Planetary torque converter

Claim 1

In a double reduction torque converter of the type having: a pair of first drive planets interconnected by gudgeon pins for movement in unison with each other, and respectively reacting against a fixed casing of the converter and a rotatable carrier fast with an output shaft of the converter, and, a pair of second drive planets interconnected with each other by gudgeon pins for movement in unison with each other, said second drive planets being angularly displaced from said first drive planets and also reacting respectively against said fixed casing of said converter and a rotatable carrier fast with said output shaft of the converter, each of said first and second drive planets being mounted on eccentrics fast with an input shaft: the improvement comprising: one of said second drive planets being positioned axially intermediate said first drive planets; one of said first drive planets being positioned axially intermediate said second drive planets; said gudgeon pins extending through apertures in said axially intermediate drive planets; whereby the axial length of said gudgeon pins respectively interconnecting said first drive planets and said second drive planets is reduced to the distance between the outer surfaces of said first and second drive planets.