INTRODUCTION The top speed of a car depends upon the maximum power of its engine, and this is developed

near the engines maximum power. A typical car engine may run at 4000 rpm for a top speed of 110Kmh. But road wheels of average size turn at only about 1000 rpm to cover 100 km in an hour. So, they cannot be connected directly to the engine. There must be a system which allows the road wheels to make one revolution for every four of the engine. This is done by a reduction gear in the final drive (differential).The relation between the rotational speed of the engine and the wheels is the axle ratio; 4:1 being common. As long as the car is driven at a steady speed on the level, this gearing is sufficient but when the car meets a hill, its speed will drop and the engine will falter and stall. A slow-running engine cannot provide enough torque for climbing hills or starting from rest. Selecting a lower gear enables the engine to run faster in relation to the road wheels and also multiplies the torque. GEAR RATIOS The lowest gear in the gear box must multiply the engine torque sufficiently to start the fully laden car moving up a steep hill. A small car needs a lower gear ratio of 3.5:1. Other typical gear ratios in a small car with a four-speed gear box are 2:1 in second, 1.4:1 in third and 1:1 in top gear. All these are multiplied by the axle ratio, so that, if the axle ratio is 4:1, the corresponding ratios between the engine speed and the road wheel speed are 14:1, 8:1, 5.6:1 and 4:1.

TRANSMISSION The gear box shown in Fig. 19.6 is a constant-mesh type in which all the gear wheels cannot be fixed to their shafts. There has to be a system which permits all the gear wheels except those required for a particular ratio, to run freely. Usually, all the gear wheels on one shaft are fixed to it and the wheels on the other shaft can revolve freely around their shaft until a ratio is selected. Then, one of the free-running wheels is locked to the shaft, and that pair of wheels can transmit power. Transmission gears are made of high quality steel, carefully heat-treated to produce smooth, hard surface gear teeth with a softer but very tough interior. They are usually drop-forged. The teeth on transmission gears are of two principal types: spur and helical. The helical gear is superior in that it turns more quietly and is stronger because more tooth area is in contact. The locking of the gear wheels to a shaft is done by collars, which are splined to the shaft. This method of fixing, allows the collar to revolve with the shaft and also slide along, to lock onto the gear wheel on either side, or remain between them, allowing both to spin freely. Around each collar, is a groove engaged by a two-pronged fork which is fixed to a sliding rod mounted in the gear box housing. One, two or three of these selector rods are linked to the gear lever. Moving the gear lever causes selector rod to slide to or fro. As it slides, the collar gripped by the selector fork is slid along the shaft to engage with, or move away from, a gear. SYNCHROMESH FOR SMOOTH GEAR CHANGE In the simplest type of constant mesh gear box shown, the gears may be engaged simply by shifting the gear lever from one position to the next as fast as possible. To do the job more quietly and smoothly, the pair of dogs had to be allowed to reach the same speed, so that they would slide together without clashing. Drivers today are relieved from the need for double de-clutching for change of speeds by a synchronising device built

into the sliding collars in the gear box. This synchromesh device is usually fitted to all forward gears. Synchromesh works like a friction clutch. It has a collar which Part Drawings 363 is in two main parts. A sleeve with internal cones [Fig. 19.6 (c)] slides inside the toothed outer ring, which forms the dogs to match the gear wheel cones with the parts rotating at the same speed. The spring loaded outer ring of the collar is pushed forward for the dogs to mesh. When the collar is pushed towards the gear wheel with which it is to mesh, a conical ring on the gear wheel in front of the dogs comes into contact with the surface of a matching conical hole in the collar. The friction between the conical surfaces brings the free-running gear wheel up or down to the speed of the output shaft. The collar continues to move along and the pair of dogs slides smoothly into mesh. However, if the gear lever is moved too fast, the gears will clash. A typical automobile gear box consists of a cast iron or aluminum housing, four shafts, bearings, gears, synchronising device and a shifting mechanism. Figure 19.6 shows the assembly of such a gear box, partially sectioned. This gear box provides four forwards speeds of the ratios 4:1, 2.4:1, 1.4:1 and 1:1 and a reverse speed. WORKING Figure 19.6 (a) shows the gear box in its neutral position. The housing 1 is made of aluminum alloy and a supporting plate 2 is fixed to it for supporting the reverse gear shaft 5 at one end; the other end being located in the rib provided inside the housing. The input shaft 3 is supported by a ball bearing 7. One end of the output shaft is supported by a ball bearing, while the other end is located with free running fit, inside the bore ( 15) provided at the inner end of the input shaft. The intermediate shaft 4 is supported both sides by the ball bearings. The gears B, C and E are keyed in position on the intermediate shaft. The gear G is integral with the shaft. The gear A is keyed onto the input

shaft. The gears D and F are constantly in mesh with the gears C and E but free to rotate on the output shaft when not engaged. The gear H is integral with the toothed ring 8 and slides on the sleeve 11 when operated by the fork 14. The sleeve 11 is splined to the output shaft and has external splines also on which the toothed ring 8 along with gear H slides on a single collar. Similarly, the sleeve 10 is splined to the output shaft at its inner end, on which is fixed the toothed ring 9 with internal splines and slides over the sleeve when operated by the fork 13. Three spring loaded balls 12 are provided between the sleeve and the ring to keep them together as a single collar during free running and also when engaged with the toothed dogs [Fig. 19.6 (c)]. The bushes 15 act as bearings for the reverse gear shaft. When the input shaft rotates, power is transmitted to the intermediate shaft continuously through the herringbone gears A and B. Now, depending on the position of the forks 13 and 14 and the corresponding collars, different speeds are obtained. When the fork 13 is in neutral position and fork 14 is moved until the spur gear H engages with G, then, due to two step reduction of speed, the lower speed ratio 4:1 is obtained at the output shaft. To obtain the second gear, the fork 14 is moved to the left until the collar completes the meshing and engages with the dog teeth. This operation arrests the independent free rotation of gear F, by engaging the dog teeth with the toothed ring, and the output shaft through the sleeve which is splined on it. The gear E on the intermediate shaft transmits power to the output shaft through gear F which is the second gear with a ratio 2.4:1. To obtain the third gear, the gears in mesh are A-B, and C-D with the collar consisting of sleeve 10 and toothed ring 9 engaged with dog teeth on gear D; the speed ratio being 1.4:1. When the toothed ring 9 engages with the dog teeth on gear wheel A, mounted on input shaft, the transmission is established directly to the output shaft; resulting in top speed ratio of 1:1.