NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
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ENGINEER'S Notebook (CM. November 16. 1985), contained a very interesting diagram of Leyland's CVT (continuously variable transmission). This brought to mind the old saying that "there is nothing new under the sun".
Almost half a century ago in 1939 1 worked as a very junior mechanic on a very similar device, the Hayes
transmission which was fitted to a customer's Austin 16hp car.
The Hayes unit comprised a systen bowls and discs similar to those show in the Leyland set-up. Transmission ratio was infinitely variable by movin lever on the steering column which pivoted two sets of three discs betwe( the outer and inner bowls. Unfortunately, suitable materials wer not available then and the Hayes unit suffered from .pitting of the surfaces the discs and bowls, resulting in exce noise.
Holidays then were nor regarded In sacrosanct by some employers and m evocative impressions of the Hayes transmission owe a lot to the fact thal was required to assist in removing an stripping this particular example on Christmas Day, 1939.
John F. Thompson, TECH ENG MIRTE Banbrqqe, CO DO N Ireland