Torque switch for variable speed transmissions

Claim 1

A VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION HAVING A ROTARY CARRIER WHICH IS ROTATED BY AN INPUT SHAFT; A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY TAPERED PLANETARY ROLLERS HAVING OPPOSITELY TAPERED NOSE PORTIONS AND BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE CARRIER FOR ROTATION WITH, AND IN RESPECT TO, THE CARRIER; A MOTION TRANSMITTING MEMBER ROTATABLE BY EACH OF THE ROLLERS; A RING MEMBER IN CONTACT WITH THE MOTION TRANSMITTING MEMBERS AND CONNECTED TO AN OUTPUT SHAFT; AND AN AXIALLY MOVABLE CONTROL RING ENCIRCLING THE ROLLERS AND BEING IN CONTACT WITH THE ROLLERS, WHEREBY THE CONTACT PRESSURE THEREBETWEEN DETERMINES THE TORQUE OUTPUT OF THE TRANSMISSION, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A FIRST PRESSURE ROLLER IN CONTACT WITH THE NOSE PORTIONS OF THE PLANETARY ROLLERS, A SECOND PRESSURE ROLLER MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST PRESSURE ROLLER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE PLANETARY ROLLERS, SPRING MEANS EXERTING A BIAS ON SAID PRESSURE ROLLERS TO ESTABLISH A PREDETERMINED CONTACT PRESSURE BETWEEN THE PLANETARY ROLLERS AND THE CONTROL RING, AND CENTRIFUGAL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PRESSURE ROLLERS AND SAID SPRING MEANS AND BEING OPERABLE TO VARY SAID BIAS IN RESPONSE TO A CHANGE IN THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF SAID PLANETARY ROLLERS TO THEREBY CORRESPONDINGLY VARY SAID CONTACT PRESSURE.