Speed changing transmission

Claim 2

A speed changing transmission comprising (a) a housing including means for securing same against rotation; (b) an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof; (c) an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing with one end of said input shaft extending beyond said output end; (d) a planetary gear set disposed in said housing for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same; (e) a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith; (f) said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft; and (g) selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio.

Claim 3

A transmission according to claim 1 wherein said selectable means includes a first and a second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear, respectively.

Claim 4

A transmission according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a substantially annular counterbore, the peripheries of said ring gears are disposed and mounted for rotation in said counterbore and piloted thereby against axial movement relative thereto, and wherein the mounting of said pair of first planet gears is at a greater radial distance than the mounting of said second pair of planet gears.

Claim 5

A transmission according to claim 3 wherein said ring gears have internal teeth, with the teeth on both said ring gears being of equal number and pitch diameter, and said first sun gear is larger than said second sun gear.

Claim 6

A transmission according to claim 4 wherein said selectable means includes a first and second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear, respectively.

Claim 7

A transmission according to claim 5 wherein said housing has a projection thereon, with a radially extending bore intersecting said annular counterbore, said pawls are disposed in the bore of said projection and movable radially therein and enterable into said annular bore upon moving radially inwardly to engage said ring gears.

Claim 8

A transmission according to claim 6 wherein said pawls have a lug on the radial inner end thereof, and said ring gears have a plurality of spaced detents formed in the periphery thereof engageable by said lugs.

Claim 9

A speed changing transmission adapted to be mounted in conjunction with a frame mounted hub of a bicycle comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing, a sprocket drivingly mounted on the output end of said output shaft, one end of said input shaft extending beyond said sprocket and including means for rotatably mounting the same in the hub of a bicycle, a planetary gear set dIsposed in said housing for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, and selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio.

Claim 10

A speed changing transmission adapted to be mounted in conjunction with a frame mounted hub of a bicycle comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing, a sprocket drivingly mounted on the output end of said output shaft, one end of said input shaft extending beyond said sprocket and including means for rotatably mounting the same in the hub of a bicycle, a planetary gear set dIsposed in said housing for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, and selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio.

Claim 11

A speed changing transmission comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation and having a bore and substantially annular counterbore, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing with one end of said input shaft extending beyond said output end, a planetary gear set disposed in said housing bore for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, the peripheries of said gears being disposed and mounted for rotation in said counterbore and piloted thereby against axial movement relative thereto, said ring gears having internal teeth with the teeth on both said ring gears being of equal number and pitch diameter, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, the mounting of said pair of first planet gears being at a greater radial distance than the mounting of said second pair of planet gears, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, with said first sun gear being larger than said second sun gear, selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio, said selectable means including a shifter shaft and a first and a second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear respectively, said housing also having a projection thereon containing radially extending bore intersecting said annular counterbore, said pawls being disposed in the bore of said projection and movable radially therein and enterable into said annular bore upon moving radially inwardly to engage said ring gears, also said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore, spring means are connected to said pawls for biasing the same radially inwardly toward said ring gear, and said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore and including a first and a second detent means spaced and indexed from each other with said detent means being cooperable with said first and second pawls respectively for allowing said spring means to bias the selected one of said pawls radially inwardly to engage a selected one of said ring gears.

Claim 12

A speed changing transmission comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation and having a bore and substantially annular counterbore, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing with one end of said input shaft extending beyond said output end, a planetary gear set disposed in said housing bore for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, the peripheries of said gears being disposed and mounted for rotation in said counterbore and piloted thereby against axial movement relative thereto, said ring gears having internal teeth with the teeth on both said ring gears being of equal number and pitch diameter, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, the mounting of said pair of first planet gears being at a greater radial distance than the mounting of said second pair of planet gears, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, with said first sun gear being larger than said second sun gear, selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio, said selectable means including a shifter shaft and a first and a second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear respectively, said housing also having a projection thereon containing radially extending bore intersecting said annular counterbore, said pawls being disposed in the bore of said projection and movable radially therein and enterable into said annular bore upon moving radially inwardly to engage said ring gears, also said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore, spring means are connected to said pawls for biasing the same radially inwardly toward said ring gear, and said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore and including a first and a second detent means spaced and indexed from each other with said detent means being cooperable with said first and second pawls respectively for allowing said spring means to bias the selected one of said pawls radially inwardly to engage a selected one of said ring gears.

Claim 13

A transmission according to claim 9 wherein said spring means includes a separate spring retainer and coil spring associated with each of said pawls, said coil spring being compressed between said spring retainer on the pawl associated therewith and said spring retainer being carried by said shifter shaft and imposing the reaction load of said coil spring on said shifter shaft.

Claim 14

A transmission according to claim 10 wherein said detent Means are chordal slots formed in said shifter shaft, with said slots being axially spaced and disposed angularly in a circumferential direction with respect to each other, and said retainers are carried by said shaft at a location adjacent to said slots.

Claim 15

A speed changing transmission adapted to be mounted in conjunction with a frame mounted hub of a bicycle comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation and having a bore and substantially annular counterbore, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing, a sprocket drivingly mounted on the output end of said output shaft, one end of said input shaft extending beyond said sprocket and including means for rotatably mounting the same in the hub of a bicycle, the opposed ends of said input shaft including means for drivingly mounting pedal cranks thereon, a planetary gear set disposed in said housing bore for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, the peripheries of said gears being disposed and mounted for rotation in said counterbore and piloted thereby against axial movement relative thereto, said ring gears having internal teeth with the teeth on both said ring gears being of equal number and pitch diameter, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, the mounting of said pair of first planet gears being at a greater radial distance than the mounting of said second pair of planet gears, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, with said first sun gear being larger than said second sun gear, selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio, said selectable means including a shifter shaft and a first and a second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear respectively, said housing also having a projection thereon containing a radially extending bore intersecting said annular counterbore, said pawls being disposed in the bore of said projection and movable radially therein and enterable into said annular bore upon moving radially inwardly to engage said ring gears, also said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore, spring means are connected to said pawls for biasing the same radially inwardly toward said ring gear, and said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore and including a first and a second detent means spaced and indexed from each other with said detent means being cooperable with said first and second pawls respectively for allowing said spring means to bias the selected one of said pawls radially inwardly to engage a selected one of said ring gears.

Claim 16

A speed changing transmission adapted to be mounted in conjunction with a frame mounted hub of a bicycle comprising, a housing including means for securing same against rotation and having a bore and substantially annular counterbore, an input shaft rotatably mounted in and extending completely through said housing and adapted to be driven from either one or both ends thereof, an output shaft rotatably mounted on said input shaft and in said housing and having an output end extending from said housing, a sprocket drivingly mounted on the output end of said output shaft, one end of said input shaft extending beyond said sprocket and including means for rotatably mounting the same in the hub of a bicycle, the opposed ends of said input shaft including means for drivingly mounting pedal cranks thereon, a planetary gear set disposed in said housing bore for driving said output shaft from said input shaft and including at least a first ring gear and sun gear with a pair of first planet gears drivingly connecting same and a second ring gear and sun gear and a pair of second planet gears drivingly connecting same, the peripheries of said gears being disposed and mounted for rotation in said counterbore and piloted thereby against axial movement relative thereto, said ring gears having internal teeth with the teeth on both said ring gears being of equal number and pitch diameter, a planet carrier mounting both said first and second pairs of planet gears, and being drivingly connected to said input shaft for unitary rotation therewith, the mounting of said pair of first planet gears being at a greater radial distance than the mounting of said second pair of planet gears, said sun gears being rotatable about said input shaft, disposed adjacent to said planet carrier and drivingly connected to said output shaft, with said first sun gear being larger than said second sun gear, selectable means for maintaining a selected one of said ring gears stationary relative to said housing for selecting the desired gear ratio, said selectable means including a shifter shaft and a first and a second cam and spring operated pawls movable toward and away from said ring gears for engaging and disengaging said first and second ring gear respectively, said housing also having a projection thereon containing a radially extending bore intersecting said annular counterbore, said pawls being disposed in the bore of said projection and movable radially therein and enterable into said annular bore upon moving radially inwardly to engage said ring gears, also said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore, spring means are connected to said pawls for biasing the same radially inwardly toward said ring gear, and said shifter shaft being rotatably mounted in said housing and disposed in said radially extending bore and including a first and a second detent means spaced and indexed from each other with said detent means being cooperable with said first and second pawls respectively for allowing said spring means to bias the selected one of said pawls radially inwardly to engage a selected one of said ring gears.

Claim 17

A transmission according to claim 12 wherein said spring means includes a separate spring retainer and coil spring associated with each of said pawls, said coil spring being compressed between said spring retainer on the pawl associated therewith and said spring retainer being carried by said shifter shaft and imposing the reaction load of said coil spring on said shifter shaft.

Claim 18

A transmission according to claim 13 wherein said detent means are chordal slots formed in said shifter shaft, with said slots being axially spaced and disposed angularly in a circumferential direction with respect to each oTher, and said retainers are carried by said shaft at a location adjacent to said slots.

Claim 19

A transmission according to claim 13 wherein said means for securing said housing against rotation includes a boss formed on said housing and extending axially therefrom and including means for engaging the frame of the bicycle.

Claim 20

A transmission according to claim 15 including a manually operable shifter lever for moving said shifter shaft, a control cable interconnecting said shifter lever and said shifter shaft and clamping means for clamping said control cable to said boss.