Year: 1898

page_text: I, RICHARD NOTT DYER, of 62, Prospect Street, in the Township of East Orange,
in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey, in the United States of America,
Attorney-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object in view is to produce a simple and effective gearing capable of adjust-
ment to vary speed or power relations which will transmit motion positively at all
times even during the periods of adjustment.
This is accomplished by constructing one element of the gearing with two or
more adjoining toothed gear wheels of different diameters but having coincident
portions at which the shifting from one speed to another is effected. If the lateral
shifting of one element of the gearing with relation to the other element is effected
while the engagement of the two elements of the gearing is within the limits of
the coincident portions of two adjoining gears, the power will be transmitted from
one element of the gearing to the other positively and without break.
In the preferred construction of the improved gearing, two or more concentric
gear wheels are placed side by side (the number thereof being determined by the
number of changes in speed or power desired for any particular purpose), such
gear-wheels being of different diameters to give the different speed or power rela-
tions desired. Between each concentric gear-wheel and the next adjoining
concentric gear-wheel, is placed an eccentric or cam gear wheel, which is
coincident at different portions of its perimeter with both of the concentric
gear-wheels, and between these portions which are coincident with the adjoin-
ing concentric gears of different size, the eccentric gear has two cam surfaces
which connect such portions. In other words, considering the relation of
an eccentric or cam gear to two adjoining concentric gear-wheels differing in size,
the perimeter of the eccentric gear has two concentric portions, one coincident with
the smaller gear-wheel and the other coincident with the larger gear-wheel, and
between these concentric portions the eccentric gear has two cam surfaces which
connect the concentric portions of its perimeter, one rising from the smaller wheel
to the larger wheel and the other falling from the larger wheel to the smaller wheel.
The division of the perimeter of the eccentric gear-wheel between the two concen-
tric and two cam portions may be equal or unequal, i.e., each may occupy one
quarter of the whole perimeter or a greater space may be given to the concentric
portions than to the cam portions or vice versa, or the rising cam may occupy a
greater length of the perimeter than the falling cam, all according to the par-
ticular character of work to which the gearing may be applied.
The two or more concentric gear-wheels and one or more intermediate eccentric
gear-wheels are clamped together side by side with their teeth registering through-
out coincident portions, or are built together as a single structure, and form one
element of the gearing, such element being mounted directly upon or sleeved upon
the driving or the driven shaft. The other element of the gearing is a toothed wheel
carried by an arm or frame swung upon another shaft parallel with the first shaft,
such toothed wheel engaging with the wheels of the first element and adapted by

page_text: means of its swinging support to move towards or away from the axis of the first
element to accomodate itself to the different diameters of the wheels of the first
element. Motion is transmitted between the toothed wheel of the second element and
the shaft upon which it is supported by any suitable means which will permit the
swinging movement, as by gear-wheels, a chain and sprocket-wheels, or other
device. Either element of the gear may be the driving element, and either may
be arranged to be shifted laterally so as to cause the wheel of the second element
to be transferred from one of the concentric gears to another over one of the cam
surfaces of an eccentric gear. This lateral shifting may be effected by the power
itself through a suitable cam or by the direct throw of a lever.
To maintain the toothed wheel of the second element in engagement with the
toothed concentric and eccentric wheels of the first element of the gearing there is
provided, adjoining the wheels of the first element and turning therewith, another
set of similar concentric and eccentric wheels, having toothed or smooth surfaces
but preferably the latter, and with this second set of concentric and eccentric
wheels engages a wheel on an arm extending from or connected with the swinging
frame of the second element of the gearing, so that the movement of this holding
wheel away from the axis of the first element of the gearing can only be accom-
plished by a corresponding movement towards that axis of the engaging toothed
wheel of the second element of the gearing. By a proper adjustment of the smooth
wheels, the operative engagement between the two elements of gearing is thus main-
tained. The toothed and smooth wheels of the second element of the gearing also
lock the gearing against lateral shifting except at the coincident portions of the
gears of the first element.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Variable Gearing.
I, RICHARD NOTT DYER, of 62, Prospect Street, in the Township of East Orange,
in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey, in the United States of America,
Attorney at Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what man-
ner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
The object I have in view is to produce a simple and effective gearing capable
of adjustment to varying speed or power relations which will transmit motion posi-
tively at all times, even during the periods of adjustment.
This I accomplish by constructing one element of the gearing with two or more
adjoining toothed gear-wheels of different diameters, but having coincident por-
tions at which the shifting from one speed to another is effected. If the lateral
shifting of one element of the gearing with relation to the other element is effected
while the engagement of the two elements of the gearing is within the limits of
the coincident portions of two adjoining gears, the power will be transmitted from
one element of the gearing to the other positively and without break.
In the preferred construction of my gearing I place side by side two or more
concentric gear wheels (the number being determined by the number of changes
in speed or power desired for any particular purpose) such gear wheels being of
different diameters to give the different speed or power relations desired. Between
each concentric gear wheel and the next adjoining concentric gear wheel I
place an eccentric or cam gear wheel, which is coincident at different por-
tions of its perimeter with both of the concentric gear wheels and between

page_text: these portions, which are coincident with the adjoining concentric gears of different
size, the eccentric gear has two cam surfaces which connect such portions.
In other words, considering the relation of an eccentric or cam gear to two
adjoining concentric gear wheels differing in size, the perimeter of the eccen-
tric gear has two concentric portions, one coincident with the smaller gear wheel
and the other coincident with the larger gear-wheel, and between these concentric
portions the eccentric gear has two cam-surfaces which connect the concentric
portions of its perimeter, one rising from the smaller wheel to the larger wheel and
the other falling from the larger wheel to the smaller wheel. The division of the
perimeter of the eccentric gear wheel between the two concentric and two cam por-
tions may be equal or unequal-i.e. each may occupy one-quarter of the whole
perimeter or a greater space may be given to the concentric portions than to the
cam portions, or vice versa, or the rising cam may occupy a greater length of the
perimeter than the falling cam, all according to the particular character of work
to which the gearing may be applied.
The two or more concentric gear wheels and one or more intermediate eccentric
gear wheels are clamped together side by side with their teeth registering through-
out coincident portions or are built together as a single structure and form one
element of the gearing, such element being mounted directly upon or sleeved upon
the driving or the driven shaft. The other element of the gearing is a toothed
wheel carried by an arm or frame swung upon another shaft parallel with the first
shaft, such toothed wheel engaging with the wheels of the first element and adapted
by means of its swinging support to move toward or away from the axis of the
first element to accommodate itself to the different diameters of the wheels of the
first element. Motion is transmitted between the toothed wheel of the second ele-
ment and the shaft upon which it is supported by any suitable means which will
permit the swinging movement, as by gear wheels, a chain, and sprocket wheels
or other device. Either element of the gear may be the driving element and either
may be arranged to be shifted laterally, so as to cause the wheel of the second
element, to be transferred from one of the concentric gears to another over one of
the cam surfaces of an eccentric gear. This lateral shifting may be effected by the
power itself through a suitable cam or by the direct throw of a lever.
To maintain the toothed wheel of the second element in engagement with the
toothed concentric and eccentric wheels of the first element of the gearing, I pro-
vide adjoining the wheels of the first element and turning therewith another set
of similar concentric and eccentric wheels having toothed or smooth surfaces, but
preferably the latter, and with the second set of concentric and eccentric wheels
engages a wheel on an arm extending from or connected with the swinging frame
of the second element of the gearing, so that the movement of this holding wheel
away from the axis of the first element of the gearing can only be accomplished by
a corresponding movement toward that axis of the engaging toothed wheel of the
second element of the gearing. By a proper adjustment of the smooth wheels the
operative engagement between the two clements of gearing is thus maintained.
The toothed and smooth wheels of the second element of the gearing also lock the
gearing against lateral shifting except at the coincident portions of the gears of
the first element.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a variable
gearing embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a
vertical section taken on line 3, 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on
line 4, 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the shifting cam developed. Fig. 6 is an
end elevation illustrating a different adjustment of the toothed and smooth eccen-
tric wheels of the first element of the gearing, and Fig. 7 is a plan view illustra-
ting the lateral shifting of the gearing by the direct throw of a lever.
Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 5, A and B are two shafts mounted in
suitable bearings. Pulleys a bare shown as conventional illustrations of any means
for applying power to or taking it from either shaft. The first element of the gear-

page_text: ing is composed of a set of concentric gear wheels CDE and eccentric gear
wheels G, the latter being shaded in the drawings to readily distinguish them
from the concentric gear wheels. The eccentric gear wheels have concentric por
tions coincident with the adjoining gear wheels and cam portions connecting the
eccentric portions, as already explained and as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
These concentric and eccentric gears are mounted on a sleeve c, splined on the
shaft A and turning therewith, but capable of longitudinal movement thereon.
Mounted on the same sleeve are a similar set of concentric and eccentric smooth
wheels C D E F G', and between the sets of toothed and smooth wheels is a
weight d to balance the wheels.
Upon the shaft B is a sleeve H capable of turning on the shaft, but held against
longitudinal movement. This sleeve carries an arm H', projecting over the first
element of the gearing, and mounted on that arm is the toothed wheel I, engaging
the concentric and eccentric gears C, D, E, F, G. The wheel I is geared with a
wheel J, keyed on the shaft B by an intermediate gear K, carried by the arm H'.
Projecting from the sleeve H under the first element of the gearing is an arm H²,
carrying a smooth wheel L, engaging the concentric and eccentric smooth wheels C₁
DEFG and serving to maintain the operative engagement of the wheel I
and also co-operating with the wheel I to prevent the shitting of the gearing
except at the coincident portions of the gears.
In the construction illustrated the first element of the gear is shifted laterally.
This is accomplished by mounting upon the sleeve a cam wheel M, having on
opposite sides of its circumference an initial straight portion e two inclined por
tions and and intermediate straight portions h (see Fig. 5). With this cam
engage the rms of a fork N, which fork is sleeved on a turning shaft i so as to
have a free longitudinal movement on said shaft, but held by a spline so as to turn
with the shaft. The arms of the fork rest normally in slots in a comb O, these
slots being the proper distance apart for the three adjustments of the gearing which
are illustrated.
The shaft i is turned in one direction by a spring j, so as to throw the fork
normally into engagement with the slots of the comb. The fork is moved by means
of a handle k. In order to shift the gearing, the fork is rocked by its handle so
as to be disengaged from the comb and is then shifted laterally until the fork en-
gages the next set of slots in the comb.
One of the arms of the fork will ride on the periphery of the cam-wheel M until
the straight portion e of the cam is reached, when the fork will drop into the comb,
and that arm of the fork will then engage the incline f on one side of the cam,
shifting the first element of the gearing so as to bring an eccentric gear into mesh
with the toothed wheel of the second element of the gearing. While this toothed
wheel is rising or falling on the eccentric gear the straight portion of the cam
will be in contact with the arm of the fork. The coincident portion of the gearing
being reached, the incline g of the cam will complete the lateral movement. The
teeth of the comb should have a sufficient length to permit the lateral movement
of the fork only when the arms of the fork are completely disengaged from the
cam.
C
Instead of providing a cam movement to effect the lateral shifting of the gear-
ing and utilizing the power to do the work in shifting, the shifting may be done
directly by a hand-lever, as illustrated in Fig. 7, in which the sleeve e is provided
with flanges lm, between which is a collar », connected by a yoke with a sliding
block P, whose movement is effected by a handle o, which handle is pivoted to the
block and works in the teeth of a comb O¹.
As already stated, the toothed wheel I of the second element of the gearing may
be connected with the shaft B by any suitable means, which will permit the swing-
ing movement. In Fig. 6 is illustrated the direct meshing of the gear I with the
gear Jon the shaft B. In this case the gear I and smooth wheel L are shown
as placed a quarter of a revolution apart instead of half a revolution. This makes
it necessary that the eccentric, toothed, and smooth wheels of the first element of

page_text: the gearing should be placed a quarter of a revolution apart. The wheels I and I
may be even closer togather and the shaft B brought closer to the shaft A, the
eccentric, toothed, and smooth wheels being properly adjusted with relation to each
other and to the wheels I and L, so that the movement of the wheels I and L
toward and away from the shaft A shall be equal and opposite.
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. A variable gear having co-operating gear wheel elements, one of such ele-
ments having gear wheels of different sizes provided with coincident portions at
which the shifting from one speed to another is effected, substantially as specified.
2. A variable gear, having for one element two or more concentric gear wheels
of different diameters and one or more intermediate eccentric or cam gear wheels
coincident throughout different portions of their perimeters with the adjoining
concentric gear wheels, and having for the other element a gear wheel meshing
with the wheels of the first element, the two elements being relatively movable
towards and away from each other and also being relatively adjustable laterally,
substantially as specified.
3. In a variable gear of the character described, the second set of concentric
and eccentric wheels for maintaining the engagement of the two elements of the
variable gear, substantially as specified.
4. In a variable gear of the character described the cam for effecting the relative
shifting of the elements of the gear, substantially as specified.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.