Multiple speed gear box

摘要

A gear box includes an output shaft defining multiple output drivers and includes a plurality of gear sets having the same diametral pitch. A common input shaft is operatively attached to each of the plurality of gear sets such that the gear sets rotate continuously and concurrently with rotation of the input shaft. Each of the output drivers is operatively attached to the output shaft and rotatably driven by a respective one of the plurality of gear sets. The multiple output drivers share a common axis of rotation with the output shaft. The output speed of the gear box may be changed by disconnecting one of the output drivers from a driven device and reconnecting another one of the output drivers to the driven device. The output speed of the gear box may be changed without having to disengage and/or change out any of the gears in the gear box.

主权项

1. A gear box configured to drive a device selectively connected to the gearbox, the gear box comprising:
an input shaft configured to receive a driving input; an output shaft including a first output driver and a second output driver; wherein the first output driver is operatively attached to the output shaft and the second output driver is rotatably attached to the output shaft such that the first driver, second driver and output shaft have a common axis of rotation defined by the output shaft; a first gear set configured to operatively engage the input shaft and the output shaft; a second gear set configured to operatively engage the input shaft and the second output driver; wherein the gear box is configured such that the first gear set and the second gear set are concurrently rotatable by the input shaft in use to concurrently rotate the first driver and the second driver; wherein the first driver is rotated at a first output speed defined by the first gear set and the second driver is rotated at a second output speed defined by the second gear set; and wherein the first gear set is continuously engaged and the second gear set is continuously engaged such that the gearbox can be engaged to drive the device at either of the first output speed and the second output speed without disengaging either of the first gear set and the second gear set.