Abstract: A steer-drive for vehicles primarily operated in fluids (e.g., boats and planes) interposes respective left and right orbital gear drives into the vehicle drivetrain between the engine/transmission or/speed-reducer and the vehicle's respective port and starboard propulsion elements. The orbital drive units comprise only an input gear and an output gear interconnected by at least one orbiting cluster gear that is supported in a rotating housing and also meshes only with the input and output gears. The orbital units are designed so that (a) when rotation of the housing is prevented, driving torque is transferred at speed ratios selected to be as close to 1:1 as is practical, and (b) when steering torque causes rotation of the housing, the steering torque is added or subtracted from the driving torque.

Abstract: A steer-drive for vehicles primarily operated in fluids (e.g., boats and planes) interposes respective left and right orbital gear drives into the vehicle drivetrain between the engine/transmission or/speed-reducer and the vehicle's respective port and starboard propulsion elements. The orbital drive units comprise only an input gear and an output gear interconnected by at least one orbiting cluster gear that is supported in a rotating housing and also meshes only with the input and output gears. The orbital units are designed so that (a) when rotation of the housing is prevented, driving torque is transferred at speed ratios selected to be as close to 1:1 as is practical, and (b) when steering torque causes rotation of the housing, the steering torque is added or subtracted from the driving torque.

Abstract: A steer-drive interposes respective left and right orbital gear drives into the vehicle drivetrain between the engine/transmission and the respective propulsion axles associated with each side of the vehicle. The orbital drive units comprise only an input gear and an output gear interconnected by at least one orbiting cluster gear that is supported in a rotating housing and also meshes only with the input and output gears. The orbital units are designed so that (a) when rotation of the housing is prevented, driving torque is transferred at speed ratios selected to be as close to 1:1 as is practical, and (b) when steering torque causes rotation of the housing, the steering torque is added or subtracted from the driving torque. Steering torque is applied simultaneously in equal and opposite directions to the orbital units, causing the drive on one side of the vehicle to speed up and the drive on the other side of the vehicle to slow down at the same rate.

Abstract: In a conventional rubber track of the type supported and driven by wheels mounted on a vehicle, the terrain-contacting lugs are modified specially for use on high speed multi-terrain vehicles to increase energy efficiency of track operation. The thickness of each terrain-contacting lug is only tapered outboard of the central portion of the basic carcass/belt that is in direct contact with the rubber-tired supporting wheels so that, when traversing flat and hard terrain (e.g., when on pavement), these tapered portions are substantially out of contact with the terrain, thereby reducing the frictional drag of the lugs. However, as the terrain softens, the contact between these same tapered portions and the terrain increases to provide additional traction when traversing uneven, wet, or snow-covered surfaces.

Abstract: A modular track suspension system is readily adapted for attachment to any presently manufactured full-size automotive vehicle built with a load-carrying frame, being easily substituted for the vehicle's conventional wheeled undercarriage either during or following final assembly. The module uses a pair of endless rubber tracks, one track under each respective side of the vehicle; and each track is frictionally driven by tandem pairs of dual-wheels with rubber tires, each tandem pair of wheels being driven, respectively, by an intermediately positioned drive-unit axle. The dual-wheels are each movable in a vertical plane, and each dual-wheel can move separately and independently of the similar independent movement of the other dual-wheel with which it is tandemly paired. Each dual-wheel is also resiliently biased in the direction of the terrain on which the vehicle is standing or moving.

Abstract: A spool valve is provided with a stem portion that defines a fluid passageway formed by either (a) a single central support having a non-cylindrical curved surface shaped hydrodynamically, or (b) only a pair of sidewalls with, preferably, interior surfaces that are also shaped hydrodynamically. These stem passageways, which are designed to facilitate the flow of high-speed/high-pressure fluids controlled by the valve, are maintained in a predetermined orientation relative to the ports of the valve cylinders by a mechanism preferably including (a) a cam-following roller supported in a tang fixed to each spool and (b) a two-element cam that captures the roller within two of the parallel sides of a cam-track groove formed on the respective interior surfaces of each cam element.

Abstract: The disclosed gear system provides distinctive forms of gearing for directly transmitting substantially constant velocity between two shafts, while allowing the angle between the shafts to vary (e.g., by even more than 80.degree.) in any plane during operation. Several forms of gear teeth appropriate for the system are specifically detailed and applied in the design of constant-velocity joints.

Abstract: A pair of distinctive spherical gears transmits rotary motion between two shafts, while allowing the angle between the shafts to vary (e.g., by even more than 40.degree.) continuously during operation. The term "spherical" is used to distinguish these distinctive gears from conventional "cylindrical" (spur and helical) and "conical" (bevel and hypoid) gears. Several forms of spherical gear teeth are specifically detailed and applied in designs appropriate for automotive constant-velocity joints.

Abstract: A universal coupling directly transmits constant velocity between two shafts, while allowing the angle between the shafts to vary (e.g., by even more than 40.degree.) continuously during operation. The primary elements of the coupling are a pair of distinctive spherical gears. The term "spherical" is used to distinguish these distinctive gears from conventional "cylindrical" (spur and helical) and "conical" (bevel and hypoid) gears. Several forms of spherical gear teeth are specifically detailed and applied in designs appropriate for automotive constant-velocity joints.