries at 31, a surrounding eccentric sheave 26, which latter, through connecting rods 5, 6, oscillates arms 7, 8, driving a driven shaft 2 through ratchet-clutches 13. Thrust on the connecting-rods 5, 6 acts directly against hydraulic pressure in a chamber 28, formed between one side of the. crank-pin 3 and its surrounding sheave 26, thereby turning the latter about its pivot 31 and reducing its effective stroke. Liquid thus forced from the pressure-chamber 28 passes through a divergent passage 33, to a damping-chamber 29, provided with a throttled outlet 44. Pressure is maintained by a pump 39, which may be an engine oil-pump, and leads to a channel 37 in a stationary ring 36, which communicates periodically with the chamber 28 through a port 35 in the rotating driving shaft. An air-bottle 120 is provided and pressure is controlled by a manual reliefvalve 43, which may also be connected to the vehicle accelerator-pedal. Included in the pressure-line may also be a throttling device responsive to driving torque and comprising a gear-wheel 70, Figs. 18 and 5, forming the main driving element, surrounding the driving shaft 1 and connected thereto by springs 105, which yield under load and enlarge a throttle passage 109 through which the pressure-fluid passes. Alternatively, the torque-responsive movement of the gear-wheel may variably throttle an outlet leading directly from the pressure chambers 28, the passages 33 therefrom to the damping chambers being omitted. A constructional embodiment shown in Fig. 5 comprises a pair of crank-pins 3, 3<1> at 90 or 180 on a driving shaft 1, driven through goarwheels 70, 69, which latter may be driven by the engine-shaft 45 through a clutch-plate 57. For direct-drive, the clutch 57 is disengaged and a clutch-plate 49 engaged, the latter being directly mounted on the driven shaft 2. Control of the clutches is by a rook-shaft 67, carrying a single pedal, which, when released allows springs 52 to engage the direct-drive clutch 49, and when fully depressed releases the latter and engages the gear-driving clutch 57. In a half-way position, both clutches are disengaged. A simple sliding-pinion gear 89 provides reverse. The four ratchet-clutches each comprise expanding coil-springs 76 with coils of diminishing thickness, along their length, and they drive an internal sleeve, yieldingly comiected to a further internal sleeve 77 by a number of longitudinal torsionally-resilient rods 80, carried in peripheral grooves in the sleeve 77, and having cranked arms at their ends drivingly engaging notches in the first sleeve and in a final driven gear-wheel 86. The connecting- rods 5, 6 have a slight phase-displacement on their sheaves. Balancing-masses 18, 19 and 20 are provided.