Improvements in Transmission Gearing for Motor-vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Transmission Gearing for Motor-vehicles.
I, ALBERT AUGUSTUS POPE, of Cohasset, in the County of Norfolk, in the State.
of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
use.
This invention relates in general to the construction of motor-vehicles of that
class which are intended for use as road-vehicles or horseless carriages and it nas
for its object to improve and perfect the construction of such vehicles so that they
shall be better adapted for their intended
The invention relates morg
especially to the construction and arrangement of the gearing for transmitting
power from the motor to the rear wheels of the vehicle, with especial reference
to the regulation of the speed of the vehicle and to the control of the direction
of its movement.
In the accompanying drawings, wherein the improvements are illustrated, -
Figure 1 is a side view representing the improvements applied to a vehicle,
the body of the vehicle being shown in outline.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same on a larger scale, the parts being repre-
sented as in relative positions which they do not assume in actual practice, in
order to avoid confusion in the drawing.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side view and a diametrical section of one
of the gears of the train represented in Figures
and 2.
Figures and 6 are similar views of another of the gears of said train.
Figure 7 is a side view of one of the speed changing devices shown in section in
Figure 2.
The invention is not concerned with the particular kind of motor employed
and a motor of any improved type may be employed. In the drawings, two gas
or explosive engines are represented as coupled together by means of a common
gear m which meshes with the gear m¹ mounted on a shaft m2, which is mounted to
rotate in suitable bearings on the motor platform. The gear m¹ is a common driving
gear for two gears m³ and m which are mounted loosely on the shaft m², one
on each side of the gear m', and are adapted to be coupled or clutched thereto
at the will of the operator. The gear m¹ has on each side lugs m³ which are
adapted to be engaged by corresponding lugs m on the adjacent face of the gear m³
or m, and the latter are carried by and are free to rotate upon short sleeves m²
which are adapted to be moved longitudinally on the shaft m² by a double clutch
lever m³. The gears m³ and m mesh respectively with gears m³ and m10 which
are fast upon a driving shaft m¹, the latter being free to rotate in suitable bear-
ings carried by swinging arms m¹ which are hung upon the shaft m². It.will
be obvious that when either one of the gears m³ or m is moved into engagement
with the gear m¹ the shaft m" will be. driven at a corresponding speed and the
From tho
other gear m or m³ will rotate idly upon its carrying sleeve m?.
shaft m motion is transmitted to the rear axle by gears presently to be described
and such gears are maintained in proper relation by links m13 which connect the
shaft m with the rear axle. It will be readily understood that as the motor plat-
form oscillates with respect to the running gear, the gears carried by the shaft m",

page_text: the shaft
on
m11
which is supported wholly by the arms and links m2 m¹³, will always maintain
their engagement with the respective gears on' the shaft m² and the rear axle,
notwithstanding the changes of position of the former with respect to the latter..
The gear which transmits motion from the shaft m to the rear axle comprises
both the ahead clutch and the backing clutch which are controlled by the operator
by means of suitable intermediate mechanism to be described. The construction
of this gear which is preferred is as follows: the gear teeth are formed upon a
ring n which is carried by a shell mounted loosely upon the shaft ml. As repre
sented the said shell is formed in two parts, and n², which are rigidly united
by the n. The shell n carries an internal gear which is engaged by
pinions 5 mounted on studs n' carried by a shell or friction drum n, the latter
being mounted loosely on the shaft m". A pinion n is secured to the shaft m
to rotate therewith and engages the pinions 5. The shell n² is provided
with studs n*
which
upon
with an
are mounted pinions n which mesh
internal gear 18 carried by a shell or
friction drum 10, the latter
being mounted loosely
7218
A pinion
is fixed
upon the shaft m₁ to. rotate therewith and engages the pinions 6. It is
obvious that whenever both drums no and 10 are free to rotate no motion will be
imparted from the shaft m to the gear n, the pinions n³, in the one case revolving
freely about the shaft as they rotate upon their own axis, without moving the
internal gear n¹, and the pinions 6, in the other case, causing the internal gear n8
to rotate and hence failing to revolve about the shaft m" and therefore failing to
rotate the shell and gear ". However, if the rotation of either shell nº or 10
be retarded, motion will be imparted to the gear in one direction or the other,
the maximum speed of said gear n being attained when the one shell n or the
other no is held stationary. It will be obvious that if suitable means are provided
for retarding the rotation of the shells and 10, the speed of the vehicle.can be
graduated by the operator exactly as he desires up to the maximum determined
by the speed of rotation of the driving shaft m, and the direction of movement
of the vehicle, either forward or backward, be determined also, while the maximum
speed of the shaft m", and hence of the vehicle, may be varied as before, according
to the requirements of its use, by regulating the governor of the motor. The
gears m³ and m are shifted into or out of engagement with the driving gear m¹
according to the amount of load carried by the vehicle and the character of the
road upon which it travels. The gear n meshes directly with a gear o on the
rear axle, this gear being preferably a balance or equalizing gear, of any well
known construction, in order to allow some independent movement of the two
rear wheels.
༼
A suitable friction strap ? may be provided to regulate the rotation of each shell
or, friction drum n¹ n² and may be placed under the control of the operator by
suitable intermediate devices. I have represented one friction strap connected
by a link p with a bell crank lover p² arranged to be operated by a cam p³ on
a shaft 74, to which movement may be imparted by any suitable means., Similarly
the other friction strap p may be operated through a bell crank lever p³, link pe
and bell crank lever p' from a cam 28 on the shaft p, the cams p³ and p8 being
so disposed, relatively to each other, as to tighten but one strap at a time, leaving
the other loose, while they have a common neutral point which will permit both
straps to be loosened at the same time in order to bring the vehicle to a stop. The
clutch lever m³ may also be operated by any suitable means under the control
of the operator. A convenient arrangement for this purpose consists of a link g,
a spring to maintain the small gear m normally in engagement with the gear m¹,
and a bell crank lever g² arranged to be operated by the 'foot of the operator
through a suitable bolt g³.
1-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I

page_text: 1. In a motor-vehicle having a gear driven by the motor, and a shaft upon
which said gear is secured, pinions m³, m, mounted loosely on said shaft and
adapted to be engaged with said gear, means to shift the one or the other of said
pinions into engagement with said gear, a second shaft m having gears m³, m10,
secured thereto which mesh respectively with said pinions, and means to transmit
motion from said shaft to the vehicle wheels, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a motor-vehicle, a speed changing mechanism comprising a gear n mounted
to rotate freely upon the driving shaft and meshing with the driven gear, a
pinion n5 carried by said gear to revolve about said shaft, a driving pinion n³
fixed upon said shaft and engaging said first named pinion, an internal gear n¹
mounted loosely on said shaft and engaging said first named pinion, and means
to retard the rotation of said internal gear, substantially as shown and described.
3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of the driving shaft, means to
actuate said driving shaft, and a driven gear, of a gear mounted
to rotate freely upon said shaft and meshing with said driven gear, an
internal gear carried with first named gear, a shell or drum mounted
to rotate freely upon said shaft a pinion carried by said shell or drum to revolve
about said shaft, a driving pinion fixed to said shaft and engaging said first named
pinion, and means to retard the rotation of said shell or drum, substantially as
shown and described.
.
4. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the driving shaft a gear
mounted to rotate freely on said shaft, and a Iriven gear, of an
an internal gear carried with said first named gear, a shell or drum mounted
to rotate freely upon said shaft, a pinion carried by said shell or drum and engag-
ing said internal gear, a driving pinion fixed upon said shaft and engaging said
first mentioned pinion, a pinion carried with said first named gear to revolve
about said shaft, a second pinion fixed to said shaft and engaging said last named
pinion, a second shell or drum carrying an internal gear to mesh with said last
named pinion and means to retard the rotation of either of said shells or drums,
substantially as shown and described.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.