US2593297A - Control device for change-speed gears - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1952 J. A. GREGOIRE 2,593,297

CONTROL DEVICE FOR CHANGE-SPEED GEARS Filed Oct. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE N TOR alajlfiaifii'e azlre BYJMMW4 ATTORNEYS April 1952 J. A. GREGOIRE 2,593,297

CONTROL DEVICE FOR CHANGE-SPEED GEARS Filed 001;. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ g s 12 A? ZZZ I 4 n I" n f- INVENTOR .5 qfimflerifimywre Byfl wva M {W ATTORNEYS April 15, 1952 J. A. GREGOIRE CONTROL DEVICE FOR CHANGESPEED GEARS Filed Oct. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 6 I i. p,

if I 8 7 9 x 4 .i {al A k INVENTOR tl mflflerffirejaziv BY Wt ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEARS Jean Albert Gregoire, Paris, France Application October 25, 1948, Serial No. 56,297 In France October 29, 1947 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to control devices for change speed gears, such as those that are ordinarily used in road or similar vehicles.

It relates more specifically to control devices incorporating a lever that can be shifted into different positions according to the different speeds, no matter whether the said lever is located upon the dashboard, next to the driver or under the wheel.

This invention applies more particularly to change speed gear devices of the type having at least four speeds (one of which is over multiplied for instance) and a reversing gear.

In control devices of this type which are known so far and which generally include, in the gearbox itself, three sliding gears, it was necessary up to now to provide for five different positions of the speed gear lever. The trouble about this device was that on the one hand it was rather complicated to have to operate a device rather different from the one that is found on most present day vehicles which only have three speeds and a reverse.

The present invention has for its object to do away with these inconveniences.

To this purpose, it consists essentially in providing with a speed gear having four speeds and a reversing gear, only four positions of the gearlever, the same position being used for two separate speeds,the second and the fourth or overmultiplied one for example, but requiring when it is desired to go into one of these particular speeds, the additional operation of an auxiliary part which is either a small lever or a knob, etc.

This device then shows the following advanpulled back from the third into the second speed a position while acting upon the auxiliary part. When afterwards it is desired to return from the fourth into the third, the operation is done without acting on the auxiliary part.

The result in question can be obtained through the operation of a system made up of two antagonistic springs, one of which can be operated directly, when required, by the auxiliary part, in such a manner that the selective action upon the sliding gear is no longer effected upon the sliding gear corresponding to the second speed, but on thesliding gear corresponding to the fourth speed.

Other purposes and characteristic features of the present invention will appear in the course 2 of the following description referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically, by way of non limitative examples, a form of execution of the invention as applied to a motor car speed gear control device operated by a lever provided under the steering wheel.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in the usual diagrammatical manner the different positions that can be assumed by a speed gear control lever in a system executed in conformity with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the speed gear control device in the position which permits the engagement of the second and third speeds.

Fig. 3- is a similar view in a position corresponding to first speed or reverse.

Fig. 4 shows again the same view but in a position corresponding to the fourth or over multiplied speed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on a larger scale along the line 5-5 in Fig. 2. I

Fig 6 is a detail sectional view also on a larger ;scale along the line 6-6 in Fig. 3.

, In Fig. 1, the positions of the leverwhen it is in neutral position, in reverse and in the first 'three speeds 1-2--3 have been shown diagrammatically at M, AR, I, II and III. The position of the lever for the fourth orover multiplied speed is the same as for thesecond speed, as shown at S. The device operates as follows:

, starting from the neutral point M, it is possible to enter reverse or else separately or successively, in the known manner, each of the positions. I, II. and III which correspond to first,

second and third speed.

When it is desired to go into fourth or over multiplied position with the lever in the position III it is necessary to act on the auxiliary part and to pull back the said lever into the position Under the action of this auxiliary control part,

it is not the second speed sliding gear which supposed to be in front of slider I.

fit on as speed control devices of three speed systems and, consequently, is much less cumbersome and complicated than the four speed control devices that are now in use.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the top left hand side part in the figure shows diagrammatically the parts in the gear box itself. Ihe latter includes three sliding gears thatare operated. with a known procedure by three sliders I, 2 and 3. Slider i corresponds to the first sliding gear operating the first and reverse speed; slider 2 operates the second and third speeds; slider 3 operates the fourth or over multiplied speed. The operating control member for these sliders has been diagrammatically shown in 4 and also on a larger scale in Fig. 5. This member can be worked, as will be explained later on, into the three positions of preselection that are shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and this preselecting movement 7 brings it either opposite the slider 2 or opposite the slider I or opposite the, slider 3. In each one of these positions, the same member can also ssum a ro y or enga in mov mentin. a man.- ner that will also. be disclosed, hereinafter. This movement of rotation causes the corresponding slider to move towards the right or the left and bring either speed into gear.

In Fig. 5, the said control part i, is seen when It consists of alever 4 to which a movement of rotation is impressed round a shaft 5 in the way described hereinbelow. Its round end 6 engages a notch 1' on the slider and it will easily be understood, consequently that this rotation causes the slider to move either to the right or to the left as shown in dottedv lines for engaging into reverse or into first speed. A certain amount of play is provided between the lever end 6 and the; notch "I, this play corresponding to the maximum float of the engine unit. The preselection movement of thecontrol member 4 that is to say its slidingv movement is obtained through a traction cable 8 (which is operated as will be explained hereinafter) which acts upon it in register with a spring 9. Its movement ofrotation is executed by means of a link H! (see more particularly Fig. 5) which forms one and the same piece with the tube H, along which the hub of lever H slides. A bolt pin l2, rigid; with thelever 4, and. which slides n a'loneitudinal oove of. he tu l, auses the;control lever 4 to rotate together with the link: It) without hindering its sliding movement. It will; now be explained how the motion of the controlpart l itself is operated by the. speed control leveri3 located underthe steering wheel, an auxiliary lever it being provided for the, control of. th fo rth r. ov r mu plied pee lever 13 pivotally secured at. l5 to a shea h. lfi'ca-rrl ed by an outwardly spher ca s ev i1 mounted with a ball and SQQket joint, a support is which is carried by the steering column l9; Said sheath It is mounted in such a manner as to be capable of rotating inside the rotula support I? without moving axially with reference to the latter.

Inside this sheath-ya tube 26 can rotate and slide, the opposite end of which tube is rigid with a. tubej2l, of a slightly larger diameter, which is arranged acage 26 provided with alongitudinal slot 21 registering with a'similar slot in thetube 26 in order to allow the passage through it of thepivot 15 around which the lever l3 rotates in relation to the sheath It, said slots being designed so as to allow the sliding movements of the tube 2t and thecage 26 in relation to the sheath I6. To the cage is hooked theend 28 of the traction cable 8 leading to the speed box; as a matter of fact, this cable is not in one piece but comprises a screw and nut "junction device for adjusting the length of the cable and thereby the position of thepart 4 in relation to thelever 13. Aspring 30 is inserted between thecage 25 and an abutment 3| provided on thetube 20. This, spring which is strongly compressed is, according to the invention, much stronger than the spring 9 of the speed box, for reasons that are disclosed hereinbelow.

Besides, alever 32 connected with the lever It through the agency of alink 33 is used for transmitting the rotary movement of thetube 20 to the control lever '4. Thislever 32 in for this purpose mounted by means of grooves, that are not visible on the drawing, or of any suitable device, in order to be capable ofsliding along the tube 2Q while remaining constrained to rotate in unison with said tube. To this arrangement, there is incorporated a stud operated device which will be described later on with reference to Fig. 6.

The rotating and sliding-movement of thetube 29 is operated through the lever I3 in the following manner: saidtube 20 is rigid with apart 34 at its upper part (on the right of Fig. 2) which is shaped as shown and terminates in around head 35 sliding inside asleeve 35 carried by the lever l3. When the lever is tilted backwards in the plane of the. figure, it is obvious that such a movement of the lever, as it rotates round the pivot i5, causes through action on part 3 3, the whole of thetube 26 to slide. Besides, when the said lever is made to rotate perpendicularly to the plane of the figure, the lever causes thetube 20 to rotate through the agency of the pivot [5.

The lever I4 is pivoted to the part 34' round aspindle 31. The other end of this lever M has twoshoulders 38 and 39 shaped as shown. Theshoulder 39 which, in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, bears against thetube 20, is used for limiting the movement of the lever 2s towards the left hand side of the figure. Theshoulder 38 bears against the upper end of the,cage 26. When the lever I4 is hand shifted outwardly. in order to move, it nearer to the, lever l3,'s uch a movement causes through the agency of theshoulder 38, the cage to be pushed inwardly against the spring 3! thereby giving the effects which are indicated below.

The device just described operates as follows, examining first the speed engaging movement.

The, apparatus being for example in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the lever is in the position C, the. rotation of this lever in a plane perpendicular to the figure brings about, as already mentioned, a rotation of thetube 29 and consequently of thelever 32, whereby through thelink 33 and the lever it, the control part A is actuated which shifts the slider 2 to the right or to the left that is to say into a position that puts into geareither the second or the third speed, according as to whether the lever I3 is moved to the right or to the left of the plane of the drawing. This putting into gear is performed in the same way of course when thecontrol part 4 is in front of the first or of the reverse speed (Fig. 3) or in front of the over multiplied speed (Fig. 4).

Examining now the sliding or preselection movement of thecontrol part 4, it is {apparent that so long as the lever it is not operated, thespring 30 being much stronger than the'spring 9, the whole system including thetube 20 and thecage 26 forms a rigid block. The result is that the sliding of thetube 28, which is caused by the tilting movement of the lever l3, as has been explained hereinabove, is entirely transmitted to thecontrol part 4 through the cable 8. This allows moving from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position in Fig. 3 and reversely by simply tilting the lever I3 in the plane of the figure, such a tilting m enient causing thecontrol part 4 to move from theposition in Fig. 2 reselection of the slider 22) to the position in Fig. 3 (preselection of the slider i) and reversely.

If, on the contrary, thelever [3 being in the position .shown in. Fig. 2, that is to say the position wherethetube 20 is in its innermost sliding position), the lever l4 ispulled outwardly in the plane of the figure, theshoulder 38 of said lever bears on thecage 26 and compresses thespring 36. The spring 9, which is no lOnger'cOunter balanced by thespring 33, urges thecontrol part 4 forwards and brings it into register with the slider 3 (Fig. d). The transversal rocking oflever 13, acting upon the control part t, will then bring about the engagement into fourth or overmultiplied speed. At that moment, theauxiliary lever 14 can be let go, which lever is'urged back into its original position by a small spring which is not illustrated, the fourth or over-multiplied speed remains in gear.

To return to any of the other speeds, it is only necessary first to pull back the main lever I3 to the neutral inoperative position M (Fig. 1), then to engage the desired speed in the manner already disclosed. As soon as thepart 4 is back in neutral position (as shown insolid lines in Fig.6), the spring Eli acts on the cable 8 and pulls the part 6 back into the position shown in the Fig. 2 corresponding to preselection of the second and third speeds.

A few additional arrangements will now be dei scribed. When in reverse or first speed (Fig. 3), to avoid passage by mistake into over multiplied speed, an

abutment 453 is provided on the lever l3 and preents the operation of the auxiliary lever i4.

On the other hand, astud 44 carried by the tube 2 i in front of the lever 32 (see more particularly Fig. 6) moves in front of aplate 42 which is shaped as shown and provided with a notch adapted to register with said stud when thelever 32 is in its neutral position illustrated at M. This stud bearing upon the plate #52, as can be seen in Figs. 3 and 6, prevents the lever i3 from coming under the action of the spring ii, into the position II-III in Figure 2, as long as thelever 32 is in one of its laterally shifted positions.

What I claim is:

l. A change speed gear including a change speed lever adapted to assume two operative positions to either side of a neutral position in each of two operative planes corresponding respectively to reverse and first forward on one hand and to second and third on the other, the position of modified third being the same as for second forward, two couples of speed controlling shift rods corresponding respectively to the couples of posi tions in each of said planes, the shift rods of the couple corresponding to the two first positions lying to the front of the couple providing the two following positions, an intermediary member adapted to be shifted longitudinally and then transversely for engaging selectively either of said shift rods and to shift same into an operative position for obtaining the corresponding speed. a transmission including a stout spring and a sliding part urged rearwardly thereby, said transmission operatively connecting the control lever with the intermediary member for producing said longitudinal and transversal movements of said intermediary member, a further shift rod located beyond the above mentioned couples of shift rods and adapted to be operatively engaged by the intermediary member and to be shifted thereby into a position providing modified third through a further longitudinal movement thereof followed by a transversal movement, a weaker spring urging said intermediary member into the direction corresponding to engagement With the further shift rod, an auxiliary control member associated with the control lever and adapted to urge the sliding part forwardly against the action of the stout spring for urging the part of the transmission lying beyond said sliding part and therewith the intermediary member forward by a distance equal to that separating the second couple of shift rods from the further shift rod and means urging said auxiliary control member back into its inoperative position.

2. A change speed gear including a change speed lever adapted to assume two operative positions to either side of a netural position in each of two operative planes corresponding respectively to reverse and first forward on one hand and to second and third on the other, the position of modified third being the same as for second forward, two couples of speed controlling shift rods corresponding respectively to the couples of positions in each of said planes, the shift rods of the couple corresponding to the two first positions lying ,to the front of the couple providing'the twofollowing positions, an intermediary member adapted to be shifted longitudinally and then transversely for engaging selectively either of said shift rods of either couple and to shift same into an operative position for obtaining the corresponding speed, a transmission including a stout spring and a sliding part urged rearwardly thereby, said transmission operatively connecting the control lever with the intermediary member for producing said longitudinal and transversal movements of said intermediary member, a further shift rod located beyond the above mentioned couples of shift rods and adapted to be operatively engaged by the intermediary memher and to be shifted thereby into a position providing modified third through a further longitudinal movement thereof followed by a transversal movement, a weaker spring urging said intermediary member into the direction corresponding to engagement with the further shift rod, an auxiliary control member associated with the control lever and adapted to urge the sliding part forwardly against the action of the stout spring for urging the part of the transmission lying beyond said sliding part and therewith the intermediary member forward by a distance equal to that separating the second couple of shift rods from the further shift rod and means urging said auxiliary control member back into its inoperative position and an abutment on the control lever preventing operatilm of the auxiliary control member when the lever is in the position corresponding to reverse and first forward.

3. A change speed gear including a change tions lying to the front of the couple providing the two following positions, an intermediary member adapted to be shifted longitudinally and then transversely for engaging selectively either of said shift rods of either couple and to shift same into an operative position for obtainingithe corresponding speed, a transmission including a stout spring and a sliding part urged rearwardly thereby, said transmission operatively connecting the control lever with the intermediary member for producing said longitudinal and transversal movements of said intermediary member, a fur ther shift rod located beyond the above mentioned couples of shift rods and adapted to be operatively engaged by the intermediary memher and to be shifted thereby into a position pro 4 viding modified third through a further longitudinal movement thereof followed by a transversal movement, a weaker spring urging said intermediary member into the direction corresponding to engagement with the further shift rod, an auxiliary control member associated with the control lever and adapted to urge the sliding part forwardly against the action of the stout spring for urging the part of the transmission lying beyond said sliding part and therewith the intermediary member forward by a distance equal to that separating the second couple of shift rods from the further shift rod and means urging said auxiliary control member back into its inoperative position and a stationary abutment locking the weaker spring against reaction on the transmission when the auxiliary control member is in one of its speed controlling positions. a 4. A change speed gear comprising, in combination: a change speed lever movable to a neutral position and to an operative position on each side of the neutral position about a substantially vertical axis; said operative positions corresponding to reverse and forward ears, and' to second and third forward gears respectively; a second control lever pivoted upon the first named lever and movable in vertical planes at each operative position of the. first lever; a plurality of gear shifting members; means controlling said members by movements of said leveis; each of said members being movable in two opposite directions; one thereof controlling gears for first forward and for reverse gears; a second member controlling gears for second and third speed gears; and a third controlling a modified third forward gear; a connector sliding coaxially with said vertical axis actuated by the second lever to control said i modified third gear shifting member when the first lever is in position for control of the second speed forward gear.

JEAN ALBERT GREGOIRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,887,943 Padgett Nov. 15, 1932 2,115,089 Tenney Apr. 26; 1938 2,280,045 Na-mpa Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 387,311 Great Britain Apr. 27, 1931 530,206 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1940 538,110, Great Britain V l July 21, 1941 807,652 France i g v. Jan. 19, 193? ill

Images