Hydrodynamic transmission

Claim 2

A multi-speed power transmission for a vehicle comprising a housing having first and second sections, said first section being forward of said second section with respect to the front and rear of said vehicle, an input shaft in said first section, an output shaft in said second section, and a transfer shaft extending between said input and output shaft and being located in both said first and second sections, said shafts having axes of rotation which extend longitudinally with respect to said vehicle, first and second axially spaced clutch devices each having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, a clutch spider element carried by said input shaft, a drum portion connected to said spider element and mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device of said axially spaced first and second clutch devices, said spider element mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device, first and second axially spaced planetary gear sets mounted on and anchored against axial shift along said transfer shaft, said first gear set being the forwardmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, the second gear set being the rearmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, each gear set including concentrically arranged, rotatable, intermeshed sun, ring, and planet pinion gears wherein the planet gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the forwardmost of said gear sets having said second set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device on the periphery of its ring gear engageable with said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device, a first brake means arranged to anchor the carrier of the rearmost gear set against rotation, means drivingly interconnecting the sun gears of the two gear sets, means drivingly connecting the carrier of the forwardmost gear set and the ring gear of the rearmost gear set to said transfer shaft, a first one-way brake located between said first section of said housing and said carrier of the rearmost gear set, a mounting means mounting said second set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device in engageable relationship with the spider mounted first set of friction clutch portions of said second clutch device, a second brake means arranged to anchor said mounting means against rotation, said mounting means having drive transmitting portions connected to the sun gears of the planetary gear sets and being adapted to anchor said sun gears against rotation, a second clutch spider carried by said transfer shaft and located in said second section, a third clutch device having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, sAid second clutch spider mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, a third planetary gear set in said second section and including concentrically arranged rotatable, intermeshed, sun, ring and planet pinion gears wherein the pinion gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the ring gear of said third planetary set being connected to said second clutch spider for rotation therewith, a clutch-brake device, having means drivingly connected to said sun gear of said third planetary set, said clutch-brake device being adapted to anchor said sun gear of said third planetary set against rotation, said means of said clutch-brake device mounting said second set of said friction-clutch portions of said third clutch device, said second set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device being engageable with said first set of friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, and a second one-way brake located between the sun gear of said third gear set and said second section of said housing, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said first brake means, when engaged, providing a first forward drive ratio, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said second brake means, when engaged, providing a second forward drive ratio, said first and second clutch devices, and said clutchbrake device, when engaged, providing a third forward drive ratio, said first, second and third clutch devices, when engaged, providing a fourth forward direct drive ratio, said mounting means, said third clutch device and said clutch brake device each having a drum portion, said drum portion of said mounting means and said third clutch device being substantially identical, said drum portion of said third clutch device differing from said drum portion of said mounting means in that the former has a radial portion with fastener openings therein while the latter has a radial portion with no fastener openings, said drum portions of said clutch-brake device, said mounting means and said third clutch device all being formed from identical original components, said drum portion of said clutch-brake device having a peripheral portion differing from the peripheral portions of the drum portions of said mounting means and said third clutch device in that forward and rearward portions of the original component from which the drum portion of said clutch-brake is derived are removed.

Claim 3

A multi-speed power transmission for a vehicle comprising a housing having first and second sections joined together, said first section being forward of said second section with respect to the front and rear of said vehicle, an input shaft rotatable in said first section, an output shaft rotatable in said second section, and a transfer shaft extending between said input and output shaft and being located in both said first and second sections, said shafts having axes of rotation which extend longitudinally with respect to said vehicle, first and second axially spaced clutch devices each having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, a clutch spider element carried by said input shaft, a drum portion connected to said spider element and mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device of said axially spaced first and second clutch devices, said spider element mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device, first and second axially spaced planetary gear sets mounted on and anchored against axial shift along said transfer shaft, said first gear set being the forwardmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, the second gear set being the rearmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, each gear set including concentrically arranged, rotatable, intermeshed, sun, ring and planet pinion gears wherein the planet gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the forwardmost of said gear sets having said second set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device on the periphery of its ring gear engageable with said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device, a first brake means arranged to anchor the carrier of the rearmost gear set against rotation, means drivingly interconnecting the sun gears of the two gear sets, means drivingly connecting the carrier of the forwardmost gear set and the ring gear of the rearmost gear set to the transfer shaft, a first one-way brake located between said first section of said housing and said carrier of the rearmost gear set, a mounting means mounting said second set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device in engageable relationship with the spider mounted first set of friction clutch portions of the said second clutch device, a second brake means arranged to anchor said mounting means against rotation, said mounting means having drive transmitting portions connected to the sun gears of the planetary gear sets and being adapted to anchor said sun gears against rotation, a second clutch spider carried by said transfer shaft and located in said second section, a third clutch device having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, said second clutch spider mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, a third planetary gear set in said second section and including concentrically arranged rotatable, intermeshed sun, ring and planet pinion gears wherein the pinion gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the ring gear of said third planetary set being connected to said second clutch spider for rotation therewith, a clutch-brake device, having means drivingly connected to said sun gear of said third planetary set, said clutch-brake device having first and second sets of friction clutch portions and being adapted to anchor said sun gear of said third planetary set against rotation, said first set of friction clutch portions of said clutch-brake device being slideable relative to said second section of said housing, said means of said clutch-brake device mounting said second set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, said second set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device being engageable with said first set of friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, and a second one-way brake located between the sun gear of said third gear set and said second section of said housing, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said first brake means, when engaged, providing a first forward drive ratio, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said second brake means, when engaged, providing a second forward drive ratio, said first and second clutch devices, and said clutch-brake device, when engaged, providing a third forward drive ratio, said first, second and third clutch devices, when engaged, providing a fourth forward direct drive ratio, said mounting means, said third clutch device and said clutch-brake device each having a drum portion, said means of said clutch-brake device including an annular carrier, and said drum portion of said third clutch device, said second set of said friction clutch portions of said clutch-brake device being slideably mounted on said annular carrier, a plurality of fasteners extending through and connecting together said annular carrier and said drum portion of said third clutch device, said drum portions of said mounting means and said third clutch device being substantially identical, said drum portion of said third clutch device differing from said drum portion of said mounting means in that the former has a radial portion with fastener openings therein while the latter has a radial portion with no fastener openings, said drum portions of said clutch-brake device, said mounting means and said third clutch device all being formed from identical original components, said drum portion of said clutch-brake device having a peripheral portion difFering from the peripheral portions of the drum portions of said mounting means and said third clutch device in that forward and rearward portions of the original component from which said drum portion of said clutch-brake device is derived are removed therefrom, said means of said clutch-brake device drivingly connected to said sun gear of said third planetary gear set and said drive transmitting portions of said mounting means each including a bowl-shaped connector formed from identical original components.

Claim 4

A multi-speed power transmission for a vehicle comprising a housing having first and second sections joined together, said first section being forward of said second section with respect to the front and rear of said vehicle, an input shaft rotatable in said first section, an output shaft rotatable in said second section, and a transfer shaft extending between said input and output shaft and being located in both said first and second sections, said shafts having axes of rotation which extend longitudinally with respect to said vehicle, first and second axially spaced clutch devices each having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, a clutch spider element carried by said input shaft, a drum portion connected to said spider element and mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device of said axially spaced first and second clutch devices, said spider element mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device, first and second axially spaced planetary gear sets mounted on and anchored against axial shift along said transfer shaft, said first gear set being the forwardmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, the second gear set being the rearmost of said gear sets with respect to said vehicle, each gear set including concentrically arranged, rotatable, intermeshed, sun, ring and planet pinion gears wherein the planet gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the forwardmost of said gear sets having said second set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device on the periphery of its ring gear engageable with said first set of said friction clutch portions of said first clutch device, a first brake means arranged to anchor the carrier of the rearmost gear set against rotation, means drivingly interconnecting the sun gears of the two gear sets, means drivingly connecting the carrier of the forwardmost gear set and the ring gear of the rearmost gear set to the transfer shaft, a first one-way brake located between said first section of said housing and said carrier of the rearmost gear set, a mounting means mounting said second set of said friction clutch portions of said second clutch device in engageable relationship with the spider mounted first set of friction clutch portions of the said second clutch device, a second brake means arranged to anchor said mounting means against rotation, said mounting means having drive transmitting portions connected to the sun gears of the planetary gear sets and being adapted to anchor said sun gears against rotation, a second clutch spider carried by said transfer shaft and located in said second section, a third clutch device having first and second sets of friction clutch portions, said second clutch spider mounting said first set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, a third planetary gear set in said second section and including concentrically arranged rotatable, intermeshed sun, ring and planet pinion gears wherein the pinion gears are rotatably mounted on a planet pinion gear carrier, the ring gear of said third planetary set being connected to said second clutch spider for rotation therewith, a clutch-brake device, having means drivingly connected to said sun gear of said third planetary set, said clutch-brake device having first and second sets of friction clutch portions and being adapted to anchor said sun gear of said third planetary set against rotation, said first set of friction clutch portions of said clutch-brake device being slideable relative to said second section of said housing, said means of said clutch-brake device mounting said second set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, said second set of said friction clutch portions of said third clutch device being engageable with said first set of friction clutch portions of said third clutch device, and a second one-way brake located between the sun gear of said third gear set and said second section of said housing, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said first brake means, when engaged, providing a first forward drive ratio, said first clutch device, said clutch-brake device and said second brake means, when engaged, providing a second forward drive ratio, said first and second clutch devices, and said clutch-brake device, when engaged, providing a third forward drive ratio, said first, second and third clutch devices, when engaged, providing a fourth forward direct drive ratio, said mounting means, said third clutch device and said clutch-brake device each having a drum portion, said means of said clutch-brake device including an annular carrier, and said drum portion of said third clutch device, said second set of said friction clutch portions of said clutch-brake device being slideably mounted on said annular carrier, a plurality of fasteners extending through and connecting together said annular carrier and said drum portion of said third clutch device, said drum portions of said mounting means and said third clutch device being substantially identical, said drum portion of said third clutch device differing from said drum portion of said mounting means in that the former has a radial portion with fastener openings therein while the latter has a radial portion with no fastener openings, said drum portions of said clutch-brake device, said mounting means and said third clutch device all being formed from identical original components, said drum portion of said clutch-brake device having a peripheral portion difFering from the peripheral portions of the drum portions of said mounting means and said third clutch device in that forward and rearward portions of the original component from which said drum portion of said clutch-brake device is derived are removed therefrom, said means of said clutch-brake device drivingly connected to said sun gear of said third planetary gear set and said drive transmitting portions of said mounting means each including a bowl-shaped connector formed from identical original components.