Variable-speed gear mechanism

In a variable-speed gear mechanism including a pinion which comprises a rotational axis, a multiplicity of radial coplanar pins equally spaced circumferentially by a predetermined arc distance, and means yieldably urging each of the pins radially from the pinion to a predetermined fully-extended state;

• a face gear which comprises a rotational axis substantially perpendicular to and intersecting the rotational axis of the pinion and an operative face structured to mesh with the pins of the pinion gear at a plurality of predetermined meshing radii, the operative face of the gear comprising an innermost meshing structure at a radially innermost one of the plurality of meshing radii and another meshing structure at a next larger one of the meshing radii;
• and means which support the pinion and the gear for rotation about their respective rotational axes and permit selective displacement of the pinion between the meshing radii, the improvement in which:
• the innermost meshing structure comprises a multiplicity of sockets equidistant from the rotational axis of the gear and equally spaced circumferentially by an arc distance corresponding to the predetermined arc distance between the pins of the pinion;
• each of the sockets comprises a pair of circumferentially opposing wall portions that are substantially axially oriented, an axial opening facing axially outwardly from the operative face of the gear, and a lateral opening extending circumferentially between the wall portions, the lateral opening facing radially outwardly relative to the rotational axis of the gear and being dimensioned to permit passage of any one of the pins in its fully-extended state laterally between the wall portions when the pinion is meshed with the meshing structure, the pair of opposing wall portions being spaced to prevent relative circumferential displacement of the received pin;
• and,
• each of the sockets is associated with a recessed surface portion in the operative face of the gear, each of the recessed surface portions extending radially outwardly from an axial bottom of the lateral opening of the associated socket and extending in both circumferential directions relative to the lateral opening of the associated socket, each of the recessed surface portions spanning a sector of the gear which is greater than the sector spanned by the opposing wall portions of the associated socket and permitting unobstructed displacement of any of the pins to and from the lateral opening of the associated socket as the pinion rotates in meshed relationship with the innermost meshing structure.