To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Frederic J. Ball, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in reversing mechanism, and has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvements in the construction, form, and arrangement of the several parts whereby the mechanism is materially simplified, the constant rotary movement of a driving-shaft in one direction being caused to impart a rotary movement to a power-transmitting shaft in the same or reverse direction at predetermined speeds, at pleasure, with a minimum amount of friction.

A further object is to provide a reversing mechanism comprising a rotary driving-shaft, a power transmitting shaft, a gear drum, a clutch-drum, a train of gearing connecting the drums and shafts, a brake for the clutch-drum, and novel means for throwing the clutch-drum into and out of frictional engagement with the gear-drum.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which -

Figure 1 represents an end view of my improved reversing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the same, the clutch-drum being shown thrown into engagement with the gear-drum and the clutch-drum brake being shown released. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line B B of Fig. 2.

1 designates the rotary driving-shaft, which may be caused to rotate continuously in one direction from any suitable source of power. (Not shown herein.)

The clutch-drum is denoted by 2 and the gear drum by 3. The drum 3 is provided with an extended central hub 4, within which is fixed the power-transmitting shaft 5, preferably by set-screws 6. This shaft is in alignment with the driving-shaft 1, and an anti friction-washer 7, of fiber or other suitable material, may be inserted between the ends of the two shafts. The driving-shaft 1 is provided within the drum 3 with a spur-gear 8, which meshes with a spur-gear 9, mounted on a stud-axle 10, carried by the drum 3. This stud-axle 10 also carries a spur-gear 11, fixed to the gear 9, which spur-gear 11 meshes with a spur-gear 12, carried by the inner end of a sleeve 13, which is loosely mounted on the driving-shaft 1.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown two sets of these gears 9 and 11, and their stud-axles 10, mounted within the drum 3 at points idametrically opposite each other for the purpose of balancing the drum and for distributing the wear between the said two sets of gear. These gears are shown as proportioned as follows: the gear 8, carried by the driving-shaft, is provided with twenty teeth; the gear 9, with which it meshes, is provided with twenty-five teeth; the gear 11 with seventeen teeth, and the gear 12 with twenty-eight teeth. While the above is the proportion of the several gears, as shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that by varying the relative sizes of the several gears the speed of the power-transmitting shaft may be varied with respect to the speed of the driving-shaft.

The drum 3 is provided with an exterior cone 14, and the drum 2 is provided with an interior cone 15, fitted to engage and disengage the exterior cone 14 for locking and releasing the two drums with respect to each other.

The clutch-drum 2 is permitted a slight lateral movement on the sleeve 13 by a feather-and-groove connection 16, which also serves to lock the drum 2 against rotary movement on the said sleeve.

An adjustable collar 17 has a screw-threaded engagement with the end of the sleeve 13 exterior to the drum 2. This collar 17 may be locked in different adjustments by a set-screw 18, so as to accurately limit the lateral movement of the drum 2 away from the drum 3. A spring 19 is interposed between the drums 2 and 3, tending to force the drum 2 outwardly away from the drum 3 and hold it at the limit of its outward movement against the collar 17.

The means which I have shown for positively forcing the clutch-drum 2 inwardly against the tension of the spring 19 is as follows: A plurality of dogs 20 - in the present instance three are shown - are pivoted between lugs 21 22 on the collar 17, the said dogs being provided with tailpieces 23, fitted to be forced outwardly by a bevel-flange 24 of a clutch-slide 25 loosely mounted on the driving-shaft 1. It is to be understood that any means not shown herein may be used for moving the clutch-slide 25. As the clutch-slide is moved inwardly to swing the tailpieces of the dogs outwardly, the inner ends of the dogs will, because of their engagement with the drum 2, force the drum inwardly into clutching engagement with the gear-drum 3. As soon as the dogs are released the drum 2 will be forced outwardly out of its clutch engagement with the drum 3 by the spring 19.

A brake of any well-known or approved form, that shown herein being a band-brake 26, is provided for locking and releasing the clutch-drum 2 with respect to its rotary movement.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When the brake 26 is released from the drum 2 and the drum 2 is thrown out of its engagement with the drum 3, the shaft 1 will impart no motion to the power-transmitting shaft 5. When the brake is released and the cone is thrown into locking engagement with the drum 3, the power-transmitting shaft is driven at the same speed and in the same direction as the driving-shaft. When the brake 26 is applied to the clutch-drum 2 and the drum is released from the drum 3, the power-transmitting shaft is driven at the same speed, but in the reverse direction to the driving-shaft 1.

The mechanism which I have shown herein is particularly well adapted for marine-work where one speed forward and one speed reversed is required and where it is frequently desirable to disengage the power-transmitting or propeller shaft from the driving or engine shaft. However, I do not wish to limit myself to this particular combination of gears, my present invention being directed to the novel arrangement of clutch-drum and its operating mechanism whereby the use of a third drum in this form of reversing mechanism is obviated.

What I claim as my invention is -

1. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum, a clutch-drum, a brake therefor, gears connecting the drums and shafts, means for positively forcing the drums into engagement with each other and means tending to force the drums apart.

2. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum held against lateral movement, a clutch-drum arranged to move laterally, a brake therefor, gears connecting the drums and shafts, means for positively forcing the clutch-drum into engagement with the gear-drum and means tending to force the drums apart.

3. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum, a sleeve, a clutch-drum having a limited lateral movement thereon, gears connecting the drums and shafts, means for positively forcing the clutch-drum along the sleeve into engagement with the gear-drum and means interposed between the drums tending to force them apart.

4. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum, a sleeve, a clutch-drum having a limited lateral movement thereon, gears connecting the drums and shafts, means for positively forcing the clutch-drum along the sleeve into engagement with the gear-drum, means tending to force the drums apart and means for adjustably limiting the outward movement of the drum.

5. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum, a sleeve, a clutch-drum having a lateral movement thereon, gears connecting the drums and shafts, a collar adjustably secured to the sleeve for limiting the outward movement of the clutch-drum, a spring tending to hold the drum at the limit of its outward movement and means for positively moving the clutch-drum into engagement with the gear-drum.

6. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving-shaft, a power-transmitting shaft, a gear-drum, a sleeve, a clutch-drum having a limited lateral movement thereon, gears connecting the drums and shafts, a collar carried by the sleeve, a plurality of dogs carried by the collar, a clutch-slide on the driving-shaft arranged to engage the dogs for causing them to force the clutch-drum into engagement with the gear-drum and means tending to force the clutch-drum away from the gear-drum.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of December, 1903.

FREDERIC J. BALL

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES

C. S. SUNDGREN