The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 11, 1999
Jack Bruce Wolfe, Sparta, NC (US);
Derrick Lee Hamm, Sparta, NC (US);
Mike Travers Chappell, Fancy Gap, VA (US);
Pioneer Eclipse Corporation, Sparta, NC (US);
Abstract
A gearbox arrangement couples an input shaft to an output shaft whereby the output shaft is driven by the input shaft in a constant rotational direction but at two different rotational speeds depending upon the particular direction of rotation of an input shaft for a given rotational speed of the input shaft. The input shaft has an input gear integral therewith and the output shaft has an output gear integral therewith. A first unidirectional clutch couples the input shaft with the output shaft such that rotation of the input shaft in a first input direction at a first input speed rotates the output shaft in a first output direction at a first output speed, but rotation of the input shaft in a second, opposite input direction causes the first unidirectional clutch to slip. An idler gear meshes with and is driven by the input gear. An intermediate shaft has a first intermediate gear integral therewith. The first intermediate gear is meshed with and driven by the idler gear. A second intermediate gear is meshed with the output gear. A second unidirectional clutch couples the second intermediate gear with the intermediate shaft such that rotation of the input shaft in the second input direction at a second input speed rotates the output shaft in the first output direction at a second output speed, but rotation of the input shaft in the first input direction causes the second unidirectional clutch to slip. A floor maintenance machine utilizes the gearbox arrangement.