Inertia transmission
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorErwin F'Geppert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power transmission that uses inertia forces. The drive member carries a urality of high density rollers that are acted on by centrifugal force. The driven member includes reaction surfaces that periodically move the high density rollers inwardly in opposition to the centrifugal force. As the rollers are moved inwardly they impart energy to the driven member, thereby producing a power transmission action. The reaction surfaces on the driven member are designed so that the system is responsive to speed and load changes.
Claims10
A power transmission comprising a rotary drive member (52);
- a rotary driven member (54,92);
- an annular cam follower member (62) surrounding the drive member;
- means (66) confining the cam follower member to reciprocatory motion along the drive member rotational axis;
- radially-movable inertia rollers (58,60) of high density material carried by the drive member in pressure engagement with the cam follower member to translate drive member rotation into cam follower member reciprocation;
- and one-way drive means (88) operatively disposed between the cam follower member and rotary driven member, whereby said driven member is driven rotationally;
- said annular cam follower member defining a series of endless cam follower surfaces occupying parallel planes normal to the drive member rotational axis;
- each said cam follower surface comprising first surface sections located relatively close to the drive member rotational axis and second surface sections located relatively remote from the drive member rotational axis, said first surface sections transitioning smoothly into said second surface sections to form an endless cam follower surface operable to oscillate the associated rollers radially toward and away from the drive member axis;
- the second surface section in some of the endless cam follower surfaces being spaced further away from the drive member rotational axis than the second surface sections in other ones of the endless cam follower surfaces to vary the roller oscillation stroke in accordance with positional changes of the annular member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.