Torque-equalizing means

• US 4,159,653 A
• Filed: 10/05/1977
• Issued: 07/03/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Koivunen, Erkki A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henderson, William R.
• Application Number:
  US05/839,649
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 74/198, 74/200, 74/201, 74/199, 74/190, 74/208, 74/194
• US Class Current: 476/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2015/383 with two or more sets of toroid gearings arranged in parallel

Abstract

Torque-equalizing means for a dual section toric or toroidal roller and race type transmission, including a balance lever pivotally mounted on the transmission housing, with oppositely disposed pivot members formed on the balance lever and pivotally connected to first and second reactive or grounding members of the respective dual roller sections for permitting the grounding members to react to any excess torque of either section resulting from a build-up of manufacturing tolerances of the components of the respective sections, the balance lever being caused to pivot as required to equalize the torques in the dual sections.

Claims

1. In a transmission including a housing, input means, output means, and dual traction drive transmission sections operatively connected therebetween, each of the sections including input and output annular race means and a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed therebetween with opposed portions of the circular perimeters thereof in frictional contact with the input and output annular race means, torque-equalizing means for equalizing the torque in the dual traction drive sections, said torque-equalizing means comprising first and second sets of support means for each of the pluralities of rollers of the dual traction drive sections, first and second support members secured at one end thereof to the first and second sets of support means, respectively, a balance lever pivotally mounted on the housing, and oppositely disposed pivot members formed on the balance lever and operatively connected to the other ends of the respective first and second support members for pivoting about the axis of the balance lever in response to any higher torque being transmitted by the pluralities of rollers of one of the dual traction drive sections as compared to the other of the dual traction drive sections as a result of the build-up of manufacturing tolerances within the respective dual sections, to thus permit the two pluralities of rollers to attain a torque balance as a result of comparable ratio changes occurring in each of the dual sections.

2. In a transmission including a housing, input means, output means, and dual traction drive transmission sections operatively connected therebetween, each of the sections including first and second annular race members and a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed therebetween with opposed portions of the circular perimeters thereof in frictional contact with the first and second annular race members, torque-equalizing means for equalizing the torque in the dual traction drive sections, said torque-equalizing means comprising first and second central hub members, first and second masts secured at one end thereof to respective first and second central hub members and rotatably connected at the other end thereof to the center of each of the plurality of rollers, a sleeve extension secured to the second central hub member, first and second support members secured at one end thereof to the first central hub member and to the sleeve extension, respectively, an annular member secured to the other end of each of said first and second support members, balance means operatively connected to said annular members for reacting in response to any higher torque being transmitted by the pluralities of rollers of one of the dual traction drive sections as compared to the other of the dual traction drive sections as a result of the build-up of manufacturing tolerances within the respective dual sections, to thus permit the two pluralities of rollers to attain a torque balance as a result of comparable ratio changes occurring in each of the dual sections.

3. In a toric transmission including a housing, an input shaft, an output sleeve shaft, and dual traction drive transmission sections, each of said sections including a first annular race member secured to said input shaft, a common second annular race member secured to said output sleeve shaft, and a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed between said first annular race member and said second common annular race member with opposed portions of the circular perimeters of said rollers being in frictional contact with said first and second annular race members, torque-equalizing means for equalizing the torque in said dual traction drive sections, said torque-equalizing means comprising first and second central hub members, first and second sets of masts, each secure at one end thereof to said respective first and second central hub members and rotatably connected at the other end thereof to the center of each respective roller of said pluralities of rollers, a sleeve extension secured to said second central hub member and mounted on bearings around said input shaft, said first central hub member being mounted freely around said sleeve extension and said second central hub member being mounted on bearings around said input shaft, first and second sets of support spokes secured at the inner ends thereof to respective adjacent ends of said first central hub member and said sleeve extension, first and second ring members formed around the outer ends of each of said first and second sets of support spokes, respectively, a balance lever pivotally mounted on said housing, and oppositely disposed pivot members formed on said balance lever and operatively connected to said respective first and second ring members for pivoting about the axis of said balance lever in response to any higher torque being transmitted by said respective pluralities of rollers of one of said dual traction drive sections as compared to the other of the dual traction drive sections as a result of the build-up of manufacturing tolerances within said respective dual sections, to thus permit said two pluralities of rollers to attain a torque balance as a result of comparable ratio changes occurring in each of said dual sections.

4. In a toric transmission including a housing, an input shaft, an output sleeve shaft, and dual traction drive transmission sections, each of said sections including a first annular race member secured to said input shaft, a common second annular race member secured to said output sleeve shaft, and a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed between said first annular race member and said second common annular race member with opposed portions of the circular perimeters of said rollers being in frictional contact with said first and second annular race members, torque-equalizing means for equalizing the torque in said dual traction drive sections, said torque-equalizing means comprising first and second central hub members, first and second sets of masts, each secured at one end thereof to said respective first and second central hub members and rotatably connected at the other end thereof to the center of each respective roller of said pluralities of rollers, a sleeve extension secured to said second central hub member and mounted on bearings around said input shaft, said first central hub member being mounted freely around said sleeve extension and said second central hub member being mounted on bearings around said input shaft, first and second sets of support members secured between said housing and said first central hub member and said sleeve extension, respectively, said first and second sets of support members each having a predetermined flexibility for yielding in response to any higher torque being transmitted by said respective pluralities of rollers of one of said dual traction drive sections as compared to the other of the dual traction drive sections as a result of the build-up of manufacturing tolerances within said respective dual sections, to thus permit said two pluralities of rollers to attain a torque balance as a result of comparable ratio changes occurring in each of said dual sections.