US677897A - Driving mechanism for motor-vehicles. - Google Patents

Description

No. 677,897. Patented July 9, I90l.

.L. B. SMYSEB.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1898.)

(No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet WITNESSES: lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS m: Noam: warms ca. vnoraurno. WASMINGTUN. u. c.

No. 677,897. Patented July 9, IBM.

L. B. SMYSER.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

(Annlication filed Sept. 8, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ATTOR N EYS No. 677,897. Patented July 9, MIL

L. B. SM=YSER. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTUR VEHICLES. I

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I WITNESSES: INVENTOR fl; J? W ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIQZE.

LoUIs B. SMYSER, or ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To FERDINAND E. CANDA, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,897, dated July 9, 1901. 7

Application filed September 8, 1898. Serial No. 690,529. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. SMYSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Hotor-Vehicles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othro ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to driving mechanism for motor-vehiclesthat is to say, the mech anism employed for transmitting the power I5 of a gas or oil engine or other motor to the driving-wheels of a vehicle and for varying the speed and reversing the direction of motion of the Vehicle without varying the speed or direction of motion of the motor; and my invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts.

The objects of my invention are to avoid jerking, shock, and jar when starting the vehicle or when changing its speed, to reduce the noise to a minimum, and to make the driving mechanism simple, compact, durable, easilyoperated, not liable to derangement, and com paratively inexpensive. These objects are attained in the invention herein described, and

b illustrated in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the driving-gear 3 5 of a motor-vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention, portions of the frictionclutehes being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the speed-varying mechanism itself detached from the other portions of 0 the mechanism of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the friction-clutches. Fig.-

4 is a section thereof, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of clutch slightly different from that shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In those motor-vehicles which employ oil or gas engines or other prime motors the speed of which it is impracticable to vary according to the desired speed of the vehicle, and which it is impracticable to reverse, driving and speed varying mechanisms are employed,

which usually contain a plurality of sets of gears, either spu r, sprocket, or frictional, connectiug driving and driven shafts and ar-- ranged to be thrown into gear one at a time. It is preferable to use spur or sprocket gears because of the positive drive which they afford; but even when such gears are used it is practically necessary to provide frictionclutches for connecting the gears to the driviug or to the driven shaft in order to avoid excessive shock and jerking when starting or when changing speed, and the frictional driv ing devices heretofore employed for this purpose, even those employed in driving mechanisms employing only friction-gears, have not permitted as gradual starting or'chang ing of speed as is desirable. I have found that this shock or jerking when starting and when changing speed may be avoided by the use of a type of clutch in which the friction elements are two concentric rings, one of which is split, so as to be slightly flexible, one ring being secured to a gearwheel and the other to the shaft on which said gear is mounted. By means of a cam or other suitable clutch-operating device the flexible ring may be loosened or tightened with respect to its coacting ring and the de-- gree of friction between the two rings adjusted with great nicety. This clutch perdoes not slip entirely when closed gently and then when closed more firmly take hold with a jerk, as is the case with the frictionclutches which have usually been employed heretofore in motor-vehicles.

In the drawings, 1 is a portion of the frame of a motor-vehicle 2 is one of the two driving-wheels of the vehicle and is mounted upon an axle 2,having its bearingin the frame 1, and 3 is a compensating gear of any suitable construction ,through which the driving wheels are driven, being employed to facilitate the turning of the vehicle, which it does by permitting the two driving-wheels to move at different speeds when the vehicle is turning. The compensating gear is driven by a sprocket-chain 4 or other suitable means for communicating motion from a shaft 5, which is the driven shaft of the speed-varying mechanism. This speed-varying mechanism contains, besides the driven shaft 5, a driving- 8c mits the vehicle to be started gradually and shaft 6, which may be connected with the main shaft of the primemotor or may be driven therefrom in any suitable manner. Shafts 5 and 6 have their hearings in a yoke 7, which is secured to the frame of the vehicle and which because of its shape is well adapted for holding the shafts and their bearings in line.

Upon the shaft 6 are a series of spur- gears 8, 10, 12, and 14, and upon the shaft 5 are corresponding gears 9, 11, 13, and 16. Gears 8, 10, and 12 mesh with gears 9, 11, and 13, respectively, and gear 16 is connected with and may be driven from gear 14 through an intermediate gear 15, which is employed to reverse the direction of rotation of gear 16 with respect to gears 9, 11, and 13. three sets of gears which have no intermediate gearsviz., 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and 12 and 13are of different speed ratios. Gears 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and 12 and 13, respectively, may be said to constitute forward sets of gears, and gears 14, 15, and 16 may be said to constitute a reverse set of gears.

Each of the gears upon shaft 5 and also each of the gears upon shaft 6 is provided with a friction-clutch of the type above mentioned, by which it may be thrown into or out of driving connection with its shaft. One of these clutches is shown in Figs. 3 and t. It consists of a flange or ring 17, carried .by a disk 17 or else by the gear-Wheel which it is to drive, which latter is the case with the larger gear-wheels, such as those on shaft 5, the disk 17 or gear-wheel being loose upon the shaft, a supporting-wheel 18 within the ring 17 and keyed to the shaft, a split ring 19, also within the ring 17 and secured to support 18 by a screw 20, a lever 21, also pivoted to support 18 and having a cam 22 between the ends of the split ring 19, adapted to expand the ring when the lever is moved outwardly, and a cone 23, mounted upon a sleeve forming a part of support 18 and adapted to be moved longitudinallytoward and from the end of lever 21, and thereby to press the lever out when moved toward the.

lever or to permit the lever to move inward when moved from the lever. The ring 19 is split partly at the center to increase its flexibility. The lever 21 is provided with an adjusting-screw 24, which is the part of the lever which actually comes in contact with the cone 23, and by turning the screw wear of the clutch may be taken up. The operation of this clutch is as follows: lVhen the cone 23 is moved toward the lever 21 and support 18, the end of lever 21 is forced outward, thus rotating the cam 22 slightly and forcing apart the ends of the split ring 19, so expanding the ring and forcing it into contact with the inner surface of the flange 17. between the ring 19 and .flange 17, and therefore the resistance to slipping between flange and ring, may be varied as desired by moving the cone 23, and in this way the rotation of flange 17 or of the shaft, according to The.

.27 and 28.

The pressure which ,is thedriven member, may be caused I of wheels 17, carrying the flanges 17, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4; but the gears on shaft 5 being of larger diameter the flanges 17 project from them.

The clutches on shafts 5 and 6 are arranged in pairs and facing each other, so that a single cone 23, operated by a single shifting-lover and having two cone-shaped ends, may be used for operating each pair of clutches. The cones 23. are shifted by shifting-levers 26, (shown in Fig. 2,) having forks working between the collars 25 and secured to shafts Each of these shafts carries shifting-levers for a pair of clutches on both the driven and the driving shaft, so that the clutches of each set of gears are operated in unison. Shaft 28 extends on beyond the yoke 7 to a position where a device for operating the shaft may .be attached conveniently. Shaft 27 does not extend beyond the yoke, but is provided with a lever 29, Fig. 2, connected by a link 30, Figs. 1 and 2, to a lever .31, Fig. 2, on a hollow shaft 32, surrounding that portion of shaft 28 which projects beyond the yoke 7, and extends to a position where a device for operating it may be attached conveniently. By this means the devices for operating all of the friction-clutches may be located close together.

It will be noted that the clutches on shafts 5 and 6 of each set of gears are opened and closed together and that normally all of the clutches are open and none of the gears in driving connection with the shafts, so that when the clutches of one set of gears are closed and the shaft 5 begins to rotate the other sets of gears do not also rotate idly. This is an advantage, because thereby much noise and unnecessary wear of the gears is avoided, and it is to avoid this unnecessary noise and wear that two clutches for each set of gears are provided by me.

vThe operation of the apparatus is as follows: To start the vehicle to moving forward, the shaft-6 being in motion, the shaft 28 is moved so as to close the clutches of gears 12 and 13, which have the lowest speed ratio. The shaft 28 is moved at first so that the rings 19 of the friction-clutches press against their flanges gently, thus enabling them to slip with respect to the flanges somewhat. As the vehicle gathers speed the shaft 28 is moved farther until the rings 19 of the clutches of gears 12 and 13 press tightly against their flanges. If a higher speed be desired,'the clutches of gears 12 and 13 may be opened by a reverse movement of shaft 28 and the clutches of gears 10 and 11 closed by moving the shafts 32 and 27, and if a still higher speed be desired the clutches of gears 10 and 11 may be opened and those of gears 8 and 9 closed. If it be desired to move the wagon backward, the gears which drive it forward being out of driving connection-with their shafts, the clutches of gears 14 and 16 may be closed by a movement of shaft 28 in the direction opposite to that required to close the clutches of gears 12 and 13.

While in the drawings gears of but. one speed ratio are provided for moving the vehicle backward, additional gears of different speed ratio may be provided as well; but in general it is not necessary to provide for moving a vehicle backward at more than one speed. The number of sets of gears of difierent speed ratio for moving the wagon forward may be increased or diminished, as desired. In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a form of clutch slightly different from that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the flexible ring being upon the outside of its coacting ring. 19 is the flexible ring, and 17 its coacting or inflexible ring, in

this case being the rim of a wheel. The operating-lever 21 is pivoted to a support 18 in rear of the ring 19 and has two extensions, one alug 33, provided with an adjusting-screw 34, which bears against one end of the ring 19, the other an arm 35, connected by alink 36 with the other end of the ring 19. When the lever 21' is moved outwardly, the ends of the ring 19 are drawn together, and when the end of the lever 21' is free to move inward the tension of the ring 19 causes it to move in that manner, the ends of the rings separating.

Having thus completely described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a driving mechanism for motor-vehicles, the combination,with driving and driven shafts, and gears for transmitting power from one shaft to the other, of coacting friction rings for corresponding gears on each of said shafts, one of each pair of rings being flexible, and one of each pair of rings being secured to a'gear and the other to a support keyed to the shaft on which said gear is mounted, a pivoted operating-lever for each of said rings, for loosening and tightening the same with respect to its coacting ring, a slidshafts, and gears for transmitting power from one shaft to the other, of coacting frictionrings, one of which is split and is flexible, one of said rings being secured to a gear on one of said shafts and the other to a support keyed to that shaft, the split ring beingsecured to its support by a pin located at a point substantially opposite the place at which the ring is split, and being split partly at its pointof support to increase its flexibility, a pivoted operating-lever for loosening and tightening said flexible ring with respect to its coacting ring, and means for operating said lever, substantially as described.

3. In a driving mechanism for motor-vehicles, the combination, with driving and driven shafts, andgears for transmitting power from one shaft to the other, of coacting friction rings, one of which is split and is flexible, one of said rings being secured to a gear on one of the shafts and the other to a support keyed v to that shaft, a lever having a cam located between the ends of said split ring and adapt ed to expand the ring, when rotated, or to permit the ring to contract, according to the direction of rotation of said cam, and a sliding cone onv the shaft, adapted when moved along the shaft to operate said lever, substantially as described.

4:. In a motor-vehicle, the combination ,with a motor, of mechanism for transmitting mo tion therefrom to the vehicle, including a band friction-clutch the band of which is split, said band being secured to its support by a pin located at a point distant from that at which the band is split, and being split partly at its point of support to increase its flexibility, and means for throwing the same into and out of operation at will, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS B. SMYSER.

Witnesses:

F. E. GANDA, H. M. MARBLE.

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