Hydrokinetic converter mechanism with multiple turbines

Claim 1

A HYDROKINETIC TORQUE CONVERTER MECHANISM COMPRISING A BLADED IMPELLER, A MULTIPLE ELEMENT TURBINE ASSEMBLY AND A MULTIPLE ELEMENT STATOR ASSEMBLY SITUATED IN TOROIDAL FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP IN A COMMON TORUS CIRCUIT, SAID TURBINE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THREE BLADED TURBINE ELEMENTS CONNECTED TOGETHER FOR ROTATION IN UNISON, A TURBINE SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID TURBINE ASSEMBLY, A POWER INPUT MEMBER DRIVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLER, A FIRST STATOR OF SAID STATOR ASSEMBLY BEING SITUATED BETWEEN THE FLOW EXIT SECTION OF THE FIRST TURBINE ELEMENT AND THE FLOW ENTRANCE SECTION OF SAID SECOND TURBINE ELEMENT, A SECOND STATOR OF SAID STATOR ASSEMBLY BEING SITUATED BETWEEN THE FLOW EXIT SECTION OF SAID SECOND TURBINE ELEMENT AND THE FLOW ENTRANCE SECTION OF SAID THIRD TURBINE ELEMENT, A THIRD STATOR OF SAID STATOR ASSEMBLY BEING SITUATED BETWEEN THE FLOW EXIT SECTION OF SAID THIRD TURBINE ELEMENT AND THE FLOW ENTRANCE SECTION OF SAID IMPELLER, OVERRUNNING BRAKE MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAID THIRD STATOR AGAINST THE ROTATION IN ONE DIRECTION WHILE ACCOMMODATING FREEWHEELING MOTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SECOND AND THIRD OVERRUNNING BRAKE MEANS FOR ANCHORING, RESPECTIVELY, SAID FIRST STATOR AND SAID SECOND STATOR AGAINST ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID THIRD STATOR IN ONE DIRECTION AND ACCOMMODATING FREEWHEELING MOTION THEREOF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE FLOW EXIT SECTION OF SAID IMPELLER BEING SITUATED AT A RADIAL OUTFLOW REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT, THE FLOW ENTRANCE SECTION OF SAID FIRST TURBINE ELEMENT BEING SITUATED IN A RADIAL OUTFLOW REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT AND THE FLOW EXIT SECTION OF SAID FIRST TURBINE ELEMENT BEING SITUATED IN A RADIALLY OUTWARD, AXIAL FLOW REGION OF SAID CIRCUIT.