Improvements in Toothed Gearing.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1897.
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
Improvements in Toothed Gearing.
I, THOMAS FOSTER, of 31, Moray Place, Dunedin, in the Colony of New
Zealand, a Book Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The objects of this invention are to produce a gear that can be applied to any
make of spur or bevel wheel and also that can effect a change of gear when
desired without stoppage of machinery in some cases, and in cases where the
invention is applied to motor cars or bicycles or the like, without getting down for
the purpose.
For ordinary gearing one wheel is practically as now the other is formed as a
lantern wheel but the bars (usually forming the teeth) are provided with rollers
rather shorter than the bars on which they revolve.
At one or preferably both ends of these rollers, and between their ends and the
shrouding of the wheel to which the rollers are used instead of teeth, light spiral
springs are placed on the spindles, these tend to keep the roller teeth centrally
between the shrouds so that when there is any end thrust, which is always the
case in bevel wheels an end movement is provided for with as little friction as
possible, there would be even in bevel wheels a slight inward tendency when
wheels that were working idly were brought into activity when the teeth were in a
straight line with one another.
When preferred the roller teeth may be made with their spindles in one piece
and then they would run in the shrouding of the wheel, they would appear
nearly the same as the ones herein before described and would be fitted with springs
in similar manner.
For variable gearing one wheel, preferably the wheel fitted with the spring
rollers for teeth as described, would be fitted to a flexible or telescopic shaft so
that it could be sprung out of gear for shifting, or the back bearing could be on a
swivel joint for the same purpose, the roller tooth wheel would then be a bevel
wheel and would work into a crown wheel which would be provided with as many
concentric rows of teeth standing out beyond the face of the crown wheel, like
pegs, so that by a lever action the roller tooth wheel would be moved to the
desired row of teeth in the crown wheel, and the desired speed obtained.
The roller tooth wheel would be prevented from being thrust out of gear when
working by a lever wedging against the bearing nearest the wheel or a projection
fixed to the said bearing, this wedge would be withdrawn before the wheel could
be sprung out and shifted by such an action as the double lever used for reversing
engines, where a similar locking device is so withdrawn before altering the
reversing gear.
If the method of forming the roller teeth in one with their spindles, were
adopted the shrouding would have a moveable flange, or the wheel would be in
two pieces to allow of entering the rollers into their places.
Dated this 24th day of September 1897.

page_text: I, THOMAS FOSTER, of 31, Moray Place, Dunedin, in the Colony of New Zealand,
a Book Finisher, 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:-
The objects of this invention are to produce a gear that can be applied to any
make of spur or bevel wheel, and to fit up same in such a way that a change of
gear, or of the relative speeds of a pair of wheels, can be effected when desired
without stoppage of the machinery in some cases, the invention being applicable,
among other things, to such machinery as motor cars, bicycles and the like, & the
gear can be altered in such without alighting for the purpose.
For ordinary gearing one wheel is practically the same as is now in use the other
is formed as a lantern wheel, but the bars are provided with rollers rather shorter
than the bars on which they revolve.
At one, or preferably both ends of these rollers, and between their ends and the
shrouding of the wheel to which the rollers are used instead of teeth, light spiral
springs are placed on the spindles, these tend to keep the roller teeth centrally
between the shrouds so that when there is any end thrust, which is always the case
in bevel wheels the end movement is provided for with as little friction as possible,
there would be even in bevel wheels a slight inward tendency when wheels that
were working idly were brought into activity when the teeth were in a straight line
with one another.
If preferred, the roller teeth may be made with their spindles in one piece when
they would run in the shrouding of the wheel, they would appear nearly the same
and would be still fitted with end springs in similiar manner; to get them in, one
shroud would be moveable.
Referring to the accompanying drawing:
-
Figure 1, is an elevation of a right angle gear for variable speeds and Fig. 2, is
a plan of same, showing the locking device."
Fig. 3, is a part section of any spur wheel with a roller tooth applied, and Fig. 4,
same on bevel gearing.
A, is any bevel wheel fitted with the roller gear and A¹, is any spur wheel so
fitted. B, is a crown wheel fitted with rows of teeth preferably at an angle
outwards as shown for engaging the roller teeth of the wheel A, the crown wheel
would be convex or concave for other than right angle bevel gearing so that the
face is parallel to the shaft G. C, are the roller teeth consisting of rollers running
on bars c, the spaces between the ends of the rollers C, and the shrouding of the
wheel being fitted with any make of light spring at each end, shown as a spiral
spring on the drawing, and marked c¹, c¹, for keeping C, in a central position avoid-
ing friction, and adjusting thrusting action. D, are the required number of rows
of teeth on the crown wheel B, the face of which is parallel to the shaft G. E, is
any lever arrangement for shifting A, to any of the rows of teeth D, D, in the
wheel B.
E¹, is a projection as one method of shifting the gear by the device F, engaging
one of the notches F as wanted. F is an arm as a means of allowing the sliding
or flexible shaft G, to move by lifting F, F, out of the way of E³.
I am aware that roller teeth are in use, but I am not aware that anything
approaching my spring roller teeth have been in use at any time. Any sizes or
materials may be adopted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :―
In variable tooth gearing for different speeds, a wheel (such as A,) fitted with
spring roller teeth (such as C, c, c,) instead of teeth and working into teeth the
springs being for keeping the rollers in a central position so as to avoid friction as
much as possible, substantially as shown, and described herein.
18 22nd day of April 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.