Multi-ratio transmission and controls therefor

Claim 2

A speed change transmission system having a multi-speed gear transmission, a planetary gear transmission in series with the multi-speed gear transmission, said planetary gear transmission comprising a planetary having a planet carrier provided with planet pinions of the two-diameter cluster type, ring gear means and sun gear means, one of said gear means including a pair of gears each being engaged with one of the pinions of the planet cluster, a first brake for locking one gear of said pair of gears and a second brake for locking the other gear of said pair of gears, a selectively engageable clutch for locking up the planetary, an input member connected to the other gear means, an output member, and connecting means for selectively engaging said output member with the one of said pair of gears to provide a forward drive and a reverse drive through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch and the second brake or for engaging said output member with the carrier to provide three speed forward drives through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch, the first brake and the second brake.

Claim 3

A transmission system as defined in claim 1 wherein the pair of gears are a pair of sun pinions and the other gear means is a ring gear.

Claim 4

A transmission system as defined in claim 2 wherein the input member is connected to the ring gear and the output member may be selectively connected either with one of the sun pinions or with the carrier.

Claim 5

A transmission system as defined in claim 2 wherein the diameter ratios of the cluster pinions and of the sun pinions are chosen to provide nearly the same speed ratiO in forward and reverse directions when the connecting means is engaged with one of the sun pinions.

Claim 6

A transmission system as defined in claim 2 wherein the brakes are connected to lock either of the sun pinions.

Claim 7

A transmission system as defined in claim 1 wherein the diameter ratios of the cluster pinions are chosen to provide nearly the same speed ratio in forward and reverse directions of drive when said output member is engaged with one of said pair of gears.

Claim 8

A transmission system as defined in claim 1 wherein the lock-up clutch is connected between the carrier and the ring gear means.

Claim 9

A transmission system as defined in claim 1 which includes resilient means for engaging and hydraulic means for releasing the first brake and hydraulic means for actuating the second brake into engagement.

Claim 10

The transmission system as defined in claim 8 wherein the brakes are disc brakes and a non-rotary disc provides a common reaction member for both brakes.

Claim 11

The transmission system as defined in claim 8 including hydraulic means for applying said clutch.

Claim 12

The transmission system as defined in claim 1 wherein said output member is braked by engagement by said first brake when said output member is connected with said one gear of said pair of gears.

Claim 13

The transmission system as defined in claim 11 wherein an operator controlled valve means selectively directs hydraulic pressure to engage said second brake and disengages said first brake to establish either a low forward speed drive or reverse drive depending on the position of the connecting means, prevents hydraulic pressure from disengaging said first brake to establish either an intermediate forward drive or braking condition of said output member depending on the position of said connecting means, and directing hydraulic pressure to engage said clutch and release said first brake to establish high speed drive or forward drive depending on the position of said connecting means.

Claim 14

A speed change transmission system having a gear transmission and a multi-speed gear transmission connected in series, said planetary gear transmission comprising a single planetary having a planet carrier provided with planet pinions of the two-diameter cluster type, ring gear means and sun gear means, one of said gear means including a pair of gears each being engaged with one of the pinions of the planet cluster, characterized by an input member connected to the other gear means, an output member, a first brake for locking one gear of said pair of gears and a second brake for locking the other gear of said pair of gears, a clutch connected between the input member and the planet carrier for locking up the planetary, and connecting means coupled to said output member and having two conditions, in one condition the output member is connected with the one of said pair of gears to provide the planetary gear transmission with a forward drive and a reverse drive through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch and the second brake, said output member is connected with the planet carrier to provide the planetary gear transmission with three forward drives through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch, the first brake and the second brake.

Claim 15

A speed change transmission system having a gear transmission and a multi-speed gear transmission connected in series, said planetary gear transmission comprising a single planetary having a planet carrier provided with planet pinions of the two-diameter cluster type, ring gear means and sun gear means, one of said gear means including a pair of gears each being engaged with one of the pinions of the planet cluster, characterized by an input member connected to the other gear means, an output member, a first brake for locking one gear of said pair of gears and a second brake for locking the other gear of said pair of gears, a clutch connected between the input member and the planet carrier for locking up the planetary, and connecting means coupled to said output member and having two conditions, in one condition the output member is connected with the one of said pair of gears to provide the planetary gear transmission with a forward drive and a reverse drive through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch and the second brake, said output member is connected with the planet carrier to provide the planetary gear transmission with three forward drives through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch, the first brake and the second brake.

Claim 16

A speed change transmission system having a multi-speed gear transmission, a planetary gear transmission in series with the multi-speed gear transmission, said planetary gear transmission comprising a planetary having a planet carrier provided with two planet pinions of different diameters, ring gear means and sun gear means, one of said gear means including a pair of gears each being engaged with one of the pinions of the planet pinions, and input member connected to the other gear means, an output member, a first brake for locking one gear of said pair of gears and a second brake for locking the other gear of said pair of gears, a selectively engageable clutch connected between the input member and the planet carrier for locking up the planetary, and connecting means for selectively engaging said output member with the one of said pair of gears to provide a forward drive and a reverse drive through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch and the second brake or for engaging said output member with the carrier to provide three speed forward drives through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch, the first brake and the second brake.

Claim 17

A speed change transmission system having a multi-speed gear transmission, a planetary gear transmission in series with the multi-speed gear transmission, said planetary gear transmission comprising a planetary having a planet carrier provided with two planet pinions of different diameters, ring gear means and sun gear means, one of said gear means including a pair of gears each being engaged with one of the pinions of the planet pinions, and input member connected to the other gear means, an output member, a first brake for locking one gear of said pair of gears and a second brake for locking the other gear of said pair of gears, a selectively engageable clutch connected between the input member and the planet carrier for locking up the planetary, and connecting means for selectively engaging said output member with the one of said pair of gears to provide a forward drive and a reverse drive through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch and the second brake or for engaging said output member with the carrier to provide three speed forward drives through the planetary by the respective application of the clutch, the first brake and the second brake.

Claim 18

A control for a change speed transmission having a plurality of friction members that act to establish and disestablish various drives through the transmission, first and second hydraulic actuating means for engaging first and second of said friction member to respectively establish two different drives and resilient actuating means for actuating a third friction member to establish a third drive, and a third hydraluic actuating means for overcoming said resilient actuating means to disengage said third friction member when said transmission is in said first or second drives, a hydraulic pressure source, valve means for selectively connecting said source to said first, second or third hydraulic actuating means to establish said first, second or third drives, said valve means including first, second and third valves, said first valve operable to connect said source to said third hydraulic actuating means and simultaneously to either connect said source to said second valve leading to said first actuating means or to said third valve leading to said second actuating means, operator means for said valve means having a first position wherein all three valves are closed, a second position wherein said first and second valves are open and a third position where said first and third valves are open, and means for permitting pressure in said actuators to be relieved.

Claim 19

A control for a change speed transmission having a plurality of friction members that act to establish and disestablish various drives through the transmission, first and second hydraulic actuating means for engaging first and second of said friction member to respectively establish two different drives and resilient actuating means for actuating a third friction member to establish a third drive, and a third hydraluic actuating means for overcoming said resilient actuating means to disengage said third friction member when said transmission is in said first or second drives, a hydraulic pressure source, valve means for selectively connecting said source to said first, second or third hydraulic actuating means to establish said first, second or third drives, said valve means including first, second and third valves, said first valve operable to connect said source to said third hydraulic actuating means and simultaneously to either connect said source to said second valve leading to said first actuating means or to said third valve leading to said second actuating means, operator means for said valve means having a first position wherein all three valves are closed, a second position wherein said first and second valves are open and a third position where said first and third valves are open, and means for permitting pressure in said actuators to be relieved.

Claim 20

The control of claim 15 wherein said means for permitting pressure in said actuators to be relieved comprises restricted flow relief means in each actuator.

Claim 21

The control of claim 15 wherein said operator in moving from said first position to said second position initially opens said second valve and subsequently opens said first valve, and in moving from said first position to said third position initially opens said third valve and subsequently opens said first valve.

Claim 22

The control of claim 17 wherein said first valve is urged to its normally closed position by a spring means, the force of which can be varied by said operator and wherein said first valve is urged toward its open position by hydraulic pressure from said source whereby said operator can regulate the flow from said source to said hydraulic operating means.

Claim 23

The control of claim 17 wherein pressure in said first actuator acts on said second valve to hold it open and pressure in said second actuator acts on said third valve to hold it open.

Claim 24

The control of claim 17 wherein pressure in said first actuator acts on said third valve to hold it closed and pressure in said second actuator acts on said second valve to hold it closed.

Claim 25

The control of claim 15 wherein said operator consists of a cam member having a first position in which a cam portion acts on said first valve to hold it closed, and a second position in which the cam portion allows the first valve to open while acting on said second valve to open it, and a third position in which the cam portion allows the first valve to open while acting on said third valve to open it,

Claim 26

A control for a change speed transmission having at least two friction members the actuation of which establish two different drives through the transmission; one of said friction members being normally resiliently applied and hydraulically released and the other normally released and hydraulically applied, a source of hydraulic pressure; a valve means with one valve, another valve and a valve operator; said one valve connected to said source and held in a closed position by a valve operator member in a first position acting on said one valve through an interMediate spring to hold it closed against said hydraulic pressure, said hydraulic pressure acting on said one valve to move it to an open position when said valve operator is moved from its first position to a second position; said one valve acting when open to connect said hydraulic pressure to said hydraulically released friction member and to said other valve; said other valve being closed when the operator is in the first position and being opened when said valve operator is in its second position; said other valve, when open, acting to direct hydraulic pressure from said one valve to said hydraulically applied friction member; said valve operator when moving from its first position to its second position initially acting to open said other valve and subsequently to allow gradual opening of said one valve.

Claim 27

A control for a change speed transmission having at least two friction members the actuation of which establish two different drives through the transmission; one of said friction members being normally resiliently applied and hydraulically released and the other normally released and hydraulically applied, a source of hydraulic pressure; a valve means with one valve, another valve and a valve operator; said one valve connected to said source and held in a closed position by a valve operator member in a first position acting on said one valve through an interMediate spring to hold it closed against said hydraulic pressure, said hydraulic pressure acting on said one valve to move it to an open position when said valve operator is moved from its first position to a second position; said one valve acting when open to connect said hydraulic pressure to said hydraulically released friction member and to said other valve; said other valve being closed when the operator is in the first position and being opened when said valve operator is in its second position; said other valve, when open, acting to direct hydraulic pressure from said one valve to said hydraulically applied friction member; said valve operator when moving from its first position to its second position initially acting to open said other valve and subsequently to allow gradual opening of said one valve.