Reverse idler gear operating mechanism

Claim 1

A reverse idler gear operating mechanism in an automobile manual transmission comprising: a driving reverse gear mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith but against axial movement relative thereto; a driven reverse gear mounted on a mainshaft for rotation therewith but against axial movement relative thereto, said mainshaft being arranged generally parallel to said driving reverse gear shaft; a reverse idler gear located between said driving and driven reverse gears and engageable therewith to reverse the drive line; a reverse idler shaft pivotally mounted at one end thereof on a pivot shaft, said pivot shaft extending substantially at right angles to said driving reverse gear shaft and said mainshaft and fixedly attached to a transmission case, said reverse idler shaft being moveable about said pivot shaft between a first angular position where it extends generally parallel to said driving reverse gear shaft and said mainshaft to allow said reverse idler gear to engage the driving and driven reverse gears and a second position where it is inclined relative to said driving reverse gear shaft and said mainshaft to allow the former to be disengaged from the latter; said reverse idler shaft having at the other end portion thereof an axially elongated opening; a shifter pivotally mounted at a location intermediate opposed first and second ends thereof on a pivot shaft which extends in parallel with the first-mentioned pivot shaft and fixedly attached to the transmission case, said shifter having at said first end a sliding pin slidably received in said elongated opening; and an axially slidable rod having a notch with which said second end of said shifter is engaged.