Rotary motion transmitting device

Claim 2

In a rotary motion transmitting device having coaxial input and output shafts, and oppositely disposed toric elements supported by the respective shafts, a motion transmitting hollow spool rotatably supported between, and having outer rims which are in frictional engagement with, the opposed surfaces of said toric elements at one side of said shafts, one of said toric elements being mounted for rotation wiTh one of said shafts and the other toric element being supported for rotation with the other shaft, said other shaft extending through said hollow spool for axially supporting said one toric element, and an axial loading means adapted to force the toric elements toward each other and into firm engagement with said motion transmitting spool upon transmission or a torque through said shafts.

Claim 3

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 1, wherein said axial loading means is a cam structure having oppositely disposed cam faces associated with the other toric element and said other shaft.

Claim 4

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 1, wherein said spool is journaled in a carrier supported for pivotal movement about an axis which is essentially normal to a plane which includes the axis input and output shafts to permit changing of the motion transmitting ratio.

Claim 5

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 3, wherein said toric elements have spherical inner surfaces with a common center of curvature, the pivot axis of said carrier extending essentially through said common center of curvature.

Claim 6

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 3, wherein said carrier is supported to permit tilting thereof in a plane defined by the pivot axis of said carrier and the axis of said shafts, said spool, upon tilting of said carrier during operation of the device, walking to different circles of engagement with said toric elements thereby changing the angular position of the carrier.

Claim 7

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 5, wherein said carrier has a first trunnion journaled in a spherical bearing structure and opposite the first trunnion a second trunnion having a translatory bearing structure to permit said tilting, said translatory bearing structure being disposed, together with the second trunnion, in a rotary bearing structure.

Claim 8

An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second trunnion has an extension projecting into and being engaged by a piston disposed in a cylinder having an axis substantially parallel to the spool axis for effecting said translatory movement of the second trunnion.

Claim 9

A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cylinder is formed in a control disk which is rotatably mounted in a control turret, and wherein said piston is connected to the trunnion extension by a bolt to cause rotation of the piston and the control disk together with the spool carrier, said control disk having a circumferential passage section at each end of the cylinder in communication with the adjacent cylinder end, said control turret having fluid passages at the opposite ends of each circumferential passage section such that the fluid passages are normally covered by the control disk, each pair of circumferentially adjacent fluid passages communicating with opposite cylinder ends being commonly connected to a forward-reverse valve adapted to connect one pair of fluid passages to a source of pressurized fluid and the other pair to a drain to permit control of the transmission ratio for rotation of the shafts in one direction, and to connect the other pair of fluid passages to the pressurized fluid source and the one pair to the drain to permit control of the transmission ratio for rotation of the shafts in the opposite direction.

Claim 10

An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, including a pressure tap at the circumferential fluid passage at either end of the cylinder.

Claim 11

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 1, wherein said toric elements are disposed in a housing and supported at their outer rims by bearings mounted in said housing.

Claim 12

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 10, wherein said other toric element is axially supported in said housing by an axial thrust bearing structure, said spool being supported to permit axial movement thereof relative to said carrier.

Claim 13

A rotary motion transmitting device with infinitely variable transmission rAtio, said device including coaxial input and output shafts carrying oppositely disposed toric elements and a spool-type motion transmitting means frictionally engaging the opposed surfaces of said toric elements and being journaled in a spool carrier supported for pivotal movement about an axis which is essentially normal to a plane including the axis of the input and output shafts and for tilting in a tilting plane which contains the pivot axis of the spool carrier and is parallel to the axis of the spool-type motion transmitting means.

Claim 14

A rotary motion transmitting device with infinitely variable transmission rAtio, said device including coaxial input and output shafts carrying oppositely disposed toric elements and a spool-type motion transmitting means frictionally engaging the opposed surfaces of said toric elements and being journaled in a spool carrier supported for pivotal movement about an axis which is essentially normal to a plane including the axis of the input and output shafts and for tilting in a tilting plane which contains the pivot axis of the spool carrier and is parallel to the axis of the spool-type motion transmitting means.

Claim 15

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 12, wherein said carrier has a first trunnion journaled in a spherical bearing structure and opposite the first trunnion a second trunnion having a translatory bearing structure to permit said tilting, said translatory bearing structure being disposed together with the second trunnion in a rotary bearing structure.

Claim 16

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 13, wherein said second trunnion has an extension projecting into and being engaged by a piston disposed in a cylinder having an axis substantially parallel to the spool axis for effecting said translatory movement of the second axis for effecting said translatory movement of the second trunnion.

Claim 17

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 14, wherein said cylinder is formed in a control disk which is rotatably mounted in a control turret, and wherein said piston is connected to the trunnion extension by a bolt to cause rotation of the piston and the control disk together with the spool carrier, said control disk having a circumferential passage section at each end of the cylinder in communication with the adjacent cylinder end, said control turrent having fluid passages at the opposite ends of each circumferential passage section such that the fluid passages are normally covered by the control disk, each pair of circumferentially adjacent fluid passages communicating with opposite cylinder ends being commonly connected to a forward-reverse valve adapted to connect one pair of fluid passages to a source of pressurized fluid and the other pair to a drain to permit control of the transmission ratio for rotation of the shafts in one direction, and to connect the other pair of fluid passages to the pressurized fluid source and the one pair to the drain to permit control of the transmission ratio for rotation of the shafts in the opposite direction.

Claim 18

A rotary motion transmitting device as defined in claim 15, including a pressure tap at the circumferential fluid passage at either end of the cylinder.