Centrifugally controlled toroidal transmission
First Claim
1. A speed control device comprises coaxially mounted, axially displaceable, rotatable driving and driven plates,a driven housing receiving the driving plate and a driving housing receiving the driven plate, the two housings being axially immovable and coaxially mounted with the two plates, each housing being connected to its associated plate in a manner whereby the associated plate and housing must rotate together but the plates are axially slidable relative to their associated housings,an opposed annular groove in, respectively, both the driving and driven plates, the opposed grooves facing each other to define a generally toroidal track therebetween,at least one roller mounted for rotation with the track,biasing means to bias the plates axially towards the at least one roller and into engagement of the opposed grooves with the at least one roller, the action of the biasing means on at least one of the plates being responsive to the speed of rotation of its associated housing,the at least one roller being mounted pivotably about an axis which is substantially normal to the axis of rotation of that roller and remote from the radial plane of rotation of that roller whereby, upon axial displacement of at least one of the plates, the roller is pivoted to displace, radially relative to the axis of rotation of the plates, the position of engagement of the at least one roller with the respective opposed grooves, to effect a change in ratio of angular velocity at which the driving plate is driven relatively to the driven plate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A speed control device includes a pair of rotatable plates having power transmission rollers positioned in a toroidal track formed between the plates by an annular groove in the opposed face of each plate. Each plate is received within a rotatable housing to which the associated plate is keyed so the plate and associated housing must rotate with each other but leaving the plate axially movable relative to its housing. One housing is driven by an engine so its plate is a driving plate which drives the other, driven plate by means of the rollers. This drives the driven plate housing which is a driving housing used to drive an auxilliary device. The rollers are pivotably mounted on an axially immovable support. Biasing means responsive to rotation speed displaces the plates which pivots the rollers thereby changing the radial location of contact between the rollers and the plates. This changes the ratio of angular velocity at which the driven plate is driven relative to the driving plate.
250 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A speed control device comprises coaxially mounted, axially displaceable, rotatable driving and driven plates,
a driven housing receiving the driving plate and a driving housing receiving the driven plate, the two housings being axially immovable and coaxially mounted with the two plates, each housing being connected to its associated plate in a manner whereby the associated plate and housing must rotate together but the plates are axially slidable relative to their associated housings, an opposed annular groove in, respectively, both the driving and driven plates, the opposed grooves facing each other to define a generally toroidal track therebetween, at least one roller mounted for rotation with the track, biasing means to bias the plates axially towards the at least one roller and into engagement of the opposed grooves with the at least one roller, the action of the biasing means on at least one of the plates being responsive to the speed of rotation of its associated housing, the at least one roller being mounted pivotably about an axis which is substantially normal to the axis of rotation of that roller and remote from the radial plane of rotation of that roller whereby, upon axial displacement of at least one of the plates, the roller is pivoted to displace, radially relative to the axis of rotation of the plates, the position of engagement of the at least one roller with the respective opposed grooves, to effect a change in ratio of angular velocity at which the driving plate is driven relatively to the driven plate.
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18. A speed control device comprises coaxially shaft-mounted, axially displaceable, driving and driven plates, which are rotatable about the shaft on which they are mounted,
two rotatable, axially immovable housings coaxially mounted with the plates, one housing has means thereon to connect it for being driven in rotation and receives the driving plate which is keyed to the one housing in a manner whereby the driving plate must rotate with its'"'"' housing but is axially movable relative thereto, the other housing has an integral driving pulley formed thereon and receives the driven plate which is keyed to the other housing in a manner whereby the other housing must rotate with its driven plate but its plate is axially displaceable realtive thereto, an opposed annular groove of part circular cross-section is formed in, respectively, both the driving and driven plates, the opposed grooves facing each other to define therebetween a generally toroidal track, two or more rollers are each mounted on a respective one of two or more carriers, centrifugally operable biasing means and resilient biasing means are respectively disposed in separate ones of the two housings, and cooperate to bias the rollers into rolling contact with both the opposed grooves, the centrifugally operable biasing means comprise radially displaceable balls located in a space formed between axially opposed and radially extending faces of the plate and its associated housing, the opposed faces of the plate and housing converging as they recede from the axis of rotation of the plates, and wherein radially extending grooves, each accomodating a respective one of balls, is provided in the space such that as the balls are displaced radially outwardly by centrifugal force they act against the opposed faces to axially displace the plate in the direction towards the other plate, each of the carriers is pivotably mounted on an axially immovable support about an axis substantially normal to the axis of rotation of its associated roller, and remote from the radial plane of rotation of that roller whereby, upon axial displacement of the plates, the roller is pivoted to radially displace the position of engagement of the rollers with the respective opposed grooves to effect a change in ratio of angular velocity at which the driving plate is driven relatively to the driven plate.
Specification