PATENTED FEB. 19 , 1907.

No. 844,546. ‘ S
_ W. T. SEARS.
POWER TRANSMISSION DEV‘IGE.
APPLICATION FILED 00w 4 1906

Inventor‘ ‘

w. % 2a
Attorney
 , I UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE.- '
' WILLARD
TO NILES-BEMENT-POND
THOMAS SEARS, 0FcoMPANY,
PHILADELPHIA,
oE JERSEY
PENNSYLVANIA,
CITY, NEW JERSEY.
ASSIGNOR -

POWER-TRANSMISSION DEVICE.
' No. 844,646. Speci?cation of Letters Patent. , Patented reu'iajieov. '
Application ?led October 4, 1906. Serial No. 387.843
To all whom it may concern. and adapted for‘ peripheral engagement'with/ 515
'Be it known that I WILLARD THOMAS hub 10; 14, a friction-disk smaller than disk
SEARS, a citizen of the llnited States, resid 13 and ‘fast with it and adapted for periph- _
ing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia county, eral engagement with friction-disk 11; 15, a
Pennsylvania, have invented certain new second arm fast with rocking arm 12; 16,- a
and useful Improvements ingPower-Trans roller carried by arm 15 and engagin over 60
mission Devices, of which the following is a the clutch-operating bar'9; 17, a trac por
speci?cation. ' tion on bar 9 in position to’ pass under roller
This invention pertains to apparatus for 16 and of such height that when it is under
IO the transmission of power in which are in
the roller the rocking structure will cause
volved relatively shifting toothed members h‘iction-disks 13 and 14 to clear friction-sur 65
for changing the rate of motionor the direc faces 10 and 11, respectively; 18, a depres
tion of motion or the condition from rest to sion in track 17 of such depth as to permit the
motion, and vice versa, and relates to im'—' rocker to carry the friction members into
contact; 19, a'cam-lug on track 17 of such
I5 P roved means for guarding against, ?rst, the height
difIicult-ies of intermeshing the teeth when as to move the rockingstructure far
teeth do not happen to match tooth-spaces; ther than is necessary to relieve the contact
second, the liability of the transmission of of the friction-surfaces, and 20 a brake-shoe
heavy work through teeth but partially en carried by the rocking structure and adapted
20 gaged, and, third, the labor of shiftin teeth to engage friction-dis 11 under the in?uence
into engagement while they are un er the of cam 19. ‘1 ,
strain of heavy duty. , Assume, ?rst, that the friction-clutch is en
The invention willbe readily ‘understood gaged, the driving-shaft in motion, and gears
from the following description, taken in con 6 in the neutral or disengaged position.
25 nection with the accompanying drawings, in Track portion 17 will be under the roller, and
the friction members will be out of engage-'
which— ' I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus ment with each other, and the brake-shoe
embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a side will be free; If now an attempt be made to
elevation of the auxiliary driving mechanism, slide gears 6 into engagement with one of the
the. hub of the main driving-pulley and the driven gears, an opportunity would quickly
driving-shaft‘ appearing in vertical trans present itself for tooth ends to enter tooth 85
verse section. ' . spaces; but,the instant this occurred the full
In the drawings, 1 indicates housing parts; power and speed would become transmitted
2, the'driving-shaft ; 3, the driven shaft; 4, a to'the driven gear, and heavy working duty
35 gear fast on the driven shaft; 5 a second but would thus be imposed upon teeth engaged,"
larger gear fast on the driven shaft; 6, a air perhaps, but a mere fraction of their length.
of gears fast with each other and spline. .011 This often breaks teeth and always results in
the driving-shaft; 7, a shifter engaging the the mutilation of the ends .of the teeth, and
pair of splined gears and adapted to slide in-cornpleting the enga ‘ement of the-teeth
them, so that its component gears may mesh considerable manual e?ort would be required
with either of the mating gears, respectively, in doing so,'owing to the teeth being under 95
on the driving-shaft ; 8, a friction-clutch, full working strain. ' ‘ '
which maybe of any desired or suitable ordi _' Assume, secondly, that the friction-clutch‘
nary construction‘; 9, an endwise-movable' v1s disengaged, so that its pulley may run
45 bar to serve in engaging and disenga ing the loosely on the driving-shaft, resulting 1n the
clutch; 10, a circular friction mem er car driving-shaft being at rest, and assume that 100
ried by the revolving pulley-of the friction gears 6 are in neutral idle position and disreev
> clutch, this friction member. being in the gardv for the present 'the auxiliary friction
illustration formed by the periphery of the andbrakedevices. vIf an attempt be now
50 hub of the pulley; 11, a friction-disk-fast on made to shde gears 6 into engagement with
the driving-shaft and of larger diameter than one of the mating gears, the attempt may,_
hub 10; 12, an arm rocking on a ?xed pivot and is quite'apt to be, defeated by lack of
to and from friction members 10 and 11; ,13, register between tooth ends and tooth,
a friction-disk journaled on rocking arm 12 spaces. One of the gears must be angularly
 844,546 .

, ’ adjusted before engagement can be initiated. ment of sliding toothed gears in transmission '
_ Therefore,’ as will be seen, troubles which devices have long ‘been recognized as present
may be of serious character are quite'likely in most every character of transmission de
to'arise in engaging the teeth regardless of vice involving toothed members of one form
whether the sliding gear be rotating or at or another to be enga ed and disengaged, 7'07
‘rest. My present improvement, involving and it is thought that t e present invention‘ ‘
theauxiliary friction device, obviates these becomes of availability in connection with
difficulties. ' . . most any such shifting tooth device. Any
Assume, again, as in the first case, that the usual or suitable means may be employed for
.10 friction—clutoh is engaged, the driving-shaft actuating the shifter and the clutch-operatev 75
and sliding gears in - rotation, the friction in bar.
disks free of engagement, and the brake free. claim-
1. Power-transmission‘ apparatus compris
Recognizing the di?iculties and possible risks
of attempting to engage the gears under ing a pair of toothed ,members, means for
these conditions, we first throw the friction shifting one of said members into and out of 80
clutch out of engagement, allowing the roller engagement with the other, a rotary drivin
to drop into the depression 18. The release device for transmitting the power to an
‘of the friction-clutch has cut off the power, through the toothed members when engaged, .
and normally the driving—shaft and sliding means for connecting and disconnecting said
20 gear would come to rest; but the dropping of rotary drivin device to and from one of said 85,
the roller into the depression in the clutch toothed mem ers, friction transmission-gear
operating bar has‘ brought friction-disks 13 ing disposed between said rotary driving -
and 14 into frictional driving contact with member and one of said toothed members,
friction members 10 and 11, respectively, the and means for throwing said friction-gearingv
25 result being that the loose rotating clutch-pul into and out of action, combined substan 90
ley 8 transrrits motion at light power and low tially as set forth. ' p
I speed to the driving-shaft and. to the sliding 2. Power-transmission apparatus compris
gear. 'Whi1e the sliding gear is thus in slow ing a pair of toothed ‘members, means for
' rotation, an attempt may be made to shift it shifting one of said members into and out of
30 into engagement with one of the mating engagement with the other, a rotary driving 95
gears. If its teeth fail to enter tooth-spaces, device for transmitting the power to and .
the opportunity for entering will quickly pre through the toothed members when engaged,
sent itself,’ and-the instant the engagement means for connecting and disconnecting said
has been initiated then the driving-shaft and rotary drivin device to and from one of said
35 sliding gears cease rotation, as the auxiliary toothed mem ers, friction transmission-gear ICC
friction arrangement has not the power to ing disposed between said rotary driving
overcome the‘, resistance represented by the member and one -of said toothed members
driven shaft.'-Un'der these conditions the and arranged to transmit motion to one of
engagement of the teeth may be oonpleted said toothed members at abnormally low
with perfect safety and with tri?ing effort, speed, and means for throwing said friction [05
and when the engagementis corrplete then gearing into and out of action, combined.
the friction-clutch’ may be thrown into" en substantially as set forth.
gagement, tlnis putting on the ‘full power and 3. Power-transmission apparatus compris
releasing the auxiliary friction arrangement. in a ‘pair of toothed members, means for
45 Similarly, when the teeth arevto be disen shifting one of said members into and out of 11C
gaged instead of the act ‘requiring an effort engagement with the other, a rotary driving
corresponding'with the transnission of full device for transmitting the power to and
power through the teeth and with danger of through the toothed members when engaged,
transmitting full power through but par means for connecting and disconnecting said v
tially-engaged teeth the friction-clutch may‘ rotary drivin " device to. and from one of said [15
be first‘ disengaged and-‘then the teeth disen toothed mem ers, frictiontransmission-gear- -
gaged while the-gearing is at rest, the driv ing disposed between said rotary ‘driving
ing-shaft and‘lsliding gears taking up very member-and one Pof said toothed members,
slow rotation as soon as the disengagement means for throwing said friction- caring-into
55 shall have been corrpleted. _ and out of action, and afriction- rake coop 12C
' In some cases it may be desirable to ‘posi erating with said toothed member and with
tively arrest the motion of the gears, whether said friction-gearing and arranged tov be put
' " engaged or disengaged, and in such case it is into action when the friction- gearing is
or y necessary after disengaging the fric thrown out of action, combined substantially
60 tion-clutch to move the clutch-operating bar as set forth.
' somewhat farther, and thus cause lug 19 to WILLARD THOMAS SEARS.
apply the brake-shoe to the friction-disk on
the driving-shaft. v 4 . _ Witnesses: ,
. The difficulties and dangers which have Anonmam) M. O'BRIEN
65 been pointed out as incident to the employ- > SAMUEL O-KANE¢_ ' ‘