Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner with an internal reservoir. The tensioner includes a housing having a sleeve, and a hollow piston slidably received about the sleeve and biased in a protruding direction by a spring. A fluid chamber is defined by the sleeve and the hollow piston. Fluid from an external source flows through a passageway into a reservoir which is located inside the tensioner housing above the fluid chamber. The reservoir is connected to the fluid chamber such that fluid flows from the reservoir through a check valve assembly into the fluid chamber such that the fluid chamber remains filled with fluid.

Abstract: A variable camshaft timing system (VCT system) for an internal combustion engine having a rotatable crankshaft (22) and a rotatable camshaft (26, 126). The camshaft (26, 126) is position variable relative to the crankshaft (22). A spool valve (192) including a spool (200) slidable within a cylindrical member (198) selectively controls the movement of hydraulic fluid for actuating the oscillation of the hydraulic operators (54, 56, 160a, 160b) within the housing recess (132a, 132b) as the housing oscillates with respect to the camshaft (26, 126). In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, the VCT system also includes a means for controlling the position of the spool (200), a means for removing air from the VCT system and seals (160h) for sealing the housing (130) outer periphery to prevent hydraulic fluid from draining out of the VCT system when the engine is shut down.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission including a driving shaft connected to an engine output member and a driven shaft. The shafts are interconnected by a stepless variable coupling. A bidirectional gear drive mechanism connects the driven shaft to a differential mechanism having two output shafts extending therefrom. The drive mechanism includes a two gear forward and a three gear reverse drive path, each of which is controlled by a fluid-actuated starting clutch mechanism. Each gear path is adapted to drive a transfer gear which continually intermeshes with a ring gear of the differential defining another gear mesh. By such construction, the output shafts and the engine output memeber may rotate in the same direction during a forward drive mode of operation.