US4075870A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radially shiftable gear for speed-changing mechanism
Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
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Filing: 1975-10-06
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Granted: 1978-02-28
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Expires: 1995-10-06
Abstract
Abstract Two coaxial main shafts are the output and the input of a variable-speed-ratio transmission wherein a transfer gear on one of these shafts is in permanent mesh with a plurality of coacting gears on respective ancillary shafts paralleling the main shafts, each ancillary shaft also carrying one or more speed-changing gears in permanent mesh with one or more associated gears mounted idle on the other main shaft and adapted to be selectively clutched thereto. The transfer gear has an annular body with external teeth which surrounds its supporting shaft with clearance, a flexible ring being disposed in that clearance with freedom of limited radial deformation and in positive engagement with both the shaft and the gear body to interconnect them for joint rotation. Teeth or other coupling formations on the inner and outer ring surfaces, peripherally offset from one another and separated by freely deformable ring sections, engage complementary formations on the shaft and within the gear body, respectively.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred Seifried
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:49
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16D; F16D3/00; F16D3/16; F16D3/18; F16D3/185; F16D3/02; F16D3/04; F16D3/50; F16D3/76; F16D3/77; F16H; F16H3/00; F16H3/02; F16H3/08; F16H3/087; F16H3/093; F16H3/095; F16H55/00; F16H55/02; F16H55/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/19; Y10T74/19219
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
200 words
In a gear transmission comprising a main shaft, a transfer gear on said main shaft, a plurality of ancillary shafts peripherally arrayed about said main shaft, and a coacting gear on each of said ancillary shafts in mesh with said transfer gear, the improvement wherein said transfer gear has an externally toothed annular body surrounding said main shaft with clearance, said clearance being occupied by a unitary elastic ring substantially coaxial with said main shaft and said body, said ring having a pair of diametrically opposite outer coupling formations and a pair of diametrically opposite inner coupling formations positively engaging respective complementary formations on the inner surface of said body and on the outer surface of said shaft whereby said body and said shaft are interconnected for joint rotation, said outer and inner coupling formations being peripherally offset from one another by 90° and separated by ring sections freely deformable in said clearance, the combined radial thickness of said ring and either of said coupling formations exceeding the width of the clearance at the respective coupling formation, thereby facilitating radial displacement of said transfer gear relative to said main shaft without disengagement of said coupling formation from said complementary formation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
200 words
In a gear transmission comprising a main shaft, a transfer gear on said main shaft, a plurality of ancillary shafts peripherally arrayed about said main shaft, and a coacting gear on each of said ancillary shafts in mesh with said transfer gear, the improvement wherein said transfer gear has an externally toothed annular body surrounding said main shaft with clearance, said clearance being occupied by a unitary elastic ring substantially coaxial with said main shaft and said body, said ring having a pair of diametrically opposite outer coupling formations and a pair of diametrically opposite inner coupling formations positively engaging respective complementary formations on the inner surface of said body and on the outer surface of said shaft whereby said body and said shaft are interconnected for joint rotation, said outer and inner coupling formations being peripherally offset from one another by 90° and separated by ring sections freely deformable in said clearance, the combined radial thickness of said ring and either of said coupling formations exceeding the width of the clearance at the respective coupling formation, thereby facilitating radial displacement of said transfer gear relative to said main shaft without disengagement of said coupling formation from said complementary formation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling formations and complementary formations are teeth of generally parallelogrammatic outline, the teeth of one pair having flanks perpendicular to the flanks of the teeth of the other pair.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling formations and complementary formations are sets of involute teeth.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said ring is a scalloped band of substantially constant radial thickness.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-02-27 | 1981-08-29 | 1982-02-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-02-27 | 1985-08-29 | 1986-02-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-02-27 | 1989-08-29 | 1990-02-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |