Back to results
US 4,241,618 AGranted
Variable pulley transmission
AssigneeBorg-Warner Corporation
InventorRichard L. Smirl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeBorg-Warner Corporation
InventorRichard L. Smirl
Estimating the term…
A power transmission adapted to be connected between a prime mover and a driven means which comprises a variable pulley drive comprising drive and driven pulleys connected by a belt, each having at least one flange axially movable with respect to the other. The pulleys continuously rotate when the prime mover is operational. The output of the prime mover is directly connected to the pulley drive. The prime mover may be an automobile engine, the driven means may include the wheels of an automobile. A speed-responsive friction starting device with means to shift between neutral, forward and reverse is connected between the driven pulley and the driven means. Shifting of a dry, i.e, non-lubricated, belt on the pulleys when the speed ratio is changing is enhanced because of the continuous driving of the pulleys. Also, because the direction of the rotation of the pulleys is always the same, shifting between forward and reverse is enhanced, this being true for any type of belt. The drive ratio between the pulleys is controlled by a hydraulic control arrangement which is both engine speed and torque responsive and the drive to the vehicle wheels may be through a synchronizer or a planetary gear arrangement to a differential.
In a power transmission apparatus adapted to transmit rotary motion between an engine with an engine shaft and a driven means such as the driving wheels of a vehicle and the like and having a variable rotary pulley drive unit with drive pulley and a driven pulley connected by a belt means, each pulley having a pair of flanges, at least one flange of which is axially movable with respect to the other flange to change the spacing between the flanges and thus the speed ratio between the pulleys, and means responsive at least to the speed of the engine shaft to change the spacing of the pulley flanges and thus the speed ratio, the improvement which comprises:
In a power transmission apparatus adapted to be connected between a prime mover and a driven means having
In a power transmission apparatus having a drive pulley and a driven pulley, each pulley having a pair of tapered flanges, at least one of which is axially movable relative to the other to regulate the flange spacing and correspondingly to modify the speed ratio between the pulleys, the drive pulley being driven by an engine and the pulleys being drivingly connected by a belt and the like with the spacing between the pulley flanges of each pulley being variable to provide a variable speed drive, and a hydraulic control system operatively associated with the pulleys to vary the spacing of the flanges and including a pump providing an engine torque responsive hydraulic fluid, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.