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-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in reversing-gear, one object being to provide a new and improved construction in which the constant rotary movement of a shaft in one direction may be caused to impart a rotary movement to a power-transmitting sleeve in the same direction or in a reverse direction at pleasure with a minimum amount of friction.

A further object is to provide a construction which consists of a rotary driving-shaft, a power-transmitting sleeve, a pair of drums, a train of gearing connecting said drums, shaft, and sleeve and composed entirely of spur-gears, and means for arresting and releasing each of the drums at pleasure, the spur-gears being so arranged with respect to each other that the continuous rotary movement of the shaft in one direction will be caused to transmit a rotary movement to the sleeve in the same direction or in the reverse direction as one or the other of the drums is arrested.

A further object is to provide a structure of the above character in which the continuous rotary movement of the shaft in one direction will transmit a rotary movement to the sleeve in one direction at one speed when one of the drums is arrested and in the reverse directional another drum is arrested.

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

Figure 1 represents an end view of the reversing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 2, the brake being left off. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line B B of Fig. 2, the brake being left off. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line C C of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line D D of Fig. 3.

a designates the driving-shaft, which rotates continuously in the direction indicated by the arrows placed thereon. This driving-shaft a may be driven from any source of power. (Not shown herein.)

Inner and outer drums b and c are loosely mounted upon the rotary driving-shaft a and have geared connections with the said shaft in their interiors, which connections will be hereinafter more specifically described.

The movements of the drums b and c are positively controlled by means of a double-acting brake, which consists in the present instance of a rock-shaft d, mounted in a suitable stationary bearing e, upon which rock-shaft are mounted a shoe-break f, arranged to engage the drum b, and a band-brake g, arranged to engage the drum c. These brakes are so arranged that when one of the brakes is applied the other is released. A suitable handle h may be employed for operating the brakes.

The drum c is of closed cylindrical form, its two end walls being denoted by i and j. This drum is preferably made by forming the outer end wall j and cylindrical wall in a single piece and securing the inner end wall i rigidly to the inner edge of the cylindrical wall.

The drum b has its outer end closed by the wall k, while its inner end is open, thus forming a cylindrical cup. The outer end wall k and the cylindrical wall of the drum are preferably formed in a single piece.

The outer peripheral edge of the drum c is provided with a groove, in which the inner edge of the cylindrical wall of the drum b loosely fits, so that the interior of the said drum b is protected from dust to dirt, as well as the interior of the drum c.

A secondary shaft l is mounted to rotate in suitable bearings m and n in the inner and outer walls i and j of the inner drum c. Two spur gear-wheels o and p are fixed to rotate with the shaft l within the drum c, and a third spur gear-wheel q is fixed to the outer end of the said shaft l, located within the outer drum b.

A stud-axle r is mounted in a suitable elongated bearing s, projecting from the outer and wall j of the inner drum c into the interior of the said drum. This stud-axle r has mounted to rotate thereon a spur gear-wheel t, located within the inner drum c.

A stud-axle u is mounted in an elongated bearing v, which projects laterally from the outer end wall j of the inner drum e both into the interior of the drum c and the interior of the drum b.

Two spur gear-wheels w and x are mounted on the stud-axle u within the outer drum b, which gear-wheels are fixed to rotate together, but free to rotate on the said stud-axle.

A rotary transmission-sleeve y is mounted loosely on the driving-shaft a and projects from the interior of the inner drum c to the exterior thereof through the hub z of the said drum.

The portion of the sleeve y exterior to the hub z of the drum c may be provided with a sprocket-wheel, a driving-pulley, or gearwheel for transmitting the rotary movement of the said sleeve to any desired point. The inner end of the concentric sleeve y has fixed thereto a spur gear-wheel 1, located within the inner drum c. This spur gear-wheel 1 intermeshes with the spur-gear t on the stud-axle r, which in turn intermeshes with the spur-gear t, fixed to rotate with the secondary shaft l.

A spur gear-wheel 2 is fixed to rotate with the driving-shaft a within the inner drum c, which spur-gear intermeshed with the spur gear-wheel o, fixed to rotate with the secondary shaft l.

A spur gear-wheel 3 is mounted concentric with the driving-shaft a within the outer drum b, which spur-gear is provided with a sleeve 4, fixed to the hub 5 of the outer drum b. This spur gear-wheel 3 intermeshes with the spur gear-wheel x, loosely mounted on the stud-axle u, and the other spur gear-wheel w, which is fixed to rotate with the spur-gear wheel x, in turn intermeshes with the spur gear-wheel q, which is fixed to rotate with the secondary shaft l.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented the band-brake g applied to the inner drum c, whereby the drum is held against movement, while the shoe-brake f is released from the outer drum b, permitting it to move. With the parts in this condition I have indicated the direction in which the several gears rotate for driving the sleeve y in the opposite direction to the shaft a. These gears also rotate in a direction to rotate the drum b in the reverse direction to the shaft.

It will be seen that when the drum c is held immovable the secondary shaft l and the stud-axles r and u are all held against a bodily movement in a circular path around the driving-shaft a. To more particularly point out the movements of the several gears when this condition of affairs exist, and, referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the spur gear-wheel 2, fixed to the driving-shaft a, rotates from left to right , the spur-gear o from right to left, the spur-gear t from left to right, and the spur-gear 1, fixed to the sleeve y, from right to left.

The relative sizes of the intermeshing gears are such that the sleeve y is driven in the reverse direction to the driving -shaft a at substantially the same speed as the said driving-shaft a.

When it is desired to reverse the movement of the sleeve y, so as to cause it to rotate in the same direction as the driving-shaft a, the band-brake g is released from the inner drum c and the shoe-brake f is applied to the outer drum b. By thus holding the drum b against rotary movement the gear 3, fixed thereto, is held immovable, and because of the rotary movement of the gear-wheel 2, fixed to the driving-shaft a, the several intermeshing gears will not only be rotated in the reverse direction to that herein before described, but their axes will at the same time be caused to travel bodily in a circular path, with the shaft a as a center. Because of this circular traveling movement of the secondary shaft l and stud-axle shafts r and u the power-transmitting sleeve y is rotated at a very much lower speed than the shaft a, but in the same direction. In the arrangement of gears shown in the present case this rotary movement of the sleeve y is about one-fourth as fast as the movement of the shaft a. This automatic changing of the speed of the sleeve when its movement is reversed makes the reversing mechanism particularly well adapted for use in connection with motor-vehicles, where it is at all times very desirable to back the vehicle at a much less speed than that used in driving it forward.

It will be observed that I have entirely done away with the use of the internal gear, all of the gears in this present invention being spur-gears. This is a very important point, as it is well known that a spur-gear connection is far superior to a combined spur and internal gear connection, as in the last-named connection there is a great tendency of the parts to cramp and bind, especially when running under high speed. The spur-gear connection is furthermore very much cheaper and is not at all confined to drums of any one diameter, as the mechanism is just as feasible for large drums as for small drums.

It is evident that the relative sizes of the intermeshing gear may be varied to suit different requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention , and it is also evident that instead of a single set of gearing, as above described, I may use several sets to advantage, located at different intervals around the central shaft. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein before set forth; but

What I claim is -

1. In combination, a rotary driving-shaft, a power-transmitting sleeve, a pair of drums, a train of gearing connecting the said drums, shaft and sleeve, composed entirely of spur-gears, and means for arresting and releasing each of the drums, at pleasure, the spur-gears being so arranged with respect to each other that the continuous rotary movement of the shaft in one direction will transmit a rotary movement to the sleeve in the same direction or in reverse direction as one or the other of the drums is arrested, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, a rotary driving-shaft, a power transmitting sleeve, a pair of drums, a train of gearing connecting the said drums, shaft and sleeve, composed entirely of spur-gears, one portion of the train of gearing being arranged to move bodily around another portion of the train when one of the drums is arrested and to remain stationary, as far as bodily movement is concerned, when the other drum is arrested and means for arresting and releasing each of the drums, at pleasure, the spur-gears being so arranged with respect to each other that a continuos rotary movement of the shaft in one direction will transmit a rotary movement to the sleeve in one direction at one speed when one of the drums is arrested and in the reverse direction at another speed when the other drum is arrested, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a rotary driving-shaft having a gear-wheel fixed thereto, a concentric power-transmitting sleeve loosely mounted on the shaft and having a gear-wheel fixed thereto, a pair of drums concentric with the driving-shaft, a secondary shaft mounted in one of said drums and having two gear-wheels fixed to rotate together in on of the said drums, one of the gear-wheels intermeshing with the gear-wheel on the driving-shaft, an intermediate gear-wheel in said drum for connecting the second gear-wheel on the secondary shaft with the gear-wheel on the loose sleeve; a gear-wheel fixed to the other drum, concentric with the driving-shaft, a gear-wheel located in said drum and fixed to rotate with the said gear-wheels on the secondary shaft and a pair of intermediate gear-wheels located in said last-named drum for connecting the gear-wheel upon the secondary shaft with the gear-wheel carried by the drum, whereby when one of the drums is held stationary the drive-shaft will rotate the sleeve in one direction and when the other of the drums is held stationary the driving-shaft will rotate the sleeve in the reverse direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of December, 1900.

FREDERIC J. BALL

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES,

HENRY THIEME.