Improvements in and relating to Engines and Gearing for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Engines and Gearing for Road
Vehicles.
I, HARRY PARSONS, of Ferndale, Wren Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to gas, oil, and other high speed motors, especially those
used for the propulsion of road vehicles, and it consists of a variable speed gear
controlled by a governor so that the speed of the driven shaft is automatically
varied according to the load whereby the motor is enabled to run at its normal
speed and thereby develop its greatest duty.
According to this invention, the axle of the motor is connected with the axle or
its equivalent to be driven by two or more trains of spur or chain gearing. The
spur pinions or sprocket wheels on the axle of the motor are mounted loosely
thereon but are capable of being fixed thereto by a sliding key or its equivalent,
the position of the said key being controlled by any suitable form of spring-con-
trolled governor driven by or mounted on the axle of the motor, the arrangement
being such that as the speed of the motor increases the governor causes the sliding
key or its equivalent to move along the axle and engage one or other of the pinions
or sprocket wheels thereon."
Supposing two trains of gearing are used the arrangement would be as follows:-
When the motor is started the sliding key or its equivalent would be in engagement
with neither of the pinions or sprocket wheels. As the speed of the motor increased
the key would be caused to move longitudinally on the axle of the motor and
would first engage the pinion or sprocket wheel of the low gear and when the
speed of the motor reached its maximum the sliding key or its equivalent wouli
become engaged with the pinion or sprocket wheel of the high gear, being at
the same time disengaged from that of the low gear.
When the speed of the motor becomes reduced owing to increased load, the
sliding key or its equivalent is withdrawn from the pinion or its equivalent of
the high gear and engages with that of the low gear.
I prefer to employ clutches or similar contrivances between the sliding key
or its equivalent and the pinions or their equivalents so that all shocks due to
change of speed may be avoided.
To enable the motor to be run without driving the driven shaft or its equivalent,
the governor is so arranged that it can be rendered inoperative.
Dated this 18th day of July 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Tust. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Engines and Gearing for Road
Vehicles.
I, HARRY PARSONS, of Ferndale, Wren Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertamed
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to gas, oil and other high speed motors, especially those
used for propulsion of road vehicles, and it consists of a variable speed gear
controlled by a governor so that the speed of the driven shaft is automatically
varied according to the load whereby the motor is enabled to run at its normal
speed and thereby develop its greatest duty.
I will now particularly describe my invention making reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings which is a broken view partly in section of a two-
speed gear constructed according to this invention.
The axle A of the motor is connected with the axle B to be driven by two pairs
of spur wheels C, D, and E, F, of different ratios so as to give two speeds. Chain
gearing may be employed if desired.
Mounted loosely on the motor axle A are two sleeves G, H, provided with key
ways g, h, with which engages at certain times a key a formed on the shaft AL.
This shaft A¹ is free to slide within the motor axle B which is bored out to receive
it but is caused to rotate therewith by reason of the key a also engaging longi-
tudinal key ways or slots b formed in said axle.
Mounted on the sleeve G, are two discs K and K' and mounted on the sleeve H
are similar dises L and L. Of these discs K and L are fixed or made in one with
the sleeve G and I respectively and they engage with the other discs K' L' by
any suitable form of clutch, such as the square jawed type shown, the discs K', Li,
will then be positively driven by their respective discs K, L, at the same time
allowing a relative longitudinal sliding motion between them. A longitudinal
pressure, tending to force the said discs apart is given by a series of springs I
placed between the discs as shown. The discs K and L frictionally engage the
toothed wheels or spur pinions C, E, and the discs K¹ and L similarly engage the
discs M, N, respectively. The discs M, N, are mounted loosely on the sleeves G, H.
but are fixed positively to the spur pinions C, E, by means of bolts O, which also
provide a ready means of regulating the longitudinal pressure or frictional con-
tact between the engaging surfaces of disc K and the spur wheel or pinion C
between the disc K and the disc M, between the disc L¹ and the disc N,, and
between the disc L and the spur wheel or pinion E, as by screwing up the bolts O
and locking them with nuts o any desired pressure may be obtained.
The frictional surfaces of the discs and spur pinions adapted to engage with
each other may be provided with any suitable device, or given any convenient
form for increasing their grip or contact between them.
It will be understood that the key a on the shaft A¹ can only engage with the
keyway of one of the sleeves G, H, at the same time. To cause the shaft A' to
slide in the motor axle A so as to cause either one of the pinions C, E, to be driven
indirectly by the motor axle, automatically and dependently on the speed of the
motor, a suitable form of spring-controlled centrifugal governor P is employed, a
convenient arrangement being that shown wherein bell-cranked levers are fulcrated
at their centre to brackets 2 carried by the axle, the one arm p of each lever
forming a balance weight and the other arm is suitably weighted and their free
ends engaging a collar a³ on the shaft A¹ pressed outward by a suitable spring X.

page_text: When the motor is stopped or running very slowly and the governor is at its
lowest point, the key a of the shaft A will not engage the keyway h of the
sleeve Has an annular groove his formed therein so that no driving action can
take place through the sleeve H. As the speed of the motor increases the shaft A¹
is pushed inwards by the governor P and the key a at its end engages the keyway h
in the sleeve H, thus driving the pinion E through the discs N, L', and L. As
the speed of the motor still further increases the shaft A¹ with the key a is
pushed further inwards by the governor P past the mid-position i.e. the position
in which the key engages neither of the keyways and of the sleeves G, H,
when it comes into gear with the keyway in sleeve G thus driving the pinion C
through the discs M, K and K. It will thus be seen that the faster speed is
obtained quite automatically. The reverse takes place as the motor slows down
or a steep gradient is reached when the low speed is automatically thrown in.
It will be seen that in this arrangement there is no end thrust on any rotating
bearing surface, each friction arrangement being entirely independent in action,
and that it permits of it being set to slip at any desired load thus obviating shocks
on the vehicle at starting or speed changing.
If desired the motor may be allowed to run light or at any speed or may be
retained in either gear by furnishing means for temporarily withdrawing the
influence of the governor on the shaft A¹. A convenient method of accomplishing
this is to form a non-rotating extension Q of the shaft A to carry a roller
with which a wedge or inclined plane R controlled by a suitable lever engages as
shown.
It will be understood that the governor spring which is adjustable will deter-
mine at what speeds the different gears come into operation.
Although I have described my invention with reference to a two-speed gear I
do not limit myself to that combination as it will be evident with certain modifica-
tions it is applicable to a gear having more than two changes of speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:
1
(1) The automatic variable speed gear herein described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawing.
(2) A variable speed gear for motor vehicles, consisting of two or more driving
spur wheels or pinions, of two or more friction clutches engaging such wheels
or pinions, of a sliding clutch adapted to engage one or other of the friction clutches
with the axle of the motor, and of a centrifugal governor controlling the sliding
clutch, as set forth.
(3) A variable speed gear for motor vehicles, consisting of two or more driving
spur wheels or pinions, of two or more friction clutches engaging such wheels or
pinions, of a sliding clutch adapted to engage one or other of the friction clutches
with the axle of the motor, of a centrifugal governor controlling the sliding clutch,
and of a device for overcoming the influence of the governor, and render it
inoperative, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of April 1899.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C Agent for the Applicant.