Frictionless continuously variable transmission

Abstract

A continuously variable transmission comprising a drive plate having a series of radial slots attached to an input shaft. A bevel gear is concentrically mounted on the end of an output shaft held parallel to the input shaft. Lockable pinions are provided which mesh with the bevel gear teeth and slidably engage the drive plate. Locking devices are provided for selectively locking or unlocking the pinions as they rotate about the bevel gear. As the input shaft and driving plate rotate the pinions lock and unlock depending upon their position in relation to the driving plate. When locked, the input shaft drives the output shaft by transmitting power through the driving plate into the locked pinions slidably held in slots in the driving plate and then into the bevel gear and output shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.