Dana Corporation

Terry L Jester

Rick D Watson

Ernest F Deutschman

A modular transmission housing uses a common front case with a series of rear cases and intermediate bearing support plates. Use of a intermediate bearing support plate permits dividing the main shaft and countershaft into two approximately equal length shafts for a popular seven speed transmission where the rear portion and the front portion of the front and rear shaft portions are supported by bearings in the intermediate bearing support plate. Various transmission sizes such as a five speed, seven speed and ten speed transmission utilizes the common front case for each housing.

Transmission housing

A compound shift lever mechanism employs a noise and vibration damper assembly for isolating an upper shift lever from a lower shift lever of a transmission. In a preferred form, the levers are held in spaced, coaxial alignment for unitary movement in a plurality of planes by a damper which comprises two parts. The first part is a cylindrical elastomeric sleeve defining axially spaced female end portions comprising bores which frictionally overlie and snugly encase the two lever end portions which extend thereinto. The second part is a cylindrical metallic shell which circumferentially encapsulates the elastomeric sleeve which contains the respective ends of the upper and lower levers. The shell thus radially encapsulates both of the end portions, as well as the sleeve, which incorporates a midportion containing a radial internal barrier to prevent direct physical contact between the extremities of the levers. Finally, spaced female ends of the shell are crimped radially inwardly against the female end portions of the sleeve and, in turn, against both lever end portions, to frictionally retain the end portions in spaced, coaxial alignment.

Damper assembly for shift lever mechanism

A shift rail interlock mechanism (18) for a transmission having a plurality of parallel shift rails (16a,16b,16c) is operative to inhibit movement more than one shift rail from its neutral position at a given time. The interlock mechanism includes a support member (20) which supports the rear ends of the shift rails for axially shiftable movement along their respective axes. The support member (20) has an aperture (30) formed therein which extends transversely to and intersects the shift rails. A separate interlock pin (31,32) is slideably mounted within the aperture between each pair of shift rails. Each of the interlock pins is provided with tapered end portions (31b,31c) defining end surfaces (31d,31e) engageable with end surfaces of adjacent pins. Each of the shift rails (16a,16b,16c) is provided with a separate notch (933a,33b,33c) for receiving the tapered end portion of at least one of the interlock pins and which is in transverse alignment with the notches of the other shift rails when the transmission is in a neutral position. Movement of any one of the shift rails from its neutral position causes the notch of the shifted rail to engage the tapered end portion of one of the interlock pins such that the pin is moved axially within the aperture. The shifted rail secures the interlock pins in a predetermined fixed position within the notches of the other shift rails to prevent the other shift rails from moving from their neutral position until the shifted rail has been returned a neutral position.

Transmission shift rail interlock

A transmission range selection device for use with a vehicle transmission having a main gear box and auxiliary two-speed gear box provides control over both with a single, conventional shift lever. The shift lever is pivotally mounted in the tower of the main transmission which is fitted with a switch. Shift forks associated with the main gear box shift rails are conventional except for that fork associated with the highest speed gears which has an extended throat, permitting shift lever movement into positions adjacent and beyond the positions associated with the highest gears of the standard shift pattern. When moved to these additional shift positions, the shift lever selects the highest gears of the transmission and activates the switch which in turn shifts the auxiliary gear box from its lower range to its higher range.

Growing community of inventors

Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

Terry L Jester