US1140132A

US1140132A - Power-transmission mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1140132A
Application number: US77052713A
Authority: US
Inventors: Farnum F Dorsey
Original assignee: NORTH EAST ELECTRIC CO
Current assignee: NORTH EAST ELECTRIC Co
Priority date: 1913-05-28
Filing date: 1913-05-28
Publication date: 1915-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 1932-05-18

Description

F. F. DORSEAY. POWER TRANSMISSION MEcHANisM,

`APPLICATIO FILED MAY 28\ |913.

Patented May18, 1915.

Figo-11 w Hnymm@ g TaTEs raTnnT orio EARNUM EnonsEY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, Assrenon To NoRTn EAST ELECTRIC COMPANY, OE' ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK'.

row'En-Tnansiassion ntECHAnisi/L aiipubnon inea may ze, 1913. seal E6. Worm.

To ctlfivi'om muy cncera: A, Y y i Be it known that I, FARNUM F. DonsEY,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, inthe county of Monroe and A'Mechanisms of the type in questio'are employed in connection :with the machinery of motor-vehicles, for the purpose of connecting'an electric generator withlan internal-combustion engine, `so that the generator may normally be driven by the en gine, to charge a storage-battery `'or provide A electricl current for other purposes, while',

onthe other hand, 'the generator may be utiliz'ed' as an electric motor to provide power for starting the engine'from a condition of i rest, 'and' it has previously been proposed roller-wedge clutches, these clutches serving,

to render mechanism of'this kind automatic in its operation by the use of automatic unidirectional connecting-devices, such as on the one hand,'to cause the engine-connected element to rotate rthe generator-connected element directly, or, on the other hand, to cause the latter element to rotate theengineconnected element, at a lower speed, through speed-reducing gearing.

@wingv to the fact that, the normal, direction of rotation of both the` rotary elements is always; the same, whether one or the other acts as the driver, thearrang'ement of the one-direction clutches which is necessary for the performance ofv their normal functions results, incidentally, in a tendency to a locking action which prohibits reverse rotation in the engine-connected element.' This is objectionable, where the gearing is used in connection with an internal-combustion en# mission-meehanism is so constructed asr tov rigidly -resist such backward 'rotation its parts are subjected to a severe strain. I Furthermore, it is desirable that the engine, when coming to rest after being in operation to drive the vehicle, be permitted to turn backwardly to a sufficient degree to permit it'spist'ons to assume their normal po'- sition` of rest or' equilibrium in .the enginecyhnders', asy the engine, when its' parts are in this position,- may frequently be started by mere manipulation of the ignition-devicesyand without the necessity of employing `,the electric generator for that purpose.

rlhe object of the present invention vis to I produce apow'er-transmission mechanism,-

of the type in question, in which the operation ma7l be partly or. wholly automatic, but in which provision shall be made forA automatically unlocking the gearing against reverse rotation on the part of the engine-connected element. To this end I employ, in addition to the two rotary elements before mentioned, a third rotary element', which constitutes a part of the'connec'tions through which the first t-wo elements are operatively' connected, and which normally rotates with one of these elements, but which is also capable of a limited rotation with respect to such element. This third rotary element is connected, in'turn, withv one of the clutches by which power is transmitted from one to vthe other of' the iirst two rotary elements,

in such manner that upon a tendency to reverse rotation in the engine-connected element the clutch in question is automatically thrownor held out of operation, as a consequence' of the relative motion before mentioned, so that the mechanism is unlocked,

and the engine-connected element is permit-k ted to rotate freely in the reverse direction.

, In the. accompanying' drawings z-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of power-transmission mechanism embodying the present invention, in the plane of the axes of the several rotary elements; and Fig. 2 is a partly 'sectionalfview,on the line 2-2 in Fig.v l, looking from'rigf'ht to left in the lat ter figure and showing particularly thev ar rangement of theorie-direction clutches.

` In the illustrated embodiment of the in- Vention' a rotaryelement or shaft 5*, which is hereinafter' referred to as the irst rotary element, is mounted in ball-bearings 6 in a casing?, this shaft 5 bein'gadaptedfor concoupling, which is illustrated as of the well-A inafter referred to as the second rotary element,7 is also mounted in the casing 7, being supported, near one end, by a ball-bearing 9, while its inner end has a reduced part 1() which turns in a central recess in the shaft 5, the two shafts being thus held in axial alinement. The shaft 8 may be connected with the armature-shaft of the electric generator in connection with which the mechanism is used, and for this purpose, its righthand portion 14 is squared for the attachment of one member of a coupling 11. This known Oldham type, connects the shaft 8 with the armature-shaft of a generator, of which only the end of the casing 12 is shown in Fig. l, the generator-casing being rigidly connected with the casing 7 by means of a bracketl.

The automatic one-direction clutches of the present mechanism are arranged at the right-hand end of the shaft 5, this part having an enlargement or shell 15 which constitutes members of both clutches. The cylindrical inner surface of the shell 15 is engaged by rollers 16, which are seated in re` cesses in an inner clutch-member 17 integral with the shaft 8. These recesses, as shown -in Fig. 2, are so inclined at the bottom that i when the shaft 5 and the shell 15 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, which is the normal direction of rotation, the rollers 16 are moved toward the shallower arts of the recesses, so that they are wedged y part 15, and the shaft 8 is thus rotated in unison with the shaft 5, for the purpose of actuating the electric generator. This action of the rollers 16 is insured by means of spring-pressed followers 18 located in the recesses and constantly pressing against the rollers.

When the shaft 8 is to constitute thedriving-member, in the operation of starting the engine, power is transmitted from this shaft to theshaft 5 through speed-reducinggearing. This gearing comprises a pinion 19 on'the shaft 8, and a gear 20 withwhich the pinion 19 meshes, this gear being mounted to rotate about a fixed counter-shaft 21 in the casing 7. The gear 20 is connected, in turn, with a pinion 22, which meshes with a gear 23 concentric with the shell 15. The gear 23 is annular in form, and its smooth inner surface 24 constitutes an element of a second roller-wedge clutch, being engaged by rollers 25 which are seated in recesses 26 formed in the periphery of the shell 15, as shown particularly in F ig. 2. These recesse's are so inclined, atthe bottom, that when the gear 23 is rotated in the direction against the clutch-surface on the indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, the rollers 25 move toward the shallower parts of the recesses, thus being pinched. between the clutch-members, and causing the shell 15 and the shaft 5 to be rotated by the gear 23.

It will be apparent that whenever the first rotary element is driving the second rotary element, the latter may overrun the former in the normal direction of rotation, since the rollers 16 will, in this case, slide freely` within the shell 15, while on the other hand the iirst rotary element, when being driven through the speed-reducing gearing by the second rotary element, may also overrun freely when, for example, the engine has started its normal operation, owing to a similar action on the part of the rollers When the lirst rotary element tends to rotate in the reverse direction, however, in consequence of a back-kick in the engine with which it is connected, this rotation is trans. mitted to the gear 23, andl thence, through the other parts of the speed-reducing gearing, to the pinion 19, and if this pinion were rigidly attached to the shaft 8 this tendency to reverse rotation on the part of the pinion would be vresisted through the action of the inner roller-wedge clutch, since this clutch would prevent the second rotary element from rotating in a reverse direction faster than the first rotary element.

To avoid the locking action just referred to l employ, in the illustrated mechanism, as the third rotary element hereinbefore referred to, thel pinion 19, this pinion being mounted loosely upon the shaft 8, so that it may have a limited rotation relatively to the shaft. integral with the pinion 8 is a iiange 30, from which three fingers 81 project into the corresponding recesses inthe clutch-member 17. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, each of the fingers 81 is adapted to move freely, to a limited extent, within Vthe corresponding recess, in such a manner that it may engage and move one of the the normal direction of rotation the pinion 19 is free to rotate in the same direction, and at the same speed as the shaft 8, the frictional tendency of the parts being to promote such rotation, although the gears are not at this time in useful operation, and thus the ngers 31 do not interfere in any way with the operation of the rollers 16 under the influence of their spring-pressed followers and the wedging tendency of the cooperating clutch-surfaces. Accordingly, at this time the fingers 31 rotate idly with the other parts and perform no function. Under these circumstances, however, if the direction of rotation of the shaft 5` be reversed, in consequence of a back-kick in the engine, or of the tendency of the pistons of the engines to come to rest in an intermediate position when the engine is stopped,

the gear 23 is rotated reversely, as before stated, in consequence of this movement. of

are forced backwardly against the rollers 16, so as to press them toward the deeper ends of the recesses in the clutch-member .17, and throw the clutch out of operation. YThe fingers then, by their pressure against the rollers, which is transmitted, in turn, to the clutch-member 17, may rotate the shaft 8 freely in the reverse direction, thus permitting the mechanism to accommodate itself to the tendency of the engine to rotate backwardly.

When the shaft 8 constitutes the drivingmember, in the operation of starting the engine by power derivedfrom the generator, the shaft 8 rotates the clutch-member 17 in the normal direction, and this rotation is transmitted, through the rollers 16 andthe fingers 31, to the pinion 19, and thence,

`through the other parts of the gearing and through the outer clutch, to the shaft. 5. Accordingly, the pinion 19rotatesyfin unison with the shaft 8 and 4drives thV gearing in substantially the same manner as if it were iXed to that shaft. In this connection, however', the present invention has a further utility, in that the driving-pressure transmitted through the rollers 16 to the fingers 31 causes these rollers to be held back, in opposition to the pressure of their springpressed followers 18, so that the pressure of the rollers against the clutch-surface of thel shell 15 is relieved, and the friction which would otherwise occur between these parts is eliminated. This effect may be increased by beveling the sides of the fingers 31, as shown in Fig. 2, in a" direction to force the followers inwardly rather than outwardly.

Vhile the unlocking-mechanism just described permits the shaft 8 and the generator to be rotated in the reverse direction when necessary, it does not relieve the mechanism from a strain which may arise, owing to the momentum of the armature of the generator, when the rotation of the engine is suddenly reversed while the generator-armature is rotating at high speed in the normal direction.4 liccordingly, it is preferable to interpose, at

some point between the shaft 5 and the generator-shaft, a yielding or frictional conncction which will permit the generatorshaft to be brought gradually to rest, and then thrown into reverse rotation, when the direction of rotation of the shaft 5 is suddenly and powerfully reversed. Such a yielding-connection may belocated at various points, but I have illustrated it as interposed between the gear .20-and the pinion 22. To this end the gear 20 is annular in form, and it has a conical inner surface 33 which engages a corresponding surface upon a web or plate 34 integral with thepinion 32. A dished ring 35 is carried by the plate 34, this ring having a flange which engages the right-hand surface of the gear 20. Studs 36 screwed into the plate 34 pass loosely through openings in the ring 35, and compression-springs 37, coiled around these studs, engage the ring and force it toward the plate 34, thus. causing the flange 35 to press the gear in a direction to force the conicalI surfaces into frictional engagement with each other. springs 37 `is so adjusted that the friction resulting from this arrangement is sufiicient to cause the gear 20 to rotate normally in unison with the pinion 22, while, on the other hand, the frictional connection will yiel'd when the mechanism is subjected to any unusual strain, thus preventing sudden and severe reversal in the direction of rota-- tion of the shaft 8` and the generator-shaft connected therewith. To afford convenient access tothe friction-coupling just described, the casin 7 is provided with a removable screweplug38,-through which access may be had to the studs 36, so that they may be removed, when necessary, to replace or adjust the springs 37.

While the present invention is illustrated, and is particularly described, as embodied in a mechanism in which the first pinion of the speed-reducing gearing is employed as the third rotary element for the purpose of controlling the action of the one-direction clutch through which the first rotary element rotates the Second rotary element, the invention is not limited to this specific arrangement, nor is it necessarily embodied in a' gearing of the generalform and arrangement illustrated herein; but the invention may be embodied in various other forms The strength of the within its nature as defined in the following rotation of said elements, and a third rotaryA element coaxial withione of the first two rotary elements and normally rotative therewithbut capable of a limited rotation relatively thereto, the third rotary element being'connected with the clutch and adapted, as a result of such relative rotation, to -throw the clutch 'out of operation when the first rotary elementis rotated in a reverse direction.

2. Power-transmission mechanism having,

in combination, a first rotary element; a second rotary element; and connections, between said elements, through which the first rotary element may drive the second rotary element, and through which the second rotary element may drive the first rotary element in the same direction, but at a reduced speed-ratio; said connections including a one-direction clutch adapted to permit one rotary element to overrun when driven by the other, a4 third rotary element coaxial with one of the first two rotary elements and normally rotative therewith, while capable of a limited rotation relatively thereto, and means, connected with the third rotary element and coperating with said clutch, t0 throw the clutch into inoperative position, as a result of such relative rotation of the third rotary element, when the first rotary elementis rotated in a reverse direction.

3. Power-transmission mechanism having, in combination, a first rotary element; a second rotary element and connections between said rotary elements, through which the first rotary element may drive the second rotary element, and through which the second rotary element may drive the first rotary element in the same direction, but at a reduced speed-ratio; said connections including a roller-wedge clutch adapted to permit one rotary element to overrun when driven by the other, a third rotary element coaxial with one of the first two rotary elements and rotatable relatively thereto, and fingers projecting from the third rotary element into the path of movement of the rollers in said clutch and adapted to force the rollers to inoperative position, as a result of such relative rotation, upon a reverse rotation of thc first rotary element.

'i. Power-transinission mechanism having, in combination, a first rotary element; a second rotary element; means, includin a one-direction clutch, through which the rst rotary element may actuate the second rotary element; means, including speed-reducv ing gearing and a one-direction clutch, through which the second rotary element may actuate the first rotary element in the same direction of rotation; said means including also a third rotary' element'coaxial with one of the first-mentioned two rotary elements and rotatable normally therewith, ,while capable also of a limited rotation relatively thereto; and means, connected with the third rotary element and coperating with one of said clutches, for throwing said clutch into inoperative position, as a result of said relative rotation, when the first rotary element is rotated in a .reverse direction.

5. Power-transmission mechanism having, in combination, a first' rotary element; a second rotary element coaxial with the first; a one-direction clutch through which the first rotary element may drive the second,

while the latter is free to overrun; gearing through which the second rotary element may drive the first, at a reduced speed-ratio but in the same direction, said gearing including a gear on the first rotatable element and a pinion journaled coaxially with the second rotary element but capable of a limited rotation relatively thereto; and means, connected with said pinion and coperating with said clutch, for throwing the clutch into inoperative position, as a result of such relative rotation of the pinion, when the first rotary clement is rotated in a reverse direction.

6. Power-transmission mechanism having, in combination, a first rotary element; a second rotary element coaxial with the first; a roller-wedge clutch through which the first rotary element m'ay drive the second, while the latter is free to overrun; gearing through which the second rotary element may drive the first at a reduced speed-ratio but in the same direction, said gearing including a gear on the first rotary element and a pinion journaled coaxially with the second rotary element; and fingers projecting, from said pinion, into the `path of movement of the rollers of said clutch and adapted to throw said rollers into inoperative position, as a result of relative rotation o'f said pinion and the second rotary element, when the first rotary element isrotated in a reverse direction.

L. THON, D. Gunner.