Power transmission device

Claim 1

A POWER TRANSMISSION AND BRAKING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING A DRIVING SHAFT AND A DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A ROTATIONALLY STATIONARY STRUCTURE, A HYDRODYNAMIC TORQUE CONVERTER HAVING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED HOUSING CONNECTED TO AND ROTATED BY SAID DRIVING SHAFT, SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT HAVING A FIRST SECTION IN WHICH THE FLOW OF THE WORKING LIQUID IS SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OUTWARD, A SECOND SECTION IN WHICH THE FLOW OF SAID LIQUID IS SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY INWARD AND RADIALLY INNER AND OUTER RETURN BEND SECTIONS CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SECTIONS, SAID CONVERTER COMPRISING A PUMP MEMBER COMPRISED OF AT LEAST ONE RING OF PUMP BLADES CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND LOCATED IN SAID FIRST SECTION OF SAID CIRCUIT, A TURBINE MEMBER FREELY ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING AND COMPRISING A BLADE CARRYING PART CARRYING AT LEAST TWO RINGS OF TURBINE BLADES LOCATED IN SAID CIRCUIT AND A SHAFT PART CO-AXIAL WITH SAID HOUSING FOR DELIVERING POWER TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, A REACTION MEMBER FREELY ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING AND COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHAFT PART ROTATABLY MOUNTED CONCENTRICALLY AROUND THE SHAFT PART OF SAID TURBINE MEMBER AND A BLADE CARRYING PART CARRYING ONE OR MORE RINGS OF REACTION BLADES EACH LOCATED IN SAID SECOND SECTION OF SAID CIRCUIT AND FURTHER BEING LOCATED BETWEEN TWO RINGS OF TURBINE BLADES SO THAT THE LAST RING OF TURBINE BLADES IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE OUTLET OF A RING OF REACTION BLADES AND THE INLET OF A RING OF PUMP BLADES, MEANS INCLUDING GEARING CONNECTING THE SHAFT PARTS OF SAID TURBINE AND REACTION MEMBERS FOR POWER TRANSMISSION THEREBETWEEN IN EITHER DIRECTION, SAID MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING RELEASABLE BRAKING MEANS FOR ANCHORING AN ELEMENT OF SAID GEARING TO SAID STATIONARY STRUCTURE AND SAID GEARING BEING CONSTRUCTED TO IMPOSE ROTATION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ON SAID SHAFT PARTS WHEN SAID BRAKING MEANS IS ENGAGED, AND CLUTCH MEANS LOCATED ON THE POWER INPUT SIDE OF SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A MECHANICAL POWER TRANSMITTING CONNECTING BETWEEN SAID DRIVING AND DRIVEN SHAFTS, SAID CLUTCH MEANS AND SAID BRAKING MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE, WHEREBY TO PERMIT SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF EITHER ONE OF SAID MEANS OR SIMULTANEOUS ENGAGEMENT OF BOTH.