Transmission shift control linkage

Claim 2

In a transmission including a housing, an input shaft and an output shaft journalled in said housing, at least one gear journalled on one of said shafts, and a clutching element supported by said one shaft and movable for selectively engaging said gear with said shaft to establish a drive ratio; the improvement comprising a shift fork engaging said clutching element, a bar formed from a harder material than said shift fork and secured to said shift fork for movement therewith, said bar and shift fork together defining a bore, and a shift rail movable in said bore and selectively engageable with said bar upon movement thereof, the bar and shift fork movable to establish said drive ratio upon further movement of said shift rail.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1, said bar defining a notch, and a sleeve carried by said shift rail and defining a finger extending therefrom and selectively rotatable into said notch for effecting said selective engagement of said shift rail with said bar.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, said shift fork being formed from a less dense material than said bar.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, said shift fork being formed from aluminum, and said bar being formed from steel.

Claim 6

In a transmission including a housing, an input shaft journalled in said housing and defining an input gear, an output shaft journalled in said housing, a plurality of output gears journalled on said output shaft, a cluster gear assembly journalled in said housing and defining a ratio input gear driven by said input gear and a plurality of ratio output gears respectively in driving relationship with said output gears, and a plurality of clutching elements supported by said output shaft and movable for selectively engaging said output gears with said output shaft to establish a plurality of drive ratios; the improvement comprising a plurality of shift forks respectively contacting said clutching elements for effecting movement thereof, each shift fork defining a bore portion, a plurality of bars formed from a harder material than said shift forks and respectively secured to said shift forks for movement therewith, each bar defining a complementary bore portion whereby each associated shift fork and bar together define a bore, and shift means including a shift element movable in said bores and selectively engageable with said bars upon initial movement of said shift means, the engaged bar and its associated shift fork being movable to establish one of said drive ratios upon subsequent movement of said shift means.

Claim 7

In a transmission including a housing, an input shaft journalled in said housing and defining an input gear, an output shaft journalled in said housing, a plurality of output gears journalled on said output shaft, a cluster gear assembly journalled in said housing and defining a ratio input gear driven by said input gear and a plurality of ratio output gears respectively in driving relationship with said output gears, and a plurality of clutching elements supported by said output shaft and movable for selectively engaging said output gears with said output shaft to establish a plurality of drive ratios; the improvement comprising a plurality of shift forks respectively contacting said clutching elements for effecting movement thereof, each shift fork defining a bore portion, a plurality of bars formed from a harder material than said shift forks and respectively secured to said shift forks for movement therewith, each bar defining a complementary bore portion whereby each associated shift fork and bar together define a bore, and shift means including a shift element movable in said bores and selectively engageable with said bars upon initial movement of said shift means, the engaged bar and its associated shift fork being movable to establish one of said drive ratios upon subsequent movement of said shift means.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 5, said shift means including a lock element engageable with the remainder of said bars upon said selective engagement of said shift element with one of said bars, said lock element preventing movement of the remainder of said bars upon subsequent movement of said shift means.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 6, said shift means defining a shift rail in said bores, said initial movement of said shift means being rotational movement of said shift rail.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 7, each bar defining a notch, said shift element being a sleeve carried by said shift rail and defining a finger extending therefrom and selectively rotatable into said notches for effecting said selective engagement.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 7, said subsequent movement of said shift means being axial movement of said shift rail.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 5, said shift forks being formed from a less dense material than said bars.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 5, said shift forks being formed from aluminum, and said bars being formed from steel.

Claim 14

In combination, a plurality of relatively soft movable elements each defining a keyhole-shaped opening therein including a bore portion and a slot portion, a plurality of relatively hard bars each secured in a respective slot portion and defining a complementary bore portion, said elements and bars thereby defining a plurality of bores, and a shaft extending through said bores and being rotatably and axially movable therein, said shaft having a finger extending therefrom, each bar defining a notch selectively engageable by said finger upon rotational movement of said shaft, each engaged bar and associated element being movable with said shaft upon axial movement thereof.

Claim 15

In combination, a plurality of relatively soft movable elements each defining a keyhole-shaped opening therein including a bore portion and a slot portion, a plurality of relatively hard bars each secured in a respective slot portion and defining a complementary bore portion, said elements and bars thereby defining a plurality of bores, and a shaft extending through said bores and being rotatably and axially movable therein, said shaft having a finger extending therefrom, each bar defining a notch selectively engageable by said finger upon rotational movement of said shaft, each engaged bar and associated element being movable with said shaft upon axial movement thereof.

Claim 16

The invention according to claim 12, a plate movable into engagement with the remainder of said notches upon rotational movement of said shaft, said plate preventing movement of the remainder of said bars and associated elements with said shaft upon axial movement thereof.

Claim 17

In a transmission including drive means and clutch means engageable therewith for establishing a driving condition thereof, the improvement comprising a shift fork for engaging said clutch means, a thrust bar formed from a harder material than said shift fork and engaging said shift fork, and shift means engageable with said thrust bar and movable for effecting engagement of said clutch means with said drive means.

Claim 18

In a transmission including drive means and clutch means engageable therewith for establishing a driving condition thereof, the improvement comprising a shift fork for engaging said clutch means, a thrust bar formed from a harder material than said shift fork and engaging said shift fork, and shift means engageable with said thrust bar and movable for effecting engagement of said clutch means with said drive means.

Claim 19

The invention according to claim 14 wherein said thrust bar is of a more dense material than said shift fork.

Claim 20

The invention according to claim 14 wherein said thrust bar has a notch therein engaging said shift fork in a close slip fit.