Improvements in Variable Speed or Speed and Power Mechanism for Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Variable Speed or Speed and Power Mechanism
for Motor Vehicles.
We, JOHN CLOUGH, of 4, Rose Bank, Manningham, in the County of York,
Manager, and JOSEPH BUSH, of Gas Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles that is to say "auto-
motors" and other vehicles fitted with a gas, steam, electric or other motor;
and its object is to provide efficient mechanism applicable to this class of vehicle
for varying the speed of the driving wheel (or driving wheels) in relation to the
speed of the motor.
For this purpose we employ a system of toothed wheels arranged in the form of
& "sun and planet" motion in conjunction with an annular, or internally toothed
wheel or its equivalent. This mechanism is introduced at any suitable position
between the motor and the driving wheels and is so arranged that the whole
mechanism may be bodily driven without internal or independent motion of the
sun and planet wheels to obtain one speed. And to vary the speed the mechanism
is so constructed that the sun wheel may be held stationary instead of being
locked to and revolve with the remainder of the mechanism. A further
variation is obtained by driving the sun wheel and holding the said annular wheel
stationary.
In the above arrangement that part of the mechanism carrying the planet wheel
is preferably the part to which motion is imparted and by which power is trans-
-mitted. Two or more planet wheels are preferably employed in order to balance
and strengthen the mechanism.
In order that the changes in the speed may be smoothly made without
objectionable shock we employ conical or other friction clutches or friction
devices to hold either the sun wheel or the annular wheel or both the sun wheel
and the annular wheel stationary; or to drive either or both the sun wheel and
annular wheel.
The parts are preferably arranged so that all the clutches or friction devices
O may be thrown out of gear and thus disconnect the motor from the wheels.
Dobruary 1896.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Variable Speed or Speed and Power Mechanism
for Motor Vehicles.
We, JOHN CLOUGH, of 4, Rose Bank, Manningham, in the County of York,
Manager, and JOSEPH BUSH, of Gas Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles that is to say "auto-
motors" and other vehicles fitted with gas, steam, electric or other motors and
its object is to provide efficient mechanism applicable to this class of vehicle for
varying the speed of the driving wheel (or driving wheels) in relation to the speed
of the motor.
To fully describe our invention, reference is made to the accompanying sheets of
drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.
Figure 1, represents an elevation of our improved mechanism. Figure 2,
represents a plan view and Figure 3, a side view of the same.
Figure 4, represents a diametrical section on a larger scale of part of the
mechanism and Figure 5, represents a cross section of the same on the broken
line a, b Figure 4.
Figure 6, represents a diametrical section similar to Figure 4 illustrating a
modified arrangement of the mechanism shown in that figure.
The shaft A is mounted in bearings A 2 formed in the framework A 3 which is
fixed to or forms part of the framework of the vehicle. This shaft A is positively
driven in any convenient manner from the motor, and the motion of the shaft A is
transmitted by the mechanism hereinafter described to the chain or sprocket
wheel B which drives the driving shaft or driving wheel or wheels of the vehicle
by means of a chain or its equivalent.
The mechanism above referred to consists (1) of a sun wheel C capable of being
clutched to and revolve with the shaft A or to be held stationary and (2) of an
annular or internally toothed wheel D also capable of being clutched to and
revolve with the shaft A or to be held stationary and also (3) of a planet wheel or
planet wheels B 2 fixed to the chain wheel B and engaging both the sun wheel C
and the annular wheel D. In this arrangement three speeds of the chain wheel in
relation to that of the motor are obtainable namely (1) when both the sun
wheel C and the annular wheel D revolve with the shaft A the chain wheel B is
driven at the same speed as the shaft A; (2) when the sun wheel is held
stationary whilst the annular wheel D is driven with the shaft A the chain
wheel B is driven at a reduced speed in relation to the shaft A.; and (3) when the
annular wheel D is held stationary and the sun wheel is driven at the same speed
as the shaft A the chain wheel B is driven at a still more reduced speed in relation
to the shaft A.
་
"
The sun wheel C is loosely mounted upon the shaft A and is provided with a
cone shell C2 to engage the cone clutch C3 mounted upon the shaft A and keyed
to it by the key C4 so as to revolve with it but be free to be moved longitudinally
upon the shaft to engage or disengage it from the shell C 2.
The annular wheel D is also provided with a cone shell D2 to engage the
cone D3 mounted in a similar way to the cone C3 upon the shaft A. The
wheel D is mounted upon ball bearings D5 and D 6 lying in ball races formed in
the central boss D 7 of the wheel D and the collar A4 formed upon the shaft A
and also a loose collar C 5 (omitted in Figure 5) fitting upon the boss C 6 of the
sun wheel C.

page_text: The planet wheels B2 are mounted upon pins B3 fixed in the face of the chain -
wheel B and also in the annular support B 4 rigidly secured to the wheel B by the
studs B 5. The wheel B and the annular support B 4 revolve upon the balls B6
and B7 respectively lying in the ball races formed round the collar C5 and the
boss C 6 formed between the shell C2 and the sun wheel C.
The whole of the ball bearings above described are adjusted by the screw nut F
and the lock nut F1 fitting the screw thread A 5 cut upon A. Balls A 6 are:
interposed between the nut and the face of the shell C2 to reduce the friction.
It will be readily understood that by means of the cones C 2 and D 2 the sun
wheel C and the annular wheel D may be clutched fast so as to revolve with the
shaft A or that either the sun wheel or the annular wheel or both of them may be
disengaged from the shaft A. We provide band clutches G and H to bear upon
the outer peripheries of the shells C2 and D 2 to hold them stationary when the
cones C3 and D 3 are disengaged therefrom.
The clutches C 3 and D3 are operated by the clutch levers M and M 2 which
are hinged to the adjustable blocks M3 fixed upon the lower part of the frame A 3.
The levers M and M 2 are provided with screw pins M4 which engage the
holes M5 formed in the collars M 6 loosely mounted upon the bosses C 8 and D8
of the clutch cones C3 and D3 but confined longitudinally thereon by the screw.
Duts M 7. Balls M 8 are placed upon each side of the collars M 6. The upper
ends of the levers M and M 2 engage cams L 3 and L 4 by which cams the levers.
are moved to operate the clutches C 3 and D 3.
The cams L3 and L4 are loosely mounted upon the shaft L2 fixed in the
lugs A 5 and A 6 projecting from A 3 and the cams are turned by the hand
levers L 6 and L 7 respectively fixed to them. The levers L 6 and L7 are locked
in any position by the bolts or detents L8 and L9 engaging the semi-circular
racks N and N2 fixed to the frame A 3 concentric with the shaft L 2. The
bolts L8 and L 9 are mounted in holes through the studs O, O and are disengaged
from the racks by the small levers K 8, K 8, to the lower arms of which levers the
upper ends of the bolts L 8 and L 9 are attached. The levers K8 are pivoted
upon the studs 02, 02 fixed in the hand levers L6 and L 7. Spiral
springs 03, 03 stretched between the levers K 8 and studs 04 on the levers L 6
and L7 are provided to restore the levers K 8 to the position shown and keep the
said bolts engaged with the semi-circular racks.
The band clutches G and H are preferably lined with leather Jand one end of
each band is connected to the framework A 3 whilst the other end of the band G
is connected by the link G2 to the cam L3 and the end of the band H is
connected by the link H 2 to the cam L 4. It will thus be seen that when both
the levers L6 and L 7 are moved forwards in the direction of the arrow Figure 3,
the band clutches are both slackened and the cone clutches are forced into their
shells which lock the sun wheel C and the annular wheel D to the shaft and
consequently the shaft A is driven at the same speed as the chain wheel B. If
however either of the hand levers is pulled back the cam connected to it releases
the cone clutch on that side and the band clutch connected to the cam is
simultaneously tightened and holds the part it embraces stationary consequently
the shaft is driven at a reduced speed in relation to the chain wheel.
If both the hand levers are only drawn back sufficiently to disengage the cone
clutches without tightening the band clutches the shaft A is free to over-run the
wheel B and this wheel may be driven without driving the shaft A. Furthermore
if the hand levers are drawn fully back so as to tighten both the band clutches
the wheels C and D are checked and act as a brake on the wheel B and
consequently upon the motor driving it.
Any other suitable form of friction clutch may be employed instead of the cone
and band clutches shown.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 6, the mechanism is mounted directly upon
the driving shaft Z of the vehicle. The wheels B and B 9 are positively driven
at the same speed by chains or their equivalent from the motor. The wheels B

page_text: and B 9 are loosely mounted upon the shaft Z and are provided with bosses b fitted
with loose collars M 6 similar to those shown in Figures 3 and 4 whereby the
wheels may he moved longitudinally upon the shaft Z by means of levers arranged
and operated similarly to the levers M and M 2. The wheels B and B 9 hive
clutch cones C3 and D3 on their inner faces which may be made to engage the
clutch shells D 2 and C 2 respectively connected to the annular wheel D and the
sun wheel C both of which latter are loosely mounted upon the shaft Z but are
-confined longitudinally by means of the collars Z 2 and Z3 fixed by the pins Z 5.
The outer peripheries of the shells D2 and C2 are fitted with band clutches
arranged and operated in the same manner as the band clutches G and H. The
pins B 3 upon which the planet wheels B 2 are mounted are in this arrangement
fixed in a large. collar or disc Z4 formed upon or rigidly secured to the shaft Z.
The pins B 3 are supported at their outer ends by the annular support B 4 rigidly
connected to the disc Z 4 by studs similar to B 5 Figure 5.
. In operation when both the cones D3 and C3 engage the wheel D2 and C 2
the shaft Z is driven at its maximum speed. If however the cone C3 be disengaged
from C 2 and the sun wheel be held stationary by the band clutch upon C2 the
shaft Z will be driven at a reduced speed in relation to B and B 9. Again if D 3
be disengaged instead of C 3 and the annular wheel D be held stationary by the
band clutch upon D2 the shaft Z will be driven at a still more reduced speed in
relation to the wheels B and. B 9.
In this construction when the cone clutches C3 and D3 are both disengaged
and the band clutches are both tightened the shaft Z is retarded that is to say a
breaking action is more or less applied to this shaft according to the degree of
tightness of the band clutches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
-claim is:
1. Three speed mechanism consisting of a sun and planet motion and an annular
wheel or its equivalent in which at one speed the sun wheel is locked to and is
driven with the remainder of the mechanism and at another speed is held stationary
and at a third speed is driven whilst the annular wheel or its equivalent is held,
in combination with friction clutches for driving and holding the sun wheel and
friction clutches for driving and holding the annular wheel or its equivalent,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose specified.
2. The general construction, combination and application of the mechanism
constituting the improved three-speed gear, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 7th dox of December 1896
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Patent Agents.