Variable phase couplings
OwnerFrederick M. Stidworthyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly capable of varying the relative phase of rotation between a driving sprocket wheel and a camshaft comprises a carrier fixed to the sprocket wheel and carrying compound idler bevel gears including inner idler gears which mesh with a bevel gear fixed to the camshaft to impart rotation to the camshaft and including outer idler gears which mesh with a ring gear carried by a sleeve shaft which is adjustable in angular position by a worm gear and a worm-wheel arrangement to vary the phase of the camshaft rotation relative to the phase of the sprocket wheel rotation.
Claims11
A drive assembly comprising a driving member supported for rotation about a first axis;
- a driven member supported for rotation about the first axis;
- a drive element fixed to the driven member;
- transmission means coupling the driving member to the drive element for rotating the driven member in response to rotation of the driving member;
- and phase adjusting means for adjustably setting the relative angular positions of the driven member and the driving member about the first axis in order to select the phase of rotation of the driven member relative to the rotation of the driving member;
- said transmission means comprising a transmission shaft rotatable about a second axis and rotatable with the driving member about the first axis and a transmission element fixed to the transmission shaft for rotation therewith about the second axis and drivingly engaged with the drive element to rotate the driven member upon rotation of the driving member;
- said phase adjusting means comprising an adjusting element fixed to the transmission shaft for rotation therewith, a setting member supported for rotation about the first axis and drivingly engaged with the adjusting element, and unidirectional actuating means for adjusting the angular position of the setting member about the first axis and thereby rotating the transmission shaft in order to select and then maintain a desired phase of rotation of the driven member relative to the rotation of the driving member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.