Sequentially operable clutch assembly and fluid coupling

Claim 1

IN A TORQUE TRANSMITTING MECHANISM CAPABLE OF ESTABLISHING DUAL TORQUE DELIVERY PATHS FROM A DRIVING MEMBER TO EACH OF TWO DRIVEN MEMBERS, AN ANNULAR CLUTCH SERVO CYLINDER, FIRST AND SECOND REACTION DISC CARRIED BY SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR NORMALLY BIASING MEANS, SEPADISCS APART, ONE REACTION DISC BEING SHIFTABLE RELATIVE TO THE OTHER AGAINST THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIASING MEANS, SEPARATE CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLIES SITUATED ADJACENT EACH OF SAID REACTION DISCS, ONE CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLY BEING CONNECTED TO ONE DRIVEN MEMBER AND THE OTHER CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLY BEING CONNECTED TO THE OTHER DRIVEN MEMBER, THE PRESURE FORCE APPLIED TO SAID PISTON BEING DISTRIBUTED TO EACH DISC ASSEMBLY TO ESTABLISH SEQUENTIALLY A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND EACH DRIVEN MEMBER, THE OUTER PERIPHRY OF SAID CYLINDER HAVNG AN AXIAL EXTENSION, AXIAL SLOTS FORMED IN SAID EXTENSION, AN ANNULAR PISTON DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER, SAID REACTION DISCS HAVING RADIAL PROJECTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS, SAID CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLIES BEING DISPOSED ON EACH SIDE OF ONE REACTION DISC, SAID ONE REACTION DISC BEING SHIFTABLE AXIALLY BY SAID PISTON AS PRESSURE IS SUPPLIED TO SAID CYLINDER THEREBY CAUSING SEQUENTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FRICTION DISCS AND SAID REACTION DISCS, SAID BIASING MEANS COMPRISING COMPRESSION SPRINGS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID ONE REACTION DISC AT LOCATIONS SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CYLINDER WHEREBY THE OPERATING RADIUS OF SAID CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLIES IS A MAXIMUM, A HYDROKINETIC FLUID COUPLING MEANS FORMING IN PART A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DRIVING MEMBER AND SAID CYLINDER AND A SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONNECTING DIRECTLY SAID DRIVING MEMBER TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER TO ESTABLISH A DIRECT DRIVING RELATIONSHIP THEREBETWEEN WHEN EACH OF SAID CLUTCH DISC ASSEMBLIES IS DISENGAGED.