Variable speed drive

Claim 1

A VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE COMPRISING: A FRAME HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED ELEMENTS; SAID FIRST FRAME ELEMENT HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED OPENINGS THEREIN; A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FIRST OPENING AND HAVING AN EXTENSION ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST FRAME ELEMENT; A PLANETARY GEAR TRAIN DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FRAME ELEMENTS AND HAVING A FIRST INPUT SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SECOND OPENING, A SECOND INPUT SHAFT SLEEVE COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT, BEARING MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SECOND INPUT SHAFT AND FIRST FRAME ELEMENT, SAID FIRST AND SECOND INPUT SHAFTS BEING PARALLEL WITH SAID DRIVE SHAFT, SAID FIRST AND SECOND INPUT SHAFTS HAVING EXTENSIONS ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST FRAME ELEMENT, SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT EXTENSION HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SECOND INPUT SHAFT EXTENSION, A DRIVING SPUR GEAR ON SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A PINION CARRIER ON SAID SECOND INPUT SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A PINION SHAFT CARRIED BY SAID PINION CARRIER AND PARALLEL WITH SAID INPUT AND DRIVE SHAFTS, AND OUTPUT SHAFT SLEEVE COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT, BEARING MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT ON SAID SECOND FRAME ELEMENT, A DRIVEN SPUR GEAR ON SAID OUTPUT SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A FIRST SPUR PINION ON SAID PINION SHAFT AND MESHING WITH SAID DRIVING GEAR, AND A SAECOND SPUR PINION ON SAID PINION SHAFT AND MESHING WITH SAID DRIVEN GEAR, SAID PINIONS BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED; SAID DRIVING AND DRIVEN GEARS FROMING A STEP-UP SPEED RATIO BETWEEN SAID DRIVING AND DRIVEN GEARS; DRIVE MEANS ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT EXTENSION AND SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT EXTENSION PORTION AND ROTATABLY COUPLING THE SAME FOR DRIVING SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT AT A CONSTANT PREDETERMINED SPEED; AND SELECTIVELY VARIABLE MEANS ROTATABLY COUPLING SAID DRIVE SHAFT EXTENSION AND SAID SECOND INPUT SHAFT EXTENSION FOR DRIVING THE SAME AT SELECTIVELY VARIABLE SPEEDS FROM ABOVE TO BELOW THE SPEED OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT.