GB1098245A - Improvements in or relating to torque converters - Google Patents

Abstract

1,098,245. Variable-speed epicyclic gear. INPOWER WORKS (PROPRIETARY) Ltd. April 13, 1965 [April 15, 1964; March 30, 1965], No. 15743/65. Heading F2D. A torque converter comprises two fluid couplings 10À1, 10À2 and a transfer drive 30a, each coupling including bucket wheels 16À1 fast with planets 24À1 in a carrier 12À1 fast with input shaft 14À1, the planets 24À1 engaging a sun 28À1 either directly or through idlers 26À1, the sun 28À1 of coupling 10À1 being fast with an output shaft 14À2 providing the input to the second coupling and being connected to the final output shaft 30À2 through transfer drive 30a. The shaft 14À2 drives the carrier of coupling 10À2 whose sun 28À2 is fast with output shaft 30À2; the transfer drive comprises sprockets 34a, 40a fixed to shaft 32a and meshing with gear-wheel 38a on the carrier of coupling 10À2 and with wheel 44a connected to shaft 30À2 through a freewheel 46a. A shaft 52 fast with output shaft 30À2 is connected to carrier 12À1 through a negative torque freewheel 54 which permits the load to drive the prime mover on overrun through shaft 14À1. In operation, the full torque of the prime mover acts through coupling 10À1, the carrier of coupling 10À2 the torque multiplying drive 30a to output shaft 30À2 until coupling 10À2 has speeded up to transmit the torque directly on to shaft 30À2 via sun 28À2. A brake 56 holds the carrier of coupling 10À2 when reverse gear, not shown, is engaged. The transfer drive may comprise a chain and sprocket drive, Figs. 1, 8-10 (not shown), or gear arrangements, Figs. 2, 3, 11- 14 (not shown); the output shaft 30À2 may be connected to the carrier in which case the two sun gears are connected. Three couplings with transfer drives are included in the torque converter of Figs. 5 and 13 (not shown). The openings of the buckets may face in opposite directions in two adjacent couplings, Figs. 17, 19 (not shown).