Automatic multi-speed transmission and overdrive combination

• Main Author: HATANO; MITSURU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.11.1977
• Subjects: BLASTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

Automatic multi-speed transmission and overdrive combination in which during drive other than overdrive an engine input shaft drives a fluid torque converter, the turbine of which drives a turbine shaft which connects to the pinion carrier of a planetary gear set, from which drive is supplied, by the carrier or sun gear thereof, to the input shaft of a speed change unit for transmission of drive at requisite ratios to an output shaft. During overdrive, the torque converter is bypassed, the engine input shaft being connected directly to the turbine shaft, the sun gear of the planetary gear set is held stationary, and the speed change unit input shaft is coupled to the ring gear of the gear set, thereby permitting the rotary speed of the output shaft to be maintained while the engine speed is lowered. The disclosed combination offers the principal advantages that only single-shaft transmission lines are required, that power transmission shafts need be no larger in diameter than in conventional automatic transmission means not having an overdrive mechanism, and that conventional automatic transmissions may be easily converted to a combined automatic transmission and overdrive means.