Patent ID: 6024664
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A friction drive for transmitting rotary power, comprising three mutually eccentric members including:a ring having a circular surface;a wedged member having concentric inner and outer circular surfaces and being rotatable about a center thereof; anda wheel disposed eccentric relative to the ring and having a circular outer surface biased against one of the inner and outer surfaces of the wedged member to force the other of the inner and outer surfaces of the wedged member into contact with the circular surface of the ring, the center of the wedged member lying generally on a line passing through the centers of the ring and the wheel;one of the three members being an input member which is adapted to be rotatably or orbitally driven relative to the other two members so as to cause at least one of the other two members comprising an output member to rotate about the center thereof, and the wedged member being movable relative to the wheel and the ring such that the center of the wedged member can move off the line through the centers of the ring and the wheel to cause the wedged member to be gripped between the ring and the wheel with a greater force, the wheel, wedged member, and ring being substantially inflexible.