GB706139A - Improvements in continuous, automatically regulating gears - Google Patents

Abstract

706,139. Variable-speed gearing. WEINRICH, H. Oct. 4,1951 [Oct. 7, 1950], No. 23117/51. Class 80 (2) In automatically-variable fluid-mechanical gearing, the input member of an epicyclic train is rigid with the driving shaft 1, the output member is rigid with the driven 'shaft 12, the intermediate member is rigid with the impeller 8 of a fluid clutch, and the turbine member 10 is so geared to shaft 12 that the impeller 8 and turbine 10 rotate in opposite directions, the turbine blades being located at the inner periphery of the fluid space. As shown in Fig. 5, the sun 6 is rigid with shaft 1, the carrier 2 with shaft 12, and the annulus 5 with impeller 8, while turbine 10 is geared through planets 14, carried by shaft 12, with fixed annulus 16. Alternatively, however, the annulus 5 may be rigid with shaft 1 and the sun 6 rigid with impeller 8, or carrier 2 may be rigid with shaft 1, annulus 5 with shaft 12, and sun 6 with impeller 8, in which case turbine 10 is geared to annulus 5, through reversing idlers and the shafts 1, 12 are both at the same side of the gear. In Fig. 6, provision is made for reversal of shaft 12, the carrier 18 of planets 14 and the annulus 16 being freely rotatable and adapted to be moved axially in opposite directions through levers 39, 41 under the control of a double cam 37. In the forward - running position shown, annulus 16 is at the left, where it is coupled by teeth 36 to the fixed casing 9, and carrier 18 is at the right, where it is coupled by teeth 33 to a flange 35 of shaft 12. For reverse drive, annulus 16 is moved to the right, so that it is coupled by teeth 40 to flange 25, and carrier 18 to the left, so that it is coupled by teeth 45 to casing 9. An oil pump, driven by shaft 1, may supply oil through bores in the shafts to the bearings and gears and to the clutch. Radial vanes may be formed at 26, Fig. 5, on the hub of the impeller 8 to force oil outwards and prevent cavitation. In Fig. 5, however, air is used as the clutch fluid instead of oil, and this air is continuously renewed, so as to promote cooling, the air escaping through ports 27 at regions of high pressure and entering through ports 32 at regions of low pressure.