Variable gear ratio transmission

Abstract

A constant meshed, infinitely variable gear ratio transmission using relatively low pressure, low volume hydraulic systems to control the transmission gear ratio. The transmission includes a gear box having an input and output shaft. The gear box houses two sets of planetary gears which couple the input and output shafts together. A pinion gear is fixed to each shaft. A set of planetary gears mesh with each pinion and a plurality of planetary gear shafts connect the corresponding planetary gears of each pinion together. A cage is rotatably supported in the housing. A first hydraulic system controls the rotation of the cage. A second and independent hydraulic system controls the rotation of the planetary gear shafts by selectably controlling the rotation of the cage and the rotation of the planetary gear shafts so that the gear ratio for the transmission may be intermediately selected. A clutch mechanism is used to selectably engage the control system for the cage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.