Patent ID: 7147583

Claim:
A method for continuously varying the ratio of rotational speed of an input shaft member relative to the rotational speed of an output shaft member of a pericyclic power transmission, wherein said pericyclic transmission comprises said input shaft member, said output shaft member, a pericyclic motion converter member rotably mounted on said input shaft or a retaining ring member at a selected design angle, a reaction control rotor member journaled to said input shaft member, a controller means, and an output rotor member fixed to said output shaft member, wherein said pericyclic motion converter member is in simultaneous driving contact with said reaction control rotor member and said output rotor member, said method comprising the steps of: inputting mechanical torque and rotational speed to said input shaft member and thereby to said pericyclic motion converter member mounted thereon to convert said mechanical torque and rotational speed to torque and pericyclic motion; and controlling the rotation of said reaction control rotor with said controller means; transferring said mechanical torque and converting said input shaft rotation to pericyclic motion of said pericyclic motion converter to rotational speed and torque of said output rotor member and said output shaft member affixed thereto, thereby varying the rotational speed of said input shaft member relative to the rotational speed of said output shaft member.