Excelermatic Inc.

The Garrett Corporation

James H Kraus

Charles E Kraus

A planetary gear transmission having the capability of accepting input power from two separate, counter-rotating shafts, and combining the input power with application to a single output shaft. The two input shafts are coaxial and each is coupled to its own input sun gear. The output shaft extends from the side of the transmission opposite to the input shafts and is coaxial therewith. Various series of planetary gears mounted on a planet carrier provide the coupling between the input and output sun gears. There is no ring gear, and the carrier is not independently driven. The planetary gear transmission is combined with a continuously variable transmission and a direct drive coupled in split power paths from a single drive shaft to provide constant speed output over a range of 2:1 variation in speed of the drive shaft.

Constant speed drive system and planetary gear drive therefor

An infinitely variable traction roller transmission has traction rollers arranged pivotally between two toric traction discs with which they are engaged at variable pivot positions for transmitting motion at a variable transmission ratio. The toric discs are provided with flanges along which the traction rollers are guided in their pivotal end positions.

Infinitely variable traction roller transmission

A traction roller transmission with traction rollers arranged between and in engagement with toric discs for the transmission of motion therebetween includes traction roller support trunnions which are pivotally supported by saddles nested in curved sections of a force balancing band structure which extends around all the traction rollers. The saddles and trunnions have support surfaces with a curvature whose centerline is a tangent to the center circle to the toroidal cavity formed between the discs to permit pivoting of the trunnions for a change of the transmission ratio. The trunnions extend axially through openings in the balancing bands and have pistons at their ends disposed in cylinders to which pressurized fluid can be supplied to cause axial precess movement of the trunnions for initiation of a change of the transmission ratio.

A rotary motion transmitting device having oppositely disposed toric discs mounted on its input and output shafts. Motion transmitting rollers are frictionally engaged between the toric discs for transmitting motion from one toric element to the other and tension sheets extend between opposite rollers to balance forces exerted on the rollers. Pivotal roller supports are interconnected by correlating means which point limited independent pivotal movement of the roller supports while resiliently forcing the supports into the same angular positions. Also means are provided for controlling the transmission ratio such that the output torque assumes a desired value.

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Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

James H Kraus