TRANSMISSION

• US 3,581,587 A
• Filed: 05/06/1969
• Issued: 06/01/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dickenbrock Frank
• Original Assignee: Dickenbrock Frank
• Inventors: DICKENBROCK FRANK
• Application Number:
  US04/822,121
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• US Class Current: 476/40
• 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

Abstract

A toroidal friction roller-type transmission including a housing, input and output shafts rotatably mounted therein, input and output toroidal-shaped races secured to the input and output shafts, respectively, a plurality of rollers frictionally mounted between the races, a ring-type support member maintained in a nonrotating position in the housing, a ratio collar rotatably mounted in a track formed in the inside surface of the ring member, a plurality of cam grooves formed on an angle in the ratio control collar, means for rotating the control collar in the track, a central hub portion rotatably mounted on one of the shafts and secured to the ring member by spokes extending therebetween and alternately spaced with respect to the rollers, radial openings formed in the hub portion, a mast secured in each of the radial openings and extending radially outward into a center opening formed in each roller, a carrier rotatably supported on bearings in the center opening and pivotably connected to the extended end of the mast, pin means for limiting the amount of inclination of the carrier on the mast, an extension formed on the carrier and extending radially outward into the angled cam grooves such that any rotary movement of the control collar will initially incline the carrier extensions, the carriers, and the rollers about the axes through the points of contact between the rollers and the races, thereby creating large tractive forces which will cause the rollers to tilt in a plane perpendicular to inclined planes of the rollers until the inclination returns to zero.

Claims

1. In a toric transmission including a housing;

an input means;

an output means, a toroidal power transmission mechanism comprising a friction roller assembly including first and second annular race members and a roller having a circular perimeter and a central axial opening formed therein, said roller being rotatably disposed between and with opposed portions of said circular perimeter in frictional contact with said first and second race members for rotation about a spin axis perpendicular to the plane of said circular perimeter at its center inclinating about an inclination axis in said plane through said opposed portions from a normal position in which the spin axis intersects the race axis and tilting about a tilting axis at right angles to said inclination axis and in said plane, a support member, one of said members being operatively connected to said input means, another of said members being operatively connected to said output means, and the third of said members being secured to said housing, said support member having a mast having a predetermined torsional flexibility and being rigidly supported by said support member and having pivot means at the free end thereof extending radially outwardly into and terminating at the center of said central axial opening, a carrier pivotably mounted on said pivot means at the intersection of said spin axis and said plane, located in said central axial opening and rotatably supporting said roller for rotation only about said spin axis, a ratio control collar concentrically located relative to said support member, a cam groove formed in said ratio control collar, a rigid extension formed on said carrier and extending radially outwardly therefrom into said cam groove, and means for moving said ratio control collar for inclining said extension, carrier and roller about said pivot means and along a transverse plane intermediate the planes of said first and second races, resulting in automatic tilting of said roller, carrier and extension along a plane perpendicular to said intermediate plane for variation of the drive ratio between said input and output means and in automatic reduction of said inclination to zero.

2. In a toric tranSmission;

a housing;

input means and output means rotatably mounted in said housing;

a pair of annular toric race members coaxially mounted on a race axis with facing toric sides;

a roller having a circular perimeter located between said race members with opposed portions of said circular perimeter in frictional contact with said facing toric sides of said race members being rotatable about a spin axis perpendicular to the plane of said circular perimeter at the center thereof and biasing said spin axis to a position intersecting said race axis, being inclinable about an axis of inclination through said opposed portions to move said spin axis away from said race axis, being tiltable to tilt said axis of inclination relative to said race axis, and having a central axial opening extending completely through said roller;

carrier means in said opening having first universal pivot means opening to the side of said roller toward said spin axis and a rigid extension projecting radially outwardly from the opposite side thereof;

bearing means between said carrier means and said roller to rotatably mount said roller on said carrier means for rotation only about said spin axis;

a support member located on said one side of said roller having rigidly supported and torsionally flexible second universal pivot means extending radially outwardly therefrom and cooperating with said first universal pivot means for universally pivoting movement of said carrier means substantially at the intersection of said spin axis and said plane of said circular perimeter;

movable cam means cooperating with said extension to move said spin axis away from said race axis to incline said roller to produce tractive forces to tilt said roller to change the ratio drive and automatically return said spin axis to said race axis to reduce said roller inclination to zero, one member being operatively connected to said input means;

a second being operatively connected to said output means and a third being operatively connected to said housing.

3. In a toric transmission including a housing, a toroidal power transmission mechanism comprising a friction roller assembly including first and second annular race members and a roller having a central axial opening formed therein, said roller being rotatably disposed between and with opposed portions of the perimeter in frictional contact with said first and second race members, a central spider member, one of said members being operatively connected to an input means, another of said members being operatively connected to an output means, and the third of said members being secured to said housing, an outer annular ring, spoke means for securing said annular ring to said central spider member, a deflectable mast having one end thereof rigidly supported by said central spider member and a free end extending radially outwardly into and terminating at the center of said central axial opening, a carrier pivotably mounted on said free end and in said central axial opening such that said roller may rotate thereon, a ratio control collar concentrically located relative to said annular ring, a cam groove formed in said ratio control collar, an extension formed on said carrier and extending radially outwardly therefrom into said cam groove, and means for moving said ratio control collar for inclining said extension, carrier and roller about said free end and along a plane intermediate the planes of said first and second races, resulting in automatic tilting of said roller, carrier and extension along a plane perpendicular to said intermediate plane for variation of the drive ratio between said input and output means and in automatic reduction of said inclination to zero.

4. In a toric transmission including a housing, a toroidal power transmission mechanism comprising a friction roller assembly including first and second races and a roller having a central axial opening formed therein, said roller being rotatably disposed between and with opposed portions of the perimeteR thereof in frictional contact with said first and second races, a central spider member, one of said first and second races and said central spider member being operatively connected to an input means, another of said first and second races and said central spider member being operatively connected to an output means, and the third of said first and second races and said central spider member being secured to said housing, an outer annular ring, spoke means for securing said outer annular ring to said central spider member, a substantially rigid mast having one end thereof supported by said central spider member and a free ball-shaped end extending radially outwardly into and terminating at the center of said central axial opening, a carrier pivotably mounted on said ball-shaped end and in said central axial opening such that said roller may rotate thereon, a ratio control collar concentrically located relative to said annular ring, a cam groove formed in said ratio control collar, an extension formed on said carrier and extending radially outwardly therefrom into said cam groove, said substantially rigid mast having a predetermined flexibility for flexing in response to any roller out-of-tolerance conditions, and means for moving said ratio control collar for inclining said extension, carrier and roller about said ball-shaped end and along a plane intermediate the planes of said first and second races and parallel thereto when said roller is in a 1:

1 speed ratio position, resulting in automatic tilting of said roller, carrier and extension along a plane perpendicular to said intermediate plane for variation of the drive ratio between said input and output means and in automatic reduction of said inclination to zero.

5. In a toric transmission including a housing having a power input shaft and a power output shaft rotatably mounted therein, a toroidal variable-ratio power transmission mechanism comprising a friction roller assembly including a toroidal power input race secured to said power input shaft, a toroidal output race secured to said power output shaft, said input and output races being disposed coaxially with respect to one another, and a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed between said input and output races and frictionally engaging both of said races, a support member including an annular ring grounded to said housing at the outer periphery thereof and hub portion rotatably mounted on one of said shafts, a mast having one end supported by said hub portion and a first free end extending radially outwardly into and terminating at the center of each of said rollers, a carrier rotatably mounted on each of said first free ends and supporting said rollers, a ratio control collar concentrically located within said annular ring, a plurality of cam grooves formed in said ratio control collar, an extension including a second free end formed on each of said carriers and extending radially outwardly and terminating in one of said cam grooves such that a predetermined movement of said ratio control collar causes inclination of each of said carriers, rollers and extensions along a transverse plane intermediate the planes of said races, resulting in tilting of said carriers, rollers and extensions toward one of said races due to the tractive forces generated on the contacting edges of said roller and in automatically reducing the inclination to zero when the desired tilt angle is reached, said mast having resilient portions deflecting in response to changes in load resulting from any roller slippage due to tolerance variations.

6. In a toric transmission including a housing, a toroidal power transmission mechanism mounted in said said housing and comprising a friction roller assembly including a power input member, an output member and a reaction member secured to said housing, a first race connected to one member, a second race connected to a second member, and a plurality of rollers, support means having a rigidly mounted deflectable portion and universally Pivotally mounting said rollers for universal movement and rotation in frictional engagement with said races, self-compensating means for urging any of said rollers having a higher output/input speed ratio than the others of said rollers toward a lower output/input speed ratio to compensate for roller slippage resulting from discrepancies due to tolerances, said self-compensating means including said deflectable portion of said support means deflecting due to changes in load caused by said slippage, and means for actuating said support means to incline said rollers along a plane intermediate the planes of said races an amount proportional to the desired angle of tilt, thereby generating tractive forces at the contacting edges of said rollers to automatically produce the desired tilt angle while reducing the inclination to zero.

7. The transmission mechanism described in claim 6, wherein said support means and said self-compensating means include a support member including an annular ring grounded to said housing at the outer periphery thereof and a rotatably mounted hub portion, a plurality of pin members each having one end secured to said hub portion and a free end extending radially outwardly terminating at the center of each of said rollers, a carrier spherically rotatably mounted on each of said free ends, bearing means around the outer peripheries of each of said carriers for rotatably supporting each of said rollers, cam means slidably mounted on said annular ring, and an extension formed on each of said carriers and extending radially outwardly into said cam means, each of said extensions and said respective pin members responding to any reaction torque thereon caused by any of said rollers which may be assembled in an output/input speed ratio position greater than that of any other of said rollers to urge said greater speed ratio roller toward a lower speed ratio position.

8. In a toric transmission including a housing, a toroidal power transmission mechanism mounted in said housing and comprising a friction roller assembly including a power input race, an output race, and a plurality of rollers, each of said rollers having a central axial opening formed therein, carrier means rotatably mounted in each of said central axial openings, universal pivot means formed in each of said carrier means, said rollers being rotatably disposed between and frictionally engaging said input and output races, fixed hub means intermediate said input and output races, deflectable means rigidly secured at one end thereof to said fixed hub means and extending directly radially outwardly therefrom into each of said universal pivot means in each of said carrier means in said central axial openings of each of said rollers for causing said rollers to cooperate to urge the roller having the highest output/input speed ratio toward a lower output/input speed ratio to compensate for roller slippage resulting from discrepancies due to tolerances.