Speed Reduction Units

1,175,299. Friction gearing. SILENTBLOC (AUSTRALIA) PTY. Ltd. 15 May, 1967, No. 22342/67. Heading F2Q. A planetary speed reduction unit comprises friction rollers 76 carried by an output shaft 58 and engaging a reduced extension 52 of a driving shaft 36 and inclined surfaces on a fixed ring 44, mounted in a casing 12, and an insert 84 in a floating ring 82, which acts to vary the pressures between co-operating surfaces in accordance with the load. The rollers 76 are rotatably mounted on axles 76 whose ends are located in radial grooves 70 in flanges integral with the output shaft 58. Balls 90 are located between shallow grooves 86, 88 in opposed surfaces of the floating ring 82 and casing 12. As the load on the output shaft 58 increases, the floating ring 82 is caused to rotate slightly whereby the action of the balls 90 in the grooves 86, 88 causes the pressures between coacting surfaces to increase. The casing 12 contains a quantity of lubricant. In a modification, the reduction gear is combined with an electric motor.