Patent ID: 7563185

Claim:
An IVT machine, comprising: an input shaft ( 12 ); a drive wheel ( 14 ) which is rotatable by the input shaft ( 12 ); an output shaft ( 22 ); a ratio changing device ( 20 ), having ratio changing formations, mounted coaxially on and rotatable with the output shaft ( 22 ); an endless belt ( 34 ) which passes over the drive wheel ( 14 ) and as an open loop over the ratio changing formations ( 24 ) which support the loop on the ratio changing device ( 20 ); a control means for causing the ratio changing formations ( 24 ) to vary a ratio of rotation of the input shaft ( 12 ) and the output shaft ( 22 ) by enlarging and reducing a loop dimension about an axis of the output shaft ( 22 ); a belt guide means ( 26 ) over which the belt ( 34 ) is movable, the belt guide means comprising two belt guide wheels ( 26 ) located in fixed close proximity to each other, and a space between the two belt guide wheels defining a throat ( 30 ) of fixed dimension through which the belt ( 34 ) enters and leaves the ratio changing device ( 20 ); a frame element ( 28 ) carrying both the belt guide wheels ( 26 ); a belt tensioning arrangement ( 16 ); a frame member ( 40 ) carrying the output shaft ( 22 ), the ratio changing device ( 20 ), the input shaft ( 12 ), the belt tensioning arrangement ( 16 ), and the frame element ( 28 ); and a drive arrangement ( 32 ) being i) located on and rotatable with the ratio changing device ( 20 ) for the transmission of drive power to the output shaft ( 22 ), ii) movable on the ratio changing device ( 20 ) towards and away from the machine output shaft ( 22 ), iii) lockingly engaged with the belt ( 34 ) at a portion of the loop on the device ( 20 ), and iv) engaged with the belt ( 34 ) at a portion of the circumference of the loop, wherein the loop on the ratio changing device engages with the drive arrangement in a path of travel through the throat ( 30 ) during operational rotation of the ratio changing device ( 20 ) to maintain optimal locking engagement with the belt ( 34 ) in all ratio positions of the ( 34 ) loop on the ratio changing device ( 20 ), and wherein the frame element ( 28 ) is configured i) to carry both the belt guide wheels ( 26 ) and ii) to be movable by the control means relative to the frame member ( 40 ) towards and away from the ratio changing device ( 20 ).