Toroidal transmission bearing means

• US 3,163,050 A
• Filed: 06/19/1963
• Issued: 12/29/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles E. Kraus
• Original Assignee: Charles E. Kraus
• Inventors: Kraus, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US04/289,019
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• US Class Current: 476/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 21/00 Combinations of sliding-contact bearings with ball or roller bearings, for exclusively rotary movement F16C17/24, F16C19/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/38 with two members B having hollow toroid surfaces opposite to each other, the member or members A being adjustably mounted between the surfaces

Claims

1. A VARIABLE SPEED-RATIO TRANSMISSION COMPRISING:

(A) A HOUSING INCLUDING A PAIR OF END WALLS;

(B) AN INPUT SHAFT AND AN OUTPUT SHAFT CO-AXIALLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING;

(C) CO-AXIAL INPUT AND OUTPUT TOROIDAL MEMBERS HAVING FACING TORIC SURFACES RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTED ON SAID INPUT SHAFT AND SAID OUTPUT SHAFT;

(D) A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED ROLLERS DISPOSED BETWEEN AND IN DRIVING CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACES FOR TRANSMITTING TORQUE FROM THE INPUT MEMBER TO THE OUTPUT MEMBER;

(E) SUPPORT MEANS FOR EACH ROLLER INCLUDING A PIVOT SHAFT SUPPORTING EACH SAID ROLLER FOR SPEED-RATIO CHANGING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ACROSS SAID TORIC SURFACES FOR VARYING THE SPEED OF SAID OUTPUT MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE SPEED OF SAID INPUT MEMBERS;

(F) MEANS FOR LOADING THE TOROIDAL MEMBERS AXIALLY AGAINST THE ROLLERS WITH A FORCE WHICH INCREASES AND DECREASES WITH TRANSMISSION TORQUE LOAD;

(G) FLUID THRUST BEARING MEANS BETWEEN EACH TOROIDAL MEMBER AND ITS ADJACENT END WALL FOR TRANSMITTING AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID AXIAL LOADS TO THE END WALLS;

AND (H) MEANS AUTOMATICALLY RESPONSIVE TO INCREASES AND DECREASES IN THE AXIAL LOADING OF THE TOROIDAL MEMBERS AGAINST THE ROLLERS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE PRESSURE IN SAID FLUID THRUST BEARING.