GB817204A - Variable-speed power transmission mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

817,204. Variable-speed gearing. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. Nov. 7, 1957 [Nov. 30, 1956], No. 34706/57. Class 80 (2). A planetary gear drives the impeller of an hydraulic torque converter at reduced or direct speeds, the reactor being prevented from reverse rotation in reduced drive and being driven in direct drive of the planetary gear. An engine crankshaft 10, coupled to a casing 11, drives the ring - gear 21 of a planetary train B through a resilient coupling 20. The carrier 24 of the planet gears 22 is connected to the impeller 12 of an hydraulic torque converter A, the impeller having a drive member 16 splined to a tubular shaft 46. The sun gear 27 is splined to a sleeve 31 to which is also splined the inner member 43 of a one-wav clutch 43, 44, 45 to which the reactor 17 is connected. The turbine 14 of the converter is coupled to an intermediate shaft 50. The sun gear 23 is connected by shaft 31 with the turbine 29 of an hydraulic coupling C, whose impeller is driven by the ring-gear 21. The coupling C can be filled to cause the planet train B to run at direct speed and drive the impeller 12 and reactor 17 through the one-way clutch 43, 44, 45, or may be emptied through a valve 33 to allow the planet train B to drive the impeller 12 at reduced speed, when the one-way clutch prevents reverse rotation of the reactor. The intermediate shaft 50, tubular shaft 46 and sleeve 31 drive a change-speed gear having a rear unit unidirectional brake D, a rear clutch unit E, a rear planetary gear unit F, a reverse gear planetary unit G and a reverse unit brake H to provide four forward speeds and reverse to an output shaft 90, in the manner described in Specification 790,617.