Torque converters

Claim 1

IN A HYDRAULIC TORQUE CONVERTER OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE INPUT AND OUTPUT SHAFTS EXTEND FROM THE SAME SIDE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE VANED ELEMENTS AND A REACTOR ELEMENT DISPOSED WITHIN AW ROTATABLE HOUSING TOGETHER DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY TOROIDAL FLUID CIRCUIT, SAID ROTATABLE VANED ELEMENTS COMPRISING IMPELLER MEANS AND TURBINE MEANS; AN INPUT SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLER MEANS; A SECOND SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID REACTOR ELEMENT, SAID SECOND SHAFT COMPRISING A RIGIDLY SUPPORTED SLEEVE SHAFT; AN OUTPUT SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID TURBINE MEANS, SAID OUTPUT SHAFT COMPRISING A SLEEVE SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT BY SPACED APART BEARING MEANS POSISTIONED BETWEEN SAID OUTPUT SHAFT AND SAID SECOND SHAFT, SAID INPUT SHAFT, BEING ARRANGED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID SECOND SHAFT, SAID SECOND SHAFT BEING ARRANGED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID OUTPUT SHAFT; MEANS DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND FLUID INLET PASSAGES RESPECTIVELY INTERCONNECTING WITH SAID FLUID CIRCUIT; AND A POWER TRANSMITTING MEMBER NORMALLY SUBJECTED TO RADIAL LOADING CARRIED BY SAID OUTPUT SHAFT; SAID INPUT SHAFT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID ROTATABLE HOUSING, SAID ROTATABLE HOUSING BEING ROTATABLY JOURNALED ON SAID OUTPUT SHAFT BY BEARING MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE HOUSING AND SAID OUTPUT SHAFT.