A simple arrangement of gearing for reversing the direction of rotation of a shaft is shown in Fig. 203. I and F are fast and loose pulleys for the shaft D, A and C are gears free to rotate upon D, N is a clutch driven by D; hence if N be moved so as to engage with C the latter will act as a driver to rotate the shaft B, the wheel upon B rotating A in an opposite direction to the rotation of D. But if N be moved to engage with A the latter becomes the driving wheel, and B will be caused to rotate in the opposite direction. Since, however, the engagement of the clutch N with the clutch on the nut of the gear-wheels is accompanied with a violent shock and with noise, a preferable arrangement is shown in Fig. 204, in which the gears are all fast to their shafts, and the driving shaft for C passes through the core or bore of that for A, which is a sleeve, so that when the driving belt acts upon pulley F the shaft B rotates in one direction, while when the belt acts upon E, B rotates in the opposite direction, I being a loose pulley.
If the speed of rotation of B require to be greater in one direction than in the other, then the bevel-wheel on B is made a double one, that is to say, it has two annular toothed surfaces on its radial face, one of larger diameter than the other; A gearing with one of these toothed surfaces, and C with the other. It is obvious that the pinions A C, being of equal diameters, that gearing with the surface or gear of largest diameter will give to B the slowest speed of rotation.
Fig. 205 represents Watt's sun-and-planet motion for converting reciprocating into rotary motion; B D is the working beam of the engine, whose centre of motion is at D. The gear A is so connected to the connecting rod that it cannot rotate, and is kept in gear with the wheel C on the fly-wheel shaft by means of the link shown. The wheel A being prevented from rotation on its axis causes rotary motion to the wheel C, which makes two revolutions for one orbit of A.
An arrangement for the rapid increase of motion by means of gears is shown in Fig. 206, in which A is a stationary gear, B is free to rotate upon its shaft, and being pivoted upon the shaft of A, at D, is capable of rotation around A while remaining in gear with C. Suppose now that the wheel A were absent, then if B were rotated around C with D as a centre of motion, C and its shaft E would make a revolution even though B would have no rotation upon its axis. But A will cause B to rotate upon its axis and thus communicate a second degree of motion to C, with the result that one revolution of B causes two rotations of C.