US 5,672,136 A · Balance beam automatically adjusting torques translator (stepless variable transmission)

Abstract

This smoothly automatic changing ratios gear mechanism for use in devices as small as toys and as large as the heaviest industrial machines is an arrangement of planetary gear sets which provide divergent ratio gear tracks driven by an arrangement of components for dynamically positioning virtual fulcrum points along virtual balance beams thus automatically realizing a multiplicity of gear ratios. The gear ratio changes result from the relationship of the amplitude of force driving the system acting against the variable bias of spring and centrifugal forces that tend to keep the fulcrums positioned to affect high RPM output. The gear tracks are arranged as mirror images of each other and in a manner such that the ring gear of an input planetary gear set is tied to the sun gear of an output planetary gear set and vice versa thus forming divergent ratio gear tracks. A low RPM output results from driving the input ring gear and a high RPM output results from driving the input sun gear with virtual fulcrum points impinging upon virtual balance beams so that gear ratios from the highest to the lowest and all the continuum between are possible. Using sun gear to ring gear size ratio of 1/5 provides an output gear ratio ranging from 1/1 to 36/1.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A power transfer device transfering power from a source to a workload in a manner providing a continuum of intermediate ratios between its highest RPM ratio and lowest RPM ratio limits, comprising;

a means for aligning and supporting said power transfer device elements while allowing power input and power output,
a means for providing a fulcrum and a balance beam positioned and held for receiving power and passing it to divergent ratio power tracks,
a means for providing and holding said divergent ratio power tracks in a manner such that said tracks will with inverse portionallity be receiving a determined range of said power from said balance beam,
a means for receiving said power from said source and passing it to said fulcrum,
a means for holding said fulcrum and its power transfer at a determined range continuum of points along said balance beam,
a means for holding said balance beam that allows it to be continuously receiving said power from said fulcrum and passing it to said power tracks,
a means for controlling said power tracks reactions to the power forces,
a means for receiving said power forces from said power tracks and passing said power to said workload.

5 more elements

A power transfer device transferring power from a source to a workload in a manner providing a continuum of intermediate ratios between its highest RPM ratio and lowest RPM ratio limits and automatically adjusting RPM ratio multiples in response to dynamic tension changes resulting from variations of loading, speed, and strength of the power source, comprising;

a housing allowing power input and power output while aligning and supporting said power transfer device elements therin,
power input device connecting to said power source and to rotatable power ring,
said power ring connecting to said power input device and connecting to a set of flexible links,
said set of flexible links with trolley fulcrums attached connecting said power ring to a set of flexible links tensioning assemblies,
a trolley fulcrum positioning disk with glide tracks for a set of trolley fulcrum glides, guides for said flexible links and with said set of flexible links tensioning assemblies connecting to said set of flexible links and being held rotatably within the circumference of and in the plane of said power ring,
said set of trolley fulcrums with glides at each end attached to said flexible links and connecting said trolley fulcrum positioning disk to a set of planet cores,
said set of planet cores continuously receiving said power from said trolley fulcrums and continuously passing it to a set of gear circlet balance beams which in turn are continuously passing said power to divergent ratio gear tracks,
an arrangement of an interconnected input gear set with an output gear set providing a controlled action arrangement of said divergent ratio gear tracks,
an output axle as an integral part of an output gear driven by said power tracks and connecting to a flexible links tension adjusting assembly,
said flexible links tension adjusting assembly connecting to said output axle and applying increasing pressure with increasing output RPM and urging said flexible links tensioning assemblies toward increased tension positions.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Balance beam automatically adjusting torques translator (stepless variable transmission)

Life of this patent

Balance beam automatically adjusting torques translator (stepless variable transmission)

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10