Variable Speed Gearing for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Variable Speed Gearing for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, ALEXIS DIDIERJEAN, of 12, Place du Marché Couvert, St. Quentin, France,
Law Officer (Huissier), do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
The present invention relates to velocipedes and motor-cycles driven by trans-
mission chains and the special object thereof is an arrangement allowing the speed
of the velocipedes or motor cycles to be instantaneously changed without dis-
mounting any part thereof.
The arrangements for changing speed hitherto employed are very expensive,
of a disagreeable view and often very difficulty to operate; moreover these arrange-
ments do not allow of obtaining a desired variation of speed.
These inconveniences are done away with the arrangement contemplated as an
object by the present invention consisting in arranging, on the axle of the
driving wheel, pinions of easy coupling and having unequal diameters, these
pinions being driven by secondary transmission chains actuated by wheels of
suitable diameters, mounted on an intermediate axle driven by the main driving
chain, as more fully described and claimed hereinafter.
In the annexed drawing is given, as an example, a practical form of construction
of the improved arrangement.
In this drawing:
Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the mechanism of change of speed;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same mechanisin ;
Fig. 3 shows an elevation of another mechanism different from the preceding
one;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the latter mechanism;
Fig. 5 shows the hub of the driving-wheel partly seen in longitudinal section;
Fig. 6 is a side view of the coupling-box or clutch coupling.
In these various figures, similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts.
A indicates the axle of the bracket, B is the hub of the driving wheel, C is an
intermediate axle, D is the driving-transmission wheel mounted on the bracket-
axle, E is the full speed pinion of the driving-wheel, F is a pinion driven by
the intermediate axle C, G is a pinion mounted on the intermediate axle and
driving the half speed pinion of the driving-wheel; H is the half speed pinion of
the driving-wheel, I is a pinion of the intermediate axle driving the full-speed
pinion of the driving-wheel, J indicates the driving chain, K and L are the
transmission chains, M is a coupling-box N indicates the coupling collar, O indicates
the clutches and P are the gear-levers of the collar N.
The intermediate axle C, placed in a same horizontal plane with the axle A
of the bracket and the axle B of the driving-wheel, is arranged between these two
axles, on the frame of the machine, adapted for this purpose (Figs. 1 and 2).
Said intermediate axle C is secured at one end to the lower fork branch Y (Fig. 2),
and at the opposite end, to a bracket, preferably made one with said fork
branch Y, the outer end of axle B is held in the end of said fork-branch Y.
D... 027

page_text: On the intermediate axle are mounted the pinions F and G, the said pinion F
being in the same vertical plane with the wheel 1) and the pinion B, and the
said pinion G driving the pinion H by means of the chain K.
The two pinions H and E are loosely mounted on the hub B of the driving-
wheel and the pinion E is driven by the driving chain J engaging also with the
wheel F to actuate the intermediate axle C (Figs. 1 and 2).
With the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the pinions H and E are
respectively driven by the transmission pinions G and I and the chains K, L and
the driving chain J" actuates only the pinion F wedged on the intermediate
axle C.
The pinions E and H of the driving-wheel are made integral with the hub of
said driving-wheel by means of the coupling shown in Figs. 5 & 6 of the annexed
drawing.
Said coupling-box is composed of a sleeve M, suitably secured on the drive-axle
hub Band located between the loosely mounted pinions E and H. Said sleeve M has
two diametrically opposite notches, serving to receive the movable clutch-teeth O
and O, adapted to turn around pivots g and gl respectively, said pivots being
secured to sleeve M. The free ends of said clutch-teeth carry screws i, on which
are rotatably held small rollers h and h¹. A circular ring.or collar N, having
an inner semi-circular groove, is fitted around said rollers h and h¹, and adapted
to be moved sideways by means of levers P, P (Fig. 5), having suitable operating
means (not shown) in reach of the rider's hand. As said ring or collar N and
therefore said clutch-teeth O and O' are moved to the right (Fig. 5), said teeth
will be brought in engagement with corresponding clutch-teeth provided on the
inner side of pinion H, whereby the latter will be rotated with sleeve M and
therefore with hub B. On the other hand, as said ring or collar N is moved to
the left (Fig. 5), said clutch-teeth 0 and 0¹ will be disengaged from pinion H
and brought in engagement with corresponding clutch-teeth provided on the inner
side of pinion E, whereby the latter will be rotated with sleeve M and therefore
with hub B. Said pinions E and. H are loosely mounted on ball-bearings pro-
vided on sleeve M as shown in Fig. 5.
Let us suppose, for easy demonstration, and as an example, the driving trans-
mission wheel D (Fig. 1 and 2) having 24 teeth, the wheel F having 16 teeth
and the pinions E, G, H having each 8 teeth; by each revolution of the crank
shaft, the pinion E makes 3 turns, while the wheel F and consequently the
pinions G and H will make but 1½ turn.
If either half or full speed is to be obtained it will be sufficient to cause the
pinion H or the pinion F engaging with the sleeve M, by moving by means of
the levers P (Figs. 5 and 6) the collar N to the right or to the left, to engage the
clutches and O¹ with the suitable pinion now carrying the said sleeve and thus
transmitting by the said sleeve the rotation to the driving wheel.
I would have it understood that the number of axles and intermediate pinions
may be increased in accordance with the velocities to be obtained, and that the
above described construction may be arranged on both sides of the driving wheel,
without departing from the scope or sacrifying any of the advantages of the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles,
the combination with the transmission axles, pinions of suitable diameters mounted
on this or these axles, other pinions loosely mounted on the hub of one or more
driving-wheels, one or more coupling devices for the loose pinions, arrangements to
operate the said couplings and transmission chains for said pinions, substantially
as described and for the purpose set forth.
2) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles,

page_text: in combination with the transmission driving-wheel, the loose pinions, the coupling
box and the arrangement to operate the said coupling-box, an intermediate
transmission comprising an axle, on which are wedged two pinions of suitable
diameters, the one of said pinions being driven by the driving chain, driving the
one of the loose pinions, and the other driving the second loose pinion by another
suitable chain, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles
in combination with the transmission driving-pinion, the intermediate trans-
mission, the coupling-box and the means to operate the said coupling-box, two
pinions of suitable diameters and loosely mounted on the coupling-box and each
provided on the inner side with clutch-teeth for engaging said coupling-box,
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
4) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles,
in combination with the driving-pinion, the intermediate transmission, the loose
pinions, and means for engaging and disengaging said pinions, a coupling-box
secured in any suitable way on the hub of the driving-wheel and provided on its
periphery with two diametrically opposite notches, in which are arranged two
rotatable clutches, adapted to engage corresponding teeth formed or provided on
the inner sides of the loose pinions, the said clutches being each provided with
a revolving spherical roller, arranged on the outer face thereof, substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
5) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles,
in combination with the driving pinion, the intermediate transmission, the loose
pinions and the coupling-box, means for operating the said coupling box, com-
prising a collar encircling the coupling-box and provided with an inner groove,
in which run the spherical rollers of the clutches, the said collar being laterally
moved by means of levers or other suitable devices to cause the clutches engaging
with the one or the other of the loose pinions, substantially as described and for
the purpose set forth.
6) In an arrangement for change of speed for velocipedes and other vehicles,
in combination with the driving pinion, the loose pinions, the coupling-box and
the means for operating the said coupling-box, an intermediate transmission com-
prising an axle on which are wedged three pinions of suitable diameters, the one
of said pinions being driven by the driving-chain and the two others driving
the loose pinions by means of transmission chains, substantially as described and
for the purpose set forth.
120
1
A
1 1000
L.
DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.