VARIABLE-SPEED, POSITIVE-DRIVE TRANSMISSION PROVIDING OUTPUT SPEEDS FROM ZERO R.P.M. UP TO FULL OUTPUT R.P.M.

摘要

A variable-speed, positive-drive transmission is described in which the output speed is variable over a continuous range from zero output speed to the maximum output speed of the transmission. The maximum output can be made equal to, greater than, or lesser than the input speed depending upon the relative sizes of a sun and intermediate gears used in the output stage. A rotatable speed control member can be turned to different angular positions to control the speed of the intermediate and sun gears. An input connection rotates eccentric drive means causing a plurality of input crank arms mounted on the speed control member to swing back and forth about swing axes to swing yoke crank arms also mounted on this speed control member. A plurality of output crank arms have swivel means slidably engaging slideways on the yoke crank arms. Changing the angular position of the rotatable speed control member slides the effective points of engagement between said swivel means and said yoke crank arms toward or away from the swing axes of said yoke crank arms, thereby decreasing or increasing the effective length of the yoke crank arms to thereby decrease or increase the extent of rocking motion of the output crank arms which are connected through over-running clutches to the intermediate gears. When the speed control member is moved to the angular position such that the swing axes of the yoke crank arms are directly aligned with the swivel axes of the swivel means, the resultant motion of the output crank arms is reduced to zero to produce zero output speed.