Transmission for use in motor vehicle

Claim 1

In a motor vehicle transmission for transmitting power between the engine and wheel axles of said vehicle, the transmission including: (1) a fluid-type torque converter; (2) an auxiliary speed change-gear assembly including an underdrive and an overdrive each comprising at least one planetary gear unit, the underdrive planetary gear unit being coaxial with and driven by the torque converter, said underdrive being disposed between said overdrive and said torque converter, and said overdrive planetary gear unit being coaxial with said torque converter and said underdrive unit and having an input element and an output element; (3) an intermediate shaft coaxial with said torque converter and said planetary units, said intermediate shaft extending through said speed change gear assembly and drivingly interconnecting said underdrive planetary unit with the input element of said overdrive planetary unit; (4) an output gear disposed between said underdrive and overdrive and being coaxial with said intermediate shaft, said output gear being drivingly fixed to the output element of said overdrive planetary unit; (5) a transmission gear unit including a counter shaft having a drive gear secured to one end thereof drivingly meshed with said output gear, and a driven gear secured to the other end thereof; (6) a final reduction gear assembly drivingly connected to said driven gear and to said wheel axles for transmitting power from said transmission gear unit to said wheel axles, said wheel axles being substantially parallel to said intermediate shaft; and (7) a casing for enclosing said speed change-gear assembly; the improvement comprising: (a) a radially extending flange integral with said intermediate shaft forming a part of the input element of said overdrive planetary unit; (b) a first thrust bearing disposed axially between said overdrive and said underdrive and disposed radially between said intermediate shaft and said casing for rotatably supporting and receiving reaction force from said intermediate shaft; (c) second and third thrust bearings axially adjacent each other and axially disposed between said flange and said first thrust bearing and radially disposed between said intermediate shaft and said output gear for rotatably supporting said output gear and for receiving thrust from said intermediate shaft, said flange and said output gear, the inner race of said second thrust bearing axially abutting said flange and the inner race of said third thrust bearing axially abutting the inner race of said first thrust bearing; and (d) an axially adjustable nut threadably engaged in an opening in said casing, said nut being coaxial with said intermediate shaft and said opening circumscribing the end of said intermediate shaft remote from said torque converter, axial adjustment of said nut permitting application of a predetermined axial force to preload said thrust bearings and axially position said intermediate shaft.