Stepless infinite variable speed motor

A hydraulic variable torque variable speed drive device comprising

• a casing,
• a drive shaft mounted for rotary motion in said casing,
• fluid actuated means within said casing for driving said shaft,
• said fluid actuated means including a plurality of radially movable pistons,
• fluid valve means for controlling the flow of fluid to said piston in said fluid actuated means,
• variable cam means in said casing mounted radially outwardly of said fluid actuated means, said means including at least two pair of movable cam elements to define the cycles of radial motion for said pistons in each revolution of said shaft,
• cam follower means connected to said pistons and operatively positioned to engage said cam elements whereby the radial motion of said pistons is controlled by the position of said variable cam elements.

A variable speed and variable torque drive device comprising a casing,

• a radial piston drive assembly mounted for rotary motion in said casing, said assembly including
• a housing having a plurality of radially arranged cylinders and a piston mounted for reciprocal movement in each of said cylinders,
• cam means mounted in said casing and located radially outwardly of said drive assembly for controlling the stroke of said pistons,
• said cam means including
• a plurality of pairs of cam elements for producing a number of cycles of motion for said pistons in each revolution of said drive assembly,
• means connected to said pistons and positioned to operatively engage said cam elements, said pistons moving through cycles of radial motion defined by said cam elements and means within said casing for allowing said cam elements to change position whereby the stroke of said pistons can be changed to vary the torque and/or speed of the drive assembly.

A hydraulically operated drive device for providing variable torque and variable speeds to a drive shaft, said device comprising

• a casing,
• a shaft mounted for rotary motion within said casing,
• a cylinder housing fixed to said shaft,
• said cylinder housing including
• a plurality of cylinders formed therein in equally spaced relation to one another and in radially, outwardly extending relation to the axis of the shaft,
• fluid control valve means mounted on said casing and being in fluid communication with said plurality of cylinders,
• a piston moveably disposed in each of said plurality of cylinders,
• each piston being radially moveable in said cylinder,
• a radially moveable cam assembly mounted in said casing and disposed in substantially outwardly surrounding relation to said cylinder housing,
• said cam assembly including a plurality of pairs of cam elements which provide a continuous cam surface on each side of said cylinder housing, each pair of cam elements being disposed in adjustable angular relation to one another to define a cycle of motion for said pistons,
• cam follower means connected to each of said pistons and disposed in moveable riding engagement to said cam elements whereby fluid passing through said valve means into said cylinders causes outward movement of said pistons relative to said cylinders,
• said cam follower means moving into driving engagement with said cam elements to cause rotation of said housing and shaft,
• and a cam lifter ring surrounding said cam elements and being operatively connected thereto to allow the cam elements to change position with respect to each other,
• and means for biasing said cam lifter ring in a direction to move said cam elements between a high speed-low torque position to a low speed-high torque position.

A hydraulic variable torque, variable speed drive device comprising

• a housing,
• a shaft mounted for rotary motion relative to said housing,
• drive means within said housing and connected to drive said shaft, said drive means including a plurality of radially moveable pistons, variable cam means in said housing mounted radially outwardly of said fluid actuated means to define cycles of radial motion for said pistons, said pistons being disposed in diametrically opposed relation to one other of said pistons relative to the axis of said shaft,
• fluid valve means connected to said housing for simultaneously pressurizing diametrically opposed pairs of pistons,
• and cam follower means connected to said pistons and operatively positioned to engage said cam means whereby the radial motion of said pistons is controlled by said variable cam means.

A hydraulic drive device comprising

• a casing,
• a drive shaft mounted for rotary motion in said casing,
• a radial piston drive assembly connected to said shaft and including a cylinder housing having ten cylinders radially arranged around said shaft, and a piston mounted for reciprocal movement in each of said cylinders,
• variable cam means in said casing disposed radially outwardly of said drive assembly to define eight cycles of radial motion for said pistons in each revolution of said drive assembly,
• fluid valve means connected to said housing for controlling the flow of fluid to said cylinders, and
• cam follower means connected to said pistons and positioned to operatively engage said cam means whereby each of said ten pistons moves through eight cycles of motion in each revolution of said drive assembly.