Life, the Universe and Everything can continue

Aircraft do that by changing the pitch of the propeller (basically changing the tooth count on the gear grabbing the air) while the engine rpms remain the same, however I have a hard time seeing how that can be done with physically touching gears.

I have trouble understanding how that model works, but it looks like just a series of planatary gears? If that is the case you would have a set ratio increase or decrease ratio in rpm, but I don't see how it could be variable.

 

Ok, if purple are the only adjustable couplers........

Starting from the left,
first coupler selects output to the orange shaft between the green or blue inputs.
Second coupler selects between the light blue or orange inputs output to the yellow shaft.
That gives you 4 different gear ratio options between the starting power source and the yellow.

still not sure whats going on inside the yellow box, nor can I tell if the light blue axel from the starting input is the same as the light blue inside the yellow box.... the more I look at it all the more confused I get :P

for example the very first thing, two sets of gears driving two sets of gears with apparently same gear ratio between the originating light blue shaft and the parallel pea green shaft, why two sets of gears there doing the same thing?

 

ok figured out there were two different gear colors starting, just looked similar, I numbered the different speeds I think I see up untill I think it gets bound up......

the light blue shaft running into the center of the yellow box drives the planatary gear output to the orange shaft, however the yellow box at a different speed is driving its own planatary gear to the orange shaft as well, if there is not a disconnect there somehow I think the light blue and the yellow both driving orange will bind up?

 

First half of the mess has two ouputs, either yellow or light blue(origin rpm)

There has to be selection possible in the last half, but I still cant see whats going on, are there disconnects there somehow?

 

ok I see it....
Two inputs into the second set, either light blue or yellow, the other is free.

Option 1, light blue is engaged, it powers the final orange shaft through the grey and then green gears in a planetary system.

Option 2, yellow is engaged, it powers the final orange shaft directly through the grey gears and spins in the opposite direction than the blue because it goes through 1 set of gears instead of 2.

The yellow also runs the red gear, which either does nothing, or binds up the final shaft, perhaps it is supposed to be selected between those two outputs from yellow?

Edit: no im wrong again..... light blue can not be disengaged as it is the original source of power shaft.....

 

Sorry posted as you were posting and didnt see your diagrams,
I see the idle, increase, same, and decrease, but that is all to the yellow output and doesn't need the second set of gears to accomplish. is the second set just to select between left and right hand rotation?

 

is the light blue shaft in the second set of gears a solid part of the power input shaft? or are they just a similar color, I cant tell...... If it is the same, then I am pretty sure it will bind up, if it is a free floating axel shaft for the next set of gears then it might not.......

 

Ok, that shows 3 selectors. It also separates out that second set of gears into two different sets making it 3 total sections of gears.