[Milsurplus] Does anybody remember a torque amplifier?

[J. Forster]

> I have a mental image from 50+ years ago of a thing painted OD and
> having a motor on it, and an input shaft and an output shaft.  It was
> called a torque amplifier.  The power was supplied by the motor and
> a little bit of effort to turn the input shaft resulted in the output
> shaft turning the same amount with a lot more torque.  I guess it had
> been used in something like a radar-controlled gun aimer, or maybe
> just a manually controlled gun aimer, to allow some low-power control
> input to maneuver the output that required a lot more power.  I'm
> not at all clear on how the thing worked.

That's nothing but a common position servo.

> I recently googled for "torque amplifier" but it seems that some
> tractor manufacturer applied that term to a low gear so most of
> the hits are about tractors and repairing same.

Any reduction gearbox if a "torque amplifier". However, the price for
amplifying the torque is reduced angular travel.

Output Torque x Output Angle < Input Torque x Input Angle

> The context of the question is an item on slashdot in the past week
> concering a guy who has invented a transmission that is infinitely
> variable from reverse to a high forward speed and says that all power
> transmission is through gear teeth - no belts or clutches.

I'd like to see how that's done! I'm suspicious there are omissions in
that statement. It can easily be done with active elements or an electric
drive..

> So I'm
> wondering if he has just re-invented the WW-II era torque amplifier,
> or maybe invented a new way of making one.

The WW II unit is clearly a servo.

Don't know.
>
> Or am I just imagining the whole thing?
>

More likely clever omissions in a sales pitch.

-John

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