Control system for a hydrokinetic power transmission mechanism

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM HAVING A HYDROKINETIC TORQUE CONVERTER AND A CONTROL VALVE SYSTEM, SAID TORQUE CONVERTER COMPRISING AN IMPELLER MEMBER, A TURBINE MEMBER AND A STATOR MEMBER SITUATED IN TORODIAL FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP IN A COMMON TORUS CIRCUIT, SAID IMPELLER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AN ENGINE, SAID TURBINE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A DRIVEN MEMBER, A FLUID PRESSURE SOURCE, CONVERTER FEED PASSAGE MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID CONVERTER, CONVERTER FLOW RETURN PASSAGE MEANS FOR RETURNING FLUID FLOW FROM SAID CONVERTER TO A LOW PRESSURE REGION, PILOT VALVE MEANS DISPOSED IN AND PARTLY DEFINING SAID CONVERTER FEED PASSAGE MEANS INCLUDING RELATIVELY MOVABLE VALVE PARTS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTD TO SENPARATE MEMBERS OF SAID TORQUE CONVERTER, SAID VALVE PARTS BEING SUBJECTED TO AXIAL THRUST FORCES ACTING UPON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS TO VARY THE DEGREE OF RESTRICTION TO FLUID FLOW IN SAID FEED PASSAGE MEANS AS THE AXIAL THRUST FORCES ACTING UPON SAID ONE OF SAID MEMBERS CHANGE, THEREBY CREATING A THRUST PRESSURE SIGNAL THAT MAY BE UTILIZED BY SAID CONTROL SYSTEM TO INITIATE CONTROL RESPONSES.