Variable speed drive mechanism utilizing belts and pulleys

Claim 1

IN A VARIABLE RATIO TRANSMISSION MECHANISM: A PAIR OF OPPOSED NON-ROTARY MEMBERS HAVING FIRST TAPERED BELT ENGAGING SURFACES, SAID FIRST SURFACES HAVING A COMMON AXIS, AND THE OPPOSED TAPERS BEING OUTWARDLY CONVERGING; MEANS RESILIENTLY URGING ONE MEMBER TOWARD THE OTHER MEMBER; A PAIR OF ROTARY PULLEY SECTIONS HAVING AN AXIS COINCIDENT WITH SAID COMMON AXIS AND HAVING SECOND OPPOSED TAPERED BELT ENGAGING SURFACES, SAID SECOND SURFACES BEING OUTWARDLY DIVERGING; SAID SECTIONS HAVING OUTER EDGES ADJACENT THE INNER EDGES OF THE FIRST TAPERED SURFACES; A LOOP BELT HAVING TAPERED EDGES ENGAGING BOTH THE FIRST AND SECOND SURFACES; ONE OF SAID SECTIONS BEING A DRIVEN SECTION AND BEING AXIALLY MOVABLE; MEANS RESISTING SEPARATION OF THE SECTIONS; AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BELT COMPRISING PLANETARY ROTARY MEMBERS CONTACTING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BELT LOOP, SAID ROTARY MEMBERS BEING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY MOVABLE TO CAUSE THE BELT LOOP TO ASSUME AN ELLIPTIC-LIKE FORM, HAVING EDGES CONTACTING THE FIRST SURFACES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE MAJOR AXIS OF THE LOOP, AND THE SECOND SURFACES AT ENDS OF THE MINOR AXIS OF THE LOOP.