Patent ID: 8272982
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
1. A drive system for a rotary device having a shaft, comprising: a pulley adapted to be rotated by a prime mover; a hub connected to the shaft and journaled for rotation within the pulley; a movable member slideably disposed for axial movement on the hub and within the pulley, the movable member being rotationally fixed to the pulley for rotation therewith; a cooperating member on the hub engaging the movable member to transmit rotation of the pulley to the shaft, the cooperating member and the movable member being slideable relative to each other to afford relative bidirectional rotation between the members over a predetermined range of angular rotations; wherein a first one of said members comprises a cam and a second one of said members comprises a cam follower, the cam and the cam follower respectively having cooperating cam lobes and cam follower elements that produce axial movement of the movable member upon said relative angular rotation of said members, the cam lobes and follower elements being symmetrically disposed at equal angles around a circumference of the cam and the cam follower, said angles establishing said predetermined range of angular rotations, and wherein the cam lobes comprise raised peaks connected by contoured ramps on a first surface of the cam, and the follower elements comprise rounded projections on a second surface of the cam follower that slide on said contoured ramps upon relative rotation of the cam and the cam follower, and wherein the movable member has first splines located on its periphery, and the pulley has cooperating second splines on an interior of the pulley that cooperate with the first splines to couple the movable member to the pulley for axial movement relative thereto; and a resilient mechanism urging the movable member into continuous engagement with the cooperating member; wherein bidirectional rotational velocity changes of the pulley cause corresponding relative angular rotation of the movable and cooperating members to reduce the impact of said velocity changes on the shaft.