Infinitely variable speed drive mechanism

Claim 2

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising a pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith and at least one of said discs being capable of limited axial movement along the shaft and being loaded towards each other, a plurality of planet discs each rotatably mounted on one end of a corresponding arm or fork for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, the other end of each arm or fork being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for movement about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation, and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier being mounted on a second shaft for rotation therewith about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, a pair of spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs and means for varying the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs.

Claim 3

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism as claimed in claim 1 combined with at least one epicyclic gear train.

Claim 4

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising a pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith and at least one of said discs being capable of limited axial movement along the shaft and being loaded towards each other, a plurality of planet discs each rotatably mounted on one end of a corresponding arm or fork for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, the other end of each arm or fork being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for movement about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation. Said carrier being mounted on a second shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, a pair of spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs and means for varying the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs, and an epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and planet gears wherein said first shaft is connected to the casing of the epicyclic gear train, the rotation of the carrier member is transmitted to the planet gears of the epicyclic gear train located within the casing and the second shaft is connected to the output sun gear of the epicyclic gear train.

Claim 5

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising a pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith and at least one of said discs being capable of limited axial movement along the shaft and being loaded towards each other, a plurality of planet discs each rotatably mounted on one end of a corresponding arm or fork for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, the other end of each arm or fork being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for movement about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation. Said carrier being mounted on a second shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, a pair of spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs and means for varying the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs, and an epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and planet gears wherein said first shaft is connected to the casing of the epicyclic gear train, the rotation of the carrier member is transmitted to the planet gears of the epicyclic gear train located within the casing and the second shaft is connected to the output sun gear of the epicyclic gear train.

Claim 6

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising a pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith and at least one of said discs being capable of limited axial movement along the shaft and being loaded towards each other, a plurality of planet discs each rotatably mounted on one end of a corresponding arm or fork for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, the other end of each arm or fork being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for movement about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being rotatably mounted on said first shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, a pair of spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs and means for varying the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs, and an epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and two groups of planets, one group meshing with the input sun gear and the other group meshing with the output sun gear, the said first shaft of the epicyclic friction drive being connected to the casing, said carrier member being connected to the input sun gear and a second or output shaft being connected to the output sun gear.

Claim 7

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising a pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft for rotation therewith and at least one of said discs being capable of limited axial movement along the shaft and being loaded towards each other, a plurality of planet discs each rotatably mounted on one end of a corresponding arm or fork for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, the other end of each arm or fork being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for movement about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being rotatably mounted on said first shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, a pair of spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs and means for varying the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs, and an epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and two groups of planets, one group meshing with the input sun gear and the other group meshing with the output sun gear, the said first shaft of the epicyclic friction drive being connected to the casing, said carrier member being connected to the input sun gear and a second or output shaft being connected to the output sun gear.

Claim 8

An infinitely variable speed friction drive mechanism comprising two pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft in spaced positions for rotation therewith, the outer sun disc of each pair being fixed and the inner sun disc of each pair being mounted for axial movement along said first shaft, spring means positioned between said inner sun discs to urge each inner sun disc towards the corresponding outer sun disc, a plurality of pairs of planet discs each pair being rotatably mounted on a shaft supported between the outer ends of a pair of arms or forks the inner ends of the pair of arms or forks being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being mounted on a second shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, three spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs, the inner of the three annular members being fixed and located between the pairs of planet discs and each of the outer members of the three annular members being located on the outside of the adjacent planet disc and slidable towards and away from the inner annular member whereby the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs can be varied.

Claim 9

An infinitely variable speed friction drive mechanism comprising two pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft in spaced positions for rotation therewith, the outer sun disc of each pair being fixed and the inner sun disc of each pair being mounted for axial movement along said first shaft, spring means positioned between said inner sun discs to urge each inner sun disc towards the corresponding outer sun disc, a plurality of pairs of planet discs each pair being rotatably mounted on a shaft supported between the outer ends of a pair of arms or forks the inner ends of the pair of arms or forks being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being mounted on a second shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, three spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs, the inner of the three annular members being fixed and located between the pairs of planet discs and each of the outer members of the three annular members being located on the outside of the adjacent planet disc and slidable towards and away from the inner annular member whereby the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs can be varied.

Claim 10

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising the combination of the friction drive mechanism as claimed in claim 1 and an epicyclic gear train comprising a gun gear, an annular gear and at least one planet gear connecting said sun gear and said annular gear wherein said first shaft of the friction drive is connected to one of the gears of the epicyclic gear train and an output shaft connected to one of the other gears of the epicyclic gear train.

Claim 11

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising the combination of the friction drive mechanism as claimed in claim 5 and an epicyclic gear train comprising a sun gear, an annular gear and at least one planet gear connecting said sun gear and said annular gear wherein said first shaft of the friction drive is connected to one of the gears of the epicyclic gear train and an output shaft connected to one of the other gears of the epicyclic gear train.

Claim 12

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising the combination of the friction drive mechanism as claimed in claim 5 and an epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and planet gears wherein said first shaft of the friction drive is connected to the input of sun gear of the epicyclic gear train, the rotation of the carrier member of the friction drive is transmitted to the planet gears of the epicyclic gear train located within the casing and the second shaft of the friction drive is connected to the output sun gear of the epicyclic gear train.

Claim 13

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising the combination of an epicyclic friction drive and an epicyclic gear train; said epicyclic friction drive comprising two pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft in spaced positions for rotation therewith, the outer sun discs of each pair being fixed and the inner sun disc of each pair being mounted for axial movement along said first shaft, spring means positioned between said inner sun discs to urge each inner sun disc towards the corresponding outer sun disc, a plurality of pairs of planet discs each pair being rotatably mounted on a shaft supported between the outer ends of a pair of arms or forks the inner ends of the pair of arms or forks being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being rotatably mounted on said first shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, three spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs, the inner of the three annular members being fixed and located between the pairs of planet discs and each of the outer members of the three annular members being located on the outside of the adjacent planet disc and slidable towards and away from the inner annular member whereby the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs can be varied; and said epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and two groups of planet gears, one group of planet gears meshing with the input sun gear and the other group of planet gears meshing with the output sun gear; the said first shaft of the friction drive being connected to the casing of the epicyclic gear train, said carrier member of the friction drive being connected to the input sun gear and a second or output shaft being connected to the output sun gear.

Claim 14

An infinitely variable speed drive mechanism comprising the combination of an epicyclic friction drive and an epicyclic gear train; said epicyclic friction drive comprising two pair of sun discs mounted on a first shaft in spaced positions for rotation therewith, the outer sun discs of each pair being fixed and the inner sun disc of each pair being mounted for axial movement along said first shaft, spring means positioned between said inner sun discs to urge each inner sun disc towards the corresponding outer sun disc, a plurality of pairs of planet discs each pair being rotatably mounted on a shaft supported between the outer ends of a pair of arms or forks the inner ends of the pair of arms or forks being pivotally mounted on a carrier member for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said first shaft, said planet discs moving in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and being capable of limited sliding movement along their axis of rotation so that at all times they remain substantially normal to the axis of rotation, said carrier member being rotatably mounted on said first shaft for rotation about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said first shaft, three spaced non rotating annular members substantially coplanar with and concentric with said sun discs, the inner periphery of said annular members and the outer periphery of said sun discs embracing and frictionally engaging said planet discs, the inner of the three annular members being fixed and located between the pairs of planet discs and each of the outer members of the three annular members being located on the outside of the adjacent planet disc and slidable towards and away from the inner annular member whereby the radial position of said planet discs with respect to said annular members and said sun discs can be varied; and said epicyclic gear train comprising a casing, an input sun gear, an output sun gear and two groups of planet gears, one group of planet gears meshing with the input sun gear and the other group of planet gears meshing with the output sun gear; the said first shaft of the friction drive being connected to the casing of the epicyclic gear train, said carrier member of the friction drive being connected to the input sun gear and a second or output shaft being connected to the output sun gear.