Improvements in Variable Speed Gearing.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 27th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Variable Speed Gearing.
I, WILLIAM WORBY BEAUMONT 100 Palace Road, Tulse Hill London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to variable speed gearing in which two clutches having the
same axial line are combined with and connected by gearing and a driving and
driven shaft, spindle or mechanism as described in the Specification of the Patent
granted to me No. 659 of 11 January 1893 and my invention consists in an
improved arrangement of the two clutches and their connecting gearing or
mechanism and operating levers so as to form a combination power gear clutch
by means of which driven shafting or adjacent parts of machinery may be so
started that the inertia of rest is overcome at a slow speed by positive toothed
gear the full speed of the driver being afterwards imparted there being two
positive speeds with optional frictional intermediate speeds. The gear is preferably
of the epicycloidal type like that in Specification No. 65993 operated by an
excentric which while operating the gear of one clutch is extended into and
forms one of the friction surfaces of the second clutch. The clutches I employ
are in part similar to those described in the before mentioned Specification and one
of them consists of a friction clutch with an internal expanding friction ring and
parts for operating it and the container of which forms a part of or is connected
to part of the first clutch part of which is of band clutch form.
Dated the 26th of February 1894.
W. WORBY BEAUMONT.
I WILLIAM WORBY BEAUMONT, of 100 Palace Road, Tulse Hill, London,
S.W., Civil Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to variable speed gearing, in which two clutches having the
same axial line are combined with, and counected by gearing and a driving and
driven shaft spindle or mechanism as described in the Specification of the Patent
granted to me No. 659 of 11th Jany. 1893, and my invention consists in an
improved arrangement of the two clutches and their connecting gearing or
mechanism and operating levers so as to form a combination power gear clutch by
means of which driven shafting or adjacent parts of machinery may be so started
that the inertia of rest is overcome at a slow speed by positive toothed gear, the
full speed of the driver being afterwards imparted there being two positive gear
speeds with optional frictional intermediate speeds.
The gear internally employed is preferably of the epicycloidal type, like that
described in the Specification of Patent, No. 659 of 1893, operated by an excentric
which, while operating the gear of the one clutch is extended into, and forms one
of the frictional surfaces of the second clutch. The clutches I employ are in part

page_text: similar to those described in the before mentioned Specification, namely an
epieyeloidal gear and band clutch, and a friction clutch operated by fluid pressure;
and one of them consists of a friction clutch with an internal expanding friction
ring, and parts for operating it, and the container of which forms a part, or is
connected to part of the gear of the first clutch, part of which is of band clutch
form.
By means of the improved arrangement of the combined clutches I am enabled
to make a more compact power gear clutch, and to dispense with the loose ring J.
described in the before mentioned Specification.
My invention is illustrated by the three sheets of drawings hereunto attached,
containing nine figures, in which as far as possible, the letters of reference used
indicate similar parts, or parts performing similar functions.
Fig. 1. is a sectional view of two combined clutches, according to one form of
the combination, as employed for line shafting.
Fig. 2. is an internal view of the friction clutch part of the combination as
employed in this form of the invention, the cover of the container being removed
to show the expanding friction ring, that into which it expands, and the parts which
expand the ring.
Fig. 3. is a section of part of the form of friction clutch shown in Fig. 1., but
with a modified detail.
Fig. 4. is an outside view of the combination, as
and 2.
seen from below Figs. 1.
Fig. 5. is an outside view of the friction clutch part of the combination
shown in Fig. 1., but showing the cover and operating lever, which in Fig. 2.
are removed.
Fig. 6. is an outside view of the epicycloidal gear and band clutch part of
the combination with a piece broken away to show the epicycloidal gear teeth, the
band of the band clutch part of the combination being shown as held by stay rods,
instead of by the bracket shown in Figs. 1. 2. 4. and 5.
Fig. 7. is an outside view of the combination, as seen from above Fig. 6.
Figs. 8. and 9. are sectional views of the combination as used for driving shafting
or adjacent parts of machinery, the friction clutch part of the combination being
similar to those described in the Specification, No. 659 of 1893, before mentioned,
and operated by fluid pressure.
With clutches and transmitters hitherto made it has always been necessary to
put the driven shaft into motion at the speed of the driver, or to stop the driver,
and then make the connection, or by means of a friction clutch to impart more or
less gradually the speed of the driver to the driven. The latter is the more usual
method, and it has serious disadvantages. Firstly, it makes it necessary for the
driving part of the clutch to attempt to put the driven into motion instantaneously,
whatever the speed of the driver. This cannot be done without throwing very
heavy stresses on driver and driven, and hence the friction surfaces have to be
rubbed together by the driving power, until the inertia of the driven is over-
come by a more or less rapid repetition of alternating gripping and slipping,
or by the gradually increasing turning effort of the friction of one surface
rubbing another, the work done in this process being always waste work, often
throwing great stresses upon the machinery and always making a great demand
on the source of power. This demand for power is attended with the disadvantage
that very much more power than would otherwise be required, or can be usefully
employed must be provided, although it is only required for the few seconds
occasionally occupied in starting the driven machinery. There is the further
disadvantage that clutches, as ordinarily made for the purposes referred to, must
have great strength and provision for the wear which results from the rubbing of
the driver, until the driven has acquired full speed. These several losses and
disadvantages I avoid by combining two clutches with interrelated positive gearing,
by means of which a mechanical advantage or leverage is secured and acts by
starting the driven shaft at a low speed, as for instance, one-fourth that of the

page_text: driver, without slip, or only with that which relates to imparting motion below
this low speed ratio. Having overcome the inertia and friction of rest the second
part of the combination imparts the full speed of the driver, with only the small
amount of slip that may be desirable as variable intermediate frictionally conveyed
speed in increasing the speed of the already moving driven shaft to the full speed
of the driven. By thus starting driven machinery by positive gear at low speed,
say one-fourth that of the driven, it becomes possible to work, say a mill, in which
a part is occasionally laid off, or machinery or vehicles operated by electric motors,
with only a very slight excess of power over that employed for running such mill
machinery or electric motor vehicle when in motion, whereas from 25 to 100 per
cent. excess over such an amount of power is now employed. The variable speed
gearing combined clutch herein described is so arranged that when the driven is
rotating at the speed of the driver, all the parts of the combination which convey
the power are rotating without any relative motion or as though one solid piece.
I am aware that different speeds are at present conveyed by a driving shaft to a
driven, by means of two clutches and two sets of wheels, or wheels and pinions
on the two shafts, but any such arrangement is accompanied by the objection that
one or other or both of one pair of the wheels, or the wheel and pinion not doing
work run idle, either at the higher speed or with the difference of speed between
the driver and the driven; but such arrangements are not applicable for variable
speed gearing operating two coaxial shafts.
In Fig. 1. of the drawings hereto, A. is a driving shaft or spindle, and A' a
driven spindle, to which it is desired to communicate motion at the speed of the
driving shaft A., and in such a manner that the inertia of rest of the shaft A',
and of that which may be connected to it, is overcome at the slow speed proper
to the ratio of the internally geared ring D., and the externally geared ring F.,
which is carried by the excentric E., fixed upon the driving shaft A. Upon the
ring F. are two lugs Y, shown in Fig. 6, and as previously described in
the Specification No. 659 of 1893 already referred to. These lugs slide in
slots in the disc H., and when the latter is not permitted to rotate, but itself
slides upon the lugs G. on the ring B. The ring F. under the action of the
excentric E., receives a gyratory motion, the range of which is twice the excen-
tricity of the excentric E. To prevent the rotation of the ring B., and thereby
of the lugs G., and the disc or part H., the band clutch ring C. is closed upon it
by means hereafter described. The ring D. is then by the action of the excentric E.
and toothed ring F. caused to rotate as before mentioned, and by its connection
with the disc or cover O. keyed to the driven shaft A' it communicates motion to
the latter at a speed which is, for instance, one-fourth that of A. Having by these
means overcome the friction and inertia of rest of A¹ and anything it drives, the
band clutch ring C. is released and the second clutch formed by the parts W. W₁
K. J. V. brought into action by expanding the ring V. into the container ring J.
which is an extension of the excentric E. of the first mentioned clutch and gear.
The extension J, of the excentric E. may be formed with the excentric, or may
be a separately formed extension fastened to it, or the shaft A. The ring V. is
driven by the lug T, which is formed upon or connected to the cover or disc O.
The ring V. being expanded into the container J. is driven by it, and by the
lug T. and cover O. it drives at its own speed the shaft A₁ and the whole of
the parts F. D. B. H., being free to turn with the container J., are carried with
it, and as the ring V. cannot rotate without moving the lug T. the cover O. is driven
by it, and thereby the shaft A'.
To put the epicycloidal gear part of the combination into action so as to start
the shaft A' at the speed proper to the ratio of the epicycloidal gear, the ring B.
is held by the band clutch ring C., and this in the arrangement shown in
Figs. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. and 7. is effected by means of the right and left handed screw S.
and pivoted nuts N. N. held between ears or lugs d., attached to the band clutch
ring C., the screw S. being of quick pitch, and receiving partial rotation by
means of the lever M. fixed thereon by a set screw S¹. The lever M. may be

page_text: operated by the rod U., which is adjustable as to length, and is connected to the
lever L., or it may be extended as indicated by dotted lines, forming a lever L',
by which the screw S. may be separately actuated. The shafting bracket X. is
extended into the fork formed parts Y. Y., which act as stops to prevent the
rotation of the band clutch ring C. when tightened upon the ring B. The band
clutch ring may be in one piece or may be made as shown in two parts with ears
or lugs at the upper ends connected by the bolt P., which further serves as a
suspending bolt by means of the link R. carried by the bolt P¹ in lugs which may
be upon the upper part of the shafting bracket. The wear of the screw S. nuts N.,
band clutch ring C. may be taken up by shifting the lever M. by the screw S' or
by screwing up the bolt P. By moving the lever M. away from the bracket X.
and unscrewing the right and left hand screw S. so as to release the band clutch
ring C. the ring B. permitted to rotate and the clutch is out of gear. The
ring F. may then rotate idly upon the excentric E., or it may rotate and gyrate
according to the freedom or ease with which the parts move upon each other.
To balance the excentric E. and the unbalanced weight due to the excentricity of
the disc H. a disc C., made heavy in the part C¹ opposite the greatest radius of the
excentric, is employed, the same disc serving to keep the disc H. in its place. The
excentric E. may also be lightened by cutting out the part marked in dotted lines
in Fig. 1.
When the shafts A. and A' are not running at the same speed the driven
shaft A rotates in the excentric, which may be bushed as far as the shaft
enters it.
By the means so far described the shaft A¹ is started and may be kept running
at the speed due to the epicycloidal gearing. To increase the speed, and to bring
it up to that of A. the band clutch ring C. is released as described, and by means
of the lever L. pivoted at R¹ the collar N. is pushed toward the cover O., and
thereby the toothed wedge pieces are forced between the toggle pieces K. K¹ and
the distance apart of their outer extremities thus increased. By this means the
wedge W Figs. 1. and 2. is forced between the ends of the ring V., see Fig. 2.,
thus expanding it, and causing it to fit the container J. tightly and by it to be
carried round. Being thus carried round the ring V. carries the lug T., and thereby
the cover O. and shaft A¹ as before explained. The lower ends of the toggle
piece K¹ may be toothed where they rest and roll on the thickened part of the
ring V., as shown in Figs. 1. and 2., or they may have a smooth curved end, as
shown at Fig. 3., rolling on a curved or, flat surface. The wedge pieces W. W.
slide through holes in the cover O., and the collar N. slides on the shaft A¹, and is
kept in place by a feather in the ordinary way. The lever L. may be coupled
to the lever M. by a rod U., as shown adjustable as to length and the combined
clutches operated by the one lever L. or by a lever L'. As shown in Fig. 1.
the epicycloidal gear part of the combination is in action. By throwing the
lever L. over to the position shown by the dotted line this friction full speed
clutch is put into gear, the clutch taking up the work more or less rapidly,
according to the rapidity with which the ring V. is expanded into its container J.
The combination shown in Figs. 6. and 7. is the same as that described with
reference to Figs. 1. to 5., except that the clutch band ring C. is held by
means of rods R., which take hold of ears X., and are assumed to be connected
at their other ends to any suitable available parts of adjacent machine frames or
structure.
In Fig. 1. the toothed pieces W. are shown as tapered or wedge form, but these
pieces may be parallel, and the toggle K. and K', instead of having a curve for the
teeth which roll on W. a pitch line, which is concentric with a point in the middle
of the end W. in K' or the pivot e. in K., may have a curved pitch line of similar
radius, but struck from a point some distance from the points named, so that the
pieces K. and K¹ may act as cams or rolling wedges; or if the pieces W. be made
of wedge form, the pitch lines of the teeth may be curves which join parallel
tangent lines at two-thirds the distance from the point of the wedge to the end of

page_text: the teeth, thus giving the wedge a quick action at the point, and slower action as
it is pushed farther in.
It will be understood that although I have particularly described the friction
clutch containing the parts J. K. W. W' V. as one of the two clutches, I do not
confine myself to this particular form of friction clutch, as other well known radial
action clutches may be employed.
Figs. 8. and 9. show the arrangement of the combined clutches when one of them
is worked by fluid pressure, as described in the Specification No. 659 of 1893. By
extending the excentric E., or attaching to it a disc which extends into, and forms
part of the second clutch, and by giving to the back of this extension the form
shown, I secure a simpler friction surface, and am enabled to dispense with a loose
ring, marked J. in the Specification mentioned, and intervening between the annular
piston and the friction surface.
Fig. 8. shows the arrangement when the driving shaft A. is hollow, and runs.
upon the driven shaft A. The action of the band clutch and epicycloidal gear part
of the combination is as already described with reference to Figs. 1. to 7., and that
of the friction clutch actuated by fluid pressure is as described in the Specification
No. 659 of 1893. Air gas or oil or other liquid is sent through the passage W' in
the driven shaft admitted by a pipe fitted with a rotative stuffing box, and from
the passage W passes into a pipe p. which is capped, and admits it through the
fixture W. into the annular cylinder O., which is fixed to the driven shaft A', where
it acts against the annular piston V., made fluid tight by cup leathers. The driving
shaft A. may run in a bearing X., and may be the shaft of a motor, or it may be
cut off close to the wheel K., by which it may be driven and the shaft A. may carry
the driven shaft as the bearing X' does at the other end. The power to be
transmitted may be taken from a wheel K' inside the bearing X, or from wheels
or pullies from the shaft outside this bearing..
Fig. 9. shows a modification of the arrangement of the combined clutches for
working with a fluid pressure friction clutch when the driving shaft A. runs
within a hollow driven shaft A' through passages W. W. in the thickness of which
the fluid under pressure is sent from the pipe W. and ported flange K. into the
annular cylinder O., where it acts on the piston V. The driving and driven shafts
in Fig. 9. may be made as shown in Fig. 1., but as shown in Fig. 9. the power is
transmitted through a gear wheel or pulley K¹ on the hollow shaft A', which runs
in a bearing X. between it and the disc O., forming the annular cylinder. The
wheel K¹ may be placed within the bearing, as in Fig. 8.
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 I do not
claim the use of two clutches, which with connected exterior gearing and the means
of putting one or the other set of gear into action may be used to impart one or
other speed to adjacent or parallel shafts or spindles, but what I do claim is,
1. The combination of two clutches having the same axial line and forming a
variable speed power gear clutch, one of the clutches containing epicycloidal gear
by which it transmits power through the medium of part of the second clutch
the friction grip surface of said second clutch being in part provided by an extension
into it of part of or an attachment to the excentric or the shaft in the first clutch,
substantially as herein described and shown.
2. A variable speed power clutch comprising the combination of epicycloidal gear
with two inter-related coaxial friction clutches, with the means of operating them
substantially as herein described and shown.
3. In a variable speed power clutch comprising the combination of two clutches
and epicycloidal gear as herein described the form of friction clutch substantially
as described with reference to the parts marked J. K. W. W' V. in the drawings
hereto.
4. In a variable speed power gear clutch comprising the combination of two
inter-related co-axial clutches with epicycloidal gear the combination of the

page_text: epicycloidal gear as parts of both clutches substantially as herein described and
shown.
5. In variable speed power gear comprising the combination of two inter-related
co-axial clutches with epicycloidal gear, the combination with the excentric of the
epicycloidal gear of friction driving surfaces substantially as herein shown.
6. The variable speed power gear clutches as shown and described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1894.
W. WORBY BEAUMONT.