Abstract: Differential gearing is provided between an input shaft and an output shaft. The gearing comprises a pair of similar gear sets mounted in confronting, coaxial relation, and may comprise known differential gearing such, for example, as planetary gearing or harmonic drive gearing. A control effects differential speeds between the input and output shafts. A spring loaded friction clutch acts between the input and output shafts, and parallel with the differential gear sets, to reduce the loading on the gear sets, and to provide an essentially zero backlash torque connection between the input and output shafts. The friction clutch may be used to provide loading or drag to a gear set at the end of a series of gears.

Abstract: A worm and meshing worm gear are provided. The worm has oppositely tapered frustoconical portions at either end thereof. The angle of taper of the two tapered portions is the same, but in different directions. The angle of taper is substantially equal to 360 degrees divided by the number of teeth in the worm gear. Contact between the worm and gear occurs over a plurality of teeth as contrasted with substantially only one tooth in the conventional cylindrical worm. The worm is capable of being formed by thread rolling.

Abstract: Adjusting mechanism is provided for the brakes of a highway trailer. A brake lever is actuated by a pneumatic cylinder and carries a worm gear which is mounted for turning with the lever, and also independently of the lever. The worm gear is splined for non-rotatable reception of a brake shaft. A saddle pinned to the lever carries a tapered worm which meshes with the worm gear. The worm gear is axially split, and the two halves thereof are forced axially away from one another by the worm under load into engagement with surfaces fixed relative to the lever for frictionally fixing said gear relative to said lever. The tapered worm also wedges the periphery of the gear into frictional engagement with a surrounding part of the lever. The worm is turnable to adjust the rotational position of the gear and hence of the brake shaft when not under load, and the worm is lockable in adjusted position.

Abstract: A worm and meshing worm gear are provided. The worm has a central cylindrical portion, and tapered portions at either end thereof. The angle of taper of the two tapered portions is the same, but in different directions. The angle of taper is substantially equal to 360 degrees divided by the number of teeth in the worm gear. Contact between the worm and gear occurs over three times the number of teeth in which contact is obtained with a conventional cylindrical worm. The worm is capable of being formed by thread rolling.

Abstract: A speed governing mechanism is provided utilizing plano-centric gearing and centrifugal braking. An outer cylindrical member serves as a cable drum and is rotated by playing out of the cable. A central shaft is fixedly mounted for supporting the assembly. Plano-centric gearing within the outer cylindrical member turns an inner rotary member on the fixed shaft at an increased speed, while a centrifugal brake assembly is fixed on the inner member and has brake shoes that fly outwardly under centrifugal force to bear against an inner cylindrical reaction surface on the outer cylinder, and thereby to limit the speed of rotation of the outer cylinder. Guides are provided coacting with the brake shoes to cause them to move rearwardly relative to the direction of rotation, and thereby to provide a wedging action with the reaction surface.

Abstract: A roller-type drive is provided having three rollers, one of which is a wedging roller which produces a tighter wedging action for all three rollers in response to increasing torque. A cross-pin is provided in the stud or axle about which the wedging roller turns, and this cross-pin is biased by a spring-pressed axial pin having a tapered nose received in a tapered notch in the cross-pin such that the cross-pin initially urges the wedging roller into wedging position. The cross-pin subsequently follows the wedging roller as it moves further into wedging position, but eventually is stopped by the axial pin, and thereafter limits further movement of the wedging roller into wedging position, thereby limiting the torque that can be transmitted by the roller-type drive.

Abstract: A roller-type drive somewhat similar to epicyclic gearing is provided wherein one of the three rollers present is a wedging roller which produces a tighter wedging action for all three planetary rollers in response to increasing torque. A stud or axle about which the wedging roller turns limits movement of the wedging roller and applies a drag thereto when a predetermined maximum torque is reached so that the drive begins to slip and does not exceed the predetermined torque desired.

Abstract: A rotary motion transmitting device including traction rollers for transmitting motion in either direction from an input shaft to an output shaft. One shaft carries an internal traction ring and the other shaft, whose axis is parallel to, but slightly spaced from, the traction ring shaft, extends into the traction ring and carries an inner roller to form a varying annular space. Three intermediate traction rollers are angularly disposed within this annular space and are urged into firm Hertzian contact with both the traction ring and the inner roller by means of the torque transmitted through the device. The five traction rollers have a sum of degrees of freedom of movement in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the rollers equal to 8, 9 or 10.