Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtech.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!amdahl!rtech!jeff From: jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman) Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.auto Subject: Re: Restrictions on Japanese Cars Message-ID: <201@rtech.ARPA> Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 13:32:46 EST Article-I.D.: rtech.201 Posted: Fri Mar 1 13:32:46 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 04:36:58 EST References: <3305@umcp-cs.UUCP> <163@umich.UUCP> <404@crystal.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Relational Technology, Berkeley CA Lines: 20 Xref: watmath net.consumers:1908 net.auto:5923 > One interesting point in the description mentioned that the > importers (something called IAI) were working with some Euro. companies > to make this the first car sold in the U.S. with a Continuously Variable > Transmission. Does anyone know how this works? > > Chuck Slana > > Rokon (an obscure motorcycle manufacturer) used to make a bike with a continuously variable transmission. It used manifold vacuum to determine the load on the engine. If the vacuum was low, it would assume a high load on the engine and select a low transmission ratio. If the vacuum was high, it would assume that the engine was loafing and select a high ratio. It did this using a belt running in a special pulley with conical halves. Moving the halves closer together or farther apart would change the effective diameter of the pulley by changing where the belt rode. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak