Improvements in Variable Speed Gear and Clutches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1900-Accepted. 23rd June. 1900
Improvements in Variable Speed Gear and Clutches.
I, COLOMBO RICCI, of No. 8, Denmark Street, Soho, in the County of London,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers principally to improvements in that class of power trans-
mitting mechanism which convert rotary into oscillatory motion & vice versa, & is
chiefly designed for the use in those mechanically propelled vehicles where the
speed is to be increased or reduced at will without disturbing the normal rotary
speed of the engine.
It is a known fact that in all mechanically propelled vehicles, where gas &
oil engines are used as primary motors, it is advisable, if not essential, (in order
to secure a maximum of economy & efficiency) that the rotary speed of the motor
should be kept constant & that the driving mechanism should be such as to enable
the driver to run the carriage at any desirable speed without affecting in any
way the power or speed of the motor itself.
Some attempts have been made to this effect by different means, but none of
them, in consequence of the excessive noise & wear of the parts, as well as the
unsatisfactory & unreliable action of the intricate & complicated mechanisms
employed have ever been of any practical use.
The object of my present invention, is to provide a variable speed mechanism
of the simplest possible kind, without spur or bevel wheel of any sort, absolutely
noiseless & capable to be under the immediate control of the driver, for any
desirable rate of speed, from minimum to maximum, without varying the number
of revolutions of the motor or driving shaft.
The whole mechanism is composed of three principal parts, which I shall
separately describe hereafter & which are the driving gear, the receiver & the
transmitter.
The driving gear comprises an ordinary shaft, preferably in line with the
motor's shaft & connected thereto either direct or by means of a dog clutch or
friction clutch; although it may also be placed in any other desirable position
& connected to the motor's shaft by means of sprocket wheels & chain, or spur
or bevel wheels or any other suitable gear without affecting its working or the
principle of the present invention.
This shaft which is mounted on suitable bearings (ordinary, or ball bearings)
is provided with two or more cranks or excentrics (preferably four and placed
alternately at an angle of 90° to each other) which by means of suitable con-
necting rods or excentric rods as the case may be, connected to one end of the
receiver transform the rotary motion of the main shaft or motor's shaft into
oscillatory motion.
The receiver or oscillating link is simply a slotted piece, resembling very much
the link of an .ordinary locomotive & placed almost in the same position, with
the difference that its lower end is pivoted & oscillating on a small shaft placed
parallel to the driving shaft & its upper end is connected to the extremity of the
excentric rods as above mentioned.

page_text: A block is provided capable to slide up & down in the slot of this link, with
a suitable rod or connecting rod, one end of which is pivoted on the block & the
other end is attached to the transmitter for the purpose of communicating to it
the oscillating motion of the link.
The number of these links & respective blocks employed, is of course always
equal to the number of cranks or excentrics used on the driving gear.
A bell crank & hand lever, or worm & worm wheel, or any other suitable
means are provided for raising and lowering the position of these blocks & hold-
ing them fast for the purpose of increasing or reducing the speed of the carriage
as will be explained hereafter.
The transmitter, which, as the name itself tells, serves for transmitting the
power received from the oscillating links to the driving wheels, or otherwise
transform the oscillatory motion into rotary motion, consists of a friction clutch
formed of a series of toggle joint levers, (two or more; preferably six) gearing
at one end with a central shaft & all working inside a ring, provided outside
with a lug to which is connected the other extremity of the rod that is mounted
on the sliding block above mentioned. The central piece, or shaft on which
these clutches are mounted, (for they are as many as the number of links
employed) is mounted on suitable bearings & parallel to the axis of the driving
shaft; & the fulcrum spindle of the oscillating links. On the periphery of this
shaft, & for a length equal to that covered by the clutches, suitable grooves (six
in this case) are cut longitudinally & at equal distances from each other, into
which gears on end of each link of one of the toggle joints; the other end gear-
ing in a similar groove cut in a suitable block the outer part of which is care-
fully shaped to fit the inner surface of the ring above mentioned.
It may be observed that a toggle joint is always formed by two links & that
in this case only one is used. This however is only apparent, for the other link
of each toggle is actually formed by each segment of the shaft in which a groove
is cut; or theoretically by each line going from the centre of the shaft to the
centre of one of the grooves above mentioned.
These toggle joints are all arranged in the same direction, & in such a manner
that the ring, in its oscillatory motion will grip the shaft & cause it to rotate in
one direction only & immediately release it when the ring begins to oscillate in
the opposite direction. In order to avoid any possible slipping of the toggle
joint blocks & consequent loss of power & motion, suitable springs are provided
which tend to push the toggle joint blocks against the inner surface of the ring
without however interfering with the immediate release of the shaft when the
ring moves in the opposite way.
Any suitable means may be provided to connect the central shaft of the trans-
mitter to the shaft of the driving wheels or also use the central shaft of the trans-
mitter as the driving shaft itself direct without any intermediary gear whatever.
I make the frame or bed plate on which all the above mechanism is mounted,
box shaped with a suitable cover so as to encase all the moving parts & protect
them from dust & dirt & also for the purpose of making them run in a bath of
oil reducing thus all unnecessary friction & avoiding also all the troubles caused
by other lubricating systems.
I sometimes, & in connection with the above described mechanism, use a
flexible or elastic coupling to connect the motor's shaft to the driving gear, made
of an ordinary coil spring wound round one of the shafts & with one end con-
nected to the motor's shaft & the other to the driving gear (or any other suitable
spring or springs or may be india rubber cushion) in order to avoid any shocks
jerks or vibration caused by the irregular running of the primary motor.
The way this mechanism works is as follows;
The rotary motion of the motor's shaft is transmitted directly or indirectly
to the shaft of the driving gear, which by means of its four cranks or excentrics
& respective excentric rods causes the four links or receivers to oscillate con-
tinually through an angle equal to the throw of the cranks.

page_text: When the sliding blocks of the oscillating links are in the uppermost position,
the clutches or transmitters will be caused to oscillate through an angle equal
to the throw of the cranks & by means of their respective toggle joints will impart
a rotary motion to the driving wheels which will correspond to the maximum
speed.
If however the sliding blocks are shifted downwards towards the oscillating
shaft or fulcrum of the links (for instance halfway) it is obvious that the clutches
will be caused to oscillate through an angle equal only to one half of the previous
one & consequently convey a rotary motion which will correspond to half the
speed; so that to increase or reduce the speed of the vehicle one has only to shift
the sliding blocks upwards or downwards (by any suitable means which may be
close by & under the immediate control of the driver) until the blocks have
reached the lowermost position & are in line with the axis of the fulcrum. shaft
when no oscillatory motion whatever will be imparted to the clutches & the
carriage will be brought gradually & without any jerks or noise whatever to a
dead stoppage. A reversing motion of the block shifting mechanism will raise
the block in its slot & immediately cause the clutches to oscillate & the carriage
to start as smoothly as it may possibly be desired.
It is also evident that with this arrangement, the power transmitted at half
speed will be double that transmitted at full speed & that transmitted at a
quarter speed four times as much and so on; and as the speed can be reduced
to nothing, the power can be increased at will to any limit with the advantage
that the vehicle will be able to run up the steepest hills without the least trouble
or hindrance to the motor.
Instead of the above mentioned clutches or transmitter a ratchet wheel & pawl
or pawls might be used or also an ordinary roller clutch or any other clutch
might be employed in combination with the other parts of the above described
mechanism (although not so satisfactorily) without in any way altering or affect-
ing the principle of my said invention.
.
1000
Improvements in Variable Speed Gear and Clutches.
I, COLOMBO RICCI, of No. 8, Denmark Street, Soho, in the County of London,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention refers generally to that sort of variable speed mechanisms used
for turning lathes & drilling machines, or more especially for the purpose of
changing the speed in mechanically propelled carriages & other vehicles.
The clutch which I employ in the present mechanism, is so constructed, that
when it is rotated in one direction it will instantly grip & rotate the shaft in the
same direction, & when it is rotated in the opposite direction it will instantly
release the shaft without any loss of power & without transmitting any motion
whatever.
It will moreover transmit its motion without jerks, absolutely. noiselessly &
without cutting or spoiling the contact surfaces of the working parts.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation & Fig. 2, a
plan of one of these clutches showing the inner mechanism.
Fig. 3 represents a general arrangement in sectional elevation of a variable
speed gear.

page_text: Referring to Fig. 1 & Fig. 2, A is a shaft provided with suitable semicircular
grooves a, & arranged to rotate freely in suitable bearings.
On this shaft A are keyed & fixed two discs E, F, with shoulders e, f, a
ring 1), fits the outer surface of these discs, being free to rotate in either direction
& is prevented from shifting sideways by the above mentioned shoulders e, f.
This ring 1, is moreover provided with a lug d, by means of which,, an-oscil-
lating motion can be imparted to it by a mechanism as shown in Fig. 3, of the
accompanying drawings or by any other suitable mechanism.
B, B, etc.. are six pawls or links, one end of which fits in the grooves a, of the
shaft A, & the other end fits in similar grooves c, of the sockets or blocks C;
The outer surface of these sockets fits accurately the inner surface of the ring D,
& are constantly kept in contact with it by means of one of the springs m, n, o,
P, 9, (or any other suitable spring) which take their thrust against pins G, fixed
on the disc E. These pins G, beside providing a suitable bearing for the said
springs m, n, o, p, q, serve also for the purpose of keeping the discs E, F, at an
equal distance apart as shown in Fig. 2; enabling thus the ring 1 to rotate
freely between the shoulders e, f, of the said discs E, F.
It must be observed that these six links B, form with the shaft A, a series of
6 toggle joints, one link of which is represented by an imaginary line going
from the centre of the shaft to the centre of each groove a, & the other by one
of each link B.
It is obvious that with this arrangement, whenever the ring D is pulled by
its lug, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, it will instantly grip the
sockets C, & through the links B, cause the shaft A, to rotate in the same
direction; & as soon as the ring 1), begins to move in the opposite direction, it
will instantly release the sockets C, without imparting any motion whatever to
the shaft A.
A clutch so constructed is capable of transmitting a far greater amount of power
than the so called roller clutches, & is completely free from all the liabilities of
these last, of slipping sticking & crushing & cutting the surfaces of contact with
the rollers.
Referring to Fig. 3, K is a bed plate & K', a cover of similar material, bolted
together & forming an enclosed box, in the sides of which suitable bearings are
provided for the shafts A & S, to rotate therein freely.
Both these shafts A, S, as well as the spindles T, & U, are mounted hori-
zontally & parallel to one another.
The shaft S, is provided (between its two bearings & within the box K,) with
four cranks the pins S of which are at 90° from each other; on each crank is
mounted a connecting rod R, the smaller end of which is connected by means
of suitable pins r, to the upper part of a link L.
The links L, are four in number (capable to oscillate freely on the spindle 1)
placed exactly opposite each corresponding crank & connecting rod & kept in
place by means of lugs k, cast solid with the bed plate K.
These links L, are formed with a slot I, into which a gun metal block N, is
made to slide freely up & down.
Two rods V, one on each side of the link L, connect by means of suitable pins
the blocks N, with the lug d of the ring D.
On the shaft A, are mounted four complete clutches with rings D, & lugs d,
as shown by Fig. 1 & Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawings.
On the spindle U, & within the box K¹, are keyed four cranks X, & on the
same spindle, but outside the box is keyed a quadrant (with teeth) Y, which gears
with an endless screw or worm. Z, mounted on two bearings Z, 7, outside the
box ¹.
At the end of the endless screw Z, is fixed a small handle W, which serves for
varying the speed of the shaft A as explained hereafter.
M, are two rods (one on each side of the link L) which serve to connect the
end of the cranks X, with the blocks N, (outside the rods V.)

page_text: The shaft S, is connected either directly or by means of an elastic coupling
(to avoid shocks & vibrations) to the driving shaft of the motor & it may here
be stated that the motor may revolve in either direction without affecting the
direction of the shaft A, which is so arranged here as to revolve in the direction
shown by the arrow, Fig. 1 & Fig. 3.
When the shaft S, is set in motion, its crank pin S¹ will cause the link L
through the connecting rod R to oscillate to & fro; & the same amount of motion
will naturally be imparted, through the rods V, to the ring D of the clutch.
When all the parts of the mechanism are in the position shown in full lines
by Fig. 3, the speed of the shaft A, will be maximum; if however the block N,
is caused to to slide downwards (by means of handles W worm Z quadrant Y,
crank X & rods M) suppose half way, it is obvious, that although the amount of
oscillation of the link L remains the same, the oscillation of the lug d, will only
be one half of that in the position shown in full lines; & so on decrease as the
block N, is caused to slide lower & lower until the block N, has reached the
lowermost position shown in dotted lines by Fig. 3, in which case the lug d, of
the ring D, will entirely cease to oscillate & consequently the shaft A, will be
rendered motionless.
In Fig. 3, only one clutch is shown, as well as one link L & one connecting
rod R, but in order to have a regular & even motion of the shaft A, I generally
employ four complete sets of clutches, links & connecting rods as stated in the
body of this specification.
This number however for reasons of economy might be reduced to three, or
for reason of power & regularity might be increased to 5 or more without altering
in any way the principle of my said invention.
Referring to the above mentioned clutch, instead of making the inner smooth
surface of the ring D, cylindrical it may be made spherical or angular ^ or of
any other shape (although for several reasons I prefer to make it cylindrical)
without departing from the principle of my said invention.
I wish it also to be understood that I do not intend to limit the application
of the above described clutch to the use in mechanically propelled vehicles, for
it may be very advantageously applied either in combination with my variable
speed gear or with any other arrangement to turning lathes, drilling machines
capstans etc. etc. as well as to machine tools, as ratchet braces spanners & a
variety of other tools where an intermittent motion is required.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. A clutch composed of a central shaft provided with two or more longi-
tudinal semicircular grooves, two or more links or pawls one end of which is so
shaped as to fit said grooves & the other end engages in similar grooves of a
corresponding number of sockets or blocks, the outer surface of which is made
to fit the inner surface of a ring, said links being placed at such an angle so as
to enable the ring when turned in one direction to grip instantaneously said
sockets, & to release them immediately when turned in the other, substantially
as set forth.
2d. In a clutch, the combination with a shaft provided with two or more
longitudinally semicircular grooves, of a corresponding number of pawls or
links, one end of which is of the same shape & size of said grooves, substantially
as set forth.
3d. In a clutch the combination with a shaft provided with two or more
longitudinal semicircular grooves with pawls or links fitting said grooves, of a
corresponding number of sockets provided with transversal semicircular grooves
made to fit the other end of said pawls, substantially as set forth.
4th. In a clutch the combination with a shaft provided with longitudinal semi-
circular grooves with sockets having transversal grooves of similar shape & pawls

page_text: fitting grooves of both said shaft & sockets, of a ring provided outside with a
lug & having a smooth (cylindrical or other shaped) internal surface made to fit
the outer part of said sockets substantially as described.
5th. In a clutch, the combination with a shaft provided with longitudinal
semicircular grooves, sockets having transversal grooves of similar shape, pawls
fitting grooves of said shaft & sockets a ring having a smooth internal surface
fitting outer part of said sockets, of one or more discs provided with shoulders
so as to keep said ring in position & central with said shaft substantially as set
forth.
6th. In a clutch, the combination with a shaft provided with longitudinal semi-
circular grooves, sockets having transversal grooves of similar shape, pawls fitting
grooves of said shaft & sockets; & a ring having a smooth internal surface fit-
ting outer part of said sockets, of suitable springs capable to keep said sockets
constantly in contact with said ring substantially as set forth.
7th. In a clutch as described in the foregoing claims, the combination with
the said discs of transversal pins fixed thereon for the double purpose of keeping
said discs at a fixed distance apart & for providing a bearing to the said springs
substantially as set forth.
8th. The combination with a clutch as claimed above of a variable speed
mechanism composed of a casing or box K shaft S, with three or more cranks
mounted in suitable bearings in sides of said casing, links L, mounted on
spindle T, means for connecting said links with said shaft on one side & means
for connecting said links with the outer ring of clutch on the other for the pur-
pose of transforming the rotary motion of shaft S, in oscillatory motion, & trans-
mitting this latter to the said clutch substantially as set forth.
9th. The combination with a clutch as claimed above a shaft with three or
more cranks, a corresponding number of links, means for connecting said links
to crank shaft & clutch, of a suitable device for varying the throw of the lug d,
comprising an endless screw Z, & handle W mounted on bearings Z1, Z2, & gear-
ing with a quadrant Y, keyed on the end of a spindle U, said spindle carrying
cranks X which by means of rods M & blocks N are connected to said links L
all substantially as described & shown in the accompanying drawings.
10th. A variable speed mechanism composed of the parts arranged, combined
& operating substantially as set forth.