Abstract
AMONG the last group of exhibits in the Inventions Exhibition is the new epicyclic gearing invented by Prof. F. Soddy, the main object of which is to provide for the transmission of large powers at high speed, and for reversing without declutching. The gear in one form or another is therefore suitable for use with steam turbines or high-speed marine engines. Unlike most epicyclic gears, there are in it no toothed wheels. The driving and driven shafts are co-axial. On the end of the driving shaft are two cranks at 180° apart and these drive two heavy ‘planets’, which have a slight freedom of movement in a radial direction relative to the crank pins. When the shaft is revolved at high speed, the planets are thrown outwards by centrifugal force and their outer surfaces come into contact with the inner surface of a fixed annular casing around which they begin to roll. The disc of each planet is pierced with circular holes and in these fit loosely a corresponding number of rollers and studs carried by discs on the driven shaft. It is through these that the power is transmitted. The gear can be arranged so that if necessary the second shaft is fixed while the casing revolves, while by using planets of a different design the gear can be made reversible. The exhibit attracted considerable attention and it is to be hoped will soon be tried on a large scale.
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A Reversing Centrifugal Gear. Nature 130, 573–574 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130573c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130573c0