Fully automatic power transmission and vehicle control means

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION COMPRISING A DRIVING SHAFT AND A DRIVEN SHAFT, A DRIVING PULLEY SECURED TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT, A PAIR OF SPLIT PULLEYS OF UNIFORM OUTSIDE DIAMETER ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, EACH OF SAID SPLIT PULLEYS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY FIXED PULLEY MEMBER AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE PULLEY MEMBER WHEREBY THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETERS OF BOTH SPLIT PULLEYS ARE VARIABLE, A DIFFERENTIAL GEAR TRAIN INCLUDING A PLANET CARRIER SECURED TO AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, PLANET GEARS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER AND ENMESHED WITH A RING GEAR CARRIED BY THE RELATIVELY FIXED PULLEY MEMBER OF ONE OF SAID SPLIT PULLEYS, A SUN GEAR ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID DRIVEN SHAFT AND ENMESHED AT ALL TIMES WITH SAID PLANET GEARS, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SUN GEAR WITH THE RELATIVELY FIXED PULLEY MEMBER OF THE OTHER OF SAID SPLIT PULLEYS, AN IDLING PULLEY HAVING A PERMANENTLY FIXED AXIS OF ROTATION, A SINGLE BELT ENTRAINED OVER SAID IDLING PULLEY AND OVER SAID DRIVING PULLEY AND OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID SPLIT PULLEYS FOR ROTATION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, MANUAL CONTROL MEANS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONTROL MEANS AND ATTACHED TO SAID MOVABLE PULLEY MEMBERS FOR SHIFTING THE SAME RELATIVE TO SAID FIXED PULLEY MEMBERS TO VARY THE SPEED RATIOS OF SAID SPLIT PULLEYS FROM ZERO TO MAXIMUM AND TO MINIMUM, RESILIENT MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID MANUAL CONTROL MEANS AND THE SAID MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH WHEREBY IMPOSING VARIABLE TORQUE LOADS UPON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT IN EITHER DIRECTION OR ROTATION SAID SPLIT PULLEYS WILL BE CAUSED TO MOVE INTO RELATIVE SPEED RATIOS BY THE PULL OF THE BELT INDEPENDENT OF THE SAID MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MANUAL CONTROL MEANS.