Automatic chain tigh

Claim 1

IN AN INFINITELY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION HAVING A HOUSING, A PAIR OF TRANSMISSION SHAFTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSISNG, TWO PAIRS OF CONICAL PULLEY DISKS WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND EACH PAIR MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID SHAFTS FLEXIBLE ENDLESS POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS CONNECTING SAID TWO PAIRS OF DISKS AND ADAPTED TO TRAVEL BETWEEN THEM UNDER A CERTAIN TENSION, ADJUSTING MEANS COMPRISING A TIGHTENING SPINDLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING CENTRALLY BETWEEN AND PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFTS AND A SETTING SPINDLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING NEAR ONE END THEREOF, BOTH OF SAID SPINDLES HAVING OPPOSITELY DIRECTED THREADS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CENTRAL PLANE OF SAID TRANSMISSION, A PAIR OF THREADED MEMBERS ON EACH OF SAID SPINDLES AND ENGAGING WITH SAID THREADS THEREOF AND BEING MOVABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ALONG EACH SPINDLE WHEN THE SAME IS TURNED, A PAIR OF LEVERS PIVOTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID THREADED MEMBERS ON SAID SETTING SPINDLE SO THAT, WHEN SAID SETTING SPINDLE IS TURNED, SAID LEVERS ARE EQUALLY PIVOTED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EACH OTHER ABOUT THEIR PIVOT POINTS ON SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE TO VARY THE TRANSMISSION RATIO OF SAID TRANSMISSION, A RATCHET DEVICE COMPRISING A RATCHET WHEEL SECURED TO SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE AND A SHIFT ROD ECCENTRICALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ON SAID SETTING SPINDLE SO AS TO BE RECIPROCATED THEREBY WHEN SAID SETTING SPINDLE IS TURNED AND ITS OTHER END ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE TEETH OF SAID RATCHET WHEEL END THEREBY TO TURN SAID WHEEL AND THUS ALSO SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE IN ONE DIRECTION TO TIGHTEN SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR GAUGING THE TENSION OF SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS AND FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID RATCHET DEVICE COMPRISING TENSION SHOES, SPRING MEANS FOR APPLYING SAID TENSION SHOES UPON AND IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE SIDE OF THE TWO RUNS OF SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS, ROCKET PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE AND IN ITS NORMAL POSITION WHEN SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS HAS AN ADEQUATE TENSION BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH SAID SHIFT ROD TO HOLD THE SAME IN ITS INACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH IT IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID RATCHET WHEEL TO THAT SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE THEN REMAINS STATIONARY, AND AT LEAST ONE CAM MEMBER ON AND MOVABLE WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TENSION SHOES WHEN THE TENSION OF SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS DECREASES WHEREBY THE POSITION OF SAID TENSION SHOE IS CHANGED ACCORDINGLY, SAID CAM MEMBER THEN BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH AND TO PIVOT SAID ROCKER ABOUT SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE AND THEREBY TO DISENGAGE SAID ROCKER FROM SAID SHIFT ROD TO PERMIT THE LATTER TO MOVE TO ITS ACTIVE POSITION, SO THAT WHEN SAID SETTING SPINDLE IS TURNED, SAID SHIFT ROD CAN THEN ENGAGE WITH AND TURN SAID RATCHET WHEEL AND THUS ALSO SAID TIGHTENING SPINDLE AND THEREBY TIGHTEN SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS.