Continuously variable transmission machine

A continuously variable transmission machine which includes:

• a) a rotor which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis which extends in a first direction and which has a variable stroke body with a low lift section, a high lift section and a surface which extends continuously in a circumferential sense about the longitudinal axis between the low lift section and the high lift section;
• b) an output shaft;
• c) a plurality of rotor followers, engaged with the rotor, which are linearly movable in the first direction relative to the rotor, each rotor follower including a respective rotor follower axis and a thrust point which is linearly movable relative to the longitudinal axis of the rotor upon rotation of the rotor;
• and
• d) an output drive mechanism, responsive to movement of the rotor followers, for causing rotation of the output shaft at a speed which is dependent, at least, on the rotational speed of the rotor and on the linear position of the rotor followers relative to the rotor;
• and wherein:
• each rotor follower, for a given linear position relative to the rotor, is movable between a first limiting angular position at which the rotor follower axis subtends a first maximum angle to the longitudinal axis of the rotor and a second limiting angular position at which the rotor follower axis subtends a second maximum angle to the longitudinal axis of the rotor and wherein the first maximum angle is approximately equal in magnitude to the second maximum angle.