Hub assembly with speed change

In combination with a supporting structure, a hub assembly for facilitating rotation about an axis that is fixed in position with respect to the supporting structure, said hub assembly comprising:

• a carrier attached securely to the supporting structure and including axles extending generally axially and arranged around the axis;
• a center shaft located within said carrier and carrying first and second inner raceways which are presented outwardly away from the axis and tapered downwardly away from each other so that the inner raceways are closest where they have their greatest diameters;
• the shaft having a spindle located within the carrier;
• the spindle of the shaft containing sockets that open outwardly away from the axis;
• a hub located around the axles of the carrier and having first and second outer raceways which taper downwardly away from each other so that the first and second outer raceways are closest where they have their greatest diameters, the first outer raceway being presented toward the first inner raceway and the second outer raceway being presented toward the second inner raceway;
• first planet rollers located around the axles and between the first raceways, each first planet roller having a tapered side face where it contacts the first raceways and an end face generally at the large end of its tapered side face;
• second planet rollers located around the axles between the second raceways, each second planet roller having a tapered side face where it contacts the second raceways and an end face generally at the large end of its side face;
• the first and second planet rollers around each axle contacting each other at their end faces;
• the planet rollers being rotatable relative to the axles to transfer between the rollers and the axles loads that are directed radially or axially with respect to the axis whereby both the shaft and hub will rotate about the axis, with the shaft rotating at a velocity greater than the hub;
• first and second sun rollers located around the spindle, with the first inner raceway being on the first sun roller and the second inner raceway being on the second sun roller;
• the sun rollers having sockets that open toward the sockets in the spindle;
• and wherein the shaft further comprises elements located in the sockets of the spindle and the sockets of the sun rollers to key the rollers to the shaft, the elements and sockets further being configured to effect a camming action that urges the sun rollers apart when torque is transmitted between the sun rollers and the spindle.

A hub assembly for supporting radial and axial loads and for effecting a change in angular velocity about an axis of rotation, said hub assembly comprising:

• a carrier having axles arranged around the axis and extending generally axially;
• a center shaft located along the axis;
• a first sun roller and a second sun roller mounted on said center shaft to be rotated by said shaft as said shaft rotates;
• said first and second sun rollers defining first and second inner raceways that are tapered and are presented outwardly away from the axis;
• a hub surrounding the shaft and having first and second outer raceways that are tapered and presented inwardly toward the first and second inner raceways, respectively of the center shaft;
• first planet rollers located around the axles and between the first raceways and having side faces where they contact the first raceways;
• and
• second planet rollers located around the axles and between the second raceways and having side faces where they contact the second raceways;
• said first and second sun rollers including axial inner faces and pockets formed in said inner faces;
• said shaft including pockets aligned with said pockets of said sun rollers;
• said hub assembly including wedging elements received in said shaft and sun roller pockets;
• the engagement of said wedging elements and said shaft and sun roller pockets rotationally connecting said sun rollers to said shaft such that rotation of said shaft rotates said sun rollers.

A hub assembly for supporting radial and axial loads and for effecting a change in angular velocity about an axis of rotation, said hub assembly comprising:

• a carrier having axles arranged around the axis and extending generally axially;
• a center shaft located along the axis;
• a first sun roller and a second sun roller mounted on said center shaft to be rotated by said shaft as said shaft rotates;
• said first and second sun rollers defining first and second inner raceways that are tapered and are presented outwardly away from the axis;
• said sun rollers filling loosely over the center shaft;
• said sun rollers being operatively connected to said center shaft by means of a camming mechanism to be rotated by said center shaft;
• a hub surrounding the shaft and having first and second outer raceways that are tapered and presented inwardly toward the first and second inner raceways, respectively of the center shaft;
• first planet rollers located around the axles and between the first raceways and having side faces where they contact the first raceways;
• and
• second planet rollers located around the axles and between the second raceways and having side faces where they contact the second raceways.