GB702761A - Improvements in or relating to variable speed transmission - Google Patents

Abstract

702,761. Variable-speed friction gear. ROLLER GEAR CORPORATION. Feb. 8, 1951 [Feb. 8, 1950], No. 3086/51. Class 80 (2) Pairs of axially-butting planetary balls 1, carried for unitary rotation in ball-bearings 6 radially movable in a support 5 secured to a driven (or driving) sleeve 8, frictionally contact pairs of arcuate inner and outer races, the former 3 rotating with a driving (or driven) shaft 7, the latter 4 non-rotary but axially adjustable simultaneously in opposite directions to produce, by rolling of the balls 1, opposite axial movement of the inner races 3 to vary the contact radii and thus the speed-ratio. The balls 1 of each pair abut axially against each other, without relative rotation, through flat or concave discs 2 floating in the support-bearings 6. The simultaneous opposite axial movement of the races 4 is by manually turning a worm 21 meshing a worm-wheel 15 splined to the races 4, the outer ends of which latter have spring- loaded cam-and-ball engagement 17 with fixed end-members 20 to convert the turning to axial movement. Torque-responsive traction pressure on the balls 1 is provided by driving the inner races 3 from the shaft 7 through cam-and-ball (or cone) axial thrust means 12, with initial spring-loading 14. Final drive is through a toothed planet train providing overall standstill forward and reverse, and comprising a sun 24 fast on the input shaft 7, planets 23 carried by the driven sleeve 8 of the friction gear, and a ring-gear 25 fast on a final output shaft 26.