Improvements in Reducing Gear for Transmitting Power.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 21st Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reducing Gear for Transmitting Power.
HOWARD BIRT TROTTER 176 Adelaide Road N.W. Electrical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The shaft of the motor has at its end a small coned pulley which drives by
friction two coned discs, one on each side of the pulley. These discs rotate loosely
in opposite directions on a shaft lying at right angles to the motor shaft being
bushed with gunmetal or other suitable material. The shaft carrying these discs
is mounted in suitable bearings and drives the machines to which the power is to
be transmitted from the motor. On this shaft are keyed two friction cones placed
at a certain distance apart one close to the outside face of each disc so that by
a slight lateral movement of the shaft one or other of the cones can be made
to engage its respective disc. The cones fit into recesses turned on the outer
face of each disc and by putting suitable pressure on one or other of the cones
by a slight lateral movement of the shaft the latter can be made to rotate in
one or other direction.
The slight motion of the shaft necessary to stop or reverse the machine may
be given to the shaft by a lever, screw or other appliance.
November 21st 1894.
I HOWARD BIRT TROTTER of 176 Adelaide Road London N.W. 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 devices for transmitting power at a reduced speed
without the intervention of belt or spur gearing.
This invention consists of an arrangement under which the driving or motor
shaft is placed in the same plane as and at right angles to the shaft to which power
is to be transmitted. On one end of the motor shaft is a cone of suitable size and
shape which engages with and drives by frictional contact two larger cone discs
which run loose on the shaft to be driven one on each side of the motor cone.
These discs are made hollow and each is provided with a suitable clutch inside the
hollow space these clutches engaging with and driving two other clutches fixed to
the driven shaft inside the hollow spaces within the cone discs sufficient clearance
being left inside the hollow to allow of the necessary end movement of the clutches
on the shaft to engage with or disengage from the clutches on the discs. This end
movement of the clutches is imparted to them from the driven shaft in a manner to
be described hereafter.

page_text: I will proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings, Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through the apparatus and Fig. 2 is an
outside elevation.
A is the motor shaft and B a cone of leather, paper, wood, or other suitable
material fixed thereto. C, C 1 are the cone discs which run loose on the driven
shaft D the faces of the cones C, C1 being suitably shaped to engage with the
cone B.
B1 is a similar cone to B, the object of which is to equalize the pressure, and
prevent distortion of the cones C, C1 and to obviate their binding on the shaft D
which would occur if the pressure was on one side only. B1 is carried on a short
shaft E running in the bearing F with an adjusting centre G. H, H 1 are the
clutches on the cone discs engaging with the clutches J, J 1 fixed to the shaft D.
K, L, are the bearings carrying the driven shaft D. P is the pinion or pulley
or coupling or similar part by which the power is taken off the shaft D.
One end of the shaft D is reduced at M and on the reduced part between the
shoulder and the nuts or collars U a shouldered sleeve Q is fitted having an arm R
carrying a small pin S, (Fig. 2) which fits loosely into a hole in the stationary
nut T and prevents Q from rotating. A collar q is screwed to the end of Q remote
from the shoulder. Lock nuts or collars U are fitted to the end of the reduced
part M of the shaft D.
V is a wheel, lever or similar part fitting round the sleeve Q between the
shoulder and the collar q and with its boss screwed into the fixed nut T.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Suppose the motor shaft and the
cone B are rotating and driving idly the cone dises C & C 1 and if it be desired to
drive the shaft D in one direction the wheel or lever V is moved round so that it
screws in or out of the fixed nut T, say that it is moved so that it screws in to the
nut it will carry to the left the shaft D, by means of the shoulder. In so doing
one of the clutches J 1 will be carried towards the clutch H 1 on the cone disc Cl
and will be driven by it, the other clutch J simply receding further from its fellow
clutch H. The shaft will then be driven by the cone C1 and the clutch J 1, the
pressure necessary for which drive is also communicated through the cone disc to
the driving cone B thus ensuring sufficient pressure to drive by rolling friction.
To stop the shaft D the wheel V is moved back to its original mid-position and to
reverse the shaft, the reverse motion of V is continued until the other clutches J
and H are in gear with each other, J1 and H 1 being then free. Instead of the
actuating gear as shewn any of the well known devices for imparting end motion
to a shaft may be used.
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. The combination of a driving cone or wheel with two cone discs running loose
on a shaft the said shaft carrying clutches whereby it may engage with either of
the said cone discs substantially as set forth.
2. The employment of an equalising cone to prevent the cone discs from being
distorted or from binding on their shaft and the adjustment thereof.
3. The employment of hollow cone dises, so that the clutches may be placed
inside in such a manner that the pressure necessary to gear the clutches also comes
on the rolling surfaces of the cones.
4. The combination of driving cone, equalising cone, driven coue discs, clutches,
and actuating gear, substantially as set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1895.
HOWARD BIRT TRUTTER.