Variable speed transmission

A mechanical power transmission disposed between an input power shaft and an output power shaft, said transmission providing torque conversion and transmitting means through gyro-dynamic precission for infinitely varying the input-to-output rotational speed ratios over a wide range of output power requirements, said torque conversion and transmitting means comprising:

• (a) a main frame disposed for rotation on its longitudinal axis between the input and output power shafts wherein the said shafts and said longitudinal axis are coaxial, said rotation being provided by the net effective torque developed by the precession of two pairs of spinning rotors with their varying moments of inertia in combination with two rotating subframes, said main frame being disposed for common and concurrent rotation with the rigidly affixed said output power shaft and for independent rotation with the journalled said input power shaft;
• and in combination, for providing the precessional means for transmitting an unlimited range of output torques, said transmission disposed to operate automatically over an infinite range of input-to-output rotational speed ratios;
• (b) two said sub-frames disposed for full, contact-free rotation relative to each other on parallel, hollow, interrupted shaft, said rotation being achieved with power transmitted from a suitable power source to the said sub-frames via the input power shaft through a gear and worm drive, said subframes being further disposed so that the rotational speed of one sub-frame is always equal to and counter in direction to the rotational speed of the other sub-frame;
• (c) four said rotors operatively associated in pairs, with camming means for varying their moments of inertia, coaxially paired for concurrent contra-spinning within the two said contra-rotating sub-frames, said sub-frames disposed so that the two angles made by the spin axes of the two said rotor pairs with the said longitudinal axis are always complementary to each other;
• and the two said pairs of rotors, in combination, being operatively phased to deliver to the output power shaft via the rotatable main frame, a constant torque;
• that is, while the net precessional torque developed by one said pair of rotors during one 180.degree. rotation of its sub-frame is varying from a maximum value to zero and back to its maximum value, the precessional torque developed by the other said pair of rotors is concurrently varying from a zero value to maximum and back to its zero value, thus, in combination to deliver a constant torque on a continuous basis;
• (d) a hydraulic means for imparting, maintaining, and varying as required, identical angular spin-speeds to the four rotors over a wide range, said hydraulic means utilizing four impellers disposed in pairs within each said sub-frame, each said impeller coaxially mounted and integral with one of the four said rotors for common spinning, said hydraulic means further utilizing two stators, a pump, a pressure control valve, and conduits to provide regulated and concurrent spin to the said four rotors such that the two rotors of each pair are contra-spinning, and similarly, the two rotors of one pair concurrently spinning opposite to their counterparts in the other said pair of rotors;
• in other words, the rotation of one said sub-frame and the spin of its enclosed rotors are a mirror image of the rotation of the other said sub-frame and the spin of its enclosed rotors;
• (e) camming means which permit the necessary radial movements of the arcuate sectors of the said spinning rotors such as to achieve continuously and automatically a variation in the radii of gyrations of said rotors in mechanically predetermined sequence in concert with the rotation of the said sub-frames, thereby together with the rotation of the said sub-frames and the spin of the said rotors, generating precessional torque which are transmitted to the rotation axes of the said sub-frames, and to the said power output shaft via the said main frame;
• and,
• (f) a stator means for neutralizing the torques generated orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the said transmission by the reaction of the hydraulic fluid against the vanes of the impellers which spin the rotors, said stator means being an integral, leak-proof link in the overall hydraulic means.

An automatic infinitely variable, gyroscopic type, mechanical power transmission within an transmission housing collinearly disposed on its longitudinal axis between the input power shaft and the output power shaft, said transmission comprising:

• (a) a rotatable main frame collinearly disposed on the said longitudinal axis between the said input and output power shafts, said input power shaft being journalled to rotate independently of the said main frame, and said output shaft being rigidly affixed to the said main frame for concurrent rotation with it;
• (b) two identical sub-frames rotatably mounted for full, contact free rotation relative to each other within the said main frame on parallel, hollow, interrupted shafts rigidly affixed to the inner structure of the said main frame and disposed on axes orthogonal to the said longitudinal axis;
• said sub-frames caused to rotate one opposite the other with power received from an external source transmitted to the said sub-frames via the input power shaft meshed to a gear and worm train disposed externally along the said main frame;
• (c) four identical rotors disposed for contra-spinning in operative pairs within the two said sub-frames on spin axes which intersect orthogonally the rotation axes of the said sub-frames;
• (d) hydraulic means utilized to impart spin to said rotors;
• (e) camming means utilized to vary the moments of inertia of the said four rotors;
• (f) said four rotors used operatively in conjunction with the said sub-frames and together with the aforesaid means therewith to utilize the contra-spinning of the paired rotors thereby to cause a gyrodynamic precessional torque to be developed in the said subframes, then transmitted to the rotatable main frame and thence to the output shaft;
• and further, with the continuously changing positions of the contrarotating sub-frames relative to the fixed positions of the said input and output power shafts, neither said pair of contra-spinning rotors can remain in proper phase to the output shaft through a complete cycle;
• that is, the direction of precession of a rotor has a direct relationship to its output torque, so that, as the precession continues, the rotor will precess to a point where the direction of rotation about the spin axis is opposite to what it was at the beginning of the cycle;
• and further, in order to maintain constant precession, both the two said paired rotors spinning oppositely to each other and the moments of inertia being varied by camming means in timed sequence, are utilized, thereby achieving in essence, a change of the rotational sense of an equivalent single rotor keeping in phase with the output torque;
• and consequently, in order to achieve proper phasing and constant torque in a steadystate operation, the closely set rotors in a pair in each sub-frame is provided with radially disposed arcuate sectors suitably weighted which are capable of slight radial change so as to make the spinning moments of inertia of the said rotors variable and provide selective imbalance to achieve steady output torque;
• and further, since one rotor of a pair is having its radius shortened as the other is having its radius lengthened, and this occurring as one rotor and then the other, in turn, crosses from one side to the other side of the said longitudinal axis, the resulting differences of angular momentum between the two said rotors of a pair in each sub-frame occur in said timed sequence;
• thereby to produce a net torque which is constant both in magnitude and direction.