CA1160866A - Ball shift mechanism - Google Patents

Ball shift mechanism

Info

Publication number
CA1160866A
CA1160866A CA000372111A CA372111A CA1160866A CA 1160866 A CA1160866 A CA 1160866A CA 000372111 A CA000372111 A CA 000372111A CA 372111 A CA372111 A CA 372111A CA 1160866 A CA1160866 A CA 1160866A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
collar
ball
lugs
clutch collar
shaft
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000372111A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Garry K. Reiss
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Foote J B Foundry Co
Original Assignee
Foote J B Foundry Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Foote J B Foundry Co filed Critical Foote J B Foundry Co
Priority to CA000372111A priority Critical patent/CA1160866A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1160866A publication Critical patent/CA1160866A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Shift mechanism for a transmission is provided for en-gaging and disengaging a gear therein. The mechanism is particu-larly designed to disengage the geat even when the transmission is under a heavy load. The shift mechanisam includes a clutch dog or collar on a shift with the collar having at least one lug or projection which is engagable with and disengagable from a lug or projection on a gear rotatably carried on the shaft. One of the collar and gear has a recess adjacent its respective lug in which a ball is located with the ball also being retained by a retaining ring mounted on the collar or gear. When the collar and a gear are in an engaged position, both lugs are in contact with the ball; when the collar is moved away from the gear to disengage the collar and the gear, the point contact of the lugs and ball enables disengagement of the collar from the gear even when the transmission is under a heavy load.

Description

~1 3 ~

This invention relates to shift mechanism for shifting a clutch collar or the like into engagement with a gear and for moving the collar out of engagement with the gear even when a transmission or the like in wllich the mechanism is mounted is under a heavy load.
It is sometimes difficult to disengage a clutch collar from a gear in a small transmission of a riding lawn mower, a garden tractor, or a self-propelled lawn mower. This can par-ticularly occur when the transmission is under a heavy load, such as when the mower is travelling uphill, particularly if it is a self-propelled rear bagger with the load on the rear, driven wheels, by way of example. A dangerous condition can thereby result if the mower cannot be stopped, or at least parts of the shift mechanism can be distorted, bent, or broken.
By forming the lugs or teeth of the clutch collar and gear with their engagable surfaces at angles, about six degrees, for example, the clutch collar and gear can be relatively easily disengaged even when the transmission is under a heavy load. ~ow-ever, this angle causes the lugs to wear mucil faster and have severely shortened useful life.
The present invention provides a shift mechanism which enables a clutch collar or dog to be disengaged from a gear of a transmission even when it is under a heavy load. The snift mech-anism includes the clutch collar which is mounted on a shaf-t of the transmission for rotatable movement therewith and for lineal movement with respect thereto. The clutch collar has at least one lug or projection extending toward the gear in tile transmission, which gear is rotatably mounted on the shaf-t and has at least one luq or projection facing toward the clutch collar. Tlle clutcn collar can have a peripheral Elange extending outwardly beyond the collar lug which is engaged by a shif-ter fork for movin~ the clutch
-2- , ~

collar toward and away from the gear, between an engaged position in which -the collar is engaged with the gear and a disengaged po-sition in which the collar is spaced from the gear.
One of the clutch collar and gear has a recess adjacent its respective lug in which a ball is located in contact with the respective lu~. A retaining ring is also located on the collar or gear to further aid in retaining the ball in place in the re-cess. A shallow groove is located adjacent the recess to receive the lug of the other one of the collar and gear, witll the ball preferably extending out of the recess by a distance exceeding the radius of the ball. The lug of the other one of the collar and gear then contacts the ball, when the collar and gear are in the engaqed position, on a point which is on a line parallel to the shaft and tangential to the surface of the ball. This enables solid engagemen-t of the collar and gear. At the same time, even iE the transmission is under a heavy load, the collar can be rela-tively easily disengaged from the gear with the point contact be-tween the lugs and the ball and with the ball having the ability to rotate as the lugs of the collar and gear separate.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide improved shift mechanism for a small transmission or the li]~e.
Another object of the invention is to provide shift mechanism for a transmission for disengag~ing a clutch collar from a gear even w~en the transmission is under a heavy load.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide shift mechanism including a clutch collar and a gear wi-th lugs facing each other and with one of the collar and gear having a recess in which a ball is received with the ball contacting both lugs when -the collar and ~ear are engaqed.
Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent ~rom ~he followin~ detailed description of a pr~E~rr~d embodimellt ther~of, referance ~in~ mado to the ~acompanying draw-int7B, in which: .
Fi~. 1 is a viaw in p~rspective of a s~all txansr~ n embodying shift mechanl sm accGrdin~ to ~he inven~ion;
Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal, ~ertical cross ~ection, taken alon~ ~he line 2-2 of Fi~
Fig. 3 i~ a view in perspecti~e o f a clutch collar ~ r~-taining rin~, and ~ear in accordance with the invention;
Fig . 4 1B an enlarged front view, with parts ~roken away of ~he clutch collar of Fi~. 3, wi~h lu~ of the gear ~llown in dotted line~; and Fi~. 5 is a view in cross section~ taken along the line 5-5 0~ Pi~. 4.
R~ferrinq to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, a ~all transmi~sion embodyin~ the invention i~ indicated at 10 an~
can ~e mo~mted on a dec~ of a ssl~-prQpelled, walkin~ lat~n mower~
hy tYa~ 0~ example. ~itll the tran~mi~sion position~ as in ~i~o 1 the mower ~rould be movin~ ~rom the lower rlght toward the u~per ~0 le~t. ~hs transmission includ~ a main hou~in~ 12 with ~ vartical ~nput shaet 14 ~xtendln~ upwar~lly th~r~:from to rec~3ive a drive pulley or the like driven by an internal con~u~tioJl ~nyine on tho mo~wer. 1~ ~rive ~ha~t 16 extend~ outwardly from botll ~ide~ o the housin~ 12, with the lef~ end baing suitably cosln~cted to a 1~3t rear whe~l of th~ mower and the right ~nd b~ing ~uitably co~n~3c~d to ~ riqht rear whe~l oft ~he mow~r. The basic transmi~ion can be of the type ~ho~n in ~onos ~t al patent no. 4,117,652, is~ued on ()ctober 3, 1978 ~ in the U.S.
A drive worrn (not shown) i5 affixe~l to th~ drive shaft 14
3(~ wi tlli.n th~ hou!3in~ 12 and m~sh(3~ witll d worm wh~3al or y~ar 1~ or othar toothed member which is rotatably mounted on th~ out~ut .~-shaft 16. The shaft 16 is rotatably supported in bushings 20 and 22 having seals 24 and 26. The shaft is prevented from longitudi-nal movement by pins 28 and 30 on either side of the bushing 20 and bearing against washers 32 and 34.
The worm gear 18 has a recess 36 at one end to receive the seal 26 and one end of the bushing 22. The opposite end of the worm gear has a circular end face 38 cooperating with an up-wardly-extending flange 40 in the housing 12, which is made in two halves. The worm gear thereby is restrained from longitudinal move-ment of the shaft 16 but is free to rotate relative thereto. Thegear has a plurality, three in this instance, of lug5 or projec-tions 42 extending axially of the shaft 16.
A clutch collar or dog 44 is mounted on the output shaf-t 16 for longitudinal but nonrotatable movemen-t wi-th respect thereto.
The collar 44 has a bora 46 with a groove 48 receiving a key 50 which extends outwardly from a recess 52 in the shaft 16. The collar 44 has a central hub 54 with a plurality, three in this in-stance, of lu~s or projections 56 extending radially outwardly therefrom and extending axially of the shaft 16 toward the worm gear 18. A re~ar, outer hub 58 e~tends outwardly beyond the cantral hub 54. I.ocating means in the form of a recess 60 is located ad-jacent each of the lugs 56 and extends from the periphery of the central hub 54 to the periphery of the outer hub 58. A member with opposite rounded surfaces, preferably a ball 62 is located in each of the recesses 60 with the ball having a diameter about equal to the length of the recess 60. The radius of the ball preferably exceeds the depth of the recess 60, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the adjacent faces of the lugs 42 and 56, rather than edges of -the lugs, contac-t the ball 62. When the collar 44 and the gear 18 are engaged, -the gear lug A2 then contacts the ball at a point on a line e~-tending through the center of the ball and through -the point of contac-t of the ball with the collar lug 56. Stated another way, each of the lugs 42 and 56 contacts the respective ball 62 at a point which is on a line tangential to the ball 62 and also parallel to the axis of the shaft 16.
The balls 62 are preferably retained in the recesses 60 by a retaining ring 64 which has one end mounted on the outer hub 58 by a press fit or by other suitable means and has at the other end an inwardly-curved shoulder 66 which extends over the ball 62 and terminates in the plane of the face of the central hub 54.
The balls 62 are ~hereby retained in the recesses 60 but preferably can rotate therein. The point contact of the lugs 42 and 56 and the ball 62 enables the collar 44 to be relatively easily disen-gaged from the gear 18 even when the transmission 10 is under a heavy load. Rotation of the ball 62 also tends to facilitate dis-engagement of the collar and the gear.
` A shallow groove 67 is formed at the face of the outer hub 58 between the edge o the central hub 54 and the inner sur~ace of the retaining ring 64 and extends from the recess 60 to the next one of the lugs 56. The groove 67 provides entry access for the gear lug 42 to move into po~ition to engage the ball 62.
To move the collar between an engaged positlon in which the lugs 42 and 56 are in contact with the ball 62, and a disen-gaged position in which the lugs 42 are spaced from the balls 62, the clutch collar 44 has an outwardly extending flange 68 on the outer hub 58. A shifter fork 70 is used to move the collar 44 between the two positions. The fork 70 has an upper, generally rectangular block 72 (F.ig. 2) located in an upper portion of the housing 12 and supported on a divider plate 74 which is suitably mounted in an upper portion of the housing 12~ The shifter fork has two downwardl~ extending flanges 76 and 78 which engage the sides of the collar flange 68 when the shifter fork is moved ~: "

parallel to the axle 16.
When the shifter fork 70 is moved toward the worm gear 18, the flange 76 engages the collar flange 68 and moves the collar toward the worm gear with the gear lugs 42 moving into the shallow groove 67 and engaging the balls 62. When the shifter fork 70 is moved away from the worm gear 18, the flange 78 en-gages the collar flange 68 and moves the collar away from the worm gear, disengaging the gear lugs 42 from the balls 62. This occurs even if the transmission is under a heavy load at the time of the desired disengagement, due to the interaction between th~
lugs and balls.
The shifter fork 70 can be moved between the two posi-tions by any sultable means. As shown, the fork has a post 80 extending upwardly through the housing 12 and through a slot 82 (Fig. 1) in a shift lever 8~. The shift lever 84 has a portion spaced from the slot 82, which lever is pivotally mounted on the housing 12 by a suitable fastener 86. The shifter fork 70 is moved toward the worm gear when the shift lever 84 is pivoted through a bowden cable 88 which is connected to the shift lever 2~ and extends to a control lever (not shown) mounted on the opera-tor's handle of the mower. The shifter fork 70 is urged in -the opposite direction by coil springs 90 (Fig. 2) located in the upper portion of the housing and bearing against an end of the block 72. From one to three of the springs can be employed, with two being preferred.
~ hile the rounded members 62 are disclosed as be~ng carried by the collar, they can also be carried by the gear. Fur-ther, the rounded mem~ers 62 can be of shapes other than balls, such as rollers with -their axes transverse to the axis of the shaft 16.

Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. Shift mechanism for connecting a rotatable member with a shaft, to cause said member to rotate with said shaft, said mechanism comprising a clutch collar mounted on the shaft for rotatable movement therewith and for lineal movement with respect thereto, said clutch collar having at least one lug ex-tending toward the rotatable member and the rotatable member having at least one lug extending toward said clutch collar, said clutch collar engaging the rotatable member when said collar is in an engaged position,and spaced from the rotatable member when said clutch collar is in a disengaged position, a ball, said lugs having straight surfaces extending substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft, one of said clutch collar and said rotatable member having a recess for locating said ball adjacent the respective lug, with the other lug contacting said ball when said collar is in the engaged position and spaced from said ball when said collar is in the disengaged position, said one of said clutch collar and said rotatable member having said recess also forming a long shallow groove adjacent said recess to receive the other lug, said ball extending out of said recess above said groove by a distance exceeding the radius of said ball.
2. Shift mechanism according to claim 1 characterized by said straight surfaces contacting said ball at points on a line extending through the center of said ball when said clutch collar is in the engaged position.
3. Shift mechanism according to claim 1 characterized by there being a plurality of lugs on said clutch collar and on said rotatable member, and a plurality of balls, said straight surfaces of said lugs contacting said balls in a common plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, when said collar is in the engaged position.
4. Shift mechanism for a transmission having a shaft, said mechanism comprising a toothed member rotatably mounted on the shaft, a clutch collar mounted on the shaft for rotatable movement therewith and for lineal movement with respect thereto, said clutch collar having a plurality of lugs extending toward the toothed member and the toothed member having an equal number of lugs extending toward said clutch collar, said clutch collar engaging said toothed member and causing it to rotate with said collar when said collar is in an engaged position, and said clutch collar being spaced from the toothed member and rotatable independently therefrom when said clutch collar is in a disen-gaged position, balls for said lugs, one of said clutch collar and said toothed member having a recess adjacent each of the respective lugs for locating one of said balls in a position adjacent the respective lug, said one of said clutch collar and said toothed member also having a long shallow groove adjacent each of said recesses to receive the other lugs, with said balls extending out of said recesses above said groove by a distance exceeding the radius of the balls, with the other lugs contacting said balls when said collar is in the disengaged position, each of said lugs having a straight surface extending substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft.
5. Shift mechanism according to claim 4 characterized by said straight surfaces contacting said balls in a common plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, when said collar is in the engaged position.
CA000372111A 1981-03-02 1981-03-02 Ball shift mechanism Expired CA1160866A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000372111A CA1160866A (en) 1981-03-02 1981-03-02 Ball shift mechanism

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000372111A CA1160866A (en) 1981-03-02 1981-03-02 Ball shift mechanism

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1160866A true CA1160866A (en) 1984-01-24

Family

ID=4119355

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000372111A Expired CA1160866A (en) 1981-03-02 1981-03-02 Ball shift mechanism

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1160866A (en)

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