Improved Mechanism for Reversing the Motion Derived from a Motor Shaft, Applicable to the Motor Engines of Vessels and Vehicles and for other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE GAS MOTOREN FABRIK DEUTZ, of Deutz-on-the-
Rhein, in the German Empire, Manufacturers.]
Improved Mechanism for Reversing the Motion Derived from a
Motor Shaft, Applicable to the Motor Engines of Vessels and
Vehicles and for other Purposes.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When propelling boats and vehicles by means of motor engines, whose motion
always takes place in one and the same direction, such for instance as gas and
petroleum motor engines, the reversal of the motion of the boat or vehicle is generally
effected by means of toothed reversing gear, which is always in motion, and is made
to reverse the motion by means of a ratchet or clutch mechanism, so that in what-
ever direction the boat or vehicle is moving, the said toothed gear is always in motion,
causing not only a very unpleasant noise but also considerable wear and tear of the
gearing.
With vehicles, and more particularly with boats, the direction of rotation corre-
sponding to the forward motion is mainly in use, that for the backward motion being
comparatively seldom applied, and then only for a short time.
The present invention relates to mechanism for reversing motion so arranged that'
during the forward motion of the boat or vehicle all the toothed gearing of the
mechanism stands still, this being only put in rotation during the backward motion
of the boat or vehicle. By this arrangement there is under ordinary circumstances
no wear and tear of nor noise arrising from the gearing.
For the above purpose the propeller or other shaft to be driven is arranged in line
with the motor shaft, and the two shafts are connected directly together for the
forward motion by a clutch apparatus, by preference a conical friction clutch, the
fixed part of which is by preference on the driven shaft while the longitudinally
sliding part is on the motor shaft, and is connected to the sliding part of a second
similar clutch on the same shaft, the other part of which clutch is loose on the motor
shaft but cannot slide longitudinally thereon.
This part of the second clutch carries a toothed ring which gears through an inter-
mediate wheel with another toothed wheel on a way shaft. This shaft carries a second
toothed wheel gearing with a toothed ring on a clutch apparatus on the driven shaft.
This clutch apparatus is so arranged that while it is itself stationary it allows the
free rotation of the driven shaft when this is rotated directly by the motor shaft
through the first mentioned clutch, but is made to rotate and carry the shaft round
with it when it is driven through the way shaft and toothed gearing, such motion
being in the contrary direction to that of the motor shaft. The two clutches on the
motor shaft are so arranged to be worked by a single lever that when the direct acting
one is put in gear thereby, the one acting through the toothed gear and way shaft is
put out of gear, and vice versa, while in a middle position of the clutches the motor
shaft runs free of the driven shaft. The clutch mechanism on the latter may be
variously arranged to operate in the manner described; thus it may be of the same
construction as the clutches on the motor shaft, and its sliding part be connected to
the lever controlling the latter, so as to be put out of gear when the direct action
clutch is in gear, and be put in gear simultaneously with the reversing clutch. Or it
may consist of any of the known mechanisms that serve to communicate motion in
one direction only, such as those of the pawl and ratchet-wheel kind, or those with
Drine 977

page_text: fixed or loose inclines or wedges operating in combination with rollers, or differential
friction clutches &c.
It will be readily understood that the above described mechanism is applicable in
all cases where it is desired to obtain rotary motion in either direction from a shaft
that is driven continuously in one and the same direction.
Dated this 2nd day of April..1889
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism for Reversing the Motion Derived from a
Motor Shaft, Applicable to the Motor Engines of Vessels and
Vehicles and for other Purposes.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL. of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 :---
When propelling boats and vehicles by means of motor engines whose motion
always takes place in one and the same direction, such for instance as gas and
petroleum motor engines, the reversal of the motion of the boat or vehicle is generally
effected by means of toothed reversing gear which is always in motion and is made to
reverse the motion by means of a ratchet er clutch mechanism, so that in whatever
direction the boat or vehicle is moving, the said toothed gear is always in motion
causing not only a very unpleasant noise but also considerable wear and tear of the
gearing.
With vehicles, and more particularly with boats, the direction of rotation corre-
sponding to the forward motion is mainly in use, that for the backward motion being
comparatively seldom applied, and then only for a short time.
The present invention relates to mechanism for reversing motion so arranged that
during the forward motion of the boat or vehicle all the toothed gearing of the
mechanism stands still, this being only put in rotation during the backward motion of
the boat or vehicle.
By this arrangement there is under ordinary circumstances no wear and tear of,
nor noise arising from the gearing.
For the above purpose the propeller or other shaft to be driven is arranged in line
with the motor shaft; and the two shafts are connected directly together for the
forward motion by a clutch apparatus, by preference a conical friction clutch, the
fixed part of which is by preference on the driven shaft while the longitudinally
sliding part is on the motor shaft, and is connected to the sliding part of a second
similar clutch on the same shaft, the other part of which clutch is loose on the motor
shaft but cannot slide longitudinally thereon.
This part of the second clutch carries a toothed ring which gears through an inter-
mediate wheel with another toothed wheel on a way shaft. This shaft carries a second
toothed wheel gearing with a toothed ring on a clutch apparatus on the driven shaft.
This clutch apparatus is so arranged that while it is itself stationary it allows the free
rotation of the driven shaft when this is rotated directly by the motor shaft through
the first mentioned clutch, but is made to rotate and carry the shaft round with it
when it is driven through the way shaft and toothed gearing such motion being in
the contrary direction to that of the motor shaft. The two clutches on the motor
shaft are so arranged to be worked by a single lever that when the direct acting one
is put in gear thereby, the one acting through the toothed gear and way shaft is put
out of
gear, and vice versa, while in a middle position of the clutches the motor shaft
runs free of the driven shaft. The third clutch may also be worked by the same lever,
that operates the other two, or by a separate lever.
It will be readily understood that the above described mechanism is applicable in

page_text: all cases where it is desired to obtain rotary motion in either direction from a shaft
that is driven continuously in one and the same direction.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn by way of example an arrangement of the
above described reversing mechanism for communicating motion in either direction
from a gas or petroleum motor engine M whose shaft w is always driven in one and
the same direction to the shaft 8 of a ship's propeller. Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal
section, Fig. 2 a cross section Fig. 3 a plan. The shaft w of the motor engine is in
the same axial line as the shaft 8 of the propeller, and they are capable of being geared
together by the friction clutch n of which the part n is fixed on shafts while
sliding on a feather on w can be moved in and out of gear with n so that when
the clutch is in gear the motor engine drives the propeller shaft direct for the
forward motion.
With the part of the clutch is combined the corresponding sliding part of a
second clutch, whose other part o is loose on the shaft w but is confined between
collars thereon. This part carries a toothed ring a which gears with a spur wheel b
on a shaft II, which wheel gears with a spur wheel on a shaft I 1 I.
This shaft carries another spur wheel which is in gear with a toothed ring e on
the part of a friction clutch on the driven shaft 8, such part being loose on the
shaft but capable of being fixed thereon by the sliding part m of the clutch. The
sliding parts and m of the three clutches are all actuated simultaneously by the
hand lever g through levers f h and rod p in such manner that when in the position
shewn all three clutches are out of gear, and the engine shaft is consequently uncon-
nected with the propeller shaft.
If the lever g be moved to the right hand, the clutch In is put in gear and the
propeller shaft is driven directly by the engine shaft. If the lever g be moved to the
left hand, then clutch / n, is thrown out of gear, an clutches ok and r m are both
thrown in gear, and consequently the shaft s is driven by the engine shaft through the
gearing a, b,c d, e, whereby the direction of motion is reversed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
Reversing mechanism for imparting motion in either direction from a motor shaft w
to a driven shaft s consisting of the three friction clutches ok, ln, and r m, all
actuated simultaneously by suitable levers and rods, the parts o and having toothed
rings a e and being geared together by toothed wheels cd the said parts being so
arranged that when the clutch In is put in gear, the shaft 8 is driven directly by the
shaft w the toothed gearing being at that time stationary, while when clutch (n is put
out of gear and ok and r m are put in gear, the shaft is driven through the
gearing bcd in the contrary direction to the shaft w, substantially as herein
described:
3000