초록 ▼

An infinitely variable gear ratio transmission includes plural cam followers driven to oscillate by a rotating cam. The oscillatory motion of the cam followers is combined through plural clutches to provide an output drive. The cam includes at least one surface formed to rotate the cam followers at

An infinitely variable gear ratio transmission includes plural cam followers driven to oscillate by a rotating cam. The oscillatory motion of the cam followers is combined through plural clutches to provide an output drive. The cam includes at least one surface formed to rotate the cam followers at a constant velocity when the cam rotates at a constant velocity, thereby permitting the output drive to be smooth. The cam is tapered from one end to the other to permit the gear ratio of the transmission to be varied in infinite increments by adjusting the position of the cam relative to the followers. Means for manually or automatically adjusting the gear ratio is provided. Increased gear ratios may be obtained by separating the physical location of the follower mounting shaft from the rotational axis of the follower arms. A universal joint, formed to uniformly transmit rotational velocity, is included to connect the inclined follower shafts to the output drive. The follower arms are oriented relative to the cam such that the chords of follower movement during contact of the follower with the constant velocity surface, at various gear ratios, are mutually parallel, and the chord of such follower movement at the highest gear ratio passes through the center of rotation of the cam. An alternative embodiment of the present invention further includes cooperating clutches which permit transmission of unidirectional shaft rotation between an input shaft and an output shaft regardless of the direction of torque applied to the shafts.

대표청구항 ▼

A mechanical transmission, comprising: a cam having at lest one lobe, said lobe tapered in the direction of the axis of said cam to provide a cam lift which changes along the axis of said cam; plural cam followers, each mounted on a shaft which straddles said cam, said shaft mounted on a pair of bea

A mechanical transmission, comprising: a cam having at lest one lobe, said lobe tapered in the direction of the axis of said cam to provide a cam lift which changes along the axis of said cam; plural cam followers, each mounted on a shaft which straddles said cam, said shaft mounted on a pair of bearings at opposite ends of said cam, said bearings providing a rotational axis for said followers, said followers each including a follower arm contacting said cam; input drive means for relatively rotating said cam and said rotational axes of each follower; said rotational axis intercepting the rotational path of said cam lobe; means for combining the oscillation of said plural followers to provide an output drive; said cam and said followers formed and relatively positioned to provide constant velocity output drive at said combining means when said input drive means has constant velocity; and means for relatively adjusting the location of said plural cam followers along said axis of said cam to change the location of contact between said follower arms and said cam and thereby adjust the gear ratio of said transmission.