K'nex Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission

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Published Feb 20, 2017

This is my first successful attempt at creating an automatic transmission with K'nex. This transmission automatically switches between a continuous range of gear ratios from 1:1 to 1:6. The transmission uses two differential gear boxes connected to a low and high gear ratio. The distribution of torque through the gearboxes, determined by the resistance in the output shaft, determines how the power is distributed between the low and high ratios. The transmission is capable of taking a heavy object and gradually accelerating it to a very high speed, which would snap the tan locking connectors if a direct connection was used.

This transmission took one week to design and build and contains about 2,500 pieces and 31 K'nex gears. No non-k'nex pieces were used, aside from lubrication for the gears and axles.

If you want a better view of the interior of the transmission, here is an early prototype. http://knexdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/11/continuously-variable-automatic.html