An Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Variable Speed Gear for Motor Cars, Boats, and other Mechanically Propelled Conveyances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.An Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Variable Speed
Gear for Motor Cars, Boats, and other Mechanically Propelled
Conveyances.
one.
I, JAMES READ RICKARD of 143, Kennington Road, London, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved gear for starting, stopping, reversing and
varying the speed of the axles of motor cars, boats and other mechanically propelled
conveyances with respect to the motors, and it is particularly adapted for those
types of engines such as oil and gas engines which cannot be conveniently reversed.
According to my invention I mount on the axle to be driven a disc having two
or more coned faces according to the variations of speed desired. Presuming that
two speeds are required the inner cone will be a female one and the outer cone a male
On the axle of the motor which-in the case of a boat for example-will be
axially with respect to the driving axle is mounted a sleeve on which are formed
or fixed three cones a male cone adapted to engage with the female cone on the
disc on the axle to be driven, and the other two female cones adapted to engage with
a male cone forming part of an idle pulley mounted on an axle at right angles to
the driving axle, the said idle pulley also having another male cone of increased
diameter adapted to engage with the female cone on the disc on the axle to be-driven,
or with a male cone mounted on one of the female cones on the sleeve on the
driving axle but capable of being adjusted longitudinally with respect thereto. This
male cone carries an internal threaded nut with which engages the screwed boss of
a hand wheel the eye of which has an internal thread of a finer pitch than the
thread on its outer face, the said internal thread being adapted to engage with a
screw threaded collar or bush carried by the bearing bracket. The boss of this hand
wheel is adapted to engage by means of a ball bearing with a collar carried by
the sleeve carrying the cones so that the said cones may be moved longitudinally
on the axle at the same time that the outer male cone is also moved but at a slower
rate of speed.
The frictional surfaces of the various cones may be made either of metal or of
leather, rubber or other suitable material.
By this construction of gear the driven axle may be caused to rotate in the same
direction as the driving axle or in the reverse direction thereto at the same speed,
or it may be caused to rotate at a slower speed in the same direction or at a slower
speed in the reverse direction to the driving axle by simply turning the hand wheel
controlling the cones as hereinbefore set forth and by raising and lowering the idle
pulley with respect to the driving axle.
As a modification an idle ball or pulley having a spherical face may be substituted
for the idle pulley with coned faces as above described in which case suitable
cavities will be formed on the faces of the discs. The said ball or pulley and discs
being manipulated in any suitable manner.
Dated this 16th day of June 1896
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Variable Speed
Gear for Motor Cars, Boats, and other Mechanically Propelled
Conveyances.
I, JAMES READ RICKARD of 143, Kennington Road, Kennington, County of Surrey,
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 an improved gear for starting, stopping, reversing and
varying the speed of the axles of motor cars, boats and other mechanically propelled
conveyances with respect to the motors thereof and it is particularly adapted for use
with those types of engines such as oil and gas engines which cannot be conveniently
reversed and which have to run at a given speed of rotation.
It has been found from experience that the delicate variation of speed required
in mechanically propelled conveyances, more especially those adapted for use on
common roads can only be obtained by the use of some type of friction gearing and
it is to this type of gear that my invention relates.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my invention as arranged for a
motor car-
Figure 1 Sheet No. 1 is a view in side elevation.
Figure 2 Sheet No. 2 is a plan view in longitudinal section and
Figure 3 Sheet No. 3 is a view in sectional plan showing a modification.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a gear arranged to give two positive variations of speed
when driving forwards and one speed when driving rearwards, and Figure 3 illustrates
a gear arranged to give two positive variations of speed when driving either forwards
or backwards, and it will be obvious to anyone skilled in the construction of variable
speed gears that the number of variations of speed obtainable is only determined by
the number of wheels employed.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
In the construction shown by the accompanying drawings the driving axle A and
the driven axle B are placed in the same axial line. On the driven axle B is fixed
a coned frictional driving wheel C in the boss or central part of which is a coned
recess or female cone e forming one part of a cone clutch. Mounted on the driving
axle A is a sleeve D which by means of feathers and featherways has an independent
sliding motion but no independent rotary motion apart from the said axle. This
sleeve is of such a length that it engages also with the end of the driven axle B
and thus serves to keep the two axles in line. On the sleeve D-at one end thereof
-is formed or fixed a male cone E adapted to engage with the coned recess or female
cone of the wheel C and form a cone clutch. On the sleeve D are also formed
or fixed at a convenient distance apart-two coned friction wheels F and F', the
former being conveniently formed in one with the male cone E as shown by
Figures 2 and 3.
As an alternative construction the male cone may be formed on the coned wheel C
and the female cone in the coned wheel F.
Encircling the sleeve D between the coned wheels F and F is a box G the internal
diameter of which is of such a size that it is capable of a certain amount of
transverse movement without coming into contact with the sleeve D. For.convenience
in construction this box is made in two parts connected together in any suitable
manner.
Each half of the box G carries a stud axle H-preferably hollow-arranged in
the same radial line diametrically opposite to each other. On each of these axles is

page_text: mounted a double coned friction wheal the inner one J adapted to engage with the
coned wheels For F on the sleeve D and the outer one K adapted to engage with
the coned wheel C
The ends of the axles H are supported by suitable bearings y, v, carried hy
suitable brackets Y adapted to be fixed to any convenient part of the car, the axles
being prevented from rotating in but yet allowed to move longitudinally with respect
to the said bearings by means of feathers and featherways. The compound friction
cones J, K, are moved radially with respect to the axles A and B by means of
either of the two discs L threaded on the axles and adapted to bear against the
bosses of the compound friction cones. The disc L which is not required to rotate is
fixed to the axle by a cross pin or other device. The compound friction cones J, K,
are mounted to rotate freely on their axle by means of ball bearings constructed
and arranged so that the inner rows of balls take the radial pressure only and the
outer rows both the radial pressure and the end thrust, the said outer rows of balls.
taking a bearing against the discs L on the axles or against plates mounted thereon.
The thrust on the driven axle B is taken by a ball bearing in which the row of
balls takes a bearing against a ring plate formed on or carried by the bearing a
of the said axle as shown by Figures 2 and 3.
The sleeve D carrying the cone E and coned wheels F and F is moved by means
of a clutch collar M adapted to engage with a flange d on the end of the sleeve D.
suitable ball bearings being interposed between the faces to take the thrust of the
said sleeve. The clutch collar M is mounted by means of a screw thread on a boss
or extension N formed on or fixed to the bearing a carrying the axle A.
bearings and are carried by brackets X and X adapted to be fixed to any
suitable part of the car and the said bearings are preferably braced together by
means of brackets X and stays X as shown by Figure 1 to prevent any spring
between them due to the driving thrust.
It will be seen that the sleeve D carrying the cone E and the coned wheels F and FL
can be moved longitudinally on the axles A and B by rotating the clutch collar Mand
that the pair of double coned wheels J, K can be moved radially with respect to the
axles A and B by rotating one of the discs L. In practice it is only necessary
to rotate one of the said discs as the clearance in the box G allows the cones to
take an equal bearing on the friction wheels with which they engage, but if desired
both of the dises may be actuated. Therefore by rotating the clutch collar M and
one of the discs I, the desired speed of rotation can be given to the driven axle B in
either a forward or backward direction.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the cone E on the sleeve D
is not engaged with the coned recess or female cone c in the wheel C but that each
of the pairs of cones J K are engaged with the opposite sides of the coned wheel F
on the sleeve D and the coned wheel C on the driven axle B. Motion will therefore
be imparted from the driving axle A to the driven axle B in the same direction at a
reduced speed due to the difference in the sizes of the wheels F and C.
To disconnect the axle A from the axle B so as to stop the car or other conveyance
without stopping the motor one of the discs L is rotated to withdraw the pair of
compound cones J K from the coned wheels F and C respectively.
To impart the same reduced speed of rotation to the axle B in an opposite
direction to the axle A the clutch collar M is rotated to move the sleeve D towards
the wheel C whereby the coned wheel F becomes disengaged with the pair of cones J
and the coned wheel F becomes engaged therewith on the opposite side thereby
reversing the direction of motion. To impart motion to the axle B in the same
direction and at the same speed as the axle A the double coned wheels J K are
drawn outwards by rotating one of the discs L, thereby disengaging the pair of
cones K from the coned wheel C and the pair of cones J from the coned wheel F and
allowing the sleeve D to be brought nearer to the wheel C so that the cone E carried
by the said sleeve becomes engaged with the coned recess or female cone e in the
wheel C whereby the two axles become clutched together and revolve at the same speed
in the same direction.

page_text: .Referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that an additional coned wheel F² is mounted
on the sleeve D the face of which is adapted to engage with the cones K on the
axles H. This coned wheel F is so mounted on the sleeve that it has no independent
rotary motion apart from the said sleeve but it has free longitudinal motion apart
from the said sleeve. This wheel F is actuated by a second clutch collar M or its
equivalent a row of balls being interposed between the boss of the wheel and the acting
face of the clutch collar M' to take the thrust. The clutch collar M' is mounted on
the clutch collar M by means of an opposite screw thread to the screw thread by which
the collar M is mounted on the boss or projection N and of half its pitch. This
construction is useful in boats where it is often necessary to drive the propeller at full
speed astern but it is not necessary in rond vehicles. The clutch collar 'M' may be
actuated in a similar manner to the clutch collar M, i.e., by means of a chain, worm
gear, cog gear or levers or it may be actuated directly by the clutch collar M due to
the difference in the pitches of their screw threads by connecting it with the frame
carrying the gear in such a manner that it has only a longitudinal movement but no
rotary movement.
To balance the thrust of the pair of compound cones J K in the construction
shown by Figure 2 when the said cones are in action I mount an idle dis: wheel O
on the sleeve D having a face o adapted to engage with a parallel facej formed on
each of the cones J the said idle wheel bearing through a ring of balls against a
thrust plate P supported by studs p mounted on the bearing a as shown by Figure 1.
By properly proportioning the pitch of the threads by which the clutch collar M
and the disc L are mounted on the boss or extension N, and on the axle H respectively
and by coupling the said clutch collar M and one of the discs L together by mitre
wheels, or quadrants as their movement is but slight, both may be actuated at the same
time the wheels F and F¹ and the cone E moving in as the pair of cones J K move
out and vice versa. When however it is imperative to provide an emergency brake
in addition to the ordinary brake of a road vehicle, I prefer to actuate the clutch
collar M and the disc L independently or at least to provide for their independent
operation as well as the combined operation so that the pair of compound cones J K
can be brought into contact with the coned wheel F" and the coned wheel C at the
same time that the sleeve D is clutched to the wheel C by means of the male cone E
and the coned recess or female cone e, which will produce a retarding or braking
effect on the driven axle B the intensity of which is only limited by the force with
which the said parts are brought into contact.
It will be obvious that without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention
the axle B may be the driving axle and the axle A the driven axle, and further that
the motion may be taken off the wheel Cinstead of off the axle B in which case the
axles A and B may be dispensed with.
The several cones and coned wheels may be faced with rubber or any other suitable
material and they may if desired be serrated or channelled or otherwise roughened
to increase the frictional contact, or false toothed rings may be inserted between the
cones or coned wheels.
It will be seen that in this improved gear all the strains are balanced whereby the
friction due to driving pressure is reduced to a minimum.
Having now particularly described and ascerloined the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) The combination of parts as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings forming my improved starting, stopping, reversing and
variable speed gear for motor cars, boats and other mechanically propelled
conveyances.
(2) An improved starting, stopping, reversing and variable speed gear for motor
cars, boats and other mechanically propelled conveyances consisting of a coned friction
driving wheel mounted on the axle to be driven, and baving a coned recess in its boss
of a sleeve mounted on the driving axle in such a manner that it has a free longitudinal

page_text: sliding motion on the said shaft but no rotative motion apart from it, of a male and
female cone formed on or in the said sleeve and friction wheel respectively or vice versa,
of a pair of coned friction wheels formed on or fixed to the sleeve on the driving axle
at a convenient distance apart with their driving faces opposite to each other, of a box
surrounding the sleeve on the driving axle between the coned friction wheels thereon
and carrying stud axles mounted radially at points diametrically opposite to each other,
the ends of the said axles being so mounted in fixed bearings so that they cannot
rotate but have a free sliding motion, of two compound friction cones each loosely
mounted on one of the stud axles carried by the box encircling the sleeve or the
driving axle, of discs threaded on the said stud axles outside the compound friction
cones, of a clutch collar threaded on a boss or extension of one of the bearings
supporting the driving axle and adapted to engage with a collar or shoulder on the
end of the sleeve carrying the male cone and the pair of coned wheels, of an idle
wheel mounted on the sleeve on the driving axle and bearing against a parallel
extension on the inner part of each of the compound friction cones and of a thrust
plate carried by the bearing brackets and bearing against the idle wheel, as and for the
purpose set forth.
(3) In a gear as specified by the preceding claim, a modification in which a coned
friction wheel is substituted for the idle wheel and is adapted to gear with the outer
part of each of the compound friction cones to impart motion to the driven axle at
the same speed as but in the opposite direction to the driving axle, the said
additional coned friction wheel being operated by a clutch collar threaded on to the
clutch collar mounted on the boss or extension on the bearings of the driving axle by
an opposite thread of half the pitch, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Tak
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.