Fully automatic power transmission and vehicle control means

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COMPRISING, A CLOSED HOUSING, A DRIVEN SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE END THEREOF, A VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID HOUSING, A FIRST EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAIN DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND INCLUDING AN ANNULUS AND TWO GEARS OF SAID TRAIN ROTATABLY CARRIED BY THE ANNULUS, A SECOND EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAIN DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, BOTH OF SAID GEAR TRAINS HAVING A DRIVING CONNECTION WITH EACH OTHER, DETENT MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ANNULUS FOR HOLDING SAID ANNULUS TO EFFECT NORMAL OPERATION OF THE TRANSMISSION OR FOR SELECTIVELY RELEASING THE ANNULUS TO RENDER THE TRANSMISSION INOPERATIVE, A DRIVING SHAFT DRIVEN BY AN ENGINE OPERATIVELY CONTROLLED BY A THROTTLE VALVE LINKAGE, A FIRST SERIES OF VARIABLE DIAMETER SPLIT PULLEYS ASSOCIATED WITH AND DRIVEN BY SAID ENGINE DRIVE SHAFT, A SECOND SERIES OF VARIABLE DIAMETER PULLEYS HAVING A DRIVING CONNECTION WITH SAID DRIVEN SHAFT AT SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING END THEREOF AND WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAINS, EACH PULLEY IN EACH OF SAID SERIES COMPRISING ONE PULLEY MEMBER MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A COMPANION MEMBER PULLEY, BELT MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING THE PULLEYS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SERIES, A SHIFTING ROD, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING SLIDABLY SUPPORTING SAID SHIFTING ROD FOR RECIPROCAL MOTION RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING, MEANS INTERCONNECTING ONE END OF SAID SHIFTING ROD AND SAID MOVABLE PULLEY MEMBERS IN SAID SECOND SERIES, A CONTROL LEVER ROCKABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHIFTING ROD SUPPORTING MEANS, CAM MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CONTROL LEVER WITH SAID ENGINE THROTTLE VALVE LINKAGE AND OPERABLE BY SAID CONTROL LEVER TO ACCELERATE SAID ENGINE UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL LEVER IN EITHER OF TWO DIRECTIONS, MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID CONTROL LEVER IN A NONACCELERATING POSITION AND ALSO NORMALLY URGING THE PULLEY MEMBERS IN BOTH OF SAID SERIES TO NEUTRAL POSITIONS OF EQUAL EFFECTIVE DIAMETERS, WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL LEVER IN ONE DIRECTION WILL ACCELERATE THE ENGINE TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF SAID PULLEY MEMBERS INTO POSITION TO IMPART HIGH-SPEED ROTATION TO SAID VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT UNDER NORMAL LOAD CONDITIONS, AND WHEREBY WHEN THE VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT ENCOUNTERS INCREASED TORQUE LOADS THE ADDITIONAL PULLING STRESSES ON SAID BELT MEANS WILL SHIFT SAID PULLEY MEMBERS TO A HIGHER TORQUE RATIO AT THE SAME TIME MOVING SAID CONTROL LEVER IN THE OTHER OF SAID DIRECTIONS TO MAINTAIN ENGINE ACCELERATION.