The invention provides a power transmission apparatus especially for automobiles. It consists of a fluid torque converter coupled with gearing. The gearing includes a first gearing connecting the circulatory turbine to the input shaft and a second gearing connecting the first gearing to the output shaft and to a stationary part. Two unidirectional detents are provided, the first of which acts between the second gearing and a stationary part and the second of which acts between the torque converter reactor and the second gearing. The two detents are in series. Forwards rotation of part of the second gearing drives the reactor in a forwards direction and negative torque on the reactor or said part of the second gearing can act on said stationary part.
A fluid coupling transmission is adapted for interposition between the engine and the propulsion unit of a marine drive. The fluid coupling transmission provides variable speed operation in both forward and reverse. A fluid pump is drivingly connected to the engine crankshaft, and is adapted to drive a forward turbine and a reverse turbine. The reverse turbine is disposed between the fluid pump and the forward turbine, and includes a series of variable position vanes for providing variable power output from the transmission. A one way clutch is positioned between the forward turbine and an output shaft of the transmission, and a planetary gearset is disposed between the reverse turbine and the output shaft. A carrier member extends concentrically relative to the output shaft along a portion of its length, and the planet gears of the planetary gearset are pivotably mounted to the carrier member. The carrier member is provided with a clutch mechanism for selectively engaging the output shaft, and a brake band is provided for selectively maintaining the carrier member stationary. The brake band and clutch mechanism are selectively engageable so as to prevent rotation of the output shaft, impart rotation through the reverse turbine and planetary gearset to propel the boat in a reverse direction, or to impart rotation to the output shaft through the forward turbine and the reverse turbine to propel the boat in a forward direction.
A stepless automatic variable transmission with gears in a state of constant meshing which is operational without the need for disengaging or changing the gears such that the rotational output power can be varied to effect a neutral, low speed, medium speed, high speed, overdrive or reverse rotation by selecting a stepless automatic speed change method or a manual speed change method, and which includes a speed change system, an overdrive system and a speed change controlling system. The assembly of speed change system (10, 110, 310, 410, 510, 610), the overdrive system (50, 360, 660, 760) and the speed change controlling system (80, 180, 380, 680, 780) can vary with each of the systems combined to result in numerous stepless automatic variable transmissions. To effect speed changes low speed, medium speed, overdrive, and reverse rotation brake means are used. Also, either the manual speed change method or the automatic speed change method can be selected.
The invention provides a power transmission apparatus which includes a hydraulic torque converter and mechanical gears. The torque converter includes a circulatory turbine in addition to the usual output turbine. The mechanical gears include first, second and third gearings. The first gearing connects the circulatory turbine to the converter input shaft. The second gearing connects the first gearing to the converter output member through a unidirectional freewheel. The third gearing connects the second gearing to an output member of the apparatus.
A transmission for use in a motor vehicle having a torque converter; an auxiliary speed change-gear assembly coaxial with the torque converter; an intermediate shaft extending through the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; a countershaft extending in parallel to the intermediate shaft of the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; and a final reduction-gear assembly for transmitting a driving force from the countershaft to wheel axles. The auxiliary speed change-gear assembly provides a plurality of forward speed range drives including overdrive and reverse drive and has an output driving gear. A driven gear is mounted on the countershaft and meshes with the driving gear. The transmission has at least one thrust bearing mounted on the intermediate shaft of the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly for rotatably supporting the driving gear and a member threadably engaged into one end of an auxiliary speed change-gear assembly casing for asserting a predetermined force on the bearing supporting the driving gear. Preferably, the at least one bearing comprises a first pair of counterbalancing thrust bearings mounted on the intermediate shaft rotatably supporting the driving gear. A second pair of thrust bearings are provided for receiving thrust-reacting forces from the first pair of bearings. The force-exerting member is preferably threadably engaged into the one end of the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly casing remote from the torque converter, exerts a predetermined force on one bearing of the second pair, and is accessible from outside the casing.
In a planetary gear train of automatic transmission, there are disposed two one-way devices which are parallelly but reversedly arranged between the input shaft and a sun gear. Due to the flow-cut function of one of the one-way devices, the high speed rotation of the sun gear caused under a certain speed condition of the transmission is not transmitted to a clutch drum of the associated clutch device thereby to prevent the clutch device from malfunctioning.
