Improvements in Variable Speed and Reversing Gear for Tricycles and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1900-
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1900-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1900-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Variable Speed and Reversing Gear for Tricycles
and other Road Vehicles.
We, JULES DUVAL and PAUL CART, Engineers, both of 30bis, Rue Bergere,
Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
The present invention comprise a variable speed and reversing gear, and
consists in taking (for example in the case of a motor tricycle) the rotary move-
ment of the motor and transmitting it:―
(1) In one direction or the other.
(2) At a high or low speed to drive the vehicle forward or at a low speed only,
or to drive the vehicle backwards, to a shaft of the differential gear as will be
hereafter described and for the purpose of obtaining alternately a forward or
backward movement of the motor tricycle.
The motor shaft is constantly driven in one direction and carries two plates
mounted to slide freely thereon but is rotated therewith by the aid of keys.
The shaft is supported in bearings formed integral with a casing. To drive
the tricycle forward at a high speed a pinion cast in one with one of the plates
is made to engage with a toothed wheel mounted by means of bolts or screws on
the periphery of a ring. Two rows of balls are arranged to allow of a rotary
movement being given to this ring and in addition on one of the outside edges
of its periphery it is turned slightly conical and very smooth as to form one
member of a conical clutch. Opposite this ring is placed a brake
pulley the interior of which is so formed that it will fit over the conical
periphery of the ring. This brake pulley turns loosely upon a ring of balls and
is keyed to a sleeve which sleeve covers in the differential movement belonging
to the axle of the tricycle and as will be hereinafter described.
By reason of the engagement of the pinion with the toothed wheel the ring
rotates constantly. To cause the brake pulley to engage at the will of the
driver of the vehicle with the toothed wheel and its ring, a toothed ring is pro-
vided upon the cover of the casing, and as it is kept in place by a triangular
threaded screw it will be only necessary to slightly turn the toothed ring upon
its own screw to make it push the ring of balls and consequently the brake
pulley, the inner part of which engages frictionally with the periphery of the
ring. This movement of the toothed ring, is effected by means of a square
threaded screw or worm which the driver of the tricycle turns and thus causes
the partial rotation of the toothed ring and the engagement of the brake pulley
with the toothed wheel and ring to drive the tricycle forward at a high speed,
the pulley being keyed to the sleeve and the said sleeve covering in the
differential gear in one with the axle of the two driving wheels
The differential gear is placed inside the sleeve and comprises the usual bevel
pinions having their axle integral with the sleeve. These pinions revolve with

page_text: For reversing only at a low speed the ring and brake pulley being uncoupled,
the other plate is brought into engagement with the driving pinion.
Dated this 5th day of August 1899.
DOBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc.M. Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Associate Agent.
Improvements in Variable Speed and Reversing Gear for Tricycles
and other Road Vehicles.
We, JULES DUVAL and PAUL CART, Engineers, both of 30bis, Rue Bergere,
Paris, in the Republic of France, 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 present invention comprises a variable speed and reversing-gear, and
consists, in a motor tricycle for example, in taking the rotary motion from the.
motor shaft and in transmitting it (1) in the same direction of rotation or in the
opposite direction, (2) at high speed, medium speed, and low speed for the
forward travel of the vehicle, or solely at the low speed for rearward travel, to
a sleeve or coupling of a differential gear as hereinafter described; this having
for object to obtain either one or the other of said speeds and one or the other
direction of motion of the said motor tricycle.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation and a front elevation
of the open gear case of said tricycle in order to show the parts for effecting the
forward direction of travel at a high speed in their relative positions. Figure 2
is a side elevation of the same gear case partly in section to show the relative
positions of the parts for forward travel at the niedium speed. Figure 3 is a front
and side elevation of the gear case, partly in section, to show the relative posi-
tions of the parts for travelling forward at the low speed. Figure 4 is a plan
in section on the line of Figure 1, shewing the general arrangement of
the mechanism without the bevel pinion which we employ for the low speed for
forward or for backward travel. Figure 5 is a side elevation corresponding to
Figure 2 of the toothed wheels for forward travel at a medium speed. Figure 6
is a plan in section on the line y-y of Figure 3 shewing the exact position of
the wheel with round teeth which is operated by one or other of the spiral
plates, and Figure 7 is a front elevation of this wheel with round teeth.
Figures 8 and 9 shew the method of drawing a spiral in the plates shewn in
Figures 4 and 6. The motor shaft 1 has a constant rotary motion in the direc-
tion of the arrow 2 as shewn in Figure 1. Plates 3, 4 with a sleeve 5 slide
freely around the shaft 1 which is supported by bearings 6, 7 rigidly connected
to the gear case formed by the parts 8, 9, 10. 11 connected together by a suffi-
cient number of bolts.
For the forward travel of the tricycle at the high speed, we employ the
pinion 12 which is keyed on the shaft 1 and that engages with a toothed
wheel 13. This latter wheel is mounted by means of bolts on the periphery of a
circular plate 14. Two rows of balls 15, 16 (arranged as shewn in Figure 4)
Moreover one of
allow of imparting rotary motion to this toothed wheel 13.
the sides of the said periphery of the plate 14 is turned slightly conical and very
smooth on the outside for the purpose of constituting one of the elements of the
conical clutch gear. Opposite the plate 14 is arranged the clutch cone 17, the

page_text: clutch cone for the hollow plate 52 which is keyed to 53 on the sleeve 20 of
the differential motion gear. If on the contrary the pulley 45 is turned by the
driver of the vehicle so as to move it away from the gear case S. the sleeve 5
will then be drawn and then the plate 4 will drive the pinion 44 which latter
will drive the pinion 48 that will rotate in the opposite direction to the rotary
motion produced by the plate. In this latter case the rearward travel at a low
speed, or the backing of the vehicle is produced by unscrewing the toothed
ring 54 on its spring supported sleeve which pushes back the row of balls 55
(Figure 4) according to the extent of motion given to the operating screw 56
(Figure 3) and in the same conditions as in the case of the other ones 23, 42
(Figures 1, 2).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
---
(1) In a gear for transmitting motion at variable speeds and for reversing the
direction of rotation, in a motor tricycle, or other road vehicle, the arrangement,
on the motor shaft 1, of toothed pinions 12, 30, in combination with toothed
wheels 13, 36, mounted on suitable cones 14, 37, arranged opposite to or facing
parts 17, 39, of conical shape of the same cross-sectional form, for the purpose
of producing forward travel at the high speed or at the medium speed, as soon
as the screw 23, or the screw 42, causes the ring 21 or the ring 41, to advance
as described and shown.
(2) In a gear for transmitting motion at variable speeds and for reversing the
direction of rotation, in a motor tricycle or other road vehicle provided with gear
wheels 12, 13, 30, 36, for the high speed, or for the medium speed, for forward
travel, the arrangement on the motor shaft 1, of plates 3, 4 having a spiral
formed and cast therewith as herein before described, connected together by means
of the sleeve 5, in combination with a pinion 44 having round teeth, its axle
and a bevel pinion gearing with the bevel wheel, for the purpose of producing
alternatively forward travel or backward travel of the said vehicle at the low
speed, as described and shown.
(3) In a gear for transmitting motion at variable speeds and for reversing
the direction of motion, in a motor tricycle or other road vehicle provided with
the parts claimed in Claims 1 and 2, the arrangement on the motor shaft 1,
of plates 3, 4 having a spiral cast therewith, and connected together by means
of a sleeve 5 which is formed at its outer end with a circular groove 46 in which
one of the faces of the pulley 45 enters, in combination with the screw threads
of the cheek of the bearing 6, for the purpose of producing alternatively the
engagement (in the spiral of the plate 3, or in the spiral of the plate 4) of the
teeth of the pinion 44 which will then be operated for forward travel or for
backward travel of the said vehicle at the low speed as described and shown.
(4) A new or improved variable speed and reversing gear for tricycles and other
road vehicles constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein-
before described and shown.