[Milsurplus] Does anybody remember a torque amplifier?

[Jim Whartenby]

Jim
Try
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplidyne
this is, I believe, the torque amplifier you remember.
Regards,
Jim


----- Original Message ----
From: Jim Haynes <jhhaynes at earthlink.net>
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Fri, May 21, 2010 4:36:51 PM
Subject: [Milsurplus] Does anybody remember a torque amplifier?

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.

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.

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.  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.

Or am I just imagining the whole thing?


______________________________________________________________
Milsurplus mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/milsurplus
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html