Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for providing an automatic speed change transmission for transmitting power from a drive wheel to a driven wheel by way of an elastic drive belt. The driven wheel may be made to turn at a desired different speed from the drive wheel supplying the driving power by proper selection of the respective radii of the wheels and of the elastic drive belt. When a load or tension is applied to a portion of the drive belt by the drive wheel, the tensioned portion of the drive belt--which is selected to be capable of maximal elongation under tension ranging from ten percent (10%) to nineteen-hundred percent (1900%) beyond its untensioned length--stretches to a substantial extent, thus causing the driven wheel to turn faster to accommodate the elongated belt portion. The untensioned belt portion remains unstretched. Thus, the speed of the respective wheels may be stepped up or stepped down to a desired ratio by appropriate selection of belt elasticity and applied load.

Abstract: A derailleur cable router is provided for changing the direction of a derailleur cable having a cable housing surrounding at least a portion of the derailleur cable. The derailleur cable router includes a base member, a pulley mounted on the base member for rotation around a pulley axis, and a housing support movably supported on the base member. The housing support pivots relative to the pulley around a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is different from the second axis.

Abstract: An endless flexible torque-transmitting device such as a chain belt in a continuously variable transmission of a motor vehicle has an improved arrangement of the chain links that provides a better distribution of the load between the individual links and thereby increases the torque- and power-transmitting capacity of the endless flexible torque-transmitting device.

Abstract: A system for controlling the front derailleur of a bicycle is described, in which electronic control mechanism are provided for displaying the identifying number of the selected front gear on an electronic display, on the basis of the position of the movable control member for controlling the front derailleur, as detected by sensor mechanism, according to a correlation law which is different depending upon whether the chain is being shifted towards greater gears or smaller gears.

Abstract: A bicycle chain tension adjustment assembly includes a clamping member and a clamped member. The clamping member is attached to a rear bracket in which a rear shaft of a rear wheel hub of a bicycle is mounted, and has left and right ends and an inner annular wall with an annular cam surface of an adjustable dimension so as to be placed at tightening and loosening positions. The clamped member extends rightwardly of the right end of the rear shaft, and has a peripheral wall with an axis that is offset from the axis of the rear shaft to mate with the annular cam surface when the annular cam surface is in the tightening position.

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a drive shaft and a sprocket drive assembly. The sprocket drive assembly includes a hub mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, a first side support secured to the hub, a second side support secured to the hub, and a plurality of engagement members each interposed between the first side support and the second side support. Each of the plurality of engagement members is rotatably secured to each of the first side support and the second side support. The drive mechanism further includes a track assembly which has a plurality of shoes which are secured to one another to form a track, and a plurality of drive lugs which are mounted to the plurality of shoes. Each of the plurality of drive lugs has a first grasping notch and a second grasping notch defined therein. The plurality of drive lugs includes a first drive lug and a second drive lug which are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A belt tension mechanism for tensioning an associated belt drive system on an associated vehicle is provided. The associated belt drive system includes a double stacked pulley, a first belt for providing power from a power mechanism to the double stacked pulley and a second belt for providing power from the double stacked pulley to an associated implement. A first tensioning mechanism is provided for tensioning the first belt and a second tensioning mechanism is provided for tensioning the second belt. A tension arm selectively simultaneously tensions the first and second belts from an inoperative condition to an operative condition or from an operative condition to an inoperative condition. A balancing mechanism is also provided for balancing tension on the first and second belts as the implement is selectively height adjusted.

Abstract: To provide a pivotal structure of an oscillating member facilitating management of parts and fixing work. The cylindrical peripheral face (11A) of a collar (11), which is fixedly secured by screwing a bolt (4) being inserted in a bolt insertion hole (11C ) into a tapped hole (13) in a fixed part (12), is rotatably fitted in a bearing hole (9) bored in a pivot guide portion (6) provided on the side of the pivotal support end of an oscillating member and, by means of collar movement restricting faces (8A, 10A) at the pivot guide portion (6), the cylindrical peripheral face (11A) is prevented from coming off the bearing hole (9). Since, the collar (11) is previously incorporated in the pivot guide portion (6) before the oscillating member is secured to the fixed part (12) and such assemblies can be arranged as a set of parts, management of parts and fixing work are made easier.

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner having an external rack member. The rack member has an extending member at its upper end that contacts wedges or grooves along the exterior of the piston to limit backdrive or backlash of the piston. The rack member has an end member at its lower end that is located in a groove in the tensioner housing. The rack member has a plurality of portions that are held together by a garter spring to form a single cylindrical piece.

Abstract: A motor mounting apparatus supports a motor relative to a base for relative rotation about a pivot axis to control tension in an endless loop driving element. A driving element emcompasses a drive member driven by the motor about a drive member axis and a driven member coupled to a load and driven by the driving member about a driven member axis to transmit power from the motor to the load. The apparatus includes a threaded shaft rotatable by a user about a shaft axis. The shaft axis is fixed relative to a first of the base and motor. A rider is carried by the threaded shaft so that rotation of the threaded shaft about the shaft axis produces longitundinal translation of the rider along the shaft axis relative to such first one of the base and motor. A rigid link has a first end pivotally coupled to the rider and a second end pivotally coupled to a second one of the base and motor.

Abstract: A protective plate for attachment to a bicycle frame for guiding a chain includes a plate body having a first side for facing laterally toward the bicycle frame, a second side for facing laterally away from the bicycle frame, a lower portion, and an upper portion. The lower portion of the first side of the plate body is structured to align with a bottom bracket of the bicycle, and a positioning abutment member is disposed on the upper portion of the first side of the support body. An upper surface of the positioning abutment member forms a positioning abutment for positioning a front derailleur to the bicycle frame. Additionally, a chain guiding abutment may be formed on the upper portion of the second side of the support body for guiding the chain as the chain shifts from a larger chainring to a smaller chainring.

Abstract: A media advance system is driven using a fixed-differential, planetary belt drive system. Planetary pulleys, mounted to a mounting structure, orbit a motor shaft as the mounting rotates about the motor shaft. A first planetary pulley is coupled by a drive belt to a fixed pulley. The fixed pulley does not rotate and is aligned to the motor shaft, so the planetary pulley is forced to rotate while orbiting. A second planetary pulley rotates and orbits with the first. An output pulley is coupled to the second planetary pulley by another drive belt. An output shaft is coupled to the output pulley. Drive ratio of the output shaft to the motor shaft is based upon the diameters of the fixed pulley, first planetary pulley, second planetary pulley, and output pulley. Noise is low by using belts rather than meshing gears. Variable differentiation is achieved in another embodiment.

Abstract: A rolling bearing for use in a dental hand-piece which can withstand sterilizing temperatures ranging from 135-200 .degree. C., and which can be rotated at a speed of 300000 rpm or higher with a minimum amount of lubricant used. This rolling bearing is used in a hand-piece having a shaft to which a dental rotary cutting tool is detachably mounted, a turbine fixed to the shaft, and a passage for introducing compressed air for driving the turbine. The rolling bearing has a retainer formed by sintering a polyimide resin powder so that it has 5-20% by volume of mutually communicating pores and impregnating the sintered member thus formed with a fluorinated oil.

Abstract: A chain and sprocket system includes a plurality of chain assemblies and phased or offset sprockets. The individual chain assemblies are interconnected by a retention bracket to form a single composite chain assembly.

Abstract: A chain tensioning system includes a pair of tensioners located one on each side of a driving sprocket, such as a crankshaft sprocket, between the driving sprocket and each of two driven sprockets, such as balance shaft sprockets. The dual tensioning system provides a tensioner to absorb torsional vibrations from the driving shaft in each of the two relative rotational directions of the driving shaft.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission and a drive train having a continuously variable transmission. The transmission is provided with a drive pulley and a driven pulley, each having at least one axially displaceable disc in order to be able to pinch an endless transmission element between the discs of a pulley, the transmission being controlled, at least during full movement of the pulleys, in such a way that the pinching force of the drive pulley is dependent on the pinching force applied to the transmission element via the secondary pulley, and the pinching force applied being determined, at least in part, as a function of a torque which is to be transmitted. The transmission is adapted in such a manner that, at least while the pulleys are at a standstill or during the initial revolutions of the driven pulley, prior to the abovementioned method of control during full movement, the transmission is controlled in a different way which effects the presence of pinching force in the primary pulley.

Abstract: A ball bearing cage fitted in a pulley main body having peripheral surface to be contacted by a belt. The pulley bearing includes a raceway surface and grease. The cage has pockets for receiving balls which are circumferentially disposed with unequal pitch such that when some of the vibrating balls impart channeling to the grease on the raceway surface, the other balls ride on the grease on the raceway surface. This suppresses or prevents the occurrence of cold peculiar sound.

Abstract: A front derailleur for a bicycle is provided to move or shift a chain between two or more sprockets for changing gears. The front derailleur can be connected to the shift cable such that the shift cable is pulled upwardly or downwardly relative to the bicycle frame. The front derailleur has a fixed member adapted to be coupled to a portion of the bicycle, a chain guide for shifting the chain of the bicycle and a linkage assembly coupled between the fixed member and the chain guide. The chain guide is located above the fixed member and a coil spring is used to bias the chain guide from an extended position to a retracted position. A detachable guide member is removably coupled to the linkage assembly for guiding the shift cable downwardly and then upwardly relative to the bicycle frame for use with an upwardly pulled shift cable. If the detachable guide member is removed, then the shift cable is only pulled downwardly relative to the bicycle frame for use with a downwardly pulled shift cable.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission, and particularly a control arrangement thereof and a method for recovering belt slippage in the transmission, are disclosed. A source of hydraulic pressure is operatively connected for driving each of the hydraulically operated actuators for axially movable sheaves of primary and secondary pulleys of the transmission. A hydraulic pressure control loop controls the hydraulic pressure applied to the actuator of the secondary pulley as a function of the load of the device being driven on the transmission and the pitch radius of the secondary pulley. An output speed control loop controls the output speed of the transmission driving the device to be driven during normal operation of the transmission. Preferably, the output speed control loop may be set to control the output speed at a constant value for driving an aircraft electric generator.

Abstract: A .Iadd.cord and fabric for a .Iaddend.power transmission belt comprised of a belt body having a tooth portion and made of a rubber stock of hydrogenated nitrile having a Mooney viscosity at 100.degree. C. of at least 90, whereby the internally generated heat of the belt body during use in a high temperature environment is suppressed. A cashew-modified phenol resin layer is formed at the outermost layer of the cords .Iadd.and fabric .Iaddend.for bonding with the belt body. The cords are embedded in the longitudinal direction of the belt body.