FR2035682A5 - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,273,697. Variable-speed gearing; toothed gearing. FICHTEL & SACHS A.G. 20 Feb., 1970 [21 Feb., 1969], No. 8220/70. Headings F2D and F2Q. In a wash and spin-drying machine an extruded synthetic plastics ring gear 9 or 34 of a planetary gear is resiliently mounted in a synthetic plastics housing 11 by vibration damping rubber or synthetic plastics blocks 10 (Fig. 4, not shown) located in pockets in the periphery of the ring gear 9 or 34 and in recesses 12 or 36 respectively (Fig. 3) in the housing 11 in which they are axially retained by a circlip 15, the ring gear having a peripheral rib 13 engaging slots 14 in the resilient blocks 10 by which the ring is resiliently axially retained. Single 31 or stepped planets 3, 4 are also of synthetic plastics and the arrangement equalizes gear loads &c. and reduces noise due to production of dimensional variations caused by extruding or moulding the gear elements for cheapness. As shown in Fig. 1, a two-speed gear comprises an input shaft 1 formed with a sun 2 meshing stepped planet pinions 3, 4 in turn meshing the reaction plastics ring gear 9, a step-down drive being obtained for washing from the carrier 6 through a roller ratchet clutch 10 and a shaft 17 mounting a driven pulley 14. For spin-drying, the speed of an electric motor powering the input shaft 1 is increased so that a mass 24 at the end of the input shaft 1 flies centrifugally outwards to engage a clutch drum 19 on the pulley which is then driven directly from the input shaft 1, the roller ratchet clutch 20 overrunning. In Fig. 2, the stepped planets 3, 4 are replaced by single planets 31 engaging the larger ring gears 34 again located by the blocks 10 in an inner part of the housing 11 adjacent the position for the ring gear 9 of the Fig. 1 embodiment whereby a different ratio is obtained. The mounting blocks 10 may alternatively be of cylindrical or strip form.