Continuously adjustable eccentric crank

Claim 1

A POWER TRANSMITTING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HOLLOW DRIVE SHAFT, A FIRST ECCENTRIC SECURED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT SO AS TO ROTATE THEREWITH, A SECOND ECCENTRIC MOUNTED ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST ECCENTRIC, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ECCENTRICS BEING NORMALLY FIXED IN POSITION RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, A CONNECTING ROD HAVING A PORTION ENCIRCLING SAID SECOND ECCENTRIC, A CONTROL SHAFT ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW DRIVE SHAFT AND NORMALLY ROTATING IN SYNCHRONISM THEREWITH, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL SHAFT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT TO CAUSE AN ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID SECOND ECCENTRIC WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST ECCENTRIC AND HENCE A VARIATION IN THE "THROW" OF SAID CONNECTING ROD, SAID MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL SHAFT INCLUDING A PINION GEAR CARRIED BY SAID CONTROL SHAFT, A RING GEAR CARRIED BY SAID SECOND ECCENTRIC, AND AN IDLER GEAR PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY SAID FIRST ECCENTRIC, SAID IDLER GEAR MESHING WITH BOTH SAID RING GEAR AND SAID PINION GEAR AND BEING ROTATED ABOUT ITS PIVOT UPON A ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL SHAFT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, MEANS FOR CAUSING A ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL SHAFT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A TUBULAR SLEEVE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID TWO SHAFTS, SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE BEING SPLINED TO SAID CONTROL SHAFT OVER AT AT LEAST A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH FOR LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO, A SPIDER CARRIED BY SAID SLEEVE, SAID SPIDER HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY-EXTENDING ARMS, SAID DRIVE SHAFT HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPIRAL SLOTS ADAPTED TO RESPECTIVELY RECEIVE THE ARMS OF SAID SPIDER, AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SLEEVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, WHEREBY THE ARMS OF SAID SPIDER WILL TRAVEL ALONG SAID SPIRAL SLOTS TO ROTATE THE TUBULAR SLEEVE AND HENCE THE CONTROL SHAFT TO WHICH SAID SLEEVE IS SPLINED SUCH ROTATION OF SAID SLEEVE BEING WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND RESULTING IN AN ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND SAID CONTROL SHAFT.