Variable inertia flywheel apparatus

Claim 2

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus for use with a chassis dynamometer, particularly during exhaust gas emission measurements, to provide various inertia loads simulating the effect of the weight of the vehicle on engine performance during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle while on said dynamometer, said dynamometer having rotating elements including rolls to be driven by the vehicle wheels, comprising: a main shaft rotatably supported to be driven from one of said dynamometer rolls; a flywheel rotatably supported to be directly driven from said main shaft, said flywheel means including a flywheel of predetermined size and mass; means between said main shaft and said flywheel operable to selectively drive said flywheel at different speed ratios relative to the speed of said main shaft, to provide inertia loads on the vehicle varying in accordance with the increase or decrease in speed of said main shaft, said drive means between said main shaft and said flywheel including a pulley connected for rotation with said flywheel; a pulley secured to said main shaft; each of said pulleys having three portions of different diameter and three separate drive belts, one extending loosely about each of said three pulley portions to drive said flywheel at three different speed ratios relative to said main shaft; and operating lever means for effecting driving of said flywheel from said drive shaft, said operating lever means being operable to selectively tension either of the three drive belts, and including a main and an auxiliary operating lever, means supporting said operating levers for pivotal movement about a common axis, a shift plate mounted upon said main operating lever and carrying two idlers, one for engaging and tensioning one of said drive belts and the other for engaging and tensioning a second of said drive belts, and a shift plate mounted on said auxiliary operating lever and carrying an idler for engaging and tensioning the third of said drive belts.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary operating lever has means releasably engageable with the main operating lever so that both levers can be moved simultaneously or independently.

Claim 4

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus for use with a chassis dynamometer, particularly during exhaust gas emission measurements, to provide various inertia loads simulating the effect of the weight of the vehicle on engine performance during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle while on the dynamometer, said dynamometer having rotating elements including rolls to be driven by the vehicle wheels, comprising: a main shaft rotatably supported to be driven from one of said dynamometer rolls, said main shaft having a first sheave fixed thereto adjacent one end thereof, said sheave having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each cylindrical portion being provided with a set of grooves to receive a first set of belts; a second sheave mounted upon said main shaft at approximately the midpoint thereof and having three cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive a second set of belts; a third sheave fixed to said main shaft adjacent the opposite end thereof and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive a third set of belts; three flywheels of different mass; means rotatably supporting said flywheels on said frame for independent rotation relative to each other; means between said main shaft and said flywheels operable to selectively drive said flywheels at different speed ratios relative to the speed of said main shaft, to provide inertia loads on the vehicle varying in accordance with the increase or decrease in speed of said main shaft, said drive means comprising a first sheave connected with one of said flywheels and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive said first set of belts, a first set of belts extending around said first sheave on said one flywheel and said first sheave on said main drive shaft; a second sheave connected with the second flywheel and having three cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive said second set of belts, a second set of belts extending around said second sheave on said second flywheel and said second sheave on said main drive shaft; and a third sheave connected with the third flywheel and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each grooved to receive said third set of belts, a third set of belts extending around said third sheave on said third flywheel and said third sheave on said main drive shaft; bracket means mounted upon said frame; shaft sections mounted upon said brackets; and levers and shift plates carrying idlers pivotally mounted upon said shaft sections arranged to be operable for selectively tensioning one or more of said sets of belts for effecting driving of one or more of said flywheels at a desired ratio relative to the speed of said main drive shaft.

Claim 5

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus for use with a chassis dynamometer, particularly during exhaust gas emission measurements, to provide various inertia loads simulating the effect of the weight of the vehicle on engine performance during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle while on the dynamometer, said dynamometer having rotating elements including rolls to be driven by the vehicle wheels, comprising: a main shaft rotatably supported to be driven from one of said dynamometer rolls, said main shaft having a first sheave fixed thereto adjacent one end thereof, said sheave having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each cylindrical portion being provided with a set of grooves to receive a first set of belts; a second sheave mounted upon said main shaft at approximately the midpoint thereof and having three cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive a second set of belts; a third sheave fixed to said main shaft adjacent the opposite end thereof and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive a third set of belts; three flywheels of different mass; means rotatably supporting said flywheels on said frame for independent rotation relative to each other; means between said main shaft and said flywheels operable to selectively drive said flywheels at different speed ratios relative to the speed of said main shaft, to provide inertia loads on the vehicle varying in accordance with the increase or decrease in speed of said main shaft, said drive means comprising a first sheave connected with one of said flywheels and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive said first set of belts, a first set of belts extending around said first sheave on said one flywheel and said first sheave on said main drive shaft; a second sheave connected with the second flywheel and having three cylindrical portions of different diameter, each provided with a set of grooves to receive said second set of belts, a second set of belts extending around said second sheave on said second flywheel and said second sheave on said main drive shaft; and a third sheave connected with the third flywheel and having two cylindrical portions of different diameter, each grooved to receive said third set of belts, a third set of belts extending around said third sheave on said third flywheel and said third sheave on said main drive shaft; bracket means mounted upon said frame; shaft sections mounted upon said brackets; and levers and shift plates carrying idlers pivotally mounted upon said shaft sections arranged to be operable for selectively tensioning one or more of said sets of belts for effecting driving of one or more of said flywheels at a desired ratio relative to the speed of said main drive shaft.

Claim 6

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus for use with a chassis dynamometer, particularly during exhaust emission measurements, to provide various inertia loads simulating the effect of the weight of the vehicle on engine performance during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle while on the dynamometer, said dynamometer having rotating elements including rolls to be driven by the vehicle wheels, comprising: a main shaft rotatably supported to be driven from one of said dynamometer rolls; a flywheel rotatably supported to be directly driven from said main shaft, said flywheel being of a predetermined size and mass; means between said main shaft and said flywheel operable to selectively drive saiD flywheel at different speed ratios relative to the speed of said main shaft, to provide inertia loads on the vehicle varying in accordance with the increase or decrease in speed of said main shaft, said drive means between said main shaft and said flywheel including a pulley connected for rotation with the flywheel; a pulley secured to the main shaft; a drive belt extending loosely around both pulleys; operating lever means; means pivotally supporting said operating lever means; and idler means actuated by said operating lever means to engage with and tension said drive belt to effect driving of said flywheel from said main shaft, said operating lever means being laterally movable relative to said shift plate; and a spring-pressed bolt movably mounting the lower end of said operating lever means on said shift plate and urging the lower end of said operating lever means toward said shift plate.

Claim 7

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus for use with a chassis dynamometer, particularly during exhaust emission measurements, to provide various inertia loads simulating the effect of the weight of the vehicle on engine performance during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle while on the dynamometer, said dynamometer having rotating elements including rolls to be driven by the vehicle wheels, comprising: a main shaft rotatably supported to be driven from one of said dynamometer rolls; a flywheel rotatably supported to be directly driven from said main shaft, said flywheel being of a predetermined size and mass; means between said main shaft and said flywheel operable to selectively drive saiD flywheel at different speed ratios relative to the speed of said main shaft, to provide inertia loads on the vehicle varying in accordance with the increase or decrease in speed of said main shaft, said drive means between said main shaft and said flywheel including a pulley connected for rotation with the flywheel; a pulley secured to the main shaft; a drive belt extending loosely around both pulleys; operating lever means; means pivotally supporting said operating lever means; and idler means actuated by said operating lever means to engage with and tension said drive belt to effect driving of said flywheel from said main shaft, said operating lever means being laterally movable relative to said shift plate; and a spring-pressed bolt movably mounting the lower end of said operating lever means on said shift plate and urging the lower end of said operating lever means toward said shift plate.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the main shaft and flywheel are rotatably mounted upon a frame; and the apparatus includes additionally: a cover mounted upon said frame and enclosing the main shaft, flywheel, and drive belt, and wherein the cover has slot means through which the operating lever means extends, and wherein the slot means has notches formed in a side wall thereof for receiving and retaining the operating levers means in selected position.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the cover, frame, and mounting means for the operating lever means are designed so that when the cover is in correct position the operating levers are yieldably urged toward the notched side of the slot means.

Claim 10

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus, comprising: a frame; a main shaft rotatably mounted upon said frame and having a plurality of stepped sheaves mounted thereon; a plurality of flywheels; means mounting said flywheels on said frame for rotation independently of each other; a stepped sheave connected with each flywheel, said stepped sheaves on said main shaft and those connected with said flywheels each having two sets of grooves to receive two sets of belts; belts loosely mounted in the grooves in said stepped sheaves to interconnect the same when tensioned; an operating lever for controlling each flywheel; a shift plate connected with each operating lever; means pivotally supporting said operating levers and shift plates for movement about a common axis; a pair of idlers carried by each shift plate with the idlers on each shift plate arranged to be engagable with a different one of the sets of belts of the interconnected sheaves, said operating levers each having a first position in which one of the idlers associated therewith is actuated to tension one set of belts; a second or neutral position; and a third position in which the other idler is actuated to tension the other set of belts, whereby the flywheels are driven from the main shaft at a relative speed ratio corresponding to the selected positions of the operating levers.

Claim 11

Variable inertia flywheel apparatus, comprising: a frame; a main shaft rotatably mounted upon said frame and having a plurality of stepped sheaves mounted thereon; a plurality of flywheels; means mounting said flywheels on said frame for rotation independently of each other; a stepped sheave connected with each flywheel, said stepped sheaves on said main shaft and those connected with said flywheels each having two sets of grooves to receive two sets of belts; belts loosely mounted in the grooves in said stepped sheaves to interconnect the same when tensioned; an operating lever for controlling each flywheel; a shift plate connected with each operating lever; means pivotally supporting said operating levers and shift plates for movement about a common axis; a pair of idlers carried by each shift plate with the idlers on each shift plate arranged to be engagable with a different one of the sets of belts of the interconnected sheaves, said operating levers each having a first position in which one of the idlers associated therewith is actuated to tension one set of belts; a second or neutral position; and a third position in which the other idler is actuated to tension the other set of belts, whereby the flywheels are driven from the main shaft at a relative speed ratio corresponding to the selected positions of the operating levers.