Improvements in Driving Gear for Motor Cars.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1899
3.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Motor Cars.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from
abroad by La Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Panhard et Levassor,
of 19, Avenue d'Ivry, Paris, France, Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is an arrangement of the driving gear of a motor
car such that by the movement of a single hand lever, the car can be driven at
several different speeds in either direction.
For this purpose the shaft driven by the motor has on it a sleeve which can
slide on but must turn with the shaft, this sleeve having fixed on it at intervals
apart several toothed wheels of different sizes. l'arallel to this shaft is another
driven shaft having fixed on it at intervals toothed wheels which can respectively
gear with those on the sleeve, but the intervals between the several wheels on
the sleeve and the driven shaft are so arranged that only one of the wheels on
the driven shaft can gear with one of those on the sleeve at the same time. There
is also one position which may be termed the zero position of the sleeve in which
none of the wheels are engaged. The driven shaft drives by bevil gear the
casing of differential gear on the axle of the driving wheels or an intermediate
axle from which the two driving wheels are driven. Besides the parallel shaft
above mentioned there is another parallel reversing shaft having fixed on it two
toothed wheels which are both kept out of gear by a spring urging the shaft in
one direction against a stop. The hand lever, which is provided with a spring
catch engaging in a toothed segment so as to hold the lever in several different
positions, works a sliding rod from which an arm projects at right angles cross-
ing the sleeve and the reversing shaft, one part of it being engaged between
collars on the sleeve and another part bearing on its one side against a collar on
the reversing shaft when the lever is in zero position. When the lever is moved
in the one direction it moves the sleeve so as to bring one or other of its wheels
into gear with one of the wheels on the driven shaft, but it does not move the
reversing shaft. But when the lever is moved past its zero position in the other
direction it moves the reversing shaft against the spring and brings a wheel on
the reversing shaft into gear with a wheel on the sleeve and another wheel on.
the reversing shaft in gear with a wheel on the driven shaft which is thus caused
to revolve in the opposite direction propelling the vehicle backwards. The seg-
ment for the spring catch of the lever has a stop which holds the lever in the
zero position unless the catch is disengaged from the stop by pressure on the
spring rod. This provides against the driver reversing through negligence.
Dated this 25th day of November 1899.

page_text: improvements
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from
abroad by La Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Panhard et Levassor,
of 19, Avenue d'Ivry, Paris, France, Manufacturers), 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 this invention is an arrangement of the driving gear of a motor
car such that by the movement of a single hand lever, the car can be driven at
several different speeds and reversed.
For this purpose apparatus is employed which I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a horizontal section and Fig. 3 a trans-
verse section shewing the gearing set for running backwards. Figs. 4 and 5 are
respectively an elevation and a plan, drawn to a reduced scale, shewing the gear-
ing set for running slowly forwards. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the controlling
lever.
The shaft a driven by the motor it may be by a friction cone clutch engaged
by a spring b, has on it a sleeve c which can slide on but must turn with the
shaft, this sleeve having fixed on it at intervals apart several toothed wheels.d
e f g of different sizes. l'arallel to this shaft is another driven on counter
shaft having fixed on it at intervals toothed wheels i j k l which can respec-
tively gear with those on the sleeve, but the intervals between the several wheels
on the sleeve and the counter shaft are so arranged that only one of the wheels
on the driven shaft can gear with one of those on the sleeve at the same time.
There is also one position which may be termed the zero position of the sleeve
in which none of the wheels are engaged. The counter shaft h drives by a
bevil wheel the casing of differential gear on the axle of the driving wheels
or an intermediate axle. from which the two driving wheels are driven. Besides
the parallel shaft h there is another parallel reversing shaft p having fixed on
it two toothed wheels q r which are both kept out of gear by a spring s urging
the shaft in one direction. The hand levert which is provided with a spring
catch having rod z and engaging in teeth of a segment so as to hold the
lever in several different positions, works a sliding rod from which an arm m
projects at right angles crossing the sleeve and the reversing shaft, one part of
it being engaged between collars on the sleeve e and another part bearing on its
one side against a collar on the reversing shaft when the lever is in zero posi-
tion. When the lever t is moved in the one direction it moves the sleeve c so
as to bring one or other of its wheels into gear with one of the wheels on the
driven shaft, but it does not move the reversing shaft. But when the lever is
moved past its zero position in the other direction it moves the reversing shaft p
against the springs and brings the wheel 9 on the reversing shaft into gear
with the wheel d on the sleeve and the other wheel r on the reversing shaft in
gear with the wheel on the counter shaft h which is thus caused to revolve in
the opposite direction propelling the vehicle backwards. The segment for the
spring catch of the levert holds the lever in the zero position unless the catch
is disengaged from the segment by pressure on the spring rod z. This provides
against the driver reversing through negligence.

page_text: 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 claim is:
-
1. Driving gear for a motor car, wherein by the movement of one lever, a
sleeve caused to rotate by the motor engine, can be slid into various positions
bringing one or other of wheels of different sizes on it into gear with corre-
sponding wheels on a counter shaft working the differential gear of the driving
axle, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the gear above referred to, a reversing shaft urged in
one direction by a spring and having two wheels arranged to gear respectively
with a wheel on the sleeve and a wheel on the countershaft, substantially as
described.
3. Varying speed and reversing gear for a motor car controlled by a single
lever provided with spring catch, substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Dotal th: 0th Jan of And 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.