Patent ID: 8585529
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for infinitely varying the output rotational speed of an output shaft as a ratio of the input rotational speed, comprising: (a) a pair of deformable structures; (b) a pair of overrun clutches; (c) a pair of way follower shafts, (d) wherein one end of each way follower shaft is attached to a deformable structure, and the other end terminates in and drives one of said pair of overrun clutches; (e) wherein a rotational input rotates each of said deformable structures in the same direction and at the same RPM, thereby causing said way follower shafts to traverse a path that comes back on itself to form a closed loop, and wherein a complete circuit around said path comprises one rotation of said way follower shaft; (f) means for controllably deforming a shape of said deformable structures at the same time and to the same extent, thereby changing the radius of the path at different points along the path; (g) wherein one way follower shaft leads the other way follower shaft by ninety degrees; and (h) wherein said pair of overrun clutches are arranged with respect to each other and with respect to each of said way follower shafts such that a rotational output from said pair of overrun clutches is the slower of the rotational speed of each way follower shaft.