Abstract: A camshaft (126) has a vane (160) secured to an end thereof for non-oscillating rotation therewith. The camshaft also carries a sprocket (132) which can rotate with the camshaft but which is also oscillatable with the camshaft. The vane has opposed lobes (160a, 160b) which are received in opposed recesses (132a, 132b), respectively, of the sprocket. The recesses have greater circumferential extent than the lobes to permit the vane and sprocket to oscillate with respect to one another, and thereby permit the camshaft to change in phase relative to a crankshaft whose phase relative to the sprocket is fixed by virtue of a chain drive extending therebetween.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission having a belt ratio measurement system. The continuously variable transmission contains a moveable sheave and a fixed sheave. The measurement system includes two tone wheels and pickups. The first tone wheel is mounted to the fixed sheave with a corresponding first pickup mounted proximate thereto. The second tone wheel is mounted to the moveable sheave with a corresponding second pickup mounted proximate thereto. The second tone wheel has angled teeth so that the signal sensed in the second pickup varies in relation to the axial position of the moveable sheave. By comparing the signal sensed by the first pickup with the signal sensed by the second pickup, the axial position of the moveable sheave, and thus the belt ratio of the transmission, may be determined.

Abstract: A camshaft (26) has a vane (60) secured to an end thereof for non-oscillag rotation therewith. The camshaft also carries a sprocket (32) which can rotate with the camshaft but which is oscillatable with respect to the camshaft. The vane has opposed lobes 60a, 60b) which are received in opposed recesses (32a, 32b), respectively, of the sprocket. The recesses have greater circumferential extent than the lobes to permit the vane and sprocket to oscillate with respect to one another, and thereby permit the camshaft to change in phase relative to a crankshaft whose phase relative to the sprocket is fixed by virtue of a chain drive extending therebetween. The camshaft experiences pulses during its normal operation, and these pulses are used to change its phase with respect to the crankshaft.

Abstract: A camshaft (26) has a vane (60) secured to an end thereof for non-oscillag rotation therewith. The camshaft also carries a sprocket (32) which can rotate with the camshaft but which is oscillatable with the camshaft. The vane has opposed lobes (60a, 60b) which are received in opposed recesses (32a, 32b), respectively, of the sprocket. The recesses have greater circumferential extent than the lobes to permit the vane and sprocket to oscillate with respect to one another, and thereby permit the camshaft to change in phase relative to a crankshaft whose phase relative to the sprocket is fixed by virtue of a chain drive extending therebetween.

Abstract: When a d-c bus voltage is produced by rectifying applied a-c power line voltage in a rectifier bridge (such as a phase-controlled SCR rectifier bridge), controlled by a feedback loop which compares a feedback signal representing the d-c bus voltage with a command signal representing a desired set point level and from the comparison automatically maintains the bus voltage at the set point level, unwanted a-c line voltage interruptions may have a deleterious effect on the rectifier bridge itself and on a load driven by the bus voltage. This occurs because during a power interruption (when the bus voltage drops) the command signal causes the feedback loop to impose a control on the rectifier bridge which attempts to increase the d-c bus voltage back to the magnitude represented by the command signal. When power is subsequently restored, the d-c bus voltage will suddenly increase very sharply and may destroy electrical and/or mechanical components in the system.

Abstract: When a-c power line voltage is rectified by a phase-controlled SCR rectifier bridge to develop an adjustable d-c bus voltage which is then converted by an inverter back to a-c for driving a load, such as a motor, line voltage disturbances, resulting from momentary power outages or major power reductions, will have a deleterious effect on the operation of the inverter system. Such disturbances will cause improper firing of the SCR's and the d-c bus voltage may increase considerably, disrupting the normal operation of the inverter system and possibly destroying the switching devices in the inverter. Immunization against the effects of the line voltage disturbances is obtained by shutting down or disabling the phase-controlled SCR rectifier bridge anytime such a disturbance occurs.

Abstract: By controlling the phase angle at which conduction occurs in the SCR's in an SCR rectifier bridge, a d-c voltage of adjustable magnitude may be produced from a-c line voltage applied to the bridge. The specific angle at which the SCR's are fired into conduction during each half cycle of the a-c line voltage is determined by comparing a ramp-shaped pulse, produced from the line voltage during each half cycle, with an error signal which varies as a function of the difference between the desired d-c magnitude and the actual amplitude of the d-c voltage. The d-c power supply is made immune to line voltage variations by regulating the ramp-shaped pulses so that they always have the same pulse width regardless of line voltage amplitude, thereby facilitating precise control over the d-c magnitude.

Abstract: The power factor in an inverter-driven induction motor is held relatively constant at a desired optimum value, despite variations in mechanical loading on the motor, by monitoring the d-c bus current to determine the ratio of real and reactive currents, thereby to detect the actual power factor. The actual and desired power factors are then effectively compared and the resulting error signal is fed back to the inverter's d-c power supply to adjust the inverter output voltage to change the reactive current to the extent necessary to maintain the desired power factor.