Load shifting device for planetary group gearings

Claim 1

A LOAD SHIFTING DEVICE CAPABLE OF EFFECTING A CHANGE OF GEARING ON AN INCREASE OF SPEED WITHOUT INTERRUPTION IN THE TRACTIVE FORCE AND A CONTINUOUS CHANGE IN TORQUE AT THE DRIVE SHAFT, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PLANETARY GROUP TRANSMISSIONS CONNECTED IN ALIGNED SERIES TO OPERATE AS A REDUCTION TRANSMISSION WITH INCREASE OF TORQUE, AND EACH OF WHICH IS SHIFTED INTO STEPDOWN SPEED STAGES BY FRICTIONALLY CONNECTING A ROTATABLE REACTION PART THEREOF TO THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING, EACH OF SAID PLANETARY TRANSMISSION GROUPS INCLUDING A DRIVE SHAFT FOR SUCH GROUP, A REACTION PART MOUNTED FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, SAID REACTION PART INCLUDING A PLANETARY GROUP GEARING CONTINUOUSLY CONNECTED IN DRIVEN RELATION TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AN OVERRIDING FRICTION CLUTCH BETWEEN SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND SAID REACTION PART, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID FRICTION CLUTCH TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE SAID REACTION PART TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A FRICTION BRAKE BETWEEN SAID REACTION PART AND THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING, MEANS OPERATIVE TO DISENGAGE SAID FRICTION BRAKE DURING THE DIRECT DRIVE GEAR CONNECTION OF SAID REACTION PART WITH SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AND TO ENGAGE SAID FRICTION BRAKE TO FRICTIONALLY CONNECT SAID REACTION PART TO THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING AFTER SAID FRICTION CLUTCH HAS BEEN ACTUATED TO DISCONNECT SAID REACTION PART FROM ITS DRIVEN RELATION WITH SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND WITHOUT DISCONNECTING SAID GROUP GEARING FROM ITS DRIVEN RELATION TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AND A FREE WHEEL GRIPPING BRAKE BETWEEN SAID REACTION PART TO THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING FOR LOCKING SAID REACTION PART TO THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING WHEN SAID FRICTION BRAKE AFTER HAVING BEEN APPLIED HAS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED THE ROTATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID REACTION PART, SAID FREE WHEEL GRIPPING BRAKE COMPRISING MEANS FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING A BRAKING SURFACE ON SAID TRANSMISSION HOUSING, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID FRICTIONAL MEANS INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BRAKING SURFACE, AND MEANS FOR DISENGAGING SAID FRICTIONAL MEANS ON INCREASE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ABOVE THE PRESSURE OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS.