Year: 1898

page_text: авто креси им
I, JOHN JAMES HENRY STURMEY, of 19, Hertford Street, Coventry, Warwick-
shire, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: -
My invention relates to variable pulleys and to variable speed gear, and it has
for one of its objects to provide very fine variations in the pulley or gear.
In constructing a pulley according to my invention I provide the body thereof
with a number of radial arms which are formed with lengthwise slots of other
than circular transverse section. At the inner end each slot terminates in an aper-
ture extending transversely through the body of the wheel. The periphery of the
wheel is divided into a series of segments corresponding in number to the arms of
the wheel, and each segment is provided with a stem adapted to slide lengthwise
(but not twist) in the slots in the said arms. These stems are bored and tapped
internally and within each works a screw the head of which consists of a star pinion
adapted to lie in the corresponding transverse aperture. The spokes of the star
pinions project a suitable distance beyond each face of the body of the wheel. It
will be obvious that if the star pinions and screws be rotated in one direction the
stems and segments of the periphery will be moved radially outwards and the
wheel enlarged; whereas if the rotation be in the opposite direction the stems and
segments will be drawn radially inwards and the wheel contracted. The segments
are preferably made of such a length and are so curved that when the wheel is
contracted to its smallest diameter the segments abut and form a complete and
true circle; the peripheries of the wheels may be provided with flanges for belt
driving, grooves for rope driving, or in some cases, teeth for spur or chain driving.
If a greater variation in the size of the wheel be desired I may make the screws and
radial arms so long that they project through and beyond the surface of the
segments when the wheel is contracted. In such cases the peripheries are prefer-.
ably adapted to receive two belts, ropes, teeth or chains, one on each side of the
plane of the screws, and the segments slide upon, instead of within, the radial
arms.
In order to vary the size of the wheel I introduce into the path of the spokes of
the star pinions a suitable tappet, so that as the wheel rotates the tappet engages
with each pinion in turn thus turning the screws and moving the segments. "A
fappet is mounted on each side of the wheel, and the wheel is expanded or con-
tracted according as one tapnet or the other is brought into action. Where a more
rapid variation is required I mount two or more tappets in a plane so that each
pinion is acted on a correspondingly larger number of times in each revolution of
the wheel.
In constructing a variable speed gear I mount two of the above described variable
pulleys in line on suitable shafts, and to ensure the practical constancy of the belt
length I mount the various tappet motions on the ends of two levers which cross
cach other and are pivotted at their common centres. On the same pivots I mount
a hand lever having one or preferably two studs projecting from its surface and

page_text: adapted to engage with the cross levers. When the hand lever is moved in one
direction it causes one tappet to engage with, say, the right side of one wheel and
the tappet on the other end of the same tappet lever to engage with the left side of
the other wheel, so that the first wheel, say, expands and the other contracts, each
to an equal extent and the gear is, say, raised. If the hand lever be moved in the
opposite direction the other tappet lever is brought into action and the wheels are
varied in the opposite directions respectively and the gear lowered. The tappet
levers may be normally held out of action by a spring or springs, or the hand lever
may be provided with a positive device for holding the said tappet levers out of
action when required. In belt or rope gearing single or double spring jockey
pulleys may be employed to maintain a proper tension on the belts or ropes.
Instead of the star pinions and tappets herein before referred to I may employ
friction wheels varying between say smooth rubber covered wheels and crown or
bevel wheels with definitely formed teeth, but I anticipate that milled or slightly
corrugated frictional surfaces will be found most suitable in practice. I do not
confine myself to the apparatus above described for operating the tappets or the
like in the variable speed gear; and other modifications may be made without
exceeding the scope of my invention.
My invention may be applied to various forms of machinery and the variable
speed gear is specially suitable for autocars. In applying the gear to autocars
I prefer to arrange the two shafts which carry the variable pulleys as intermediate
shafts, one being connected to the engine or driving shaft and the other with the
road wheel or driven shaft. On the latter intermediate shaft I mount, so that it
may rotate freely but cannot slide, a disc having a cylindrical flange. The interior
of the flange is toothed and the exterior thereof is chain toothed or otherwise adapted
to receive the medium connecting it with the driven shaft. Next to the disc, and
within the flange thereof, I fix a spur wheel to the intermediate shaft and next to
this spur wheel I mount a sleeve on the said intermediate shaft so that it can
rotate freely but cannot slide thereon. At one end this sleeve is provided with a
flange carrying one or more horizontal spindles on which are mounted pinions gear-
ing with both the internal teeth of the flange and the external teeth of the spur
wheel. On the other part of the said sleeve slides a collar carrying one or more
horizontal bolts projecting from the said collar in both directions. The ends of
the bolts on one side of the collar enter transverse holes in the flange of the sleeve
and are adapted to enter corresponding holes in the spur wheel, being normally
pushed into this position by a spring which tends to slide the collar towards the
spur wheel. The collar may be grooved circumferentially and a fork lever provided
to engage with the groove, so that the collar may be moved away from the spur
wheel against the action of the spring. If the collar be moved back a certain dis-
tance the bolts will be withdrawn from the spur wheel, if it be moved back a 4
certain further distance the other ends of the bolts will engage with a fixed part of
the frame of the autocar or with some other fixture adapted to receive them.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows; In ordinary running, the
bolts lock the sleeve and spur wheel together directly, thus indirectly locking the
disc and spur wheel together through the medium of the pinions carried by the 4
flange of the sleeve, and as the spur wheel is fixed to the intermediate shaft, motion
is transmitted therefrom to the driven shaft as with ordinary mechanism. If now
the collar and bolts be drawn back into their intermediate position the sleeve and
pinions will be free to rotate relatively to the intermediate shaft and the pinions
being free to rotate also in their own axes, the disc will be free to rotate and the 5
power of the engine will not be transmitted beyond the said intermediate shaft.
This will be useful in allowing the variable gear to be altered while the car is
stationary, for example the gear may be lowered so as to facilitate restarting after
a temporary stoppage on an incline. Lastly if the collar be moved right back and
the other ends of the bolts engaged with the frame or other fixed part the sleeve bi
will be held stationary, the pinions allowed to rotate on their own axes only and
the disc will be rotated in the direction opposite to that of the intermediate shaft,

page_text: and hence the motion of the autocar will be reversed. I do not confine myself to
the sliding bolt device for locking and unlocking the parts of the mechanism as
equivalent devices may be substituted therefor.
Dated this 4th day of January 1898.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
49, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, Patent Agent for the Applicant.
side elevation of one half of a pulley or wheel constructed according
to my invention.
Figure II is an edge view of a part of a pulley showing a modification.
Figure III is a plan of a variable speed gear constructed according to my inven-
tion.
Figure 4 shows a belt tensioning device.
1
Figure Vis an elevation partly in section of a connecting, releasing and revers-
ing gear suitable for use with variable speed gear.
Like numerals indicate like
parts throughout the drawings.
In constructing a pulley or wheel according to my invention I provide the body 2
thereof with a number of radial arms 3 which are formed with lengthwise slots or
borings 4 of other than circular transverse section. At the inner end, each slot
terminates in an aperture 5 extending transversely through the body of the wheel.
The periphery of the wheel is divided into a series of segments corresponding in
number to the arms of the wheel, and each segment is provided with a stem adapted
to slide lengthwise (but not twist) in the slots 4 in the said arms. These stems 7
are bored and tapped internally and within each works a screw 8 the head of which
consists of a star pinion 9 adapted to lie in the corresponding transverse aperture 5.
The spokes of the star pinions project a suitable distance beyond each face of the
body 2 of the wheel. It will be obvious that if the star pinions 9 and screws 8
be rotated in one direction the stems 7 and segments 6 of the periphery will be
moved radially outwards and the wheel enlarged; whereas if the rotation be in the
opposite directions the stems and segments will be drawn radially inwards and the
wheel contracted. The segments are preferably made of such a length and are so
curved that when the wheel is contracted to its smallest diameter the said segments
abut and form a complete and true circle; the peripheries of the wheels may be
provided with flanges for belt driving, grooves for rope driving, or in some cases
teeth for spur or chain driving. If a greater variation in the size of the wheel
be desired, I may make the screws 8 so long that they project through and beyond
the surface of the segments when the wheel is contracted, as shown in Figure II.
In such cases the peripheries are preferably adapted to receive two belts ropes, teeth
or chains, one on each side of the plane of the screws. The useful length of the

page_text: screws is limited by the distance to which the stems 7 may be withdrawn from the
slots 4 without disengaging therefrom.
In order to vary the size of the wheel I introduce into the path of the spokes of
the star pinions a suitable tappet so that as the wheel rotates the tappet engages with
each pinion in turn, thus turning the screws and moving the segments. A tappet
is mounted on each side of the wheel, and the wheel is expanded or contracted
according as one tappet or the other is brought into action. Where a more rapid
variation is required I mount two or more tappets in a plane so that each pinion
is acted on a correspondingly large number of times in each revolution of the
wheel.
In constructing a variable speed gear I mount two of the above described
variable pulleys (I, II) in line on suitable shafts 10, 11 as shown in Figure III.
To ensure the practical constancy of the belt length I mount the various tappets 12,
12, 13, 13 on the ends of two levers 14, 15 which cross each other and are pivotted
at their common centres 16. On the same pivot 16 I mount a hand lever having
one or preferably two studs 18, 19 projecting from its surface and adapted to engage
with the cross levers. When the hand lever 17 is moved in the direction of the
arrow the studs 18, 19 bear on the lever 14 on each side of its centre and cause
the tappet 12 to engage with those spokes of the star pinion 9 which project on its
side of the wheel I and the tappet 12ª on the other end of the same lever 14 to
engage with the spokes of the other star pinion which project from the other side
of the wheel II, so that the said wheel II say expands and the other (I) contracts,
each to an equal extent and, supposing the wheel II to be the driving wheel, the
gear is raised. If the hand lever 17 be moved in the opposite direction the other
tappet lever (15) is brought into action and the diameters of the wheels I, II are
varied in the opposite directions respectively and the gear lowered. The tappet
levers may be normally held out of action by any suitable spring 20 or springs 21,
or the hand lever 17 may be provided with a positive device for holding the said
tappet levers out of action when required, such as the spring actuated finger 22
and rack 23. In belt or rope gearing single or double spring jockey pulleys 24 may
be employed to maintain a proper tension on the belts or ropes, as shown in Fig. IV.
Instead of the star pinions and tappets herein before referred to I may employ
friction wheels varying between say smooth rubber covered wheels or crown or bevel
wheels with definitely formed teeth, according to circumstances. To prevent injury
the movement of the stems 7 beyond certain points may be made to ring a bell,
or the tappets may be fitted on springs which give when a certain pressure is
exceeded and are thus put out of action. When a crown wheel is used the actual-
ing levers can terminate in spring jaws carrying hemispherical projections normally
engaging in corresponding sockets on the back of such crown wheel, but which will
readily leave such sockets on coming to a stop. I do not confine myself to the
apparatus above described for operating the tappets or the like in the variable speed
gear and other modifications may be made without exceeding the scope of my
invention.
My invention may be applied to various forms of machinery and the variable
speed gear is specially suitable for autocars. In applying the gear to autocars I
prefer to arrange the two shafts 10, 11 which carry the variable pulleys I and II
as intermediate shafts, one (11) being connected with the engine or driving shaft
and the other (10) with the road wheel or driven shaft (see Figure V). On the said
shaft 10 I mount, so that it may rotate freely but cannot slide, a disc 25 having
a cylindrical flange 26. The interior of the flange 26 is toothed and the exterior
thereof is chain-toothed or otherwise adapted to receive the medium connecting
it with the driven shaft. Next to the disc 25, and within the flange thereof, I fix
a spur wheel 27 to the shaft 10, and next to this spur wheel I mount a sleeve 28 on
the said shaft so that it (the sleeve 28) can rotate freely but cannot slide thereon.
At one end this sleeve is provided with a flange 29 carrying one or more horizontal
spindles 30 on which are mounted pinions 31 gearing with both the internal teeth
of the flange 26 and the external teeth of the spur wheel 27.
On the other part

page_text: of the said sleeve 28 slides a collar 32 carrying one or more horizontal bolts 33
projecting from the said collar in both directions. The ends of the bolts on one
side of the collar enter transverse holes 34 in the flange of the sleeve or the boss
thereof, and are adapted to enter corresponding holes 35 in the spur wheel 27,
being normally pushed into this position by a spring 36 which tends to slide the
collar 32 towards the spur wheel 27. The collar may be grooved circumferentially
and a forked lever provided to engage with the said groove, so that the collar may
be moved away from the spur wheel against the action of the spring when desired.
If the collar 32 be moved back a certain distance the bolts 33 will be withdrawn
from the spur wheel 27, if it be moved back a certain further distance the other ends
of the bolts will engage with a fixed part 37 of the frame of the autocar or with
some other fixture adapted to receive them, as shown in the drawing.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows,-In ordinary running, the
bolts 33 lock the sleeve 28 and spur wheel 27 together directly, thus indirectly
locking the disc 25 and spur wheel 27 together through the medium of the
pinions 31 carried by the flange 29 of the sleeve, and, as the spur wheel 27 is fixed
to the intermediate shaft 10, motion is transmitted therefrom to the driven shaft
as with ordinary mechanism. If now the collar 32 and bolts 33 be drawn back into
their intermediate position the sleeve 28 and the pinions 31 carried by the flange 29
will be free to rotate relatively to the intermediate shaft 10 and, the pinions 31
being free to rotate also on their own axes, the disc 25 will be free to rotate and the
power of the engine will not be transmitted beyond the said intermediate shaft.
This will be useful in allowing the variable gear to be altered while the car is
stationary; for example, the gear may be lowered so as to facilitate restarting
after a temporary stoppage on an incline. Lastly, if the collar 32 be moved right
back into the position shown and the other ends of the bolts 33 engaged with the
frame or other fixed part 37, the sleeve 28 will be held stationary, the pinions 31
allowed to rotate on their own axes only and the disc 25 will be rotated in the
direction opposite to that of the intermediate shaft 10, and hence the motion of the
autocar will be reversed. I do not confine myself to the sliding bolt device for
locking and unlocking the parts of the mechanism as equivalent devices may be
substituted therefor and other modifications may be made without exceeding the
Scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1
1. In a variable speed gear, the combination of (1) a pulley or wheel having
radial arms with longitudinal non-circular slots, transverse apertures at the inner
ends of such slots, a periphery made up of segments each of which is carried by an
internally tapped stem adapted to slide in one of the said arms, screws the shanks
of which work in the said stems and the pinion or like heads of which lie in the
said apertures and project beyond each face of the pulley or wheel, so that when
the screws are rotated in one direction the pulley or wheel is enlarged and when they
are rotated in the opposite direction the said pulley or wheel is contracted, with (2)
means for varying the size of the said pulley or wheel consisting of one or more
tappets or the like mounted on each side of such pulley or wheel and adapted to be
introduced into and withdrawn from the path of the pinions or the like.
2. A variable speed gear comprising two pulleys or wheels of the kind referred
to in Claim 1 hereof mounted in line on suitable shafts, tappet motions mounted
on the ends of two levers crossing each other and pivotted at their common centres,
means for operating either lever so as to throw into action the tappets carried
thereby and means for holding the said tappets normally out of action.
3. A variable speed gear constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substan-
tially as herein described with reference to Figure III of the accompanying draw-
ings.
4. The combination with a variable speed gear of a connecting, releasing and

page_text: reversing gear comprising a disc mounted on one of the shafts of the variable gear
so that it can rotate but not slide relatively thereto, such disc having a cylindrical
flange the interior of which is toothed and the exterior whereof is adapted to trans-
mit motion, a spur wheel fixed to the shaft within the flange, a sleeve mounted on
the shaft so that it can rotate but not slide relatively thereto, such sleeve having
a vertical flange carrying one or more pinions gearing with both the internal teeth
of the cylindrical flange and the external teeth of the spur wheel, and means for
locking the disc and spur wheel together through the pinions, for freeing the sleeve
and pinions relatively to the shaft and the pinions relatively to their own axes and
for holding the sleeve stationary.
5. In the connecting, releasing and reversing gear referred to in Claim 4 hereof,
a locking and unlocking device comprising a collar sliding on the sleeve and carry-
ing one or more bolts passing at one end through the flange of the sleeve or the boss
thereof and adapted to either engage in holes in the spur wheel, to engage in a
fixture, or to engage in neither the spur wheel nor the fixture, as required.
6. In combination with a variable gear, a connecting, releasing and reversing
device constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described
with reference to Fig. V of the accompanying drawings.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.