GB190723771A - Improved Means for Changing the Speed Gears of Motor Cars and similar Vehicles. - Google Patents

Abstract

23,771. Gower, E. L. Oct. 28. Motor ro ad vehicles. - The main clutch pedal a n d change-speed lever are so interlocked that a depression of the pedal causes a fork or forks to engage one of a series of grooves on a sliding sleeve carrying one set of the change - speed wheels, and its release causes the sleeve to slide and bring the wheels into mesh for a particular speed. The foot-lever 6 is connected to the clutch 3 and also by links and a bellcrank lever 56 to the cross-piece 40 of the forks 37, 38. A sleeve 9, sliding on a part of the shaft sectioned as shown in Fig. 6, is provided with a series of grooves, one for each speed, one neutral position, and one reverse ; the grooves are engaged by forks the ends 33, 34 of which are hinged and provided with springs so as to spring into any groove, the ends rocking in opposite directions. The rods 37, 38 slide through eyes 41, on arms 43 capable of rocking on pivots 45, fixed to the bottom of the gear box. An arm 47 on the shaft 27 passing up through the steering column serves as the change - speed lever, and is connected to the forks by rods 51, 53. If the shaft 27 is turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the fork 33 engages the groove 28 ; and on the pedal 6 being depressed, the fork 33 is moved over to engage the next groove 29. When the pedal is released, the sleeve is moved bodily so that the dog clutch 10 is disengaged and the second speed given by wheels 18, 19 put into gear. The next movement of the pedal 6 causes the fork to engage the groove 30, and its release puts on the low speed, and so on for the neutral position and reverse. For working from low to high speed, the fork 34 is brought into engagement with the grooves. Two sets of grooves, one for each fork, may be provided as an alternative arrangement.