Dual range torque converter transmission

Claim 1

A HYDROKINETIC POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM ADAPTED TO DELIVER DRIVING TORQUE FROM A DRIVING MEMBER TO A DRIVEN MEMBER, A BLADED IMPELLER AND A BLADED TURBINE SITUATED IN TOROIDAL FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP IN A COM MON TORUS CIRCUIT, SAID IMPELLER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVING MEMBER, SAID TURBINE BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, SAID IMPELLER HAVING FLUID DIRECTING BLADES SITUATED AT THE FLOW EXIT REGION THEREOF, FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SERVO MEANS LOCATED WITHIN THE INNER TORUS REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING SAID BLADES AND COMPRISING A MOVABLE PISTON CONNECTED MECHANICALLY TO SAID BLADES FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING THE LATTER, A FLOW RESTRICTING ORIFICE FORMED IN SAID PISTON, FLUID PASSAGE MEANS FOR CIRCULATING FLUID THROUGH SAID CIRCUIT WITH ONE PORTION THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO DIRECT FLUID TO ONE REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT AND THE OTHER PORTION THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE RETURN FLOW OF FLUID FROM ANOTHER REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT, A SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED FLUID, SHIFT VALVE MEANS FOR CONNECTING SELECTIVELY SAID SOURCE WITH EACH OF SAID PORTIONS OF SAID PASSAGE MEANS, AN AUXILIARY PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE AND WITH SAID SHIFT VALVE MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING PRESSURE TO THE LATTER FOR ACTUATING THE SAME, PHASE VALVE MEANS LOCATED IN AND PARTLY DEFINING SAID AUXILIARY PASSAGE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY INTERRUPTING AND ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID SHIFT VALVE MEANS AND SAID SOURCE, A SOURCE OF A PRESSURE SIGNAL THAT IS PROPORTIONED TO THE SPEED OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, A SPEED SIGNAL PASSAGE MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING SAID SIGNAL TO SAID PHASE VALVE MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A FLUID PRESSURE FORCE THEREON TO ACTUATE THE SAME, LIMIT VALVE MEANS DISPOSED IN AND PARTLY DEFINING SAID SIGNAL PASSAGE MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING DISTRIBUTION OF SAID SPEED SIGNAL TO SAID PHASE VALVE MEANS AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN A PREDETERMINED VALUE, A MULTIPLE SPEED RATIO GEAR SYSTEM HAVING AN INPUT ELEMENT THEREOF CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, A POWER OUTPUT SHAFT CONNECTED TO A POWER OUTPUT ELEMENT OF SAID GEAR SYSTEM, CLUTCH AND BRAKE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE MOTION OF THE ELEMENTS OF SAID GEAR SYSTEM TO CONDITION THE SAME FOR OPERATION IN EITHER A LOW SPEED RATIO OR A HIGHER SPEED RATIO, FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SERVOS FOR ACTUATING SAID CLUTCH AND BRAKE MEANS, AND A FLUID CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID LIMIT VALVE MEANS AND ONE OF SAID SERVOS FOR MODIFYING THE RESPONSE OF SAID LIMIT VALVE MEANS TO SAID SPEED SIGNAL.