GB173813A - Improvements in or relating to change speed gears for motor cars and other power driven vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

173,813. Santis, S. de. Aug. 11, 1920. Variable-speed friction gearing. - In friction disc-and-roller gearing for motor vehicles, of the kind in which the axis of the roller is moved in a plane parallel to the face of the disc to cause the roller to slide automatically along its shaft to vary the speed, the movement of the roller axis is effected automatically when the balance between the driving and the resisting forces is disturbed. The roller P, Fig. 3, slides on its shaft A, which can rock in a plane parallel to the face of the disc D, this movement being controlled by a spring R. When the vehicle is to be started, the roller P is near the centre of the disc, and the shaft A, under the influence of the spring and of the load resistance, takes up a balancing position such as that shown, in which the roller tends to move toward the periphery of the disc. The gear is thus raised until a balance is effected and the shaft A moves into a plane containing the axis of the disc shaft 0. An increase or decrease of resistance then causes the shaft to move down or up to decrease or increase the gear. The gearing may be applied to a vehicle, as shown in Fig. 4, in which the driving-shaft 0 carries two discs, either of which may be engaged with two rollers P, P<1> for forward and reverse driving. The shaft 0 slides axially to effect this engagement and is controlled by a spring F and a pedal N. The rollers P, P' rotate in opposite directions so that the rotation of one is reversed bv any suitable gearing. In a modification the driving shaft 0 does not slide, but the roller shafts A, A<1> are moved in opposite directions about their outer ends so as to bring each roller into contact with a different disc, the rollers being then driven in the same direction.