Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Caterpillar Inc.

Willis E Windish

Karl A Nerstad

James Elmer Winzeler

David L Richards

William W Blake

W Gene Stevens

Marvin L Schneider

Shairyl I Pearce

Michael W Krause

Gerald B Ireland

James M Gorrell

Terry R Collins

David C Kettler

Christopher D Brandt

A particularly compact planetary gear mechanism includes an axially shiftable ring gear to provide either a direct drive mode or a speed reduction ratio mode between an input sun gear thereof and an output planet carrier thereof. In a first embodiment, the ring gear is urged in a first direction by a compressible spring apparatus to a conjoint coupled relationship with the sun gear for direct drive. In a less frequently used mode the ring gear is urged by a hydraulically actuated annular piston closely encircling it into a fixed relationship with a stationary coupling in opposition to the compressible spring apparatus. A second embodiment has no spring apparatus so that the annular piston is hydraulically biased in either axial direction for positively shifting the ring gear. A speed reduction ratio of about 3 or 4:1 is obtained in the secondary mode so that when the planetary gear mechanism is used in a vehicle a relatively low ground speed is maintainable which is especially useful for specialized attachments such as a snow blower, broom or the like. With this construction the sun gear transmits only a relatively small proportion of the total torque during the normal direct drive mode so that an economical construction is possible.

Two-speed planetary gear mechanism

A countershaft transmission provides at least three forward and three reverse speeds and includes a first countershaft having a second gear secured thereto, a third gear rotatable thereon, and a first clutch for connecting the third gear thereto. A second countershaft has a fourth gear secured thereto which is intermeshed with the second gear, a fifth gear rotatable thereon, a sixth gear rotatable thereon, a seventh gear secured thereto, a second clutch for connecting the fifth gear thereto, and a third clutch for connecting the sixth gear thereto. A first gear is adapted to drive one of the side-by-side third and fifth gears, and a third countershaft is disposed elevationally below them. The third countershaft has an eighth gear secured thereto which is intermeshed with the sixth gear. Ninth and tenth gears are rotatable on the third countershaft and are selectively connected thereto by a fourth clutch and a fifth clutch respectively. An input shaft (14) is connected for joint rotation with the first gear (118) and with another gear (258), a further gear (260) is rotatable on the first countershaft (22) and intermeshed with the another gear ( 258), and another clutch (262) is provided for connecting the further gear (260) to the first countershaft (22). The six rotating clutches are of the interleaved plate type, are hydraulically engaged and mechanically disengaged, and are generally internested between the walls of the housing for compactness. Up to eight forward and four reverse speeds can be obtained with but minor alterations.

Countershaft transmission

A compact countershaft transmission includes three shafts, a plurality of gears, and low, high and reverse clutch assemblies to provide either one or two forward speeds and one reverse speed. The low and high clutch assemblies are arranged along the second shaft and the reverse clutch assembly is located along the third shaft. The countershaft transmission provides a moderate drop height between the first and third shafts, and is coupled to a trailing planetary transmission that provides a plurality of speeds for each range of the countershaft transmission. The countershaft transmission is compatible with a PTO section and provides positive drive to a plurality of pumps.

A countershaft transmission auxiliary drive mechanism is provided for a countershaft transmission having an input shaft and a first gear connected thereto, and a second shaft having a second gear connected thereto and engaged with the first gear. A pump drive shaft is laterally offset from the first and second shafts, first and second pumps are connected to the opposite ends of the pump drive shaft, and a drive train is provided for rotating the pump drive shaft as a function of input shaft rotation. A PTO shaft and associated rotating clutch can be in coaxial alignment with the input shaft.

Countershaft transmission auxiliary drive mechanism

A compact planetary transmission includes a plurality of interconnected planetary gear sets arranged along a common axis, and a plurality of brake assemblies and a clutch assembly used therewith to provide up to five speeds. It is preferably coupled to a leading reversible countershaft transmission to provide the desired speeds for an agricultural tractor, earthmoving vehicle or the like.

Planetary transmission

A compact transmission is provided which includes a leading two speed forward and one speed reverse countershaft transmission, and a trailing five speed planetary transmission to give ten forward and two reverse speeds particularly adaptable to an agricultural vehicle. Very desirable speed steps are achieved between gears in the greatest working range, and the transmission provides an elevated PTO function and auxiliary pump drives within the envelope.

Vehicle transmission having countershaft and planetary portions

Vehicle transfer gear and drive line brake mechanism

An annular multi-piston brake apparatus (8) for selective holding engagement against a rotatable element (34). The annular multi-piston brake apparatus (8) advantageously includes first and second brake pistons (40,46) radially overlapping to allow the pistons to individually contact the rotatable element and stop rotation. Compact packaging of the brake apparatus is featured.

Annular multi-piston brake apparatus

Vehicle transfer gear mechanism

A planetary transmission (10) is disclosed for a vehicle or the like which has input and output members (100,16), and first and second planetary gear sets (26,28). The second planetary gear set (28) has a second sun gear (154) connected to the input member (100), a second ring gear (156) connected to a first sun gear (138) of the first planetary gear set (26), and a second planet carrier (160) connected to the output member (16). A coupling device (162) is used for connecting the first and second planet carriers (144,160) for joint rotation which is at least in part disposed radially outwardly of the second planetary gear set (28). Brake assemblies (38,46) are provided for selectively holding the second and first ring gears (156,142) stationary and providing forward and reverse modes of operation respectively.

A planetary transmission (10) is disclosed including a front section (48) having a rotating housing (52) and a planetary gear set (18) with a ring gear (62), a sun gear (64) and a planet carrier (66). Advantageously, the ring gear (62) is the input and the rotating housing (52) is the output, and the sun gear (64) is continually held stationary. A first clutch assembly (32) connects the planet carrier (66) to the rotating housing (52) and provides underdrive and a second clutch assembly (34) connects the ring gear to the rotating housing (52) and provides direct drive. The front section (48) is operatively connected to a rear section (50) for multi-speed use especially adaptable to an agricultural vehicle.

A reversible friction plate including a generally circular, disk-like member having generally parallel, opposed friction surfaces, an opening in the center of the member, at least three, equally angularly spaced tangs extending radially outwardly from the periphery of the member, reaction member receiving apertures in each tang displaced from the center thereof in the circumferential direction, the reaction member receiving apertures in each tang being equally angularly spaced, and a spring mounting formation on each tang displaced from the center thereof in the circumferential direction oppositely from the reaction member receiving apertures. Also disclosed is a friction pack utilizing a plurality of the friction plates and a planetary gear transmission employing such a friction pack which eliminates precision machining in the fabrication thereof.

Friction assemblies for use in planetary transmissions

A torsional vibration damping assembly including plates (14,16,18) between which is interposed friction material (30). The plates are held in an assembly and limited against motion by unthreaded reaction pins (38) supported at both ends. The friction material (30) is located radially outwardly of the usual spring assemblies (28) to increase the moment arm over which frictional forces may act. The central plate (16) has a smaller central aperture (22) than the central apertures (20,24) in the adjacent plates and is provided with spline teeth (25) having an axial length substantially no greater than the thickness of the plates (16) so as to allow a coupling (50) to be canted with respect to the rotational axis of the assembly during assembly of a transmission input shaft thereto.

Torsional vibration damper assembly

A transmission arrangement for a vehicle having a normal longitudinal direction of movement includes a housing assembly, a transmission having an output shaft, the transmission being mounted within the housing assembly, a transfer gear train driven by the output shaft and mounted within the housing assembly, and a bevel gear and cross shaft assembly mounted within the housing assembly and driven by the transfer gear train, the bevel gear and cross shaft assembly being located longitudinally between the transmission and the transfer gear train.

Growing community of inventors

Pekin, IL, United States of America

Willis E Windish