US2534583A

US2534583A - Winch unit

Info

Publication number: US2534583A
Application number: US786673A
Authority: US
Inventors: Neal L Emmons
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-11-18
Filing date: 1947-11-18
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

N. L. EMMONS Dec. 19, 1950 WINCH UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1947 Aea/ L. Emmohs W Dec. 19, 1950 N. L. EMMONS 2,534,583

wmcn UNIT Filed Nov. 18, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WINCH UNIT Neal L. Emmons, Muskogee, Okla.

Application November 18, 1947, Serial No. 786,673

18 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in winch units for hoists and the like.

The invention is concerned in particular with new and novel structures for winch units and the cable drums or reels'therefor, and may b employed with advantageous results in hoists, draw works for oil wells, and the like and is also adaptable for use in cranes or shovels or in any other equipment in which hoists or cable reels are em ployed. The invention relates not only to the winch unit and th power drive for the same, but also to the arrangement of brakes, cat-heads, and the like normally employed in conjunction with such structures.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved winch unit for use in hoists and the like which may be selectively driven at high or low speed, the shifting bein accomplished without stopping or slowing down of the driving engine, or the unit, or the driving connections between the two.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved winch unit and power drive for hoists and the like in which the winch drum is supported upon a pairof shafts arranged in tandem and carrying a pair of clutches for selectively connecting the drum to either shaft.

A still further object of the invention is to pro- Vide an improved drum and power drive of the character described in which novel provision is made for supplying operating fluid under pressure to the clutches employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved winch unit and power drive for hoists and similar equipment in which the winch drum may be readily and quickly disconnected from the power drive so as to be freely revolvable in both a forward and a reverse direction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved winch unit and power drive of the character described having a novel supporting frame which is simple and inexpensive yet provides a rugged and serviceable supporting structure for the cable drum and the countershaft driving the same.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a winch unit carried upon a pair of axially alined shafts driven at different speeds or in opposite directions and to which the winch drum may be selectively connected by means of air operated clutches or hand operated clutches or by any other suitable or desirable structure, and in which any desirable combination of power takeofis or drives may be employed for driving said shafts.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the .accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a winch unit constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken in a horizontal plane along the axis of the cable drum, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view illustrating an alternate structure for sup portin the adjacent ends of the pair of drive shafts.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 designates a rectangular supporting frame or skid for a winch or hoist unit. A prime mover such as the engine A is carried at one end of the frame it, while a cable. drum or winch B is supported near the opposite end of the frame. Although th invention will be described largely with respect to the particular structure illustrated, it is to be kept in mind that any suitable or desirable source of driving power may be employed such as steam engines, electric motors, or a plurality of internal combustion engines compounded to provide a single or a plurality of power take-offs for driving pumps, auxiliary hoisting units, oil well rotary tables, and the like. For the sake of simplicity, a single engine has been shown as driving the winch B in a substantially direct fashion. However, various other alternative arrangements will be recited hereinafter as additional illustrations of the application of the present invention.

The engine A has a suitable automatic gear changer ll connected to its drive "shaft (not shown), and a driving shaft 12 extends from the unit H and carries a plurality of chain gear wheels or sprocket gear wheels I3 upon its outer end. Again, the unit H may be any one of a number of power transmitting devices, such as automatic, hydraulically operated, gear or speed changers known commonly as hydra-matic drives, or it may be a suitable type of torque converter or fluid drive, or it may constitute simply the conventional type of gear changing transmission adapted to be hand operated. The automatic type of gear changer is to be preferred in that it automatically shifts the gear or speed reduction arrangement to enable the engine to carry the load being applied but does not require the attention of the operator to effect such changes.

The winch unit is supported upon a pair of modified, bipod supporting frames. The frames consist of a pair of vertically directed posts 14 extending upwardly, one at either side, from the frame or support if! and forwardly at an angle toward the winch end of said frame. The lower ends of the posts Id are suitably secured to the upper surface of the frame it near the central portion thereof while the upper ends of said posts overlie a point intermediate the center of the frame and the winch end thereof. A transverse frame member :5 connects the upper ends of the posts. A brace E6 is provided for each of the posts, said braces being suitably secured to the upper surface of the frame Ill at a point spaced forwardly of the point of attachment of the posts id, and extend upwardl and slightly rearwardly at an angle. The upper ends of the braces it engage and are secured to the posts M. In this manner, a simple and inexpensive supporting structure for the winch is provided, but at the same time, an extremely rugged and durable framework is had which will withstand heavy loads while permitting ready access to the various elements of the winch structure.

A countershaft i? is supported upon the rearward or engine side of the posts M by suitable pillar block bearings is carried upon said posts near the medial portion thereof. The righthand end of the countershaft H, as viewed in Fig. 1, projects laterally beyond the right-hand post l4 and carries a plurality of gear chain wheels or sprocket gear wheels 55 which are alined with the gear wheels 53 provided upon the driving shaft 52. Suitable endless driving chains 29 pass around the gear wheels l3 and 19 for driving the countershaft. The left-hand end (not shown) of the countershaft may carry a cat-head, or a brake, or any other auxiliary element desired to be driven.

The winch drum itself is mounted upon the forward side of the braces l3 and adapted to be driven from the countershaft ll. The drum structure is illustrated in detail in Fig; 2 and includes a central spool 21 upon which the cable or rope (not shown) is carried. The spool 21 is hollow and provided with integral, internal, longitudinal ribs 22 and annular ribs 23 for the purpose of strengthening the structure of said spool. Each end of the spool is counterbored at 24 and receives the hubs 25 of flanged disks 26. The disks 2S serve in the usual capacity of providing end walls for the spool 2| and confining the cable thereon. The hubs 25 may be keyed to the spool 2i or the spool be heated and shrunk onto said hubs, or any other suitable means may be employed for securing the disks to the spool to form a unitary structure.

The drum or reel thus constituted is adapted to revolve upon and be revolved by a pair of axles or shafts axially alined and arranged in tandem so that each axle extends from the central portion of the spool 21 and projects exteriorly from one end of the drum structure. The left-hand axle as viewed in Fig. 2 has been designated by the numeral 2?, while the righthand axle is designated by the numeral 28. The inner ends of the axles are disposed adjacent one another at the center of the spool 2i and are reduced in diameter to form bearing receiving faces 29. The reduced inner end of each of the axles is received within a. suitable antifriction bearing 36, the pair of bearings 3!] having a press fit within the bore of an internal, integral, annular boss 3! provided at the central portion 4 of the spool and carrying an annular reduced diameter rib 3| against which the bearings 35] abut. The bearings are confined upon the bearing faces 29 by means of plates 32 secured to the ends of the shafts b suitable bolts 33 and 3d.

The outer ends of the shafts 2? and 23 are reduced in diameter to form outwardly directed, annular shoulders 35 adjacent the ends of the spool 2!. Spacer washers 36 are received upon the reduced ends of the shafts and bear against said shoulders. A tapered sleeve 3'! encircles the shafts outwardly of the washers 36, each of the sleeves 3? having a snug fit within the tapered bore 38 of an antifriction bearing 35} pressed within the bore ifi of the hubs outer ends of the tapered sleeves 3! project beyond the outer faces of the bearings 39 and are screwthreaded so as to receive suitable retaining nuts 4! which may be retained in place by an desirable type of-locking fittings or washers d2 so as to hold the bearings 39 in place upon the reduced outer ends of the shafts. The outer end of each of the hubs 25 is closed by dished cover plate 43 secured thereto by bolts Q 3 and having a central opening 45 through which the shafts 21 and '28 extend. An oil seal ring 5.3 is recessed into each of the cover plates on the inner side thereof so as to surround and engage the reduced outer portion of the shafts and seal off the same. An annular, inwardly extending flange 41 is spaced radially inwardly from the periphery of each of the cover plates :13 so as to engage snugly within the bores ii) of the hubs 25. The inner edges of the flanges fill bear against the outer face of the bearings 39 so that the latter are confined between the washers 36 and said flanges.

The disks 26 carry relatively Wide peripheral flanges 68 which, if desired, may act as brake drums for engagement with any desirable type of brake band or shoe, and triangular reinforcing ribs or gussets 49 extend radially of the disks between the outer side thereof and the inner periphery of the flanges 43. A suitable clutch 50 is carried upon the outwardly extending end of the shaft 21 and has its housing secured bosses 5! formed upon the gussets at by suitable bolts 52. In this manner, the housing of the clutch 50 is rigidly secured to the leftehand end, as viewed in Fig. 2, of the cable drum or reel previously described. The inner portion (not shown) of the clutch is secured to the shaft 21 by any suitable means such as keying and the like. Thus, when the clutch 56 is engaged, the shaft 2'! is rotatably connected to the cable drum, but when the clutch is disengaged, the drum is free to rotate with respect to said shaft.

The clutch 50 may be of any suitable or desira-ble type, such as a hand operated clutch or a clutch adapted to be actuated by fluid under pressure. The latter type has been found preferable in that the ease of operation is greatly facilitated. This invention is concerned in part with novel means for conducting fluid under pressure to such a clutch, but it is to be kept in mind that the broad principles of the invention may be realized through the employment or use of any suitable type of clutch.

Outwardly of the clutch 56, a chain gear wheel or sprocket gear wheel 53 of relatively large diameter is journaled upon the shaft 21'. The gear wheel 53 is secured to the inner portion of the clutch 50 by means of transverse bolts 5Q so as not to be free to rotate upon the shaft. A driving chain 55 passes around the gear wheel 53 and alsov around a somewhat smaller but similar gear wheel 56 keyed upon the countershaft ll. In this manner, as the countershaft I1 is driven by the engine A, the gear wheel 53 and the inner portion of the clutch along with the shaft 21 are also rotated or revolved. With this structure, so long as the countershaft I! is being revolved, the shaft 2'! will also be revolved, but at a different speed because of the differences in the sizes of the

gear wheels

53 and 56.

A bearing box 5'! is positioned outwardly of the gear wheel '53 and suitably secured to the central portion of the left-hand brace l6, said bearing box receiving and supporting the outer extremity of the shaft 2'! for supporting the lefthand end of the winch structure. The bearing box includes an annular housing having its sides closed by dished cover plates 58 through which the shaft 2'! extends. The cover plates carry recessed oil seal rings 59 retaining a lubricant within the bearing box. The annular housing carries a suitable antifriction bearing 69 having an axial bore 6|. The outer extremity of the shaft 21 is further reduced in diameter to form an annular, outwardly directed shoulder 62 which abuts the inner side of the bearing 6, the further reduced portion of the shaft being received within the bore 6| of the bearing. Outwardly of the bearing, the shaft 2? is again reduced in diameter to form an annular shoulder 63 and an outwardly projecting stub shaft 64 which projects through the outer cover plate 58. A circular washer 65 is seated upon the shoulder '63 so as to hold the bearing 69 against the shoulder 62, said washer being secured to the shaft 21 by means of suitable bolts 66 extending through the washer and into the shoulder 63.

The outwardly extending stub shaft 64 which projects beyond the outer cover plate 58, receives a suitable pressure fluid fitting 61 of the swivel type so that said shaft may revolve with respect to the fitting while the latter remains stationary. A pressure fluid conductor 68 leads from the fitting 61 and is connected into a suitable pipe 69 extending forwardly with respect to the frame I 0. The fitting 61 communicates with an axial bore 1 extending inwardly with respect to the shaft 21 to a point in vertical alinement with the inner portion of the clutch 59. At this point, the bore 10 is intersected by a transverse or diametrical bore H extending through the shaft 21 and communicating with the pressure fluid receiving means (not shown) of the clutch 50. Since these clutches are available upon the open market, they are not described in detail, but only the means for supplying a pressure fluid thereto. With this structure, the pressure fluid may be supplied through the pipe 69 and the conductor 66 and the fitting 61 to the bore 19, and thence through the bore H to the clutch to actuate and engage the same, or to release or disengage the same.

The right-hand end of the winch structure is arranged very similarly to the previously described left-hand end. A clutch I2 is carried upon the outer end of the shaft 28 outwardly of the right-hand cover plate 43 and has its housing secured to bosses M formed on the radial ribs 49 of the right-hand flanged disk 26 by suitable bolts 15. The inner portions of the clutch 12 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 28 so as to revolve with the same, and a gear chain wheel or gear sprocket wheel 16 is keyed or otherwise afiixed upon the shaft immediately outwardly of said clutch 12. The gear 16 is a double gear and somewhat smaller in diameter than the gear 53'. Driving chains 1! pass around the gear 16 and also around a double gear t8 affixed to. the righthand portion of the countershaft H. The gears 16 and T8 are very nearly the same size whereby the shaft 28 is driven at a high speed of the. same order of magnitude of the speed of revolution of the shaft [1. With this structure, when the, clutch 50 is disengaged, the. clutch 12 may be en-. gaged to drive the Winch drum at a relatively high speed. Conversely, the clutch 12 may be disengaged and the clutch 50 engaged to drive the drum at a low speed with the consequentv increase in drawing or pulling power.

Outwardly of the gear wheel 16, the shaft 28, is

supported in a bearing structure substantially.

identical to that described for the outer end of the left-hand shaft 21. A reduced portion 19 of the shaft is carried within an antifriction bearing 86 supported within a bearing block '81. of which, in turn, is secured to the central portion of the right-hand brace No. The chief difference in the structure of the right-hand bearing is in the cover plates '82 for the bearing block 8!, said plates carrying annular flanges 83 near their marginal edges which project inwardly into the interior of the bearing block and engage the faces of the bearing 86 to hold the same in position within said block. The extreme outer end of the shaft 28 is further reduced to form a stub shaft 84 which projects outwardly through the outer cover plate 82. A pressure fluid conducting fitting 85 of the swivel type and similar to the fitting 61, engages the outer end of the stub shaft 84, and a suitable conductor 86 is connected to the connecting element 85. An axial bore 8! extends inwardly through the shaft 28 from the connecting unit 85 to a point within the inner portion of the clutch l2 and terminates in a transverse or diametric port 88 which communicates between the bore 81 and the pressure fluid receiving means (not shown) of the clutch 12. Thus, pressure fluid may be admitted or released from the clutch 12 to engage or disengage the same.

A suitable pipe 89 extends from the conductor 86 forwardly with respect to the frame I, the

conductor 89 and the conductor 69 both being connected into a suitable four-way control valve 90 positioned upon the forward or winch end of the supporting frame. A pressure fluid conducting pipe 9| leads from the valve 99 to a suitable source of fluid under pressure, while a second pipe 92 extends from the valve 96 for pressure fluid exhaust purposes. The valve 96 carries an operating lever 63 which may be shifted in one direction to actuate or en age one of the clutches 59 and f2 and shifted in the opposite direction to engage the second clutch and disengage the first. With this structure, only one clutch is engaged at a time since the engaging of either automatically exhausts the pressure fluid. from the second clutch and disengages the latter. In the central or neutral position of the lever 93, neither clutch is engaged and the winch drum is free to rotate with respect to both of the shafts 2'! and 28.

Operation of this winch unit is substantially obvious from the description given. The engine A, through the automatic gear changer unit ll, drives the countershaft I! at a predetermined speed. Of course, as the load placed upon the unit is increased or decreased, the gear changer I I will function automatically to compensate for such load in accordance with the throttle setting.

of the engine A. As previously pointed out, the unit ll may be replaced by a manually operable transmission unit, but substantially the same result is obtained in that a variety of speed or power ratios between the engine A and the countershaft ll are made available. However, an additional advantage of using a fluid type torque converter as the speed changer unit H resides in the possibility of using such a converter as an auxiliary brake. Many conventional rotary draw works as used on oil wells employ a hydraulic or dynamic type brake in addition to the regular brakes which normally operated upon the flanges of the winch drum. These auxiliary or additional brakes may be connected at any desirable point in the power driving system, but in the present invention these auxiliary brakes may be eliminated by employing the torque converter as the auxiliary brake. The method and means for effecting a braking action by the torque converter is well-known to those skilled in the art and need not be discussed in detail herein.

The countershaft ill, being driven by the engine A, in turn drives both of the shafts 2i and 28 at all times. Because of the different diameters of the

various gear wheels

53 and 56, and 76 and it, the two shafts will be driven at different speeds, the shaft 21 at a relatively low speed and the shaft 28 at a relatively high speed. Thus, the shaft 2'! is adapted to move heavy loads slowly, while the shaft 28 is adapted to move lighter loads at a higher speed. The employment of the valve 95 permits substantially instantaneous changing from one shaft to the other since the clutches 50 and i2 operate very rapidly and one engages at substantially the same instant the other disengages. In the event hand operated clutches are used, the operating levers of the clutches may be linked together so as to be caused to function by a single lever or handle and the same advantageous results achieved.

Assuming a relatively heavy load is to be picked up by means of this winch unit. The lever 93 may be shifted to engage the clutch 50 and drive the winch drum at low speed with a high power capacity. Once the load has been lifted and is moving, the power requirement for continued moving is considerably lessened and the lever 93 may be shifted to disengage the clutch 5d and engage the clutch l2, thereby speeding up the winch drum and lifting the load at a faster rate. At any point, the lever 93 may be again shifted to re-engage the shaft 21 with the winch drum and return to low speed, high power lifting or functioning. Also, the lever 93 may be placed in a neutral position at any time so as to release the winch drum from both of the driving

shafts

21 and 28, and thus permit the winch drum to revolve freely in a forward or a reverse direction. Of course, the drive for the shafts 2? and 25 may be arranged so that one shaft is revolved in one direction and the opposite shaft in the opposite direction. In this manner, a readily reversible drive is provided for such applications to which the same may be adaptable. As previously pointed out, either end of the countershaft 5? may be extended to provide a drive for auxiliary equipment such as pumps or cat-heads, or may be connected into a rotary table drive for oil well rigs. Also, by employing a different type of pressure fluid connection to the ends of the

shafts

27 and 23, such additional power driving connections may be made directly upon said shafts and the benefit of their different speeds of revolution made available.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a modification of the inner or central mounting of the adjacent ends of the shafts 2i and 28. The shafts have been designated by the numerals 2'! and 28 in this modified form, it being assumed the balance of the winch unit remains substantially identical to the first modification described. The inner end of the shaft 23' is belled to form a hollow, open-ended, cylindrical enlargement 94 which is positioned in alinement with the central portion of the winch drum spool 2|. A bearing race 95 is formed internally and integrally of the spool 2| at the central portion thereof and carries an antifriction bearing 96 of the roller type within which the belled enlargement 94 fits. A similar, smaller bearing 91 is carried within the interior of the enlargement 94 and receives the reduced pin 98 provided upon the inner end of the shaft 27'. The outer bearing 96 is held against endwise shifting by annular flanges 99 and Hit formed upon the bearing race and the enlargement 94, respectivel while the inner bearing 91 is held against such shifting by a shoulder It! provided upon the shaft 2'! and the bottom I62 of the interior of the enlargement 9:3. This structure provides adequate bearing support for the inner ends of each of the shafts, and at the same time prevents lateral shifting of the spool 2| with respect to the two shafts illustrated.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A winch unit including, a drum, a pair of in dependent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a first clutch connected between one shaft and the drum, 2. second clutch connected between the second shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches.

2. A winch unit including, a drum, a pair of independent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a first clutch connected between one shaft and the drum, a second clutch connected between the second shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches separately of one another whereby only one clutch is engaged at one time.

A winch unit as set forth in claim 1, and means for driving the shafts at different speeds.

4. A winch unit as set forth in claim 1, and means for driving one of the shafts at high speed and the other of the shafts at low speed.

5. A winch unit including, a drum, a pair of independent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a first pressure fluid operated clutch connected between one shaft and the drum, a second pressure fluid operated clutch connected between the second shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches.

6. A winch unit as set forth in claim 5 wherein the shafts have axial flow passages for conducting a pressure fiuid to the clutches.

7. The combination with a prime mover having a torque and speed converting unit driving a countershaft, of a winch unit including, a drum, a pair of independent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum with respect to each other, the journal-ed ends of the shafts heing adjacent one another, driving connections between the drive shafts and the countershaft, a first clutch connected between one drive shaft and the drum, a second clutch connected between the other drive shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches,

8. The combination with a prime mover having a torque and speed converting unit driving a countershaft, of a winch unit including, a drum, a pair of independent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to other, driving connections between the drive shafts and the countershaft, a first clutch connected between one drive shaft and the drum, a second clutch connected between the other drive shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches separately of one another whereby only one clutch is engaged at one time.

9. The combination as set forth in claim '7 wherein the driving connections between the drive shafts and the countershaft have different speed ratios so as to drive the drive shafts at different speeds.

10. The combination with a prime mover having a torque and speed converting unit driving a countershaft, of a winch unit including, a drum, 2. pair of independent drive shafts for the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, driving connections between the drive shafts and the counters-haft, a first pressure fluid operated clutch connected between one drive shaft and the drum, a second pressure fluid operated clutch connected between the other drive shaft and the drum, and means for engaging said clutches.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the drive shafts have axial flow passages for conducting a pressure fiuid to the clutches.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 10, and a pressure fluid control valve, and pressure fluid conductors connected between the clutches and thecontrol valve, said valve being of the selective type so as to operate the clutches alternately.

13. A winch unit including, a hollow drum, a.

pair of axially aiined independent drive shafts rotatahly mounted within the drum and projecting from each end thereof, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a clutch connected between each drive shaft and the drum, a driving connection to each shaft, and means for engaging the clutches.

14. A winch unit including, a hollow drum, a pair of spaced axially alined independent drive shafts rotatably mounted within the drum and projecting from each end thereof, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a clutch connected between each drive shaft and the drum, a driving connection to each shaft, and means for engaging the clutches.

15. A winch unit including, a hollow drum, a of telescoping axially alined independent drive hafts rotatably mounted within the drum and projecting from each end thereof, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, a clutch connected between each drive shaft and the drum, a driving connection to each shaft, and means for engaging the clutches.

16. A. winch unit as set forth in claim 13, and bearing supports for the projecting ends of the shafts positioned outwardly of the driving connections.

17. A winch unit as set forth in claim 13, and means for holding the drum against endwise shifting with respect to the shafts.

18. The combination with a prime mover having a torque and speed converting unit driving a countershait, of a winch unit including, a hollow drum, a pair of axially alined independent drive shafts mounted within the drum, each shaft having its inner end journaled within the drum near the center thereof for free rotation of the shafts with respect to the drum and with respect to each other, said drive shafts projecting from each end of the drum, a pressure fluid operated clutch connected between each drive shaft and the drum, a driven gear wheel upon the projecting portion of each drive shaft, gear wheels upon the countershaft, driving connections between the gear wheels on the countershaft and the gear wheels on the drive shafts, at least one of the gear wheels being of a different diameter from the others so as to drive one of said drive shafts at a speed different from that of the other drive shaft, and bearing supports for the projecting ends of the drive shafts, the latter having axial passages for conducting a fluid under pressure to the clutches for actuating the same.

NEAL L. EMMONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,953,151 Cahill Apr. 3, 1934 2,051,286 Boykin Aug. 18, 1936 2,240,741 Spalding May 6, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 211,982 Germany July 20, 1909