Speed and/or direction change means

Claim 2

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member arranged for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under the orderly cyclic wobbling of said wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, said wobble center lying in the axis of rotation of said rotor relative to said wobbling member, said imparting means comprising a shaft passing through the wobble center, and bearing means surrounding said shaft and wobble center, said bearing means slidably mounting said wobbling member for movement towards and away from the rotor along the axis of rotation of the rotor relative to the wobbling member.

Claim 3

A speed and/or direction change means according to claim 1, wherein said shaft is longitudinally slidable along said axis.

Claim 4

A speed and/or direction change means according to claim 2, wherein said imparting means includes a rotating means comprising at least one annular surface arranged in the form of a ring adapted to engage a side of said wobbling member opposite to the contact surface thereoF, said rotating means further comprising a body having said annular surface at one end thereof coaxially mounted on said shaft.

Claim 5

A speed and/or direction change means according to claim 2, wherein said rotor is rotatably mounted on said shaft.

Claim 6

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member arranged for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under the orderly cyclic wobbling of said wobbling member the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, said wobble center lying on the axis of rotation of said rotor relative to said wobbling member, and at least one of said contact surfaces is a frustum of a cone having its vertex at the wobble center.

Claim 7

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member arranged for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under the orderly cyclic wobbling of said wobbling member the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, said wobble center lying on the axis of rotation of said rotor relative to said wobbling member, and at least one of said contact surfaces is a frustum of a cone having its vertex at the wobble center.

Claim 8

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member arranged for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, said contact surface of said rotor being a continuous, convex surface and consisting of a frictional-drive material for contact with said contact surface of said wobbler to thereby drive said rotor in nonsliding contact.

Claim 9

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member arranged for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, said contact surface of said rotor being a continuous, convex surface and consisting of a frictional-drive material for contact with said contact surface of said wobbler to thereby drive said rotor in nonsliding contact.

Claim 10

The device according to claim 6, wherein said contact surface of said wobbler extends beyond the contact surface of said rotor in all directions extending radially outwardly on the wobble plane from said wobble center.

Claim 11

The device according to claim 6, wherein said contact surface of said wobbler is planar, flat and continuous, and consists of a frictional-drive material for contacting the frictional-drive material of said rotor.

Claim 12

A speed and/or direction change means according to claim 6, wherein said means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling comprises at least one annular surface arranged in the form of a ring engaging a side of said wobbling member opposite to the contact surface thereof, said surface being disposed in an inclined plane relative to the axis of rotation of said rotating means.

Claim 13

A speed and/or direction change means according to claim 9, further comprising a tubular sleeve wherein said annular surface is an end surface of said tubular sleeve which is disposed so as to press against said wobbling member.

Claim 14

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member adapted for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, wherein each of said contact surfaces comprises a plurality of contacting portions arranged such that, during orderly cyclic wobbling of said wobbling member, said contacting portions of said rotor are progressively engaged by the contacting portions of said wobbling member at a zone of contact describing a circle on each of said contact surfaces, said wobble center lying on the axis of rotation of said rotor relative to said wobbling member, said means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling comprising stud means extending outwardly from said wobbling member on the Wobble plane, said stud means slidably engaging a body for fixing said wobbling member against rotation relative to said body, said imparting means also comprising driving means operatively connected to said stud means to reciprocate said stud means and wobble said wobbling member.

Claim 15

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member adapted for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, wherein each of said contact surfaces comprises a plurality of contacting portions arranged such that, during orderly cyclic wobbling of said wobbling member, said contacting portions of said rotor are progressively engaged by the contacting portions of said wobbling member at a zone of contact describing a circle on each of said contact surfaces, said wobble center lying on the axis of rotation of said rotor relative to said wobbling member, said means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling comprising stud means extending outwardly from said wobbling member on the Wobble plane, said stud means slidably engaging a body for fixing said wobbling member against rotation relative to said body, said imparting means also comprising driving means operatively connected to said stud means to reciprocate said stud means and wobble said wobbling member.

Claim 16

The device according to claim 11, wherein said body comprises a cylindrical element mounting said rotor and wobbling member therein, said driving means also capable of operative connection with said cylindrical element to rotate same for wobbling said wobbling member.

Claim 17

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member adapted for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, futher comprising a second rotor having a contact surface in direct engagement with a contact surface of said wobbling member, said rotor being coaxially mounted with said first rotor and lying at the opposite side of said wobbling member from said first rotor, said second rotor rotatable about the same axis as said first rotor, first means for rotatably mounting said first rotor, and second means for rotatable mounting said second rotor, said second means allowing rotation of said second rotor at a speed different from that of said first rotor.

Claim 18

A speed and/or direction change means comprising, in combination, a wobbling member adapted for orderly cyclic wobbling about a wobble center and having a contact surface, means for imparting an orderly cyclic wobbling motion to the wobbling member, and a first rotor having a contact surface, said rotor being rotatable relative to said wobbling member so that, under said orderly cyclic wobbling of the wobbling member, the contact surface of the rotor is progressively engaged by the contact surface of said wobbling member at a circularly moving locus of contact, futher comprising a second rotor having a contact surface in direct engagement with a contact surface of said wobbling member, said rotor being coaxially mounted with said first rotor and lying at the opposite side of said wobbling member from said first rotor, said second rotor rotatable about the same axis as said first rotor, first means for rotatably mounting said first rotor, and second means for rotatable mounting said second rotor, said second means allowing rotation of said second rotor at a speed different from that of said first rotor.

Claim 19

The device according to claim 13, wherein the wobble center lies on the axis of rotation of said rotors, and said contact surfaces comprising teeth formed on said contact surfaces.

Claim 20

The device according to claim 14, wherein said teeth comprise driving faces convergent towards the wobble center.