Dry variable speed drive mechanism

A variable drive comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft;
• a fixed sheave fixed axially relative to the drive shaft and mounted for rotation with the drive shaft;
• a movable sheave mounted for axial movement relative to the drive shaft;
• a plurality of drive fingers projecting from one of either the fixed sheave or the movable sheave;
• a plurality of recesses in the other sheave, each drive finger being movably received by a corresponding one of the recesses;
• and
• a bearing member which is interposed between the drive fingers and the other of either the fixed sheave or the movable sheave.

A variable speed drive comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft;
• a fixed sheave fixed relative to the drive shaft and mounted for rotation with the drive shaft, the fixed sheave having a plurality of spaced apart axially extending drive fingers;
• a movable sheave mounted for axial movement relative to the drive shaft, the movable sheave having a plurality of spaced apart axially extending recesses formed therein;
• and
• a bearing member comprising an annular web which surrounds the drive fingers and a plurality of spaced apart bearing fingers extending axially from the web, each bearing finger being formed out of a low friction material, each bearing finger being adjacent to a corresponding one of the drive fingers, and each drive finger and corresponding bearing finger being movably received by a corresponding one of the recesses, and each bearing finger forming a curved bearing surface which slidably engages a surface of a corresponding one of the recesses, and each bearing finger including a flat surface which engages a corresponding flat surface of the corresponding drive finger.