FRICTION RING DRIVE WITH INTERMEDIATE DISKS

• US 3,800,607 A
• Filed: 02/04/1972
• Issued: 04/02/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andre Zurcher
• Original Assignee: Andre Zurcher
• Inventors: Zurcher, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Wyche, Benjamin W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burke, Allan Russell
• Application Number:
  US05/223,672
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 74/190,200,199,208
• US Class Current: 476/39
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/18 externally
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/30 with internal friction surface

Abstract

A friction drive wherein two substantially coaxial wheel disks support a respective friction ring having substantially conical friction surfaces. One of the wheel disks is connected with a drive shaft and the other wheel disk with a power take-off shaft. A rim of similar transmission mechanisms is arranged substantially coaxially with respect to the friction rings. Each transmission mechanism comprises transmission means and guide means for said transmission means. Each transmission means possesses substantially spherical transmission surfaces maintained in frictional contact with an associated one of the friction surfaces of the friction rings. An adjustment mechanism serves for the common and uniform pivoting of all of the transmission mechanisms in axial planes of the wheel disks for the infinite regulation of the transmission ratio of the friction drive. The adjustment mechanism comprises a rotatable plate member provided with control slot means inclined at a substantially uniform angle to a radius and controlling the guide means of all the transmission mechanisms. The transmission means embodying two substantially spherical section-shaped friction heads having uninterrupted external surfaces defining the transmission surfaces and a respective shaft portion mounted at each friction head. The shaft portions are mounted in a bearing sleeve. A pair of disk members is fixedly mounted in the drive housing. One of these disk members supports all of the bearing sleeves and the other of the disk members guides such bearing sleeves during the adjustment in the axial planes. The rotatable plate member of the adjustment mechanism and the two fixedly mounted plate members are arranged at a spacing adjacent one another between the friction head situated at the one wheel disk and the friction head situated at the other wheel disk.

Claims

1. A friction drive comprising a drive housing, two substantially coaxial wheel disks, a respective friction ring having substantially conical friction surfaces supported by each wheel disk, a drive shaft and a power take-off shaft, one of said wheel disks being connected with said drive shaft and the other wheel disk with the power take-off shaft, a plurality of similar transmission mechanisms arranged substantially coaxially with respect to said friction rings, each of said transmission mechanisms comprising transmission means and guide means for said transmission means, said transmission means possessing substantially spherical transmission surfaces maintained in frictional contact with an associated one of said friction surfaces of said friction rings, an adjustment mechanism for the common and uniform pivoting of all of said transmission mechanisms in axial planes of the wheel disks for the infinite regulation of the transmission ratio of the friction drive, said adjustment mechanism comprising a rotatable plate member rotatably mounted in said drive housing for rotation about the axis of said wheel disks, said rotatable plate member being provided with control slot means inclined at a substantially uniform angle to a radial line extending from said axis and controlling the guide means of all said transmission mechanisms, said transmission means of each transmission mechanism embodying two substantially spherical section-shaped friction heads having uninterrupted external surfaces defining said transmission surfaces and a respective shaft portion mounted at each friction head, each said guide means embodying a bearing sleeve, said shaft portions being mounted in said bearing sleeve, a pair of disk members fixedly mounted in said drive housing, one of said disk members supporting all of the bearing sleeves and the other of said disk members guiding such bearing sleeves during adjustment in said axial planes, and wherein said rotatable plate member of the adjustment mechanism and said two fixedly mounted disk members are arranged at a spacing adjacent one another between said friction head situated at the one wheel disk and the friction head situated at the other wheel disk.

2. The friction drive as defined in claim 1, wherein the cone defining the conical friction surfaces widens in the direction of the center of the friction drive.

3. The friction drive as defined in claim 2, further including two substantially barrel-shaped bodies fixedly retained at each bearing sleeve, a spacer ring disposed between said barrel-shaped bodies, one of saiD barrel-shaped bodies serving for the pivotal mounting of the bearing sleeve at said one disk member supporting said bearing sleeves and the other barrel-shaped body engaging with the associated control slot means of the rotatable plate member.

4. The friction drive as defined in claim 1, wherein the spherical section-shaped outer surfaces of both friction heads of each transmission mechanism possess different size radius.