GB681502A - Improvements in continuously regulable gears - Google Patents

Abstract

681,502. Variable-speed gear. PATENTVERWERTUNG W. REIMERS, GES. Sept. 22, 1950 [Oct. 6, 1949], No. 23311/50. Class 80 (ii). In a continuous regulable gear having a driving shaft 3 and an output shaft 5 and in which a regulable mechanical gear 1 having a driven shaft 4 between which and the output shaft 5 is disposed toothed wheel gearing 11, 12, 13, 14, with the interposition of disconnectable couplings 6, 16, the transmission ratio of the toothed-wheel gearing 11-14 is equal to the total range of regulation of the gear 1, and a further gear 7, 8, 9 is disposed between the output shaft 5 and the driving shaft 3, the further gear having a ratio equal to the lowest (or highest) ratio of the regulable gear 1, and having a coupling 10 for connecting or disconnecting the gear. The arrangement enables the range of the gear 1 to be extended without it being necessary to disconnect the drive between the shafts 3 and 5 while varying the ratio over any part of the range. The range may be extended to any desired limit by the addition of a sufficient number of toothed-wheel gear trains (such as 21-24) and associated gears between the shafts 3 and 5 (such as 17, 18, 19), as are necessary. In operation, the coupling 6 is initially engaged and the couplings 10 and 16 are disengaged. Assuming a step-down is desired between the shafts 3 and 5, the gear 1 is regulated so as to produce the lowest speed for shaft 4. The gear 7, 8, 9 which as shown comprises a chain 7, has a step-down ratio equal to the ratio 1: y between the (fixed) speed of shaft 3 and the lowest speed of shaft 4. The gear 9 of the chain gear 7, 8, 9 and the shaft 3 are thus rotating synchronously, and transmission may be diverted through the gear 7, 8, 9, by engaging the coupling 10 and disengaging the coupling 6. The gear 1 is now regulated to its highest ratio 1 : x. Since (according to the invention) the ratio of the gearing 11-14 is x : y, the gear 14 will be in synchronism with the shaft 5. The coupling 16 is now therefore engaged and the coupling 10 disengaged. The gear 1 may now be regulated to its ratio y (bringing the shaft 4 to its lowest speed). This results in an effective total ratio between the shafts 3 and 5 of 1 : y<SP>2</SP>. The addition of the gear 17-19 (which needs to have a step-down of 1:y<SP>2</SP>/x) and the gear 21-24 which has the same ratio x : y as the gear 11-14 increases the range to 1 : y<SP>3</SP>, and so on. If a step-up is required between the shaft 3 and 5 the various ratios are correspondingly reversed.