Folsom Technologies, Inc.

Other

General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc.

Clive Tucker

Lawrence R Folsom

Steven L Adams

Martin Patrick Hughes

Robert E Thompson

Robert J Kogut

George R Wilson, Jr

Shaun M O'Boyle

An axial piston pump and an axial piston motor, mounted in a housing each have a rotating element and a non-rotating element. Each non-rotating element is mounted for tilting movement about axes transverse to the axes of rotation of the rotating element, on trunnions in its own respective pair of mounting journals in the housing for controlling the transmission ratio. The pump and the motor are disposed side-by-side in the housing with the axes of rotation approximately parallel to each other. A stationary manifold, fixed to the housing, has surfaces in contact with the rotating pump element and the rotating motor element. Fluid passages open in the surfaces in fluid communication with the pump and motor cylinders through a pump/manifold interface. Internal fluid passages in the stationary manifold convey fluid pressurized in the pump directly to the motor, and convey spent fluid displaced from the motor back to the pump.

Parallel hydromechanical underdrive transmission

A hydraulic unit has a drive shaft () mounted in a manifold block () and coupled to a torque plate () on a central axis. A bent axis motive unit () has a yoke connected to the manifold block supported for rotation on the yoke. Hollow pistons () in cylinders in the cylinder block allow fluid to flow through a torque plate into and form the manifold without the necessity for passing fluid through an articulating member that pivots the cylinder block.

Hydraulic pump and motor

A gun system has a two piece cannon assembly that is separated between a removable chamber instead of a traditional breech, and a projectile forcing cone. The chamber has a plug at one end that can accommodate any type of ignition system, and the other end is open and is attached to the barrel with a connection fitting. High pressure gases created by combustion of the propellant are sealed with a high-pressure gas compression seal at the interface between the chamber and the barrel. The connection fitting provides an attachment for a rear cannon bearing slide, which rides on rails attached to the main support structure, and also reacts any torque induced into the barrel from the actuation of the chamber/barrel locking collar. A turntable upon which are mounted two chamber elevating/support mechanisms and two projectile loader/rammer mechanisms is positioned around one of the main support structure legs.

Compact artillery

A continuously variable power transmission has a fixed mounting plinth, by which the transmission is mounted to a fixed structure, and an output shaft, to which an output device can be connected. A pintle having a flat radial slab and an axial arbor supports a radial piston pump rotor an one end of the arbor and a radial piston motor rotor on the other end of the arbor. A driven pulley surrounds the transmission and constitutes its exterior shell within which working fluid is contained. The pulley is coupled to a ring gear of a planetary gear set having a planet carrier with planet gears engaged between the ring gear and a sun gear. The sun gear is coupled to and drives the pump rotor, and the carrier is coupled to the output shaft. Working fluid pressurized by the pump is conveyed to the motor rotor to generate torque in the motor which is carried back to the planet carrier.

Radial piston hydromechanical continuously variable transmission

A parallel hydromechanical continuously variable transmission has a housing ( ) that holds a make-up pump ( ), and has internal cavities for holding operating assemblies of the transmission, including an axial piston pump ( ) and an axial piston motor ( ). The pump ( ) and motor ( ) each has a rotating element ( ) and a non-rotating element ( ). Each non-rotating pump element is mounted for tilting movement on trunnions ( P) in its own respective pair of mounting journals in the housing ( ). The tilting axes of the non-rotating elements ( ) lie transverse to the axes of rotation of the rotating elements ( ). The pump ( ) and the motor ( ) are disposed side-by-side in the housing ( ) with the axes of rotation approximately parallel to each other. A stationary manifold ( ), fixed to the housing ( ), has one surface in contact with the rotating pump element ( P) and a second surface in contact with the rotating motor element ( M). Fluid passages ( ) open in the two surfaces in fluid communication with the pump and motor cylinders ( ) through a pump/manifold interface. Internal fluid passages ( ) in the stationary manifold ( ) convey fluid pressurized in the pump ( ) directly to the motor ( ), and convey spent fluid displaced from the motor back to the pump. The transmission ratio is controlled by the tilt angle of the non-rotating pump and motor elements ( ). A tilt angle control apparatus ( ) attached to the housing ( ) and to the non-rotating pump and motor elements ( ) governs that tilt angle.

A hydromechanical transmission has an operating assembly including an input hydrostatic unit ( ) and an output hydrostatic unit ( ), each having a rotating cylinder ( ) and piston element ( ) and a non-rotating yoke element ( ). The non-rotating elements are yoke elements ( ) linked together to react the separating forces internally, bypassing the housing ( ).

Hydraulic machine

A hydrostatic axial piston transmission having a continuously variable transmission ratio includes an axial piston pump driven by an input shaft, the pump having an annular pump cylinder block with a ring of cylinders in which pump pistons reciprocate to pressurize and displace fluid from the pump cylinders. The pump is also coupled to an output shaft for conveying reaction torque from the input shaft directly to the output shaft as a first output torque component. An axial piston hydraulic motor has an annular motor cylinder block with a ring of motor cylinders in which motor pistons reciprocate in a power stroke to apply output torque to the output shaft, and a displacement stroke in which spent fluid is displaced from the motor cylinders for return to the pump cylinders. The pump cylinder block is concentrically disposed within the annulus of the motor cylinder block, and the input shaft and the output shaft lie on a longitudinal axis through the annulus. The pump cylinder block lies against a flat surface which is tilted at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, so that rotation of the pump cylinder block relative to the flat surface causes the pump pistons to reciprocate and displace fluid under pressure through commutating passages to the motor. Rotation of the input shaft drives the pump to displace pressurized fluid through pressure passages while also transmitting reaction torque to the output shaft. The fluid pressurized by the pump energizes the motor to produce a second component of output torque in the output shaft.

Compact coaxial piston transmission

A continuously variable transmission includes a housing enclosing an axial piston pump and an axial piston motor arranged concentrically with respect to the pump. The pump and motor have cylinder blocks with axial cylinders, each receiving a piston. Pump and motor swash plates are engaged with the pump and motor pistons for rotating and nutating relative to the cylinder blocks to convert between fluid pressure power and rotating mechanical power. Input and output shafts are journaled in the housing for rotation about a central axis and have inner ends coupled to the pump and to the motor swash plate, respectively. Fluid passages between the pump cylinder block and the motor cylinder block convey fluid pressurized in the pump to the motor cylinders and convey spent fluid displaced from the motor cylinder block back to the pump cylinders. A mechanism changes the angle of the motor swash plate and the angle of the pump swash plate relative to the central axis under automatic or operator control to vary the transmission control for operation of the vehicle. The input shaft exerts a first component of torque through the pump to the pump swash plate and thence to the output swash plate and the output shaft, and the fluid pressurized in the pump drives the motor pistons against the output swash plate to exert a second component of torque thereon in the same direction as the first component, combining in a variable ratio to produce output torque in the output shaft.

Concentric axial piston transmission

In a continuously variable hydrostatic transmission including a hydraulic pump unit driven by an input shaft, a grounded hydraulic motor unit, and an intermediate, wedge-shaped swashplate for developing torque on an output shaft in response to pumped exchanges of hydraulic fluid between the pump and motor units through swashplate ports, a ratio controller is provided to vary transmission ratio by changing the swashplate angular orientation and to engage a lock-up clutch directly mechanically coupling the input shaft to the output shaft when a 1:1 transmission ratio is set.

Continuously variable hydrostatic transmission including 1:1 ratio

An infinitely variable hydrostatic transmission includes a radial piston pump having outwardly opening pump cylinders containing radial pump pistons, and a radial piston motor, arranged concentrically around the pump, having inwardly opening motor cylinders containing radial motor pistons. Fluid passages in the transmission intermittently connect the pump cylinders and the motor cylinders in a closed fluid flow circuit. A flexible cam ring is radially interposed between the pump and the motor in load bearing relation to the pump pistons on an inside surface of the cam ring, and in load bearing relation to the motor pistons on an outside surface of the cam ring. An input shaft is coupled in torque driving relation to the pump, and an output shaft is coupled in torque driven relation through a commutator plate to the cam ring. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the cam ring to a desired radial profile to set the transmission to a desired transmission ratio. A fluid distribution system has passages, including kidney shaped slots through the comutator plate, for fluid flow of fluid pressurized in the pump cylinders to the motor cylinders during a power stroke of the pump and motor pistons, and for fluid flow of spent fluid from the motor cylinders to the pump cylinders during a suction phase of the stroke of the pump and motor pistons. A control system adjusts the profile of the cam ring to control the transmission ratio, and a pressure compensator automatically reduces the transmission ratio when the resistance torque on the output shaft exceeds a predetermined value, as when the vehicle is ascending a steep hill.

Concentric radial piston transmission with flexible cam ring

A hydraulic machine having a continuously variable displacement includes a vane rotor having a plurality of radial vanes thereon and a connection for a torque transmitting shaft driven by a prime mover such as an engine or an electric motor. A cam ring is supported in a position surrounding the vane rotor and has an interior surface facing the vane rotor. The interior surface and the vane rotor define between them a working volume swept by the vanes. The cam ring has flexible portions therearound capable of flexing radially when inwardly directed radial forces are exerted thereon to change the shape of the swept volume within the cam ring. A control mechanism in the housing has an adjustable force generating device bearing against a force exerting member engaged with the cam ring for exerting a squeezing force on the ring to distort the cross-sectional shape of the cam ring and the swept volume within the cam ring. The adjustable force generating device includes a rod having a wedge-shaped notch therein, and the force exerting member includes a toggle having one end fitted into the notch and an opposite end engaged in a wedge shaped notch in an abutment on the cam ring. The cross-sectional shape of the cam ring swept by the vanes may be continuously adjusted by the control mechanism thereby continuously adjusting the displacement of the vane rotor per revolution thereof.

Infinitely variable vane-type hydraulic machine

A continuously variable transmission comprises a housing, an input shaft, an output shaft. The input shaft is coupled to a vane rotor of a vane-type pump having radially extending pump vanes driven by the pump rotor around a pump working volume between two axially spaced pump side plates surfaces and within an inside surface of a flexible pump cam ring spaced radially from the pump rotor. The pump vanes each have a radial end edge remote from the pump rotor and in contact with the pump cam surface. A stator hub is fixed to the housing and has radially extending stator vanes projecting radially into a stator working volume between two axially spaced stator side plate surfaces and between a cam surface of a flexible stator cam ring and the radially spaced surface of the stator hub. The stator vanes each have a radial end edge remote from the hub and in contact with the stator cam surface. Torque is transmitted from the stator cam ring and the pump cam ring to the output shaft by a torque coupling. Fluid openings are provided for passing fluid pressurized in the pump directly from the pump working volume into the stator, and for passing fluid displaced from the stator directly from the stator working volume into suction sectors of the pump. A cam ring adjustment mechanism is mounted in the housing for changing the radial spacing of portions of the pump cam ring from the pump rotor, and for changing the radial spacing of portions of the stator cam ring from the stator hub. Rotation of the pump rotor by the input shaft pressurizes fluid in the pump working volume which acts against the pump cam ring to generate torque that is transmitted to the output shaft, and the pressurized fluid in the pump working volume communicates through the fluid openings to pressurize fluid in the stator working volume which acts against the stator cam ring to generate additional torque that is transmitted to the output shaft, and the cam adjustment mechanism is operated to reciprocally change the displacement of the pump and the stator to change the transmission ratio of the transmission.

Method of changing speed and torque with a continuously variable

A continuously variable transmission, which allows recovering braking energy from a vehicle for later use in accelerating the vehicle and/or engine starting, includes a vane type pump and stator in a case, each with flexible cam rings. The pump cam ring and the stator cam ring can both be flexed to change the displacement of the pump and the stator. A first connection establishes fluid communication between a tapering volume sector of the pump swept volume and a tapering volume sector of the stator unit working volume, and a second connection establishes fluid communication between a flaring volume sector of the pump swept volume and a flaring volume sector of the stator unit working volume. A valve is connected to the first and second connections and a hydraulic accumulator. The valve can establish communication between the hydraulic accumulator and the second connection to pressurize the hydraulic accumulator with fluid pressurized in the flaring volume sector of the stator working volume and the pump swept volume by the pump cam ring overdriving the pump rotor, thereby storing energy from the vehicle in the accumulator. Or the valve can establish communication between the hydraulic accumulator and the first connection to pressurize the tapering volume sector of the stator working volume and the pump swept volume so that the pressurized fluid in the accumulator drives the cam ring and the output shaft to recover and use the stored energy in the accumulator.

Continuously variable vane-type transmission with regenerative braking

A continuously variable transmission includes a housing in which input and output shafts are journaled for rotation. Both input and output shafts have torque couplings for connection to drive shafts of a prime mover and a driven load such as the drive axle of a vehicle. The input shaft is coupled to a vane rotor of a vane-type pump having radially extending pump vanes driven by the pump rotor around a pump working volume between two axially spaced pump side plates surfaces and within an inside surface of a flexible pump cam ring spaced radially from the pump rotor. The pump vanes each have a radial end edge remote from the pump rotor and in contact with the pump cam surface. A stator hub is fixed to the housing and has radially extending stator vanes projecting radially into a stator working volume between two axially spaced stator side plate surfaces and between a cam surface of a flexible stator cam ring and the radially spaced surface of the stator hub. The stator vanes each have a radial end edge remote from the hub and in contact with the stator cam surface. Torque is transmitted from the stator cam ring and the pump cam ring to the output shaft by a torque coupling. Fluid openings are provided for passing fluid pressurized in the pump directly from the pump working volume into the stator, and for passing fluid displaced from the stator directly from the stator working volume into suction sectors of the pump. A cam ring adjustment mechanism is mounted in the housing for changing the radial spacing of portions of the pump cam ring from the pump rotor, and for changing the radial spacing of portions of the stator cam ring from the stator hub. Rotation of the pump rotor by the input shaft pressurizes fluid in the pump working volume which acts against the pump cam ring to generate torque that is transmitted to the output shaft, and the pressurized fluid in the pump working volume communicates through the fluid openings to pressurize fluid in the stator working volume which acts against the stator cam ring to generate additional torque that is transmitted to the output shaft, and the cam adjustment mechanism is operated to reciprocally change the displacement of the pump and the stator to change the transmission ratio of the transmission.

Vane-type continuously variable transmission

A method of pumping at a variable delivery flow rate and pressure includes rotating a pump rotor having a plurality of radially extending vanes inside a flexible cam ring with an input shaft and sweeping a swept volume within the flexible cam ring with the vanes while contacting an inside surface of the flexible cam ring with outside edges of the vanes. The swept volume is sealed on opposite axial sides thereof with a port plate on one side and a side seal plate on the side opposite the port plate, and opposite sides of the flexible cam ring and the vanes are engaged with the plates. Fluid is drawn into the swept volume within the cam ring through a first set of ports in the port plate by rotating the vanes into a suction region within the cam ring having an increasing radius in the direction of the vane rotation. The fluid is pressurized in a pressure region having a decreasing radius in the direction of vane rotation by rotating the vanes into a decreasing volume of the pressurizing region within the cam ring between the intake port and an abutment on the cam ring sealed to a output rotor, and the pressurized fluid is exhausted through a second set of ports in the port plate, circumferentially offset from the first set of ports. The delivery flow rate and pressure is varied by changing the cam ring cross-sectional shape from a round elliptical shape to a flatter elliptical shape by radially flexing the cam ring. The cam ring is flexed by exerting an inward radial force on the cam ring by moving at least one axial control rod positioned radially outside the cam ring in an axial direction, and converting the axial motion of the control rod into a radial force exerted on the cam ring of sufficient magnitude to flex the cam ring.

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Pittsfield, MA, United States of America

Clive Tucker