From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Explanation of the reversing sleeves, clutch rollers, and braking mechanism with associated diagrams.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\4\ Scan046 | |
| Date | 21th September 1931 guessed | |
| SPONTAN ferred into a half turn of the reversing spindle the inner end of which is provided with a crank which causes the ring 23 in Fig. 12 and hence the reversing sleeves 20 and 21 to move sideways. By means of radial projections engaging with helical slots, shown in Fig. 15, the side movements of the reversing sleeves are transferred into turning movements in opposite directions of the roller cages. Fig. 16. The clutch rollers are held in contact with the sleeve surfaces by blade springs contained in the roller cages, a certain pressure on the rollers being necessary to ensure the engaging of the clutch. In the outer clutch freewheeling occurs during the extensive periods of direct drive, and steps have therefore been taken to prevent the roller pressure from developing wear in this clutch. For this purpose the roller pressure is made dependent on the lubricating oil pressure, being automatically relieved when the oil due to higher temperature becomes thinner. The oil pressure acts on the piston 58, Fig. 17, thus by means of the lever 59 and the pin 60 influencing the working radius of the reversing crank 61, a lower oil pressure causing a decreased radius with lower axial pressure on the reversing sleeves and hence lower roller pressure. Fig. 17. SPONTAN As mentioned on page 9, the pendulum wheel is under ordinary circumstances anchored to the gear casing. For this purpose the split ring 15, Fig. 12, is kept tightly expanded against the balls 14, thus rigidly locating the balls and their cage ring 13 which is extended sideways to form an outer support for the pendulum wheel springs 12. During the act of reversing the balls are momentarily released, thus giving the pendulum wheel and its sleeve complete freedom. This is necessary in order to relieve the clutch rollers from any strain (e.g. due to the car having stopped on a hill) that might prevent the roller cages from being turned. The brakes of the car are operated by a crank 28, Fig. 18, on the square end of shaft 36 which is supported inside the hollow shaft 37 and carries the cam 34. The face of this cam is such that the compression of the brake spring 33, transferred to the cam by the lever 32 and the roller 31, keeps the brakes fully applied when the pedal 38 is in the position shown in the figure. Fig. 18. In depressing the pedal the driver turns shaft 37, a projection on which catches the pin 29 on the cam disc and causes shaft 36 to turn, thus releasing the brakes. The roller then travels along the cam face which is so formed that, | ||