Hydrokinetic power transmission mechanism having plural turbines and two simple planetary gear sets

Claim 1

A POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM COMPRISING A HYDROKINETIC UNIT HAVING A PAIR OF TURBINE MEMBERS SITUATED IN SEPARATE TORUS CIRCUITS, AN IMPELLER SITUATED IN EACH CIRCUIT, FLOW DIRECTING BAFFLE MEANS SHIFTABLE FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER FOR SELECTIVELY DISTRIBUTING THE FLOW AT THE EXIT REGION OF SAID IMPELLER TO EACH TURBINE, SAID BAFFLE BEING ADAPTED TO DIRECT FLOW TO THE ENTRANCE REGION OF ONE TURBINE WHEN IT ASSUMES ONE POSITION AND TO THE ENTRANCE REGION OF THE OTHER TURBINE WHEN IT ASSUMES THE OTHER POSITION, FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SERVO MEANS SITUATED WITHIN THE INNER TORUS REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT FOR ACTUATING SAID BAFFLE MEANS SO THAT IT WILL ASSUME ONE POSITION OR THE OTHER WHEREBY SAID TURBINES ARE RENDERED SELECTIVELY OPERABLE, A PAIR OF SIMPLE PLANETARY GEAR UNITS, EACH UNIT COMPRISING A SUN GEAR, A RING GEAR, A CARRIER, AND PLANET GEARS ROTATABLY JOURNALED UPON SAID CARRIER IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUN AND RING GEARS, THE SUN GEAR OF THE FIRST UNIT BEING CONNECTED TO THE RING GEAR OF THE SECOND UNIT, SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE BRAKE MEANS FOR ANCHORING THE RING GEAR OF SAID SECOND UNIT, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE CARRIER OF SAID SECOND UNIT TO A DRIVEN MEMBER, MEANS INCLUDING A SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE CLUTCH FOR CONNECTING THE FIRST TURBINE TO THE SUN GEAR OF SAID SECOND GEAR UNIT, A TURBINE SHAFT INTERCONNECTING THE SECOND TURBINE WITH THE CARRIER OF SAID FIRST GEAR UNIT, SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE CLUTCH MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE FIRST TURBINE DIRECTLY TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, AND SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE REVERSE BRAKE MEANS FOR ANCHORING THE CARRIER OF SAID FIRST GEAR UNIT.