A hub planetary belt transmission (2) has a platform body (50) supporting a motor drive (8) having a motor drive shaft (6) coupled to a distributing and a collecting pulley (4, 18) attached to a first output shaft (22) coupled to a first propulsion element (40, 44). A housing (30) coupled to peripheral shafts (24) attached to tension arms (26) is concentrically rotatable about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys and is coupled to a second propulsion element (42, 45). Transmitting pulleys (12, 14) are driven by distributing belts (10) and collecting belts (20) for rotating together with the peripheral shafts and tension arms about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys so as to create a centripetal force which stretches the distributing belts and the collecting belts, thus regulating the coupling force between the belts and pulleys based on the rotation velocity.

An alternator driving apparatus for driving an alternator may include a crank pulley mounted on a crank shaft of an engine, an alternator pulley connected to the crank pulley through a driving belt, an alternator shaft connected between the alternator and the alternator pulley, and a rotation speed varying mechanism configured to vary a rotation speed of the alternator shaft.

An alternator driving apparatus for driving an alternator may include a crank pulley mounted on a crank shaft of an engine, an alternator pulley connected to the crank pulley through a driving belt, an alternator shaft connected between the alternator and the alternator pulley, and a rotation speed varying mechanism configured to vary a rotation speed of the alternator shaft.

An engine comprises a crankcase and a crankshaft. The crankshaft has a central main portion, a crankpin and a crankshaft web. A crank member is rotatably and eccentrically mounted on the crankpin. An external crank member gear meshes with an external drive shaft gear. A driven portion of the drive shaft is located at a side of the crankshaft web which is opposite to its side where the crankpin is located and is drivably coupled via a first transmission to an intermediate member which is rotatably mounted to the crankshaft. The intermediate member is drivably coupled to a control shaft portion of a control shaft via a second transmission which control shaft portion is located at axial distance of the driven portion of the drive shaft and the control shaft is rotatable at a fixed rotational position with respect to the crankcase under operating conditions at fixed compression ratio.

An engine comprises a crankcase and a crankshaft. The crankshaft has a central main portion, a crankpin and a crankshaft web. A crank member is rotatably and eccentrically mounted on the crankpin. An external crank member gear meshes with an external drive shaft gear. A driven portion of the drive shaft is located at a side of the crankshaft web which is opposite to its side where the crankpin is located and is drivably coupled via a first transmission to an intermediate member which is rotatably mounted to the crankshaft. The intermediate member is drivably coupled to a control shaft portion of a control shaft via a second transmission which control shaft portion is located at axial distance of the driven portion of the drive shaft and the control shaft is rotatable at a fixed rotational position with respect to the crankcase under operating conditions at fixed compression ratio.

A lawn mower (10) may include a blade housing (20), an engine (30), a mobility assembly (310); and a drive system (300). The engine (30) may be operably coupled to the blade housing (20) and configured to selectively rotate a drive shaft (130). The mobility assembly (310) may include a first set of wheels (40, 42) and be selectively operably coupled to the engine (30) to provide mobility of the lawn mower responsive at least in part to operation of the engine (30). The drive system (300) may include a first transmission (110, 120), a flexible driving member (100), a disengagement assembly (116), and a remote actuator. The a disengagement assembly (116) may include a latching lever (125), where the latching lever (125) is configured to switch the first transmission (110, 120) between a disengaged mode and an engaged mode, and where the latching lever (125) is configured to move between a disengaged position corresponding to the disengaged mode and an engaged position corresponding to the engaged mode. The remote actuator may be operably coupled to the flexible driving member (100), where responsive to actuation of the remote actuator, the flexible driving member (100) engages a) the latching lever (125) to move the latching lever (125) to the engaged position to thereby place the first transmission (110, 120) in the engaged mode; and b) the first transmission (110, 120) to provide drive power from the drive shaft (130) to the first set of wheels (40, 42).

A lawn mower (10) may include a blade housing (20), an engine (30), a mobility assembly (310); and a drive system (300). The engine (30) may be operably coupled to the blade housing (20) and configured to selectively rotate a drive shaft (130). The mobility assembly (310) may include a first set of wheels (40, 42) and be selectively operably coupled to the engine (30) to provide mobility of the lawn mower responsive at least in part to operation of the engine (30). The drive system (300) may include a first transmission (110, 120), a flexible driving member (100), a disengagement assembly (116), and a remote actuator. The a disengagement assembly (116) may include a latching lever (125), where the latching lever (125) is configured to switch the first transmission (110, 120) between a disengaged mode and an engaged mode, and where the latching lever (125) is configured to move between a disengaged position corresponding to the disengaged mode and an engaged position corresponding to the engaged mode. The remote actuator may be operably coupled to the flexible driving member (100), where responsive to actuation of the remote actuator, the flexible driving member (100) engages a) the latching lever (125) to move the latching lever (125) to the engaged position to thereby place the first transmission (110, 120) in the engaged mode; and b) the first transmission (110, 120) to provide drive power from the drive shaft (130) to the first set of wheels (40, 42).

A belt drive system comprising a belt having a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth, the belt further comprising a longitudinal groove extending in the endless direction of the belt through the belt teeth, a sprocket comprising a plurality of sprocket teeth on an outer circumference of the sprocket, each of the sprocket teeth extending parallel to the rotation axis, and each sprocket tooth configured to be received between adjacent belt teeth, and a first planar fin extending from at least one side of a sprocket tooth, the first planar fin configured to cooperatively engage the longitudinal groove, the first planar fin extending in a direction normal to a sprocket axis of rotation, the first planar fin having a width no greater than 20% of a sprocket groove width (W).

The present disclosure may relate to centerless wheel assembly that includes a centerless rim including a first center point laying in a first plane generally defined by the centerless rim. The centerless wheel assembly may also include a centerless ring gear coupled to the centerless rim such that rotation of the centerless ring gear causes a corresponding rotation of the centerless rim. The centerless ring gear may include a second center point laying in a second plane generally defined by the centerless ring gear, and the first plane may be generally parallel to the second plane. Additionally, the centerless ring gear may be shaped to interface with a drive gear that drives the centerless ring gear.

The present disclosure may relate to centerless wheel assembly that includes a centerless rim including a first center point laying in a first plane generally defined by the centerless rim. The centerless wheel assembly may also include a centerless ring gear coupled to the centerless rim such that rotation of the centerless ring gear causes a corresponding rotation of the centerless rim. The centerless ring gear may include a second center point laying in a second plane generally defined by the centerless ring gear, and the first plane may be generally parallel to the second plane. Additionally, the centerless ring gear may be shaped to interface with a drive gear that drives the centerless ring gear.