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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
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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