Patent ID: 8393984

Claim:
An Infinite Variable Transmission (IVT) machine comprising: an input shaft ( 12 ); a drive wheel ( 14 ) rotatable with the input shaft ( 12 ); an output shaft ( 22 ) rotatable about an output axis; a ratio changing device ( 20 ) having ratio changing formations ( 24 ), ratio changing device ( 20 ) mounted coaxially on and rotatably with, the output shaft ( 22 ); an endless belt ( 34 ) which passes over the drive wheel ( 14 ), the endless belt ( 34 ) having an open loop, and drive formations positively engaged with corresponding ones of the ratio changing formations ( 24 ) at respective locations at a distance RD from the output axis and angularly displaced from each other by a variable angle AD, relative to the output axis; 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 ), the 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 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 ( 20 ) engages with the drive arrangement ( 32 ) 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 loop on the ratio changing device ( 20 ), 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 ( 4 ) towards and away from the ratio changing device ( 20 ), wherein the control means is operable to vary the distance RD thereby to effect an incremental change, of defined magnitude, during one revolution of the output shaft ( 22 ), in the ratio of rotation of the input shaft ( 12 ) to the rotation of the output shaft ( 22 ), and wherein (AD)×N=360°, where N is a variable integer.