Improvements in Gearing for Traction and other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 188"
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gearing for Traction and other Purposes.
I, MORITZ IMMISCH, of 119 Torriano Avenue, Camden Town, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to enable the speed of tram cars, and traction
engines of all kinds, to be varied as desired independently of the speed of the prime
motor, and it may be applied generally to the transmission of varying speeds for
different purposes from a motor running at a constant speed, or to enable the power
transmitted from one spindle or shaft to another to be varied at will.
It consists in the use of an improved arrangement or construction of what is
known as the cyclic" or sun and planet gearing.
*
Upon a shaft to which power is applied (either directly by a motor or by any other
means) a pinion is fixed, the shaft being mounted to revolve in fixed bearings.
Mounted concentrically to such shaft, so as to be capable of revolving round same, is
a wheel preferably having internal teeth, and a set of idle or transmitting wheels are
arranged to gear with both the pinion on the shaft and with the internal-toothed or
intermediate wheel, such set of idle wheels being carried by a frame forming the part
to which the power is to be transmitted. The movable or intermediate wheel might be
an external-toothed wheel, in which case the driving shaft pinion would be made to
gear with the set of idle wheels carried by the frame to be driven, and the shaft of
each of such set of idle wheels would be provided with another wheel gearing with
the external-toothed or intermediate wheel.
The above arrangement is the same as an ordinary "cyclic" or sun and planet
arrangement with the exception that the movable or intermediate wheel is in ordinary
arrangements a rigidly fixed wheel, so that the motion is transmitted from the motor
shaft by its pinion gearing with the set of idle wheels, and as these latter gear with
the fixed intermediate wheel they will be caused to revolve round the driving shaft,
carrying the frame to be driven with them. The same effect is produced if the set
of idle wheels is carried by a fixed frame and the intermediate wheel gearing with
such idle wheels be carried by the shaft to be driven. It will also be apparent that the
Do31

page_text: frame carrying the set of idle wheels may be made the driver and transmit motion to
the shaft carrying the first mentioned pinion. Further instead of toothed gearing
friction gearing may be employed.
In such an arrangement the speed at which the shaft to be driven revolves depends
entirely upon the relative diameters of the wheels and pinions, and can only be varied
by changing the wheels themselves.
The object of my invention is to enable the speed to be varied at will with the
same set of wheels and pinions and for this purpose I make what I have called the
intermediate wheel capable of revolving, and apply any suitable brake power thereto
so as to offer more or less opposition to its rotation.
When the brake power applied is sufficient to hold the intermediate wheel stationary
the arrangement is exactly the same as in ordinary cases, and the speed transmitted
will be in proportion to the diameters of the wheels and pinions, but when such brake
power is not sufficient to hold the intermediate wheel stationary, the latter will slip or
travel round more or less freely and the speed of the shaft or part to be driven will
he correspondingly increased or diminished.
The invention will be found of great value in connection with driving tram cars
so as to govern or control their speed and power, under varying conditions of road
and load, also for driving dynamos at different speeds for obtaining automatically
either constant current or constant electro motive force.
A
1
C
.. 1027

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gearing for Traction and other Purposes.
I, MORITZ IMMISCH, of 119 Torriano Avenue, Camden Town, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, 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:-
The object of my invention is to enable the speed of tram cars, and traction engines
of all kinds, to be varied as desired independently of the speed of the prime motor,
and it may be applied generally to the transmission of varying speeds for different
purposes from a motor running at a constant speed, or to enable the power transmitted
from one spindle or shaft to another to be varied at will.
It consists in the use of an improved arrangement or construction of what is known
as the "cylic" or sun and planet gearing.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved gearing as applied to the transmission
of motion from an electro motor.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of same.
Fig. 3 a side elevation of the break and lever.
Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view for the purpose of illustrating the principle on which
my invention is based.
Fig. 5 an elevation showing the application of my invention to the purpose of
maintaining a constant, EMF at the terminals of a dynamo machine, and
Fig. 6 the application of my invention to the purpose of maintaining a constant
current in dynamo machines. I now refer to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in order to first describe
the general construction and operation of my improved gearing.
Upon a shaft A to which power is applied (either directly by an electro motor M
as shown, or by any other means) a pinion a is fixed, the shaft being mounted to
revolve in a fixed bearing B. Mounted concentrically to such shaft, so as to be
capable of revolving round same, is a wheel e preferably having internal teeth as shown,
and which I call the intermediate or yielding fulerum wheel, and a set of idle or
transmitting wheels d are arranged to gear with the pinion a on shaft A, and with
the intermediate or yielding fulcrum wheel c, such set of idle wheels being carried by
frame forming the part to which the power is to be transmitted. The intermediate
or yielding fulerum wheel c might be an external toothed wheel, in which case the
Iriving shaft pinion a would be made to gear with the set of idle wheels d carried by
frame 6 to be driven, and the shaft of each of such set of idle wheels d would be
provided with another wheel gearing with the intermediate or yielding fulcrum
wheel c.

page_text: C
The above arrangement is the same as an ordinary "cylic" or sun and planet
arrangement, with the exception that the intermediate or yielding fulcrum wheel c is
in ordinary arrangements a rigidly fixed wheel, so that the motion is transmitted from
the motor shaft A by its pinion a gearing with the set of idle wheels d, and as these
latter gear with fixed intermediate wheel c, they will be caused to revolve round the
driving shaft A, carrying the frame to be driven with them. The same effect is
produced if the set of idle wheels d is carried by a fixed frame, and the intermediate
wheel c gearing with such idle wheels be carried by the shaft to be driven. It will
also be apparent that the frame b carrying the set of idle wheels d may be made the
driver and transmit motion to the shaft A carrying pinion a. Further, instead of
toothed gearing friction gearing may be employed.
In such an arrangement the speed at which the shaft to be driven revolves depends
entirely upon the relative diameters of the wheels and pinion a, and can only be
varied by changing the wheels themselves.
The object of my invention is to enable the speed to be varied at will with the
same set of wheels and pinion, and for this purpose I make what I have called the
intermediate or yielding fulcrum wheel capable of revolving, and apply any
suitable break power E thereto, so as to offer more or less opposition to its rotation.
When the break power applied is sufficient to hold the intermediate or yielding
fulcrum wheel stationary, the arrangement is exactly the same as in ordinary cases,
and the speed transmitted will be in proportion to the diameters of the wheel c and
pinion a, but when such break power is not sufficient to hold the intermediate or
yielding fulcrum wheel e stationary, the latter will slip or travel round more or less
freely and the speed of the shaft or part to be driven will be correspondingly increased
or diminished.
The invention will be found of great value in connection with driving tram cars,
so as to govern or control their speed and power, under varying conditions of road
and load, also for driving dynamos at different speeds for obtaining automatically
either constant current or constant electro motive force.
Referring now to Fig. 4, where the proportion of pinion a to wheel c is as 1: 3, if
b was held fast a would have to make 3 revolution's while c completed 1. If, how-
ever, c is held fast a will have to turn 4 times while frame b makes 1 revolution.
This is owing to the fact that a given point in the circle of frame, changes its position
in relation to given points in a and c, while the idle wheels d are actuated by a.
Taking the number of teeth both in a and d as 12, the number of teeth in c would
then be 36. When a has made a complete revolution the frame has made only
revolution, because 3 of the teeth of wheel d have not yet come in contact with
pinion a, although the latter has completed a full turn, and the number of teeth in a
and d is equal. The reduction therefore when c is held fast, whether a is the driver
to actuate b, or vice versa, is not 3: 1 but 4: 1.
In like manner if the proportion of the diameters of a and c is as 1:4, (if a is the
driver), the reduction when c is held fast is not 4 : but 5 1; in fact the reduction
is always as the proportion of ca, + 1.
This being understood it will be easy to follow the principle on which my invention
is based. As, in the case illustrated in Fig. 4 where a is the driver, in consequence
of the angle of displacement of 6 during 1 revolution of a, being smaller than is
warranted by the relative diameters of a and c, any means which may be provided for
still further reducing the angle of displacement of 6 during 1 revolution of a, will still
further increase the reduction of speed.
As the pressure of wheels d on wheel c is in the direction of the arrow shown on
the latter, by allowing c to slip in that direction the conditions for reducing the
angle of displacement of frame b, and consequent greater reduction of speed are now
established, and it only remains to so control the slip of c in order to effect any desired
reduction.
Taking for example the case of a turning 100 times per minute, the proportion
of a to being as 4: 1, the reduction is as 5: 1, so that 6 will make 20 revolutions
C

page_text: per minute when is held fast. When is allowed to slip so as to make 25 revolu-
tions per minute the reduction is as a : 1, so that will not move. If the slip of c
is 24 revolutions per minute, the reduction is as 125: 1, so that will make S of a
turn per minute. If the slip of c is 23 revolutions per minute, the reduction is
as 625 1, and will make 16 revolutions per minute. If the slip of is 20 re-
volutions per minute, the reduction is as 251, and turns 4 times per minute.
To obtain the reduction of speed for any given case it is only necessary to deduct
from the number of revolutions of a per minute, the product of the slip of e per
minute into the ratio of a to c, and divide by such ratio plus 1.
Thus in the case above stated, where the revolutions of a per minute was 100, and
the slip of equal to 20 per minute, the proportion of a toe being as 4: 1, the above
formula works out thus -
100-(20 × 4)
-100:
= 25: 1. When slips 1 per
minute (the other conditions remaining the same), the reduction is then
100--(1 × 4)
100:
5
-
5.2 1.
5
As an instance of the advantage of my invention I will take the example of an
electric car propelled by means of accumulators in the manner hitherto adopted, and
travelling on a road with heavy inclines, and compare same with a car propelled by
accumulators according to my system on the same road.
In known systems as the current increases with the torque, this larger current must
be provided for by the accumulators, which must be of such size and capacity as to
give the current without risk of damage, and the motor must be of such size as to
comfortably carry this current without risk of burning up. On a road, therefore, with
heavy inclines, the motor and supply of power which is requisite for mounting the
inclines are greatly in excess of the requirements for the other or level parts of the
road. If on the inclines a reducing gear of higher value than that employed on
the level is used, the electrical discharge may be kept approximately the same, while
the car is propelled at a slower speed, and to a limited extent this has already been
attempted by employing change gearing, but this has always been confined to a range
of three speeds at the utmost, such arrangement being of a complicated and costly
nature, and occupying a large space where economy of space is of great
consideration.
By employing my gearing, which I call "slip" gearing, the driver is enabled to
keep the speed of the motor and the discharge of the current approximately constant,
by actuating the break on the slip wheel in a judicious manner, and thus to travel up
an incline as slow as he likes. The motor and accumulators need not, therefore, be
abnormally large. Another advantage is that, as by my system the speed of the
motor and also the discharge from the accumulators remains always approximately the
same, their joint efficiency is not impaired, no matter how the load on the driving
wheels varies, which is not the case in the present system, as any excess of current
lowers the efficiency both of the motor and of the accumulators.
It is evident that even on a level the driver will have it in his power to go as slowly
as he likes by simply allowing more slip, in place of employing the wasteful process of
putting in resistances as hitherto.
It is also evident that the driver being able to keep the current within reasonable
bounds, both in starting and in going up inclines, must be highly beneficial to the accu-
mulators and prolong their life, and as the cost of such accumulators is the most
important item in the equipment of electrically propelled cars, the avoidance of
frequent renewals is consequently an obvious advantage.
As already mentioned the same principle holds good where the frame is the driver
and the wheel a the driven part, when as in the former case the transmission is the
highest when c is fixed, and diminishes to a larger and larger extent as the slip-of c
increases. This arrangement will find a ready application if bis imagined to be
secured to the crank shaft of a steam engine, and a considered as mounted on the
armature spindle of a dynamo machine. If now the breaking power holding c is

page_text: governed by the current by means of a magnet an automatic arrangement will be
provided for keeping the EMF constant with varying load in the external circuit.
Taking the case of a shunt wound dynamo, and supposing c to be fixed when the speed
is the proper one for the greatest number of lamps employed, any reduction in the
When this occurs
number of such lamps would increase the EMF at the terminals.
in ordinary machines the difficulty is overcome electrically by what is known as
"compounding " such machines, whereas I control the EMF mechanically by
altering the speed of the dynamo automatically.
The breaking power on the slip or yielding fulcrum wheels c being, as already
mentioned, a function of the current, when the latter diminishes through a higher
resistance in the external circuit, the break is partially released, the speed of the dynamo
diminished, and the EMF lowered. On the other hand an increase of current will
cause the break to tighten and reduce the slip of wheel c, thus again increasing the
When the machine is on open circuit
speed of the dynamo, and raising the EMF.
an independent friction on c is provided, causing the armature to revolve at sufficient
speed to keep the field magnets excited.
When one lamp is put in the external circuit the current actuating the automatic
break permits a proper slip of wheel c, and when the full number of lamps are in
When this is
circuit the breaking power must only be just sufficient to fix c.
attained the EMF for all intermediate stages will be automatically controlled.
Fig. shows an arrangement for effecting this by having the break lever E
connected to the solenoid Fintroduced in the main circuit.
For effecting a control of constant current machines I use an arrangement
"Melville's
represented in Fig. 6, where a similar contrivance to what is known as
Governor," is shown as applied to the purpose of shifting a weight W, so as to control
the break on the slip wheel c. The break E is connected to the arm G₁ of a lever
A
fulcrummed at G2, the weight W being mounted on the arm G of such lever.
lever I is mounted so that it can rock on the fulcrum G2 of lever G, such lever I
carrying wheels L and M which gear with each other, and the latter of which gears
with wheel O mounted to revolve freely on the fulcrum G2 of lever G, and engaging
A wheel K is mounted in fixed
the toothed rack N connected to weight W.
bearings and caused to revolve continuously in the same direction by any suitable
means. A spring H acts on the lever. I against the pull of the solenoid J, and when
the current is of proper strength the two balance each other, so that wheel K does not
gear with either of the wheels L, M, and the break remains applied to the slip
wheel c.
When the current increases the solenoid J overcomes the spring H, bringing
wheel L in contact with wheel K, and so actuates wheel in the direction to shift
weight W towards fulcrum G of lever G, thereby releasing the break and permitting
the slip of wheel e to increase, thus decreasing the EMF, and bringing the current
back to its proper value. If on the other hand the current decreases the action of
spring Hovercomes that of the solenoid J, and the reverse action takes place, thus
tightening the break again, and so reducing the slip of wheel c, thereby increasing
the EMF, and bringing the current back to its proper value.
The arrangement is perfectly automatic and self regulating, even if the coefficient
of friction on the break should change through wear, lubrication, or other cause, for
should the friction on the break decrease the effect would be a diminution of current,
equivalent to an increase of resistance, and the wheels L, M, would be actuated to
shift the weight W further out, until the equilibrium between the solenoid J and
An increase of the friction of the break will cause the
spring H is established.
opposite action to take place.
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. In the known cylic transmission or sun and planet gearing, providing a yielding
Cala-nm he allowing the fulcrum-or intermediate wheel-to slip, the extent of such

page_text: slip being controlled by suitable means and determining the ratio of transmission,
substantially as described and shown.
2. The employment of the gearing described in the preceding claim for the purpose
of controlling the ratio of transmission from electro motors, to the driving axles of
vehicles, substantially as specified.
3. The employment of the gearing described in claim 1 for the purpose of
maintaining a constant EMF at the terminals of dynamo machines, substantially as
specified.
4. The employment of the gearing described in claim 1 for the purpose of obtaining
a constant current from dynamo machines, substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of Dasambar 1987
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.