Drive transmission

Claim 2

A drive transmission comprising: a housing; an elongated drive shaft extending longitudinally of said housing; means operatively connected to one end of said shaft for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis; translating means including a cam having at least a pair of spaced lobes operatively engaging the other end of said shaft and said cam being rotatable therewith whereby rotary motion of said shaft is translated into motion transverse to the axis of rotation of said shaft; at least a pair of spaced dogs each comprising an arm having one end mounted on said housing for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft and extending in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation of said shaft to a free end; biasing means operatively engaging both said housing and said dogs for biasing said free ends of said arms of said dogs in a direction substantially inwardly of said housing and toward the axis of rotation of said shaft into engagement with said translating means; and means associated with said translating means for varying the amount of rotation thereby of each of said arms of said dogs about its axis of rotation.

Claim 3

A drive transmission comprising: a housing; an elongated drive shaft extending longitudinally of said housing; shaft rotating means operatively connected to one end of said shaft for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis; a cam member disposed internally of said housing and rotatable with said shaft; at least a pair of spaced dogs mounted in said housing extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft; roller means connected to the free ends of each of said dogs and rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft but spaced outwardly therefrom, said roller means including rollers having annular tapered surfaces thereon, the surfaces tapering generally to a point extending in a direction generally perpendicular to their axes of rotation; dog biasing means operatively connected to both said housing and said dogs for biasing said dogs in a direction inwardly of said housing and toward the axis of rotation of said shaft; said cam member having surface means thereon operatively engaging the surfaces of said rollers in such a manner that rotation of said cam member rotates said rollers about both their axes and the periphery of said cam member; and means operatively engaging said cam member for moving said cam member in a direction transverse to the points of engagement of said roller surfaces therewith.

Claim 4

A drive transmission comprising: a housing; an elongated drive shaft extending longitudinally of said housing; shaft rotating means operatively connected to one end of said shaft for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis; a cam member disposed internally of said housing and rotatable with said shaft; at least a pair of spaced dogs mounted in said housing extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft; roller means connected to the free ends of each of said dogs and rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft but spaced outwardly therefrom, said roller means including rollers having annular tapered surfaces thereon, the surfaces tapering generally to a point extending in a direction generally perpendicular to their axes of rotation; dog biasing means operatively connected to both said housing and said dogs for biasing said dogs in a direction inwardly of said housing and toward the axis of rotation of said shaft; said cam member having surface means thereon operatively engaging the surfaces of said rollers in such a manner that rotation of said cam member rotates said rollers about both their axes and the periphery of said cam member; and means operatively engaging said cam member for moving said cam member in a direction transverse to the points of engagement of said roller surfaces therewith.

Claim 5

The drive transmission of claim 2 wherein said dogs biasing means includes means associated therewith for varying the degree of bias of said dogs.

Claim 6

The drive transmission of claim 2 wherein said cam member surface means includes an irregular surface extending about the peripheRy of said cam member in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said irregular surface being such that an angle of about 15* from the vertical is always present at a plurality of locations about said periphery and these locations vary from the horizontal and the surfaces of said rollers taper to a point about 20* from the horizontal so that, upon rotation of said shaft to thereby rotate said cam member, the tapered points of said rollers are always in engagement with some portion of the irregular surface of said cam member with said rollers rising up and down in differing generally vertical planes as they are rotated by the cam member.

Claim 7

The drive transmission of claim 2 wherein said cam member surface means includes an irregular surface extending about the periphery of said cam member in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said irregular surface being such that an angle of about 15* from the vertical is always present at a plurality of locations about said periphery and these locations vary from the horizontal and the surfaces of said rollers taper to a point about 20* from the horizontal so that, upon rotation of said shaft to thereby rotate said cam member, the tapered points of said rollers are always in engagement with some portion of the irregular surface of said cam member with said rollers rising up and down in differing generally vertical planes as they are rotated by the cam member.

Claim 8

In a drive transmission, a cam member comprising: a body portion having an outer peripheral surface and generally elliptically shaped top and bottom portions, the outer peripheral surface having a plurality of portions thereabout, each of said portions tapering to a point having an angle of about 15* from the vertical, the position of said portions varying in generally vertical planes about the periphery of said cam member.

Claim 9

In a drive transmission, a cam member comprising: a body portion having an outer peripheral surface and generally elliptically shaped top and bottom portions, the outer peripheral surface having a plurality of portions thereabout, each of said portions tapering to a point having an angle of about 15* from the vertical, the position of said portions varying in generally vertical planes about the periphery of said cam member.

Claim 10

In a transmission, a shaft, a cam member secured to said shaft, said cam member having at least three lobes extending generally in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, at least two balls, a race housing having a number of slots at least equal to the number of balls for receiving the balls, said balls being disposed in said slots, means mounting said race housing with respect to said cam member to permit rotation of said cam member and race housing relative to each other with the cam lobes being adapted to engage said balls in said race housing, said slots in said race housing permitting movement of said balls in a direction parallel to and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and means operatively engaging said balls for sensing the movement of said balls.

Claim 11

In a transmission, a shaft, a cam member secured to said shaft, said cam member having at least three lobes extending generally in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, at least two balls, a race housing having a number of slots at least equal to the number of balls for receiving the balls, said balls being disposed in said slots, means mounting said race housing with respect to said cam member to permit rotation of said cam member and race housing relative to each other with the cam lobes being adapted to engage said balls in said race housing, said slots in said race housing permitting movement of said balls in a direction parallel to and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and means operatively engaging said balls for sensing the movement of said balls.

Claim 12

A transmission as in claim 7 together with means for adjustably positioning the balls in a direction at right angles to the axis of rotation for said shaft.

Claim 13

A transmission as in claim 8 wherein said means for adjusting the position of said balls includes a slidable member mounted within said housing, a cam member for each of the balls pivotally carried by said slidable member and extending into said slots and adapted to engage said balls, cam plate means carried by the housing and having cam surfaces engaged by said cam members, and means yieldably urging said slidable member in a direction to move said cam members in directions to urge said balls outwardly.

Claim 14

A transmission as in claim 9 wherein said yieldable means includes means for adjusting the force supplied by said yieldable means.

Claim 15

In a transmission, a shaft, a spindle rotatably mounted on said shaft, a cam member secured to said shaft, said cam member having at least three lobes extending generally in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, at least two balls, a race housing having a number of slots at least equal to the number of balls for receiving the balls, said balls being disposed in said slots, means mounting said race housing wiTh respect to said cam member to permit rotation of said cam member and race housing relative to each other with the cam lobes being adapted to engage said balls in said race housing, said slots in said race housing permitting movement of said balls in directions parallel to and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the shaft, a ring gear rotatably mounted on the spindle, at least two pinions engaging the ring gear, second shafts rotatably mounted in the spindle for each of said pinions, means securing each of said pinions to its respective shaft, a dog for each second shaft, a one-way slip clutch means mounting each dog on its respective second shaft, each of said dogs having a ball-engaging surface adjacent its free end, and means yieldably urging the free end of the dog in a direction so that the ball-engaging surface engages a ball.

Claim 16

In a transmission, a shaft, a spindle rotatably mounted on said shaft, a cam member secured to said shaft, said cam member having at least three lobes extending generally in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, at least two balls, a race housing having a number of slots at least equal to the number of balls for receiving the balls, said balls being disposed in said slots, means mounting said race housing wiTh respect to said cam member to permit rotation of said cam member and race housing relative to each other with the cam lobes being adapted to engage said balls in said race housing, said slots in said race housing permitting movement of said balls in directions parallel to and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the shaft, a ring gear rotatably mounted on the spindle, at least two pinions engaging the ring gear, second shafts rotatably mounted in the spindle for each of said pinions, means securing each of said pinions to its respective shaft, a dog for each second shaft, a one-way slip clutch means mounting each dog on its respective second shaft, each of said dogs having a ball-engaging surface adjacent its free end, and means yieldably urging the free end of the dog in a direction so that the ball-engaging surface engages a ball.

Claim 17

A transmission as in claim 11 together with means for adjustably positioning the balls in a direction at right angles to the axis of rotation for said shaft.

Claim 18

A transmission as in claim 11 wherein said means for adjusting the position of said balls includes a slidable member mounted within said race housing, a cam member for each of the balls pivotally carried by said slidable member and extending into said slots and adapted to engage said balls, a cam plate secured to said race housing and having cam surfaces engaged by said cam members, and means yieldably urging said slidable member in a direction to move said cam members to urge said balls outwardly.

Claim 19

A transmission as in claim 13 wherein said yieldable means includes means for adjusting the force supplied by said yieldable means.

Claim 20

A transmission as in claim 11 wherein said cam lobes are formed by surfaces which extend at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane and which also extend at an angle with respect to a vertical plane.