US2038986A - Back rolling lock control - Google Patents

Description

AWE 2g 36- l.. H. BRQWNE ,038,986

, BACK ROLLING LOCK CONTROL Filed Jan. 3, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNvENToR A /afsay #fen/f7@ Patented Apr. 28, 1936 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lindsay H. Browne, Rochester, N. Y., assigner to Josiah Anstice & Co., Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 3, 1933, Serial No. 649,890

12 Claims.

This invention relates to the control of selfpropelled vehicles, and more particularly road vehicles such as motor cars in the operation of which they are at all times likely to be on an up-grade or an inclined road surface sufficiently steep to normally cause the vehicle. to roll backwards when not under forward driving power. The particular purpose of the invention is to prevent such vehicles from rolling backward without involving the practice heretofore of applying brakes, or dependent upon the judgment of the driver coordinating clutch and brake actuation.

While in general devices have heretofore been made having simply and elementary functions l5 of preventing back-rolling, this invention relates to improved structures having characteristics that provide functioning as a roll back stop, that meets all of the practical requirements of operation. In general, this application involves some of the features set forth in my copending patent application Serial No. 569,159, and application Serial No. 648,533 and application Serial No. 648,186, and the additional inventions involved in this application may be used in conjunction with and in coordination with the operation more specifically set forth in said copending applications.

While the inventions herein involved will be evident from the specification and drawings forming a part hereof, among the particular objects this application relates to means that cause a roll back stop as soon as the vehicle tends to start rolling backward when on an up-grade, and when the lock has been thrown voluntarily out 35 of functioning position it prevents its being reset into functioning position until the vehicle is driven forward or starts to roll forward, and even then it prevents the resumption of the locking function, that is the setting thereof into functioning position, until the car has rolled forward a predetermined definite amount. It provides for a structure that may be designed in accordance with the particular vehicle requirements and serves to positively lock out any roll back functioning, but, on the other hand, after a definite forward rolling of the driven wheels it automatically assures the setting of the back lock mechanism in order that it may in turn automatically function when required to prevent back-rolling. 50 While in normal operation the setting mechanism or throwing of back-roll locking into functioning is subject to predetermined degree of forward rolling of the vehicle, it will be noted that the actual driving torque turning the driven shaft 55 also accomplishes the result, and it may in exceptional cases turn the driven shaft forward with the wheels slipping and no positive forward rolling of the vehicle, so that in general the. cooperation with the setting mechanism is either an effective driving torque or actual forward roll- 5 ing of the vehicle.

While the inventions may be variously embodied and their general control may vary, there is illustrated herewith one embodiment of which the following is a detailed description with refer 10 ence to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a vertical section through the axis of the driven shaft showing the back roll stop, part fragmentary, and one form of operating means, fragmentary.

Fig. II is a view of some of the internal parts in elevation with associated parts in section.

Fig. III is a section on the line III- III of Fig. I. Fig. IV is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. I,-which is in effect a side elevation of the back roll stop cam, locking rollers, and their relation to the cam-carrier member.

The structure as illustrated is the back roll stop mechanism as it would be embodied in a housing associated with the usual transmission gear case of an automobile, and more particu' rlarly it is shown as a form that would be attached as a supplementary part to a typical gearcase, although the structure may be embodied with the original design of the gearcase, and other drive and driven shaft and gear change mechanism of any type. V

The part I is a fragmentary portion of a fixed part such as the cover or ange in a gearcase. A shaft 2 is the driven or propeller shaft or a portion of a member of the driven shaft assembly which is so associated with the driven shaft and the driven wheels that it will at all times rotate with the driven wheels of the vehicle. This shaft also has any of the usual connections whereby the power or driving shaft when delivering forward torque-effect will drive this shaft 2 either in forward or reverse direction.

Connected with the driven shaft 2 is hub 3 having a cylindrical bearing face 3a adapted to engage rollers 4, which in turn are engaged on their radially outer side by a cam member 5, which has a suitable cam face 5ab superposed for contact with each of the rollers 4. ySuch cam faces 5a permit free movement in one direction with the hub contactl face 3a turning freely, but assuring the positive locking in the opposite direction of rotation when the cam member 5 is positively held in a position of adjustment by the balls 6 locking said cam member 5 in a denite 55 position on the cam carrier I, which in turn is suitably anchored as by bolts 8 to the stationary casing or housing part I. Such one-way, namely, roll back stop locking mechanism is in any suitable form, such as shown and described in my copending patent applications in general, and more specifically in application Serial No. 648,533.

In the circumferential space between a plurality of rollers 4 there are abutments 9 formed as a rigid part of the cam-carrier 'I, and each abutment is so positioned that it limits the circumferential movement of its adjacent roller 4 in one direction. 'I'his is more clearly illustrated in Fig. IV. The cam member r5 is circumferentially movable a slight degree, such as four or ve degrees, in the form of construction shown, but such slight circumferential shifting is prevented by the interengagement of a plurality of balls 6, such as three in the form shown, each engaging a hole I in the cam member 5, and a tapered counterbore I I having walls approximating thirty degrees formed in the cam-carrier or stationary anchoring member 'I. When in the position shown in Fig. I the balls 6 lock the cam member in a position with respect to the camcarrier 'I so that the abutments 9 of the camcarrier are in a relative position to each cam face a that assures a positive locking of the rollers 4 between the cam member and the cylindrical hub face 3a on the driven shaft.

The balls 6 are held in their position to lock cam member 5 by a floating ring I 2 having a beveled inner face I3 at a slight angle, such as four to six degrees, in the form shown, which causes a reaction on the balls 6 due to the pressure of a spring I4 that presses the balls against the tapered sides of the holes I I in the stationary camcarrier, with the necessary force, to assure positiveholding of the cam faces 5a in their relative position to the abutments 9 to assure the Yfunctioning of the back-rolling lock .under all conditions of strain incident to the particular car or vehicle .in its normal operation. Variations of dimensions of angles, spring strength or size of structure and generally in all parts may be made to meet the desired load conditions involved in any particular roll back stop for the particular vehicle on which it is to be used.

The floating ring I2 is moved laterally against the pressure of spring I4 by fork I5 with forkarms I5a, having its boss I5b attached to a shifterbar I6. As here shown, the shifterbar has a flange or lip Iaprojectlng into the path of another shifterbar II, shown fragmentary, actuated by a shifting lever I8. This particular arrangement accommodates a typical gear shift lever I 9 with its shifting-arm I8 engaging the ngers I 'IEl of a regular gear shifterbar which actuates the reverse gear shifting. In this form the normal operation of the gear shift lever I 9 when moved `to set the gears in reverse drive causes shifterbar I1 to engage the flange I6a on the supplemental shifterbar I6, and in turn move the floating ring I2 by-fork I5 against the pressure of spring I4-and thereby throws the setting mechanism, involving the floating ring, out of position that presses the balls 6, and thereby permits vthe balls 6 to be radially forced outward and releases the cam member 5 so that it moves relative to the cam-carrier I and permits the cam faces 5fl to shift with Arespect to the abutments B-thereby putting the back-rolling lock out of functioning.

When the gear shift lever I9 is moved to neutral position or forward speed, the pressure on the shifterbar I6 is relieved and the floating ring I2 becomes subject to lateral movement by the pressure of spring I4,-but it is prevented from moving laterally and does not force the balls 6 into their locking position until the predetermined relation of parts causes a release automatically, and permits the automatic action of the spring I4 and the shifting of the floating ring I2 into its locking position. This holding of the setting mechanism out of action is accomplished by a grooved ring or sleeve engaging, in the form shown in the accompanying drawings, pins 2I, which pins in turn are` mounted to slide radially, each in a guiding or bearing hole in the stationary cam-carrier 'I. While the form specically described shows pins and their mountings, it will be understood that the form of such locking members and the particular form of the ring may be varied in many ways while still resulting in the same functioning. The ring 20 is mounted on a bearing on the hub 3 to turn with it but move axially on its bearing subject to the pressure of springs 22 abutting a flange 22a, three springs, as shown, being each housed in a relatively deep hole in the ring 20, so that the pressure of the springs as originally determined will have a minimum variation in compressed or extended position. rIhe `ring 2U has a beveled face 23 adapted to engage a correspondingly beveled end 2| a on pins 2I, and such bevel may preferably be about forty-five degrees. At the outer end of each pin a beveled end 2|b is adapted to engage the beveled face I3a on the floating ring I2 when the floating ring is laterally moved against spring I4 into the unset position, and when pins 2| are so engaged they positively lock or retard the lateral movement of floating ring I2 by resisting any movement due to the spring I4. This condition exists when pins 2I are moved radially outward, resulting from the floating ring I2 being un-set, that is voluntarily moved by the operator through shifterbar I 6 against its actuating spring. When theV pins have taken the position of holding the floating ring, as shown in Fig. II, out of action, they have moved radially a sufficient extent to at first release the pressure of the inner ends 2la against the beveled end 23 of the ring 20, thesprings 22 force the ring on the hub 3 with which it rotates being suitably keyed as by key 20a, and the pins 2I then ride the surface of the ring 2U, which in the form shown is provided with triple lead grooves. These grooves may be threads, but are suitable spiral grooves adapted to engage theI end of the pins 2I in a way that will permit the pin ends to override the grooves when the ring 20 is being turned in one direction, while with the forward turning of the driven shaft the then direction of rotation of ring 2D causes the three pins with their engage` ment with the grooves to feed the ring 20 against the pressure of springs 22, until-with a predetermined extent of revolution, the pin ends 2| reach the edge of the ring 20 and are free to slide into engagement with the beveled end 23, thereby permitting radially inward movement of the pins which in turn are forced inward by their engagement with the obtuse bearing surface I3a of the floating ring. With this accomplished the iloating ring is free to shift under the pressure of spring I4, and to set the balls 6 into the position that locks the cam member and cams in positive relation with the cam-carrier '1. The pins 2I being carried by the cam-carrier I pass through slots in the cam member 5, in order that there may be freedom of movement of the cam-carrier for the slight rotary movement for its functioning.

In the form shown, the cam member is notched on one side to accommodate the lag bolts 8 which hold the stationary anchoring member 'l to the gear housing or other suitable fixed part.

It will thus be seen that the control ring as a part of the setting mechanism, provides for positively keeping the floating ring from being automatically forced by its spring into locking position until the driven shaft or associated member turns the ring 2i) in the direction of forward drive of the vehicle a predetermined amount, such as, for example, one-half revolution of the driven shaft. The movement of the driven wheels, as one or two feet or more, may be determined as the best forward movement permissible for the automatic functioning control, and then the pitch of the grooves is accordingly established based on the driving gear ratio, so that the exact predetermination of the time of release of the back-rolling mechanism is settled for the best practice of operation, and thereafter it functions automatically in the control of the setting mechanism, and also positively prevents the setting of the back-locking mechanism under those conditions when it is not wanted and should not be permitted to function. The result is a positive locking-out and a positive automatic control of the time of setting the functioning.

It will be noted that the operation may be by the shifterbar of any transmission directly acting to throw out the floating ring, the actuation of the back lock will be entirely coordinated with the normal movements of the driver when setting his change speed lever. In general the embodiment of my invention provides for the prevention of back-rolling of a power vehicle only when needed, subject to the normal operating means typical of the motor car of today, without leaving any questions of judgment to the operator, but being preidesigned to meet the required services in a foolproof manner.

The embodiment of this invention eliminates the necessity of the driver manipulating brakes to prevent back-rolling, or to meet the balanced conditions otherwise necessary in the application of the driving clutch with brake pressure, and in turn supplies a permanently embodied structure which automatically meets all of the necessary conditions of operation, and may do so in practically all cases without calling upon any thought or judgment of the driver.

In the form herewith illustrated, it will be understood that the control or shifterbar arrangements may be modified, and in particular the forms of such structures set forth in my copending patent applications may in any case be embodied with the particular structure claimed in this application. More particularly, attention is called to the Ainter-locking shifterbar construction, or any of its modifications, as set forth in my copending application Serial No. 569,159 filed Ocotober 16, 1931, in which the shifting rod or control mechanism provides for holding the roll back mechanism inoperative under` certain conditions, permitting the car to be rolled back and forth, and such and any other forms of control may, it will be noted, be equally combined with any structures forming the subject matter of this application.

While variations may be made in many respects as to dimensions, arrangement and combination of my invention from the particular form herein shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A back-rolling lock for power driven vehicles,

having a plurality of rollers to lock against rotation in one direction of movement, a plain cylindrical surface fixed to one portion of the power transmission mechanism and'a ring member with cams cooperating therewith and with the rollers, means for shifting the cam member out-of-locking position and means for shifting the cam member to lock with a stationary member and cause locking of the rollers, and means interconnected with said cam-moving means whereby a predetermined forward rotation of the driven member automatically releases the cam member and permits it to be moved into a position to cause the rollers to lock.

2. An automatically controlled roll back stop for automobiles, a driven shaft, a plurality of one-way locking rollers cooperating with a cylindrical surface on a part associated with said driven shaft and a non-revolving cam member, setting means to lock the cam member rigidly with a stationary member to set the stop into locking position, means to throw said setting means to lock the cam member, voluntarily actuated means for putting the stop out-of-functioning condition, eans for locking the stop out-offunctioning position and means whereby a predetermined forward turning of the driven shaft automatically releases said locking means, and means thereafter automatically shifting the stop positively to take functioning position.

3. A back rolling lock mechanism for an automobile, a propeller shaft associated therewith, setting means to release and thereupon positively shift said lock to take functioning position, connections with the reverse gear shifting of the automobile to cause said setting means to negative the functioning and automatic means to thereupon lock said setting means out-of-action, and interconnections of the said automatic means and said propeller shaft whereby said out-ofaction lock setting means is released only by a positive feed upon a predetermined rotation of the propeller shaft in the direction for forward motion of the automobile.

4. A roll back stop for automobiles having a plurality of one-way locking rollers cooperating with a cylindrical surface on a part associated with the driven shaft and a non-revolving cam member, setting means to lock the cam member rigidly with a stationary member to set the stop in locking position, means to throw said setting means to lock the cam member, and means to prevent the automatic setting subject to the control of predetermined forward revolving of the driven shaft.

5. A roll back stop as in claim 4, having a floating ring in said setting means, a reciprocating locking member for said floating ring carried by a stationary member, a movable feed ring rotated by the driven shaft and cooperating with said locking member to release the floating ring from its locked position.

6. A back roll stop as in claim 4, having a locking member adapted to automatically move to hold the setting member out-of-functioning postion, and means moving with the driven shaft to automatically release said locking member upon a predetermined degree of forward rotation of the driven shaft.

7. A back roll stop of the character herein described, having a feed screw carrying sleeve rotating with the driven shaft and spring pressed in one direction of the axis of the shaft and means to limit the movement due to the spring, a locking member engaging the feed screw and a release at one end of the feed screw, setting mechanism for the stop engaging said locking member in cooperation with said groove and the sleeve release, whereby when the lock is riding the groove the setting mechanism is locked outof-functioning position and when the locking member rideso the groove the setting mechanism is released to automatically function.

8. A roll back stop for power driven vehicles with a driven shaft and a plurality of one-way locking members concentrically disposed about the axis of the shaft for radially balanced reaction upon locking, a locking surface on a part associated with the driven shaft and a non-revolving cam member, setting means to lock the cam member rigidly with a stationary member to set the stop into functioning position, means to positively actuate the setting means to lock the cam member, voluntarily actuated means for instantly releasing all reaction to the locking strain on the cam member to permit the stop to assume out-of-functioning condition under all conditions of loe-.d on said stop when in locked position, means for locking the stop out-of-functioning position, positive means associated therewith for holding said locking means in locked position subject to and releasable only upon a positive feed by a denite predetermined forward turning of the driven shaft.

9. A roll back stop for an automobile having control means to set the stop out-of-functioning position, means to lock the stop in said position, a propeller shaft connected to said stop, and means automatically actuated by a positive feed actuated by a predetermined definite forward rotation of the propeller shaft to release said means to lock the stop in out-of-functioning position, and automatic means to positively reset the stop into position into functioning position.

10. A back roll stop for power driven vehicles cooperating with the driven shaft having a mechanism for automatically setting it into functioning position, voluntary operated means to effect instant release of all resistance to the locking reaction under all conditions of functioning strain into non-functioning position, automatic means to thereupon positively lock the setting mechanism to prevent resumption of functioning when the vehicle is moving in a rearward direction, and cooperating means so constructed and arranged that upon predetermined forward rotation of the driven shaft said lock setting means is released by a positive feed permitting said automatic setting means to thereupon positively shift the roll back stop mechanism into locked functioning position.

11. A roll back lock associated with a propeller shaft of a motor car, a plurality of one-way locking rollers and means for releasing resistance to the locking strain on the rollers associated with coordinated parts for positively permitting said release and thereupon holding said means in released position assuming the rollers remaining in out-o-f-functioning position, means for forcing said releasing means to permit said rollers to resume instant functioning position, and automatic means preventing said resumption of locking position adapted to engage said releasing means so constructed and arranged as to release the same only upon a definite revolution of said propeller shaft for movement of the car in a forward direction to a predetermined extent.

12. A roll back stop associated with a propeller shaft of a car, having means to positively relieve instantly all resistance to locking strain when functioning, automatic means to lock the same out-of-functioning position, means associated therewith to permit release of said automatic locking means only by predetermined rotation of the propeller shaft for movement of the car in a forward direction, and means cooperating upon such release to automatically shift and lock the back roll stop in its functioning position.

LINDSAY H. BROWNE.

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