Overlap shift controlled transmission

Claim 2

In a transmission; drive means having a fluid motor operation a friction device for establishing a torque converter drive and a fluid motor operating another friction device for establishing a direct drive; a source of fluid under a regulated pressure; relay valve means biased to a converter drive position connecting said source to said converter motor to establish converter drive and having first fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to shift said relay valve means to a converter disestablished position connecting said converter motor to exhaust; shift valve means including a restriction operative in a first position to connect said direct drive motor through said restriction to exhaust and operative in a second position to connect said source through said restriction to said direct drive motor; pressure controlling means connected to said direct drive motor operative in response to fluid pressure therein to gradually increase the pressure from a low value to a high value; said first fluid actuator means being connected to said direct drive motor for operation at a predetermined pressure for shifting said relay valve means to said converter disengaged position after engagement of said direct drive.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 and said direct drive motor engaging said friction device for carrying the full load at a value intermediate said low and high value and said first fluid actuator means being operative in response to a pressure value above said intermediate value to shift said relay valve means against said bias from said converter drive position to said converter disestablished position for disestablishing converter drive after said direct drive is established.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 and said relay valve means having a second fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to shift said relay valve means from said converter disestablished position to said converter established position and said shift valve means being operative in said first position to connect said source to said second fluid actuatOr means to shift said relay valve means from said converter disestablished to said converter established position immediately on a shift of said shift valve means from said second position to said first position to immediately initiate establishment of said converter drive.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 and said pressure controlling means including an accumulator operative on a shift of said shift valve means from said second position to said first position to supply fluid at a pressure decreasing from the high value to the low value at a slow rate to the direct drive fluid motor being exhausted through said restriction so the direct drive remains established until the converter drive is established and then the direct drive is disestablished.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 4 and said direct drive fluid motor being a rotary motor having an exhaust restriction smaller than the restriction of said shift valve means to time the exhaust of centrifugally created pressure in said direct drive fluid motor when exhausted by said shift valve means through the restriction of the shift valve means.

Claim 7

In a transmission; drive means providing a torque converter drive and a direct drive; torque converter friction drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a fluid motor for establishing said torque converter drive; direct drive friction establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a fluid motor for establishing said direct drive; a source of fluid under pressure; relay valve means biased to a first position connecting said source to said converter motor and having a first fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to move said relay valve means to a second position connecting said converter drive motor to exhaust; a supply line having a restriction and connected downstream of said restriction to said direct drive motor; shift valve means operative in the first position to connect said supply line to exhaust and operative in an upshift position to connect said source to said supply line and through said restriction therein to said direct drive motor; pressure controlling means connected to said supply line and said direct drive motor downstream of said restriction in said supply line operative in response to the supply of pressure to said direct drive motor to gradually increase the pressure in said supply line downstream of said restriction and in said direct drive motor through a range of pressure values to a value at which the direct drive carries the load and then to a higher pressure value; said first fluid actuator means of said relay valve being connected to said supply line and said direct drive motor downstream of said restriction and being responsive to said higher pressure value to initiate disengagement of the converter drive after load carrying engagement of said direct drive is established to provide overlap on a shift from the converter drive to the direct drive.

Claim 8

In a transmission; drive means providing a torque converter drive and a direct drive; torque converter friction drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a fluid motor for establishing said torque converter drive; direct drive friction establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a fluid motor for establishing said direct drive; a source of fluid under pressure; relay valve means biased to a first position connecting said source to said converter motor and having a first fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to move said relay valve means to a second position connecting said converter drive motor to exhaust; a supply line having a restriction and connected downstream of said restriction to said direct drive motor; shift valve means operative in the first position to connect said supply line to exhaust and operative in an upshift position to connect said source to said supply line and through said restriction therein to said direct drive motor; pressure controlling means connected to said supply line and said direct drive motor downstream of said restriction in said supply line operative in response to the supply of pressure to said direct drive motor to gradually increase the pressure in said supply line downstream of said restriction and in said direct drive motor through a range of pressure values to a value at which the direct drive carries the load and then to a higher pressure value; said first fluid actuator means of said relay valve being connected to said supply line and said direct drive motor downstream of said restriction and being responsive to said higher pressure value to initiate disengagement of the converter drive after load carrying engagement of said direct drive is established to provide overlap on a shift from the converter drive to the direct drive.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 6; said relay valve having a second fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to move said relay valve means from said second position to said first position and said shift valve means operative in said first position to connect said source to said second actuator means to quickly move said relay valve means to said first position and establish converter drive before disengagement of said direct drive.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 7 and said pressure controlling means including an accumulator means for delaying the decay of pressure in said direct drive motor when said shift valve means is in said first position to hold said direct drive established until said converter drive is established for an overlap shift.

Claim 11

The invention defined in claim 8 and a governor operatively connected to aid shift valve means to move it from said first position to said second position in response to the output speed of said drive means.

Claim 12

In a Transmission; drive means providing a torque converter drive and a direct drive; torque converter drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a rotary fluid motor for establishing said torque converter drive; direct drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a rotary fluid motor having a restricted exhaust and retraction springs and being operative at an intermediate pressure value in said motor for establishing said direct drive; a source of fluid at a regulated high pressure, pressure control accumulator means connected to said fluid motor operative in response to the supply of fluid to initiate a pressure control cycle providing a quick pressure rise to a low value sufficient to overcome said retraction spring and then a slow pressure rise from said low value through said intermediate value to a higher value and then increase the pressure to said high regulated value and provide an inverse cycle on the exhaust of fluid; relay valve means having biasing means, downshift fluid actuator means and upshift fluid actuator means with an unrestricted connection to said direct drive motor and said biasing means and downshift fluid actuator means both acting to overcome said upshift fluid actuator means to bias said relay valve means to a first position connecting said source to said converter motor for establishing converter drive and said upshift fluid actuator means operative in response to a pressure slightly higher than said intermediate pressure when the downshift fluid actuator means is inoperative, against said biasing means to move said relay valve to a second position connecting said converter drive motor to exhaust to disestablish said converter drive; shift valve means having a restricted passage providing a larger flow than said restricted exhaust operative in a first position to connect said source to said downshift fluid actuator means to act with said biasing means to hold said relay valve means in said first position establishing said converter drive and connecting said direct drive motor through said restricted passage to exhaust and operative when shifted to a second position to connect said downshift fluid actuator means to exhaust and connect said source through said restricted passage to said direct drive motor and to said accumulator means to initiate a pressure control cycle of the pressure in said direct drive motor means and said upshift fluid actuator means which at said intermediate pressure value establishes load carrying direct drive and at a slightly higher pressure value actuates said upshift fluid actuator to shift said relay valve to said second position to disestablish converter drive and directly connect said source to said direct drive motor to maintain direct drive and condition the system for a shift to said first position to connect said source to said downshift fluid actuator means to act with said biasing means to shift said relay valve against the activate upshift fluid actuator means blocking the direct connection from said source to said direct drive motor and connecting said source to said converter motor for converter drive and connecting said accumulator means and direct motor through said restriction to exhaust to delay, during the time that said inverse cycle of said accumulator means gradually reduces the pressure to said intermediate value, disestablishing said direct drive until after said converter drive is established.

Claim 13

In a Transmission; drive means providing a torque converter drive and a direct drive; torque converter drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a rotary fluid motor for establishing said torque converter drive; direct drive establishing means operatively connected to said drive means and including a rotary fluid motor having a restricted exhaust and retraction springs and being operative at an intermediate pressure value in said motor for establishing said direct drive; a source of fluid at a regulated high pressure, pressure control accumulator means connected to said fluid motor operative in response to the supply of fluid to initiate a pressure control cycle providing a quick pressure rise to a low value sufficient to overcome said retraction spring and then a slow pressure rise from said low value through said intermediate value to a higher value and then increase the pressure to said high regulated value and provide an inverse cycle on the exhaust of fluid; relay valve means having biasing means, downshift fluid actuator means and upshift fluid actuator means with an unrestricted connection to said direct drive motor and said biasing means and downshift fluid actuator means both acting to overcome said upshift fluid actuator means to bias said relay valve means to a first position connecting said source to said converter motor for establishing converter drive and said upshift fluid actuator means operative in response to a pressure slightly higher than said intermediate pressure when the downshift fluid actuator means is inoperative, against said biasing means to move said relay valve to a second position connecting said converter drive motor to exhaust to disestablish said converter drive; shift valve means having a restricted passage providing a larger flow than said restricted exhaust operative in a first position to connect said source to said downshift fluid actuator means to act with said biasing means to hold said relay valve means in said first position establishing said converter drive and connecting said direct drive motor through said restricted passage to exhaust and operative when shifted to a second position to connect said downshift fluid actuator means to exhaust and connect said source through said restricted passage to said direct drive motor and to said accumulator means to initiate a pressure control cycle of the pressure in said direct drive motor means and said upshift fluid actuator means which at said intermediate pressure value establishes load carrying direct drive and at a slightly higher pressure value actuates said upshift fluid actuator to shift said relay valve to said second position to disestablish converter drive and directly connect said source to said direct drive motor to maintain direct drive and condition the system for a shift to said first position to connect said source to said downshift fluid actuator means to act with said biasing means to shift said relay valve against the activate upshift fluid actuator means blocking the direct connection from said source to said direct drive motor and connecting said source to said converter motor for converter drive and connecting said accumulator means and direct motor through said restriction to exhaust to delay, during the time that said inverse cycle of said accumulator means gradually reduces the pressure to said intermediate value, disestablishing said direct drive until after said converter drive is established.

Claim 14

In a transmission; drive means having low speed drive fluid motor means operating a friction device for establishing a low speed drive providing high torque multiplication and high speed drive fluid motor means operating another friction device for establishing a high speed drive providing low torque multiplication; a source of fluid under a regulated pressure; relay valve means biased to a low speed drive position connecting said source to said low speed drive fluid motor means to establish low speed drive and having first fluid actuator Means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to shift said relay valve means to a low speed drive disestablished position connecting said low speed drive fluid motor means to exhaust; shift valve means including a restriction operative in a first position to connect said high speed drive fluid motor means through said restriction to exhaust and operative in a second position to connect said source through said restriction to said high speed drive fluid motor means; pressure controlling means connected to said high speed drive fluid motor means operative in response to fluid pressure therein to gradually increase the pressure from a low value to a high value; said first fluid actuator means being connected to said high speed drive fluid motor means for operation at a predetermined pressure for shifting said relay valve means to said low speed drive disengaged position after engagement of said high speed drive.

Claim 15

In a transmission; drive means having low speed drive fluid motor means operating a friction device for establishing a low speed drive providing high torque multiplication and high speed drive fluid motor means operating another friction device for establishing a high speed drive providing low torque multiplication; a source of fluid under a regulated pressure; relay valve means biased to a low speed drive position connecting said source to said low speed drive fluid motor means to establish low speed drive and having first fluid actuator Means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to shift said relay valve means to a low speed drive disestablished position connecting said low speed drive fluid motor means to exhaust; shift valve means including a restriction operative in a first position to connect said high speed drive fluid motor means through said restriction to exhaust and operative in a second position to connect said source through said restriction to said high speed drive fluid motor means; pressure controlling means connected to said high speed drive fluid motor means operative in response to fluid pressure therein to gradually increase the pressure from a low value to a high value; said first fluid actuator means being connected to said high speed drive fluid motor means for operation at a predetermined pressure for shifting said relay valve means to said low speed drive disengaged position after engagement of said high speed drive.

Claim 16

The invention defined in claim 11 and said relay valve means having a second fluid actuator means operative on the supply of fluid thereto to shift said relay valve means from said low speed drive disestablished position to said low speed drive established position and said shift valve means being operative in said first position to connect said source to said second fluid actuator means to shift said relay valve means from said low speed drive disestablished position to said low speed drive established position immediately on a shift of said shift valve means from said second position to said first position to immediately initiate establishment of said low speed drive.

Claim 17

The invention defined in claim 11 and said high speed drive fluid motor being a rotary motor having an exhaust restriction smaller than the restriction of said shift valve means to time the exhaust of centrifugally created pressure in said low speed drive fluid motor when exhausted by said shift valve means through the restriction of the shift valve means.