Transmission shifting mechanism

Claim 2

Shifting mechanism for use with a transmission having a. forward, neutral and reverse conditions and a shift valve for controlling those conditions, and b. a plurality of speed ratio conditions and a shift valve for controlling those conditions, the combination comprising, a shifting column including an outer sleeve And a center shaft, means mounting the outer sleeve for oscillation but against axial movement, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (a) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to oscillation of the outer sleeve, means mounting the center shaft in the outer sleeve for axial reciprocation therein, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (b) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to reciprocation of the center shaft, a shifting lever, and means mounting it on the shifting column, the shifting lever being swingable in a first sense about the axis of the shifting column and operative, in response to swinging movement in that sense and acting through its own mounting means, for oscillating the outer sleeve, the shifting lever also being movable in a second sense in a plane containing the axis of the shifting column, from a center position in actuating direction, means forming releasable interconnection between the shifting lever and the center shaft for reciprocating the center shaft in response to moving the shifting lever in its said second sense, means limiting movement of the shifting lever in its said second sense from said center position in actuating direction an amount corresponding to movement of the (b) shift valve between consecutive and adjacent speed ratios, and means operative for releasing the connection between the shifting lever and the center shaft in moving the shifting lever in return to its center position.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 and including pawl and ratchet means operatively interposed between the shifting lever and the center shaft, operative for shifting the center shaft pursuant to shifting movements of the shifting lever, and wherein the pawl has a normal retracted position separated from the ratchet, and the mounting means includes means for moving the pawl into active position relative to the ratchet, and the shifting lever being thereby operative for moving the center shaft in shifting direction.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 wherein the means mounting the shifting lever includes a unit fixedly secured to the outer sleeve, the shifting lever is operatively mounted in the unit for positive movement of the unit, and thus the outer sleeve, in directions about the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, and the lever is mounted in the unit for pivotal swinging movement in a plain containing that axis constituting shifting in second sense.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1 and including stop means limiting movement of the shifting lever, in a single shifting movement, an amount corresponding to movement of the (b) shift valve between consecutive and adjacent speed ratios, whereby pursuant to release of the connection between the shifting lever and center shaft in return of the shifting lever to its center position, the connection is re-established upon movement of the shifting lever again in actuating direction.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 4 and including means accommodating movement of the shifting lever in its said second sense in either direction for correspondingly effecting upshifting and downshifting.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 4 and including yielding centering means for biasing the shifting lever to center position upon release of the force moving it in actuating direction.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 1 and including means biasing the pawl out of operative position with the ratchet, and also including means operative in response to movement of the shifting lever in actuating direction for automatically moving the pawl into operative engagement with the ratchet.

Claim 11

Shifting mechanism for use with a transmission having a. forward, neutral and reverse conditions and shift valve for controlling those conditions, and b. a plurality of speed conditions and a shift valve for controlling those conditions, the combination comprising, a shifting column having a main axis and including an outer sleeve and center shaft, means mounting the outer sleeve for oscillation but against axial movement, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (a) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to oscillation of the outer sleeve, means mounting the center shaft in the outer sleeve for axial reciprocation therein, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (b) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to reciprocation of the center shaft, A SHIFTING LEVER AND MEANS MOUNTING IT ON THE SHIFTING COLUMN, the means mounting the shifting lever including a base unit incorporating a central element fixedly secured to the outer sleeve, a first component pivotally mounted on said central element on a second axis transverse to the main axis of the shifting column, and a second component mounted on the same second axis, the center shaft having ratchet means adjacent said base unit, said shifting lever being rigidly mounted in said first component, a pawl pivotally mounted in said second component and having opposed points spaced apart along the main axis of the shiftcolumn, means yieldingly biasing the first component, with the shifting lever, and the second component to a center position wherein the pawl is out of operative engagement with the ratchet, and over center means in the first component operatively engaging the pawl and operative in response to pivoting movement of the first component about said second axis for pivotally moving the pawl whereby the corresponding point of the latter engages the ratchet and pursuant to further corresponding pivoting movement of the first component shifts the center shaft in the outer sleeve, said shifting lever being operative in response to swinging movement about said main axis for oscillating said outer sleeve.

Claim 12

Shifting mechanism for use with a transmission having a. forward, neutral and reverse conditions and shift valve for controlling those conditions, and b. a plurality of speed conditions and a shift valve for controlling those conditions, the combination comprising, a shifting column having a main axis and including an outer sleeve and center shaft, means mounting the outer sleeve for oscillation but against axial movement, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (a) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to oscillation of the outer sleeve, means mounting the center shaft in the outer sleeve for axial reciprocation therein, and linkage operatively connecting it with the (b) shift valve for actuating the latter in response to reciprocation of the center shaft, A SHIFTING LEVER AND MEANS MOUNTING IT ON THE SHIFTING COLUMN, the means mounting the shifting lever including a base unit incorporating a central element fixedly secured to the outer sleeve, a first component pivotally mounted on said central element on a second axis transverse to the main axis of the shifting column, and a second component mounted on the same second axis, the center shaft having ratchet means adjacent said base unit, said shifting lever being rigidly mounted in said first component, a pawl pivotally mounted in said second component and having opposed points spaced apart along the main axis of the shiftcolumn, means yieldingly biasing the first component, with the shifting lever, and the second component to a center position wherein the pawl is out of operative engagement with the ratchet, and over center means in the first component operatively engaging the pawl and operative in response to pivoting movement of the first component about said second axis for pivotally moving the pawl whereby the corresponding point of the latter engages the ratchet and pursuant to further corresponding pivoting movement of the first component shifts the center shaft in the outer sleeve, said shifting lever being operative in response to swinging movement about said main axis for oscillating said outer sleeve.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9 wherein said over center device includes a plunger in the first component and means yieldingly biasing it into engagement with the pawl, the plunger being operative in response to initial swinging movement of the first component for tripping the pawl over center and when the pawl is in such over center position the plunger biasing means operates to swing the pawl in corresponding direction so that the corresponding point of the pawl engages the ratchet.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 9 wherein the centering means includes a first spring means biasing the first component to center position and a second spring means biasing the second component to center position.

Claim 15

A device according th claim 11 wherein each the first and second spring means includes opposed leaf spring elements on opposite sides of the corresponding component for biasing the components to their center position from either of opposite shifted positions corresponding to upshifting and downshifting.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 9 wherein the pawl has a notch in its side opposite its said opposed points, and the plunger of the over center device has a stem engaging in said notch and the over center device is thereby operative, pursuant to shifting movement of the shifting lever in its second sense for pivoting the pawl beyond the center position whereupon the over center device acting lingitudinally of the shifting lever is operative for abruptly moving the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 1 wherein the pawl is included in a plunger in the shifting lever, the plunger having an inner end engageable with the ratchet and an outer end exposed at the opposite end of the shifting lever for manual actuation, and including means biasing the plunger to an outer retracted position with the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 14 wherein the means mounting the shifting lever on the shifting column includes a unitary base unit fixedly mounted on the outer sleeve, the shifting lever is mounted in the base unit in fixed position relative to swinging movement about the axis of the shifting column, but pivoted in the base unit for swinging movement in a plane containing the axis of the shifting column.

Claim 19

A device according to claim 15 including single means mounted on the base unit operative for yieldingly biasing the shifting lever to center position from an active position.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 16 wherein the biasing means includes a leaf spring having one end connected with the shifting lever and its other end detached and disposed between a pair of stop elements fixedly mounted on the base unit.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 13 wherein the ratchet includes a plurality of grooves engageable by the points of the pawl, the points of the pawl are spaced apart a distance equal to a plurality of such grooves, the grooves are greater in number than the gear ratio positions, and of such number that one of the points of the pawl can engage in successive grooves and, in response to movement of the shifting lever in a first direction, move the center shaft in a corresponding first direction a number of steps equal to the gear ration positions, and at the end of such steps of movement, one of the grooves is positioned for engagement by the other of the points of the pawl, in response to movement of the shifting lever in the opposite direction, and the pawl is operative for moving the center shaft in steps in the corresponding opposite direction.