Transmission

Claim 1

A HYDRODYNAMIC TORQUE TRANSMITTING MEANS COMPRISING, A FLUID COUPLING CAPABLE OF BEING FILLED AND EMPTIED OF LIQUID AND HAVING ROTATABLE PUMP AND TURBINE MEMBERS TOGETHER DEFINING A LIQUID CHAMBER FOR THE CIRCULATION OF LIQUID THEREIN, SAID COUPLING HAVING LIQUID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS ADJACENT ITS INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY, MEANS TO CLOSE SAID INLET PORT, AND A FLUID METERING ASSEMBLY ADJACENT THE SAID INNER PERIPHERAL PORTION TO VENT THE AIR FROM SAID COUPLING DURING FILLING OF SAID COUPLING WITH LIQUID, SAID METERING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING BORE IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDS AND COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH THE FLUID IN SAID CHAMBER AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END WITH AN EXHAUST PASSAGE, AN AXIALLY MOVABLE PISTON ACTED UPON AND MOVED BY THE CHAMBER LIQUID AND SEALINGLY POSITIONED IN SAID BORE TO BLOCK THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH THE BORE, MEANS BIASING SAID PISTON TO ITS BLOCKING POSITION, AND A FLUID ORIFICE BETWEEN SAID BORE AND SAID CHAMBER BYPASSING SAID PISTON, THE FILLING OF SAID COUPLING FORCING AIR CONTAINED THEREIN THROUGH SAID ORIFICE EXHAUSTING THE SAME, SAID PISTON BEING MOVED BY A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE OF THE CHAMBEWR LIQUID ACTING THEREAGAINST TO A POSITION BLOCKING SAID ORIFICE IN RESPONSE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED CONDITION OF SAID COUPLING TO PREVENT FURTHER EGRESS OF AIR AND LIQUID THROUGH SAID ORIFICE.