Abstract: Pulleys are provided with load cam mechanisms which exert axial forces corresponding to transmitted torque, and actuator means such as ball screw mechanisms which shift the movable sheaves of both pulleys in axial direction, wherein the axial forces occuring at the pulleys are carried by their shafts and do not act on the housing. A counter shaft is located between the primary and secondary shafts, the countershaft being rotated to drive the actuator means through gearing such as gearwheels, to alter the drive ratio. During power transmission, the axial forces acting on the movable sheaves of primary and secondary pulleys are converted into torque by the actuator means, where the torques are transmitted to the counter shaft in the form of counteracting torques, so that alteration of drive ratio can be made with slight effort on the counter shaft, equivalent ot the difference between the counteracting torques.

Abstract: A compact and rugged belt drive mechanism includes a hydraulically controlled actuator located generally between first and second variable pulley assemblies individually having a movable pulley disc and a fixed pulley disc in order to controllably position the movable pulley discs. A drive belt is entrained between the pulley assemblies, and a force-multiplying apparatus including a competitively profiled cam with oppositely inclined ramps and a plurality of roller members engaging the cam serves to automatically adjust tension on the drive belt. The force-multiplying apparatus and an associated plurality of compression springs for applying a preload against the drive belt are operatively associated with only one of the movable pulley discs for simplicity.

Abstract: A V belt stepless variable transmission provided with a driving pulley comprising a stationary conical disc fixed to a drive shaft and a movable conical disc axially movable with respect to the drive shaft, a driven pulley comprising a stationary conical disc fixed to a driven shaft and a movable conical disc axially movable with repsect to the driven shaft, and an endless V belt running across both the pulleys, so that an interval between each stationary conical disc and each movable conical disc is changed to thereby carry out stepless variable transmission, the driving pulley being provided with a tension adjusting means for mechanically giving to the movable conical disc thrust to meet input torque to thereby adjust tension on the V belt, and the driven pulley being provided with an hydraulic actuating cylinder for hydraulically driving the movable conical disc at the driven pulley, so that a fluid is supplied or discharged to or from the hydraulic actuating cylinder so as to actuate the movable conical d

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission has a driving pulley and a driven pulley each of which has a V-shaped groove in which sits the belt. The belt comprises a base portion of a rubber-like compound in which are imbedded a plurality of transverse metal pins each of which has exposed bent end portions whose tips are tapered to conform to the taper of the grooves and a plurality of cables imbedded in the base and extending longitudinally around the belt for stabilizing the length of the belt. The pulley walls are coupled to their corrseponding shaft by a resilient coupling which helps provide a desired clamping force on the belt and which includes a series of serrated members designed to exhibit a wedging action which provides the desired clamping force.

Abstract: A continuously variable V-belt transmission has a change-direction gearing upstream of a drive pulley, and a hydraulic control system. The hydraulic control system comprises a shift control valve for controlling the distribution of fluid pressure between the drive and driven pulleys, a pitot tube for generating an engine revolution speed indicative signal fluid pressure, a pitot tube for generating a drive pulley revolution speed indicative signal fluid pressure indicative of not only of a revolution speed of the drive pulley in the forward direction but also of a revolution speed of the drive pulley in the reverse direction, and a shift prohibiting valve for prohibiting the supply of fluid pressure to at least one of the cylinder chambers of the drive and driven pulley until a difference between the engine revolution speed indicative signal oil pressure and the drive pulley revolution speed indicative oil pressure is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A variable speed transmission (20) includes a sprocket (46) mounted on a first shaft (22) for rotation therewith. A variable effective diameter pulley (30) is mounted for rotation on a driven shaft (32). The pulley includes a pair of pulley halves (80, 82) having opposed inclined belt engaging surfaces (84, 86) and splines (90, 94) extending from the pulley halves. The splines are intermeshed so that the pulley halves may be drawn together or separated while rotating as a unit. A split shaft (130), including two half shafts (132, 134), extend within the pulley halves. Each half shaft engages one of the pulley halves such that as the half shafts are moved relative to one another, the pulley halves are moved one relative to the other. A pulley control mechanism (66) is provided for moving the halves of the split shaft simultaneously such that the center line of the pulley remains fixed as the pulley halves move together or apart.

Abstract: A variable and reversible transmission, in which two co-linear shafts are provided with adjustably-locatable generally semi-spherical drive components or heads, with control means for changing and holding selected adjustments of the heads; and the heads drivingly engage one another, in whatever settings they are positioned, by acting through a pulley belt which may be either an idler for only transmitting torque from one head directly to the other, or may be a power member transferring power to another set of such heads, achieving both variability and reversibility of drive.

Abstract: A multi-part sprocket and a multi-speed transmission comprising at least a pair of the sprockets, the sprockets each comprising an external toothed drive member surrounded by a two part externally toothed ring member, one part of which is axially movable with respect to the other with both parts having internal teeth meshing with the external teeth of the drive member. Another similar two part member surrounds the first; the similar member having external and internal teeth.A chain connects a pair of sprockets, the chain meshing the external teeth. The speed ratio between the sprocket can be changed by axially moving parts of the ring member. The ring members have beveled surfaces facing one another to guide the chain during a speed ratio change.