GB449784A - Improvements in torque converting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

449,784. Variable-speed gearing. McGILL, H., 42, Talbot Avenue, Canterbury, Victoria, Australia, and DRAKE, V. R., 150, Butchers Road, Canning Town, London. Aug. 3, 1935, No. 22030. Addition to 422,432. [Class 80 (ii)] In the invention of the parent Specification, a planet-carrier 4, Fig. 1, is fast on a driving- shaft 1, and the rotation of planet gears 13 relatively to the planet-carrier 4 is elastically arrested by centrifugal weights 6, Fig. 2, constrained each to follow an eccentric circular track between outer and inner guides 9, 10 respectively. The gears 13 drive a sun 14 at a speed which varies automatically with the load from zero to direct drive. The weights 6 are guided by radial slots 7b in a member fast on the planet shaft 3. According to this invention, the slots 7<b> are inclined to the radius, as shown in Fig. 2, and are formed in two guide members 7, Fig. 1, which are fast on the planet shaft 3 and support the weights 6 between them. Spindles 8 passing through the weights 6 at their ends engage the slots 7<b>. The slots 7b may, m addition, be curved, as shown in Fig. 7. Each outer weight guide 9, Figs. 8 and 1, is a cylinder secured and supported in a fixed eccentric position with respect to the spindle 3 passing through it by a disc 5 secured by bolts 12, Fig. 1, to the side discs of the planet carrier 4. Each inner guide 10 is a floating ring supported by the peripheries of the weights 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by the spindles 8, as shown in Fig. 8. Further, according to this invention, reducing gearing is incorporated so that an engine may be revolving at its best speed while the centrifugal parts are not driven unduly fast. In one form, the carrier 4 is fast on a loose intermediate shaft 11, Fig. 1, and the driving shaft or element 1 carries an internally-toothed ring 1<b> which drives planet gears 2 fast on the spindles 3. This constitutes an effective reducing-gear. A suitable reversing-gear operated by a double clutch 21 is arranged on the driven side of the automatic gear or torque converter. An arrangement is described with reference to Fig. 4, not shown, having two torque converters arranged back to back in planet carriers secured together, with the planet gears of the two devices rotating independently. An arrangement is described with reference to Fig. 5 (not shown), in which the planet carrying frame 4 is fast on the driving-shaft 1, and in which planets such as 2, Fig. 1, mesh with a loose sun gear which can be held by a brake to effect a low-speed drive of fixed ratio independent of the centrifugal parts. A series arrangement of such units is described with reference to Fig. 6 (not shown).