Improvements in Variable Speed Gears.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th July, 1899
Improvements in Variable Speed Gears.
I, WILLIAM BAINES, Jnr., of 166, Amesbury Avenue, Streatham Hill, S.W.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in variable speed gears said speed gears
being especially adapted to be used in connection with motor driven vehicles
or for machines or other similar purposes, and the object of my invention is to
construct a simple speed gear capable of being set or adjusted to any desired
speed from zero to its maximum capacity, and by the use of which speed gear
comparatively very little of the motive power will be absorbed or lost on account
of friction.
My invention consists in the application of a friction band around a disc with
which I provide the driving axle of the vehicle or machine which is to be
driven, said friction band being operated by the connecting rod of a suitable
engine or motor in such a manner that the movement of said connecting rod
in one direction will cause the said friction band to grip and rotate the dise
and consequently also the driving axle, but the movement of the connecting rod
in the opposite direction will cause the band to release its grip on said disc.
My invention further consists in the employment of a jointed or flexible connecting
rod by means of which the gear may be set or adjusted from zero to its maximum
capacity, and also in the improved method of adjusting the two ends of the
friction band to enable the motion of the vehicle or machine to be reversed.
In carrying my invention into practice I employ an engine or motor of any
desired suitable construction or kind having a reciprocating piston and if
necessary also piston rod. To this piston or piston rod I attach a connecting rod
which consists of two parts-preferably of equal lengths and hinged or joined
together in any suitable manner-so that said connecting rod may be set or
buckled at its joint to any angle-within limits-and its length thereby shortened,
the said connecting rod being provided with suitable and adjustable means for
retaining said connecting rod in its set or buckled position no matter to what
angle it may have been set.
The crank end of this connecting rod is pivotally attached to one end of a
lever, the opposite end of which lever is in turn pivotally connected to a second
lever which latter is at its opposite end loosely mounted on the driving axle of
the vehicle or machine to be driven, the said levers being preferably situated in
close proximity to the disc with which the driving shaft is provided.
The said disc is encircled by a friction band which may be of steel or other
suitable material and which friction band is provided with a suitable pin or
equivalent at each end and the first lever hereinbefore referred to is formed
with two grooves or slots each of which grooves terminates at one end in more
or less close proximity to the pivot where said first lever is connected to the
second lever, and said grooves may be of any desired requisite length, each of
said grooves being adapted to receive one of the pins with which the friction

page_text: band is provided, the arrangement of the whole being such that if one of the
pins in the ends of the bands be inserted at one end of one of the grooves and
the other pin be inserted at the opposite end of the other groove both pins
being held in position by any suitable means-and the first lever be partially
turned by, say, the forward motion of the connecting rod, then the band will
be drawn taut around the disce and any further forward motion of the connecting
rod will cause the said disc and consequently the driving shaft to be partially
rotated whereas the reverse movement of the connecting rod will instantly release
the grip of the friction band on the disc so that a partial rotation will in this
manner be imparted to the shaft at each forward thrust of the connecting
rod.
For the purpose of reversing the vehicle or machine it is only necessary to
reverse the relative positions of the pins in the grooves referred to, so that in
this event the reverse movement of the first lever will cause the friction band
to grip the disc and the forward movement will cause the said band to release
its grip. The said pins may be adjusted and retained in any desired positions in
their grooves by any suitable means.
As before stated, the connecting rod is made of two parts jointed together and
capable of being set at an angle. When the said two parts are in alignment
the length of the connecting rod will be at its maximum and the arrangement
of the levers is such that when said connecting rod is moved say, forward,
the parts being in alignment as described-the band will be almost immediately
caused to grip the disc and consequently the said disc will be rotated through
a distance about equal to the stroke of the engine but if the two parts of the
connecting rod have been set to an angle, then the said connecting rod will
have been shortened and it is then necessary for the said connecting rod to
be moved or thrust forward a distance at least equal to the extent of said
shortening before the friction band will be caused to grip the disc as before.
By these means the rod may be set so as to rotate the disc from nil up to
the maximum distance at each thrust of the connecting rod, and by the arrange-
ment herein before described the direction of such movement may at will be
forward or backward.
If the pins on the ends of the band hereinbefore referred to be moved so as
to be situated about midway in their slots, the said band will not grip in
either direction although the motor or engine may be running.
Dated this 25th day of April 1898.
WILLIAM BAINES.
By his Agents,
Horn, Son & Co.,
151, Strand (next to Somerset House),
I, WILLIAM BAINES, Jnr., of 166, Amesbury Avenue, Streatham Hill, S.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 improvements in variable speed gears being
especially adapted to be used in connection with motor driven vehicles
or for machines or other similar purposes and the object of my invention is to
construct a simple speed gear capable of being set or adjusted to any desired

page_text: speed from zero to its maximum capacity, and by the use of which speed gear
comparatively very little of the motive power will be absorbed or lost on account
of friction.
My invention consists in the application of a friction band around a disc with
which I provide the driving axle of the vehicle or machine which is to be
driven, said friction band being operated by the connecting rod of a suitable
engine or motor in such a manner that the movement of said connecting rod
in one direction will cause the said friction band to grip and rotate the disc
and consequently also the driving axle, but the movement of the connecting rod
in the opposite direction will cause the band to release its grip on said disc.
My invention further consists in the employment of a jointed or flexible connecting
rod by means of which the gear may be set or adjusted from zero to its maximum
capacity, and also in the improved method of adjusting the two ends of the
friction band to enable the motion of the vehicle or machine to be reversed.
In order that my invention may be readily understood reference is made to
the accompanying drawing in which my invention is shown in two positions
similar letters of reference indicating the parts in both figures.
Fig. 1 shows my invention in side elevation the connecting rod A being
straight, and
Fig. 2 shows a similar view but with the connecting rod A buckled.
In carrying my invention into practice I employ an engine or motor of any
desired suitable construction or kind adapted to reciprocate a connecting-rod A.
Said connecting rod A is made up of two parts a, a, which are jointed together,
the said two parts being adapted to be used either in alignment as shown in
Fig. 1 or buckled or set to any suitable angle-within limits-say, as shown
in Fig. 2.
I may employ any suitable means for retaining the parts a a¹ either in align-
ment or buckled and the means illustrated on the drawing are merely as an
example. These means consist of a screw having a hand-wheel 6 at one
end and its opposite end being bedded in a socket or equivalent C said screw
being capable of being rotated without affecting the socket which latter is carried
on tho pin a which also joins the parts of the connecting rod A. To the
parts a a¹ I fix sleeves or equivalents D which by means of links d are joined to
à nut E on the screw B the arrangement being such that the parts a a' may
either be held in alignment as shown in Fig. I or they may be set or buckled
as shown in Fig. 2 to any suitable angle by merely turning the hand-wheel b.
As already stated I show these means merely as an example and do not confine
myself thereto.
The crank end of the connecting rod A is pivotally attached to one end of a
lever the opposite end of which lever is in turn pivotally connected to a
second lever G which latter is at its opposite end loosely mounted on the driving
axle H of the vehicle or machine to be driven, the said levers being situated in
close proximity to the disc J with which the driving shaft or axle is provided.
The said disc is encircled by a friction band K which may be of steel or other
suitable material and which friction band is provided with a suitable pin k
or equivalent at each end and the lever F is formed or provided with two
grooves or slots f each of which grooves terminates at one end in more or less
close proximity to the pivot f' by which said lever F is connected to the lever G.
and said grooves may be of any desired requisite length, each of said grooves
being adapted to receive one of the pins with which the friction band K is
provided, the arrangement of the whole being such that if one of the pins in the
ends of the bands be inserted at one end of one of the grooves and the other
pin be inserted at the opposite end of the other groove as shown in Fig. 1,–
both pins being held in position by any suitable means such for example as a set
nut and the lever F be partially turned by the forward motion of the connecting
rod then the band will be drawn taut around the disc and any further forward

page_text: motion of the connecting rod will cause the said disc J and consequently the
driving shaft H to be partially rotated; whereas the reverse movement of the
connecting rod will instantly release the grip of the friction band on the disc
so that a partial rotation will in this manner be imparted to the shaft at each
forward thrust of the connecting rod.
For the purpose of reversing the vehicle or machine it is only necessary to
reverse the relative positions of the pins in the grooves referred to, as indicated
in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that in this event the reverse movement of the
lever F will cause the friction band K to grip the disc J and the forward move-
ment will cause the said band to release its grip. The said pins may be adjusted
and retained in any desired position in their grooves by any suitable means, say
for example a set nut (not shown).
As before stated, the connecting rod A is made of two parts jointed together
and capable of being set at an angle. When the said two parts are in alignment
the length of the connecting rod will be at its maximum and the arrangement
of the levers F and G is such that when said connecting rod is moved say,
forward, the parts being in alignment as described the band K will be almost
immediately caused to grip the disc J and consequently the said disc will be
rotated through a distance about equal to the stroke of the engine but if the
two parts of the connecting rod have been set to an angle, as shown in Fig. 2,
then the said connecting rod will have been shortened and it is then necessary
for the said connecting rod to be moved or thrust forward a distance at least equal
to the extent of said shortening before the friction band will be caused to grip
the disc as before.
By these means the connecting rod may be set so as to rotate the disc from
nil up to the maximum distance at each thrust of the connecting rod, and as
already hereinbefore described the direction of movement may at will be forward
or backward.
If the pins on the ends of the band K be moved so as to be situated about
midway in their slots, the said band will not grip in either direction although
the motor or engine may be running.
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 with a variable speed gear of a jointed or flexible con-
necting rod, said connecting rod being adapted to be shortened so as to decrease
its effective stroke on the speed gear substantially as set forth.
2. A variable speed gear consisting in combination of a disc situated on the
axle of the vehicle or machine a friction band encircling said disc and provided
with a pin or equivalent at each end, a crank or lever such as G loosely mounted
on the axle and pivotally supporting at its outer or free end one end of a lever
such as which is formed or provided with two grooves or slots adapted to
receive the pins of the friction band and which lever F is pivotally connected at
its other end to a flexible or jointed connecting rod operated by the engine and
adapted to be shortened all for the purposes and substantially as described.
3. In a variable speed gear a lever such as F having two grooves or equi-
valents adapted to have fixed therein two pins with which the ends of the
friction band are provided said lever being pivotally supported at one end by a
crank or lever such as G and pivotally attached at its other end to a connecting
rod or the like all for the purposes and substantially as described.
4. In a variable speed gear having a friction band the improved method of
and means for adjusting the ends of said friction band to enable the motion of
the vehicle or machine to which said gear is applied to be reversed substantially
as described.
5. A variable speed gear adapted to be set to any speed from nil up to its

page_text: maximum capacity and adapted to be operated in either direction all for the
purposes and substantially as set forth.
A
1
1000
WILLIAM BAINES.
By his Agents,
Horn, Son & Co.,
151, Strand (next to Somerset House), London.