Variable speed transmission

Claim 2

A transmission comprising; input means and output means for said transmission, integrating gear means having an output portion and a first and a second input portion with said output portion drivingly connected to said output means, first and second driving means for drivingly connecting said input means to said first and second input portion respectively, each of said driving means including a plurality of alternately selectable reduction ratio drive means, and selectively operable means for drivingly connecting said input means to said output means in a direct drive relationship.

Claim 3

A transmission according to claim 1 wherein said integrating gear means provides a reduction ratio drive between said driving means and said output means.

Claim 4

A transmission according to claim 1 including selectively operable means for retaining said input portion of said integrating gear means stationary whereby said second driving means drives said second input portion of said integrating gear means and the latter drives said output means with said first input portion of said integrating gear means serving as a stationary reaction means.

Claim 5

A transmission according tO claim 1 wherein said first and second driving means includes a first and second shaft means drivingly connected to said first and second input portions respectively, and first and second gear means for drivingly connecting said input means to said first and second shaft means, said first gear means including at least a pair of ratio gear means and first gear clutch means for connecting a selected one of said ratio gear means in a driving relationship between said input means and said first intermediate driving means, said second gear means including at least a second pair of ratio gear means and second gear clutch means for connecting a selected one of said second ratio gear means in a driving relationship between said input means and said second shaft means, and said selectively operable means includes a clutch means.

Claim 6

A transmission according to claim 4 wherein said integrating gear means provides a reduction ratio drive between said first and second shaft means and said output means.

Claim 7

A transmission according to claim 5 wherein said integrating gear means is a planetary gear set including a ring gear, a sun gear, planet gears and a planet gear carrier, with said firs shaft means being drivingly connected to said ring gear, said second shaft means being drivingly connected to said sun gear, and said planet gears and planet gear carrier comprising said output portion.

Claim 8

A transmission according to claim 4 wherein said input means includes an input element, an input shaft and selectively operable clutch means for connecting said element to said shaft, said first and second shaft means are countershafts extending parallel to and radially spaced from said input shaft, said first and second gear means includes a plurality of input gears disposed along the length of the input shaft and unitarily rotatable therewith and also includes a set of a plurality of free running gears meshed with and driven by each input shaft gear, each of said free running gears of each set being rotatably mounted on a differential one of said countershafts, and said gear clutch means being operative to selectively connect and disconnect each of said free running gears to the countershaft on which it is mounted, and said selectively operable means is operative to connect said output means to said input element.

Claim 9

A transmission according to claim 7 wherein said input shaft is a hollow elongated shaft, and said selectively operable means includes a through shaft and a friction clutch, said friction clutch is selectively engageable and disengageable for selectively connecting and disconnecting said through shaft to said input element, and said through shaft is disposed rotatably within said input shaft and coaxial therewith.

Claim 10

A variable speed transmission comprising; an elongated input shaft having a plurality of input gears disposed along the length thereof and unitarily rotatable therewith, a plurality of countershafts extending parallel to and spaced from said input shaft, a set of a plurality of free running gears meshed with and driven by each input shaft gear, each of said free running gears of each set being rotatably mounted on a different one of said plurality of countershafts, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of said free running gears to the countershaft on which it is mounted, and integrating gearing means connected to receive power from said plurality of countershafts and provide a collected common output.

Claim 11

A variable speed transmission comprising; an elongated input shaft having a plurality of input gears disposed along the length thereof and unitarily rotatable therewith, a plurality of countershafts extending parallel to and spaced from said input shaft, a set of a plurality of free running gears meshed with and driven by each input shaft gear, each of said free running gears of each set being rotatably mounted on a different one of said plurality of countershafts, means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of said free running gears to the countershaft on which it is mounted, and integrating gearing means connected to receive power from said plurality of countershafts and provide a collected common output.

Claim 12

A variable speed transmission according to claim 9 wherein said integrating gearing means includes an output portion and a first and a second input portion, one of said countershafts being connected to said first input portion and another of said countershafts being connected to said second input portion, and selectively operable means for retaining said first input portion stationary at such time as the selectively connecting and disconnecting means for the free running gears on the countershaft connected to said first input portion have discOnnected said free running gears from such countershaft.

Claim 13

A transmission according to claim 9 including a reverse shaft disposed parallel to said countershafts, and reverse gearing carried by said reverse shaft and drivingly connected to one of said free running gears and to said integrating gearing means.

Claim 14

A transmission according to claim 9 including input means for driving said input shaft, an output means driven by the common collected output from said integrated gearing means, and selectively operable means for drivingly connecting said input means to said output means in a direct drive relationship.

Claim 15

A transmission according to claim 12 wherein said selectively operable means includes a clutch means, and said transmission includes a control system for fully actuating said clutch means at such time as the means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said free running gears has disconnected all the free running gears on at least one of said countershafts.

Claim 16

A variable speed transmission according to claim 12 wherein said integrating gearing means includes an output portion and a first and a second input portion, said output portion being connected to said output means, a first of said countershafts being connected to said first input portion and a second of said countershafts being connected to said second input portion, and selectively operable means for retaining said first input portion stationary at such time as the selectively connecting and disconnecting means for the free running gears on said first countershaft have disconnected the free running gears from said first countershaft.

Claim 17

A variable speed transmission comprising; an input member and an output member, a pair of power paths each having an input and an output end and each including a plurality of ratio drives and selecting means for selecting any one of said ratio drives and for neutralizing all of said ratio drives, a planetary gear set having at least a first, a second and a third portion, one end of one of said power paths being connected to said first portion and one end of the other of said power paths being connected to said second portion, and said third portion being connected to one of said members, clutch means for connecting the other of said members in a driving relationship with the other end of said pair of power paths, and selectively operable means for directly drivingly connecting said input member to said output member.

Claim 18

A variable speed transmission comprising; an input member and an output member, a pair of power paths each having an input and an output end and each including a plurality of ratio drives and selecting means for selecting any one of said ratio drives and for neutralizing all of said ratio drives, a planetary gear set having at least a first, a second and a third portion, one end of one of said power paths being connected to said first portion and one end of the other of said power paths being connected to said second portion, and said third portion being connected to one of said members, clutch means for connecting the other of said members in a driving relationship with the other end of said pair of power paths, and selectively operable means for directly drivingly connecting said input member to said output member.

Claim 19

A transmission according to claim 15 wherein said clutch means is a first clutch means, said selectively operable means is a second clutch means and both said clutch means are disposed in a common housing.

Claim 20

A transmission according to claim 15 including reverse gear means, and means for connecting said reverse gear means in a driving relationship between said one end of said one power path and said first portion of said planetary gear set at such times as said selecting means of said one power path has neutralized all of said ratio drives of said one power path.

Claim 21

A transmission according to claim 15 wherein the ratio drives of said power paths are gear drives and include a plurality of sets of gears, and at least some of the gears of the ratio drives of both of said power paths are shared by both of said power paths.

Claim 22

A variable speed transmission comprising; an input member and na output member, an elongated shaft having a plurality of first gears disposed along the length thereof and unitarily rotatable therewith, a plurality of countershafts extending parallel to and spaced from said elongated shaft, a set of a plurality of free running gears meshed with and driven by each of said first gears, each of said free running gears of each set being rotatably mounted on a different one of said plurality of countershafts, connectable means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of said free running gears to the countershaft on which it is mounted, a planetary gearset having at least a first, a second and a tHird portion, one end of one of said countershafts being drivingly connected to said first portion, one end of a second of said countershafts being connected to said second portion and said third portion being connected to one of said members, selectively operable clutch means for connecting the other of said members in a driving relationship with said elongated shaft, and selectively operable means for selectively drivingly connecting said input member to said output member.

Claim 23

A variable speed transmission comprising; an input member and na output member, an elongated shaft having a plurality of first gears disposed along the length thereof and unitarily rotatable therewith, a plurality of countershafts extending parallel to and spaced from said elongated shaft, a set of a plurality of free running gears meshed with and driven by each of said first gears, each of said free running gears of each set being rotatably mounted on a different one of said plurality of countershafts, connectable means for selectively connecting and disconnecting each of said free running gears to the countershaft on which it is mounted, a planetary gearset having at least a first, a second and a tHird portion, one end of one of said countershafts being drivingly connected to said first portion, one end of a second of said countershafts being connected to said second portion and said third portion being connected to one of said members, selectively operable clutch means for connecting the other of said members in a driving relationship with said elongated shaft, and selectively operable means for selectively drivingly connecting said input member to said output member.

Claim 24

A transmission according to claim 19 including reverse gear means, said reverse gear means including at least a reverse gear drivingly engaged with one of said free running gears.

Claim 25

A variable speed transmission according to claim 20 wherein said reverse gear means also includes a reverse shaft carrying said reverse gear and gear means connecting said reverse shaft in a driving relationship with one of the portions of said planetary gear set.

Claim 26

A transmission according to claim 19 wherein said connectable means includes a plurality of gear clutch means, with one of said gear clutch means being associated with each of said free running gears and being carried by the countershaft on which such gear is mounted and being operable to selectively drivingly connect and disconnect said gear to said countershaft.

Claim 27

A transmission comprising an input member, an input shaft and input gears carried thereby, a pair of countershafts and countershaft gears carried thereby, said countershaft gears meshing with said input gears, and a plurality of selectively operable gear clutch means for connecting and disconnecting selected of said meshing gears in a driving relationship between said shafts, an output member, gear means connecting said countershaft to said output member, direct drive clutch means for directly connecting said input and output members, input friction clutch means for connecting said input member to said input shaft, and control means for operating said clutch means including means for causing at least partial simultaneous engagement of both said friction clutch means during upshifting.

Claim 28

A transmission comprising an input member, an input shaft and input gears carried thereby, a pair of countershafts and countershaft gears carried thereby, said countershaft gears meshing with said input gears, and a plurality of selectively operable gear clutch means for connecting and disconnecting selected of said meshing gears in a driving relationship between said shafts, an output member, gear means connecting said countershaft to said output member, direct drive clutch means for directly connecting said input and output members, input friction clutch means for connecting said input member to said input shaft, and control means for operating said clutch means including means for causing at least partial simultaneous engagement of both said friction clutch means during upshifting.

Claim 29

A transmission according to claim 12 wherein said control means includes means for operating said gear clutch means to disconnect the driving relationship of said meshing gears between at least one of said countershafts and said input shaft and for engaging said direct drive clutch means and disengaging said input clutch means for placing said transmission in a direct drive condition.

Claim 30

A change speed transmission comprising in combination; an input means, an output means adapted to be driven from said input means, a first and a second power path connected between said input and output means, with each power path including a plurality of change speed driving means selectively connectable between said input and output means for providing a selected one of a plurality of reduced radio driving connections therebetween, means for selectively engaging and disengaging said driving means in a driving relationship between said input and output means and including portions drivingly connected to said input means and portions drivingly connected to said output means, and a single synchronizing means operable on upshifting to any selected one of said change speed driving means for coupling said input and output means and reducing the speed of a portion of the engaging means connected to said input means to the speed of a portion of said engaging means connected to said output means so that said portions of said engaging means are synchronized and can be engaged to connect said selected driving means in a driving relationship between said input and output means.

Claim 31

A change speed transmission comprising in combination; an input means, an output means adapted to be driven from said input means, a first and a second power path connected between said input and output means, with each power path including a plurality of change speed driving means selectively connectable between said input and output means for providing a selected one of a plurality of reduced radio driving connections therebetween, means for selectively engaging and disengaging said driving means in a driving relationship between said input and output means and including portions drivingly connected to said input means and portions drivingly connected to said output means, and a single synchronizing means operable on upshifting to any selected one of said change speed driving means for coupling said input and output means and reducing the speed of a portion of the engaging means connected to said input means to the speed of a portion of said engaging means connected to said output means so that said portions of said engaging means are synchronized and can be engaged to connect said selected driving means in a driving relationship between said input and output means.

Claim 32

A transmission according to claim 25 wherein each said power path has a separate selectively engaging and disengaging means and said single synchronizing means comprises a rapid and progressively operating coupling device having a pair of portions one of which a drivingly connected to said input means and one of which is drivingly connected To said output means and includes controlable means for effecting the coupling and uncoupling of said portions in a driving relationship, said controlling means being operative to effect the coupling of said portions to thereby connect said input and output means in a direct drive relationship when said engaging means of either power path has disengaged the change speed gears of such power path for reducing the speed of said input means and the various elements drivingly connected thereto during upshifting, and for connecting said input shaft and said output shaft when direct drive is desired.