Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Reece R Fuehrer

James F Hartz

Roy K Martin

Donald Klemen

James C Polak

Peter Edwin Swingler

Richard B Anderson

Richard L Hess

Harvey D Won

Elton L Thompson

An engine direction reversing gear arrangement has a drive gear on the engine centerline and a driven gear, meshing with the drive gear, on the an idler shaft. The transmission input is an angle gear such that a V-drive is provided between the engine and the vehicle output drive members. The direction reversing is accomplished with two gear meshes, the gear pair on the engine and transmission centerline and the angle input drive to the transmission.

Drive-reversing gearing for an engine driven transmission

A torque clipping mechanism embodying the concepts of the present invention is adapted to obviate torque spikes from being imparted to the transmission of a vehicle by the crankshaft of an engine during the start-up and shut-down procedures for that engine. The torque clipping mechanism operates in conjunction with a torque transfer device that is operatively connected between the crankshaft, which delivers torque from the engine, and the rotatable input shaft of a vehicular transmission. A spring is employed to effect the application of the torque transfer device, but the spring allows slippage of the torque transfer device upon the application of a pre-determined torsional force to the torque transfer device. Hydraulic fluid acting under centrifugal force is employed to preclude slippage when the rotational speed of the power output shaft exceeds a predetermined rate.

Selective torque clipping mechanism

A planet carrier assembly has a pair of spaced parallel side plates interconnected by body portions with a plurality of aligned aperture pairs formed in the side plates for receiving mounting spindles on which pinion gear members are rotatably supported. Each spindle has a shoulder which contacts a locating surface on one side plate to limit axial movement of the spindle in one direction relative to the side plates. A segmental space is provide at the longitudinal end of each spindle adjacent the shoulder and each space is arranged such that a flat surface thereof faces radially outward at assembly. A retainer plate having complementary radially extending locating surfaces cooperate with the flat surface of the segmental spaces to limit rotation of the spindle relative to the side plates. A retaining ring is secured in one side plate adjacent the retainer plate to limit axial movement of the spindles in the other direction relative to the side plates.

Planet carrier assembly

A valve and closure assembly has a cover plate which attaches to a transmission housing to close the interior housing from atmosphere. A separator plate and a plurality of fluid valve assemblies are secured to the cover plate and disposed within the transmission housing. Fluid passages in the cover plate interconnect the valve assemblies. Passages in the separator plate direct fluid to passages in the transmission housing at the interface of the cover plate and transmission housing for distribution within the transmission housing to components disposed therein. Electrical wiring for the solenoids and an electrical connector are disposed on the cover plate so that a single electrical interconnection with the transmission can be utilized. Filters for both high pressure control fluid and low pressure cooling and lube fluid are secured on the cover plate.

Valve and closure assembly for an automatic transmission

A vehicle retarder system has a hydraulic retarder and a slipping friction brake operating in concert to retard the forward motion of the vehicle. The hydraulic retarder is an output driven device which is operable to absorb increasing energy as the vehicle speed increases. The friction brake is normally a ratio control reaction brake for the lowest forward drive ratio of the vehicle transmission. The brake has an additional apply piston which is operable to slippingly engage the brake whenever the hydraulic retarder is operable and the vehicle transmission is not in the lowest forward ratio. The control system has a control valve which is operable to control the engagement pressure of the additional piston in a manner such that the friction braking effort is higher at low vehicle speeds. This compensates for the lower effectiveness of the output driven hydraulic retarder. The control system is also effective to control the operation of the hydraulic retarder, the main piston of the reaction brake, cooling flow to the brake and cooling flow from the retarder.

Vehicle retarder system and control

A planet gear carrier assembly has a cage in which is rotatably mounted a plurality of pinion gears. Each gear is mounted on a respective spindle which is disposed in aligned bores formed in the sidewalls of the cage. In one sidewall, the bores have a stepped diameter to limit longitudinal movement of the spindles in one direction. A flat machined on each spindle and a locking ring, secured in a groove in the other sidewall limit longitudinal movement of the spindles in the other direction as well as rotary movement of the spindles. In one embodiment, an oil shield or lube directing ring is positioned by the locking ring and the spindle flat to direct lubrication fluid to lube passages formed in the spindles.

Planet gear carrier assembly

A clutch assembly has two pistons each having an apply chamber for independently controlling engagement of respective friction plates. An axially fixed wall is disposed adjacent the pistons opposite to the apply chambers. Fluid is admitted between the wall and the pistons such that during rotation of the clutch assembly, centrifugal pressure generated in the fluid in the apply chambers is counteracted by centrifugal pressure generated in the fluid between the wall and the pistons.

Clutch assembly with a pressure balance chamber

An attachment for automatically connecting a torque converter impeller housing to an engine output member including splines on the output member, splines on the impeller housing, a plurality of ramp surfaces on impeller housing, and a corresponding plurality of resilient tangs on the engine output member. When the torque converter impeller housing is supported on the transmission and shifted as a unit with the latter toward the engine the splines automatically engage to connect the impeller housing and the engine output member for unitary rotation while the ramp surfaces first cam the tangs to positions permitting unrestricted movement of the impeller housing to an assembled position and are thereafter automatically engaged by the tangs to prevent withdrawal from the assembled position.

Torque converter attachment and method

A fluid directing center support is mounted in a main bore of an automatic transmission by means of a pair of intermediate rings between the main bore and the center support. Each intermediate ring includes an elastomeric body portion which is compressed between the main bore and the center support and exerts on the latter balanced and radially directed forces which centralize the center support in the main bore. In addition, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the elastomeric body portion exceeds the coefficient thermal expansion of the transmission case by an amount sufficient to insure that the intermediate ring will always be maintained in compression regardless of the operating temperature of the transmission.

Transmission center support mounting

A multispeed transmission having an automatic shift control system having an automatic shift valve which is biased for upshift by a force increasing with output speed of the transmission and is biased for downshift by a force increasing concurrently with torque demand, to provide upshifts at speeds increasing with torque demand and downshifts at lower speeds. The shift valve controls the supply of shift fluid pressure to the ratio-engaging devices to establish low and high ratio drives. A regulator valve increases the shift fluid pressure with an increasing lagging torque demand signal. A modulator valve is controlled by an engine fuel feed or throttle to provide a concurrent torque demand signal pressure concurrent with throttle movement for the shift valve. The lagging torque demand signal is more concurrent with engine torque and power, such as the gasifier pressure of a gas turbine engine, or the supercharger pressure of an internal combustion engine. The transmission is shifted immediately in response to torque demand, and the shift pressure is proportional to the engine torque and speed at the time of the shift.

Transmission with dual modulated shift controls

A vehicle brake system having service brakes and a transmission with internal brakes in the transmission including an output brake and a gear reaction brake system providing friction braking of the transmission output. The transmission has planetary gearing in a housing and a first ratio fluid-operated reaction brake for braking a reaction gear for first ratio drive, and second and third ratio fluid-operated friction devices for establishing second and third ratio drives. The service brake system engages the service brakes and provides an output brake pressure increasing with brake demand to engage the output brake to brake the output shaft in all ratio drives. The first ratio reaction brake and the output brake have a common movable backing plate, so engagement of the output brakes moves the common backing plate in second and third ratio drives to engage the first ratio reaction brake in addition to the engaged second or third ratio drive friction device to provide increasing total internal braking, including friction braking by the output brake and by the gear reaction brake system, increasing with brake demand. At constant brake demand, the total internal output brake power increases with speed in a constant proportion in one arrangement, and in steps at each upshift in another arrangement.

Vehicle brake system with transmission and internal brake

A dual chamber hydrodynamic retarder in a torque converter and power shift gear transmission. The retarder inlet at a point in the stator housing extends radially inward into a radial outer port of one stator in alignment with toric flow. The toroidal flow is divided by transfer ports extending radially outward and axially in the rotor to the other chamber to simultaneously fill both chambers. Each chamber has an outlet at a point in the stator and within its outer diameter dividing axial toric flow into outlet flow and continuing toric flow. Both the inlet and outlet provide toric flow pumping. The retarder valve, in the retarder off position, connects the retarder outlet to a dump exhaust, blocks the retarder inlet and connects a fluid supply through the cooler to a regulator valve regulating supply pressure at a low value, and throughout a range of retarder on positions connects without change of restriction in a loop circuit, the retarder outlet and supply through the cooler to the retarder inlet and a control exhaust is initially wide open for minimum pressure and retarding and closed exponentially relative to stroke to increase pressure and retarding until limited by the regulator valve.

Transmission with retarder and controls

An angle drive transmission having an angle drive input shaft and driving bevel gear driving a driven bevel gear on an input sleeve shaft supported on each side of the driven bevel gear by bearings in an end wall and a central wall of the main housing. The sleeve shaft drives a pump mounted on the end wall and extends through the end wall to drive and support the clutch wall of an outboard mounted rotary torque converter housing. An outboard cover housing has its open end secured to the main housing at the end wall, encloses the rotary housing and has a central ground member rotatably supporting the impeller wall of the rotary housing. The torque converter has a bladed impeller on the impeller wall, a bladed turbine adjacent the clutch wall connected to an output shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve shaft and a bladed stator between the impeller and turbine mounted on the ground member. A lockup clutch between the clutch wall and turbine in lockup connects the rotary housing to drive the output shaft. The pump and a regulator valve in the end wall supply fluid by an internal central supply passage provided transfer passages through the sleeve shaft, through a passage in the output shaft to enter between the turbine and stator to the converter flow path and exit by an internal central exit passage between the impeller and stator through the cover housing and external passage to a cooler. The torque converter hydrokinetic thrust and the bevel gear thrust are axially opposed and substantially equal to balance thrust load on the sleeve shaft.

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Danville, IN, United States of America

Reece R Fuehrer