Variable speed gear apparatus

Claim 1

A VARIABLE SPEED GEAR APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A FIRST ROTATABLE MEMBER HAVING A TRACTRIX SURFACE OF REVOLUTION ABOUT ITS AXIS OF ROTATION DEFINED BY A TRACTRIX CURVE; A SPLINED SHAFT AXIALLY PASSING THROUGH SAID FIRST MEMBER TO MOUNT SAID MEMBER FOR ROTATION WITH SAID SHAFT AND PERMIT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER ALONG SAID SHAFT; INPUT MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT COUPLED TO SAID SHAFT AT A GIVEN POINT NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT SO THAT SAID SHAFT IS FREE TO SWING ABOUT SAID NORMAL WHILE SAID SHAFT IS ROTATING; ACTUATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID FIRST ROTATABLE MEMBER TO SHIFT ITS POSITION LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID SHAFT; A SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL SURFACE WHOSE PROJECTED APEX COINCIDES WITH SAID GIVEN POINT, SAI DCONICAL SURFACE BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TRACTRIX SURFACE; AN OUTPUT SHAFT MOUNTING SAID SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER FOR ROTATION IN A FIXED POSITION; AND AN ACTUATING MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE LONGITUDINAL POSITION OF SAID FIRST ROTATABLE MEMBER ALONG SAID SPLINED SHAFT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY URGING SAID TRACTRIX SURFACE INTO CONTINUOUS SURFACE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONICAL SURFACE WHEREBY THE SPEED IMPARTED TO SAID CONICAL SURFACE BY SAID TRACTRIX SURFACE IS VARIABLE TO VARY THE RELATIVE SPEEDS OF SAID SPLINED SHAFT AND SAID OUTPUT SHAFT.