Patent GB-856486-A (GB)
Title: Improved control system for variable-ratio power transmission mechanism for an engine-driven vehicle
IPC: F16H59/62
Filed: 1958-07-09
Abstract: 856,486. Change-speed gear. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. July 9, 1958 [July 29, 1957], No. 22018/58. Class 80 (2). In an automatic control for liquid-pressure operated ratio-establishing brakes and clutches of a change-speed gear on a motor vehicle, comprising shift-valves 354, 400, 430 subject to opposing liquid pressures responsive respectively to output speed and engine intake manifold depression, the said latter pressure 218 (hereafter referred to as " TV " pressure) is derived from a metering valve 194 (referred to as a "TV" valve) subject not only to manifold depression 212 acting on a diaphragm 210, but also to atmosphere pressure acting on an internally spring-loaded, adjustably mounted evacuated bellows 214, which, with reduction in atmospheric pressure (as at high altitude) increases TV pressure 218, thereby reducing shift speeds to compensate for the consequent reduction in engine power. A kickdown shift valve 226, operated by overtravel of the usual accelerator pedal 266, is actuated electrically by a solenoid 238 energized by an acceleratoroperated switch 264. General.-Apart from the substitution of the manifold controlled TV valve 194, and electrically-actuated kickdown valve 226 for mechanically linked accelerator-operated TV and kickdown valves, the system is generally similar to that of Specification 790,617. Function summary.-The gear provides three reduced ratios, direct-drive and one reduced reverse, under control of a manual selector valve 180 which has settings P, N, D, I, L, R, as follows. In P, park, and N, neutral, a main fluid coupling A is filled (if the engine is running) and all gears released. D, drive, provides automatic shift between all four forward ratios, starting in first, under control of output speedresponsive and TV pressures, the latter effective for modifying downshift as well as upshift speeds. In D setting all three indirect ratios are one-way only. In I, intermediate, shift to fourth ratio is prevented except above excessive engine speed, and third ratio is two-way. L setting limits operation to the first two ratios only, except for automatic upshift to third above excessive engine speed, and both first and second ratios are two-way. The single reverse ratio R is two-way above 6-7 m.p.h. and oneway below that speed. Second ratio is obtainable by L setting at speeds higher than those for kickdown. In D, 4-3 and 3-2 accelerator kickdown shifts can be made in succession below predetermined safe engine speeds, or occur successively at appropriate speeds if kickdown is maintained. In I, one 3-2 kickdown can be made. In addition downshifts at moderate speeds can be obtained by incomplete depression of the accelerator pedal by action of TV pressure on the kickdown valve. Apart from these downshifts, other downshifts are speedresponsive only, TV pressure being removed from the shift valves on upshift. Servo system and TV pressure are both reduced in fourth ratio, the former being also increased in reverse, and regulated to constant values in these and other running conditions. TV pressure is increased to full-line pressure on 4-3 kickdown. The rate of engagement of a ratio establishing brake is controlled by a TV- controlled restrictor 562, and of a ratio establishing clutch by an accumulator 508, itself controlled by TV-loaded primary and secondary valves 466, 468. Three stages of speed-responsive pressure are used, two provided by a governor 287 with two centrifugal regulator valves, the third by a governor-amplifier valve 322. Engine starting is possible only in N and P settings. Gear arrangement.-The gear is the same as that in Specification 790,617, providing four forward ratios by two direct-reduced sun-ring trains B, F in series, and one reverse by compounding a third sun-ring train K with the rear train F. A main fluid coupling A is arranged between the trains B, F and torquesplits third and fourth ratios. In first ratio, reduced-reduced, a sun 26 of the front train B reacts on a one-way detent 54, so that its planet carrier, driven by an input ring 22, drives at reduced speed the impeller 14 of the main fluid coupling A, the turbine 16 of which drives, through an innermost shaft 64, a sun 66 of the rear train F. The ring gear 72 of the latter reacts on the casing through a drum 74, oneway detent 96 and controllable disc brake G, so that further reduced drive passes to the planetcarrier and integral output shaft 102. For second ratio, direct-reduced, the sun and ring of the front train B are bridged by filling a ratio fluid coupling D, the detent 54 overrunning. For third ratio, torque-split reduced-direct, the ratio fluid coupling D is emptied so that the front train reverts to reduced drive, and a rear disc clutch J is engaged, to provide a mechanical drive from the impeller 14 of the main fluid coupling A, through a sleeve shaft 58 and clutch J to the rear-train ring gear. The rear-train sun 66 receives a fluid drive, at substantially the same reduced speed as the ring, from the turbine 16 of the main fluid coupling A, whereby the rear train F drives direct and recombines the split torque. In fourth ratio, split torque, direct-direct, the ratio fluid coupling D is filled to bring the main fluid coupling A to input speed as in second ratio, and the rear train drives direct as in third ratio. For reverse a double cone brake L is applied to a ring-gear 106 of the reverse train K, which has planets carried by the output shaft 102 and a sun fast to the ring 72 of the rear train F. The rear oneway brake G is released to permit reverse rotation of the ring 72. The front train B drives in reduced, as in first ratio, the compounded rear trains F, K giving reverse, further reduced. Brakes.-In addition to the reverse brake L and rear one-way brake G, there are a front overrun disc brake E in parallel with the front one-way detent 54, and engaged for twoway drive in the front train B; and a rear overrun band-brake H in parallel with the rear oneway detent 96 and brake G, for two-way drive in the rear train F. The rear overrun brake H is applied by a piston 666 energized by a pressure line 664. The reverse brake L comprises a double cone 106 applied against a fixed cone by fluid pressure 594 supplied to an internally cored piston 122 in opposition to a diaphragm release spring 126. In park setting, P, the selector valve control applies a pawl (not shown) to teeth 512 to lock the output shaft 102. Fluid supply and regulating system.-Input and output driven pumps 56, 128 provide pressure for the clutch and brake servos, the fluid couplings A, D and a lubrication line, the latter fed through a pressure-relief valve 170 in the fluid coupling A. The input pump 56 is of the kind having rotating vanes in a casing 130, guided for radial eccentric movement under control of opposing fluid pressures 142, 144, one, 144, assisted by a spring 132, tending to increase eccentricity and hence delivery. The pressures 142, 144 are supplied from pump delivery 136 through drillings 524, 526 in the piston of a pressure-regulator valve 145 which supplies either line 142, 144 as required to develop the required pressure with minimum delivery. The regulator valve 145 is loaded downwards by delivery pressure 136 and upwards by a spring 528 to maintain a normal pressure of 95 p.s.i. in the servo supply main 136. In fourth ratio this is reduced to 65 p.s.i. by main pressure applied through the manual selector valve 180, line 538, kickdown valve 226, line 540, shift valve 430 and line 644, to act downwards on a differential land of the regulator valve 145. In reverse, R, pressure is raised to 195 p.s.i. by reverse brake pressure acting upwards at 594. Initially the spring 132 loads the pump-slide 130 to maximum eccentricity, in which position the slide shuts off a valve 148 in a delivery line 138, 160 feeding through a cooler, with by-pass 166, the supply 162 of the main fluid coupling A. As the pump 56 develops pressure, the line 142 loads its slide 130 to lesser eccentricity, permitting the valve 148 to open and feed the fluid-coupling. Fluid system components. Shift valves.- These are automatic 2-3 and 3-4 shift valves 400, 430, and a coupling valve 354, the lastnamed controlling filling and emptying of the ratio fluid coupling D, which is filled for the 1-2 and 3-4 shifts. The shift valves are loaded to the rightward upshift position by governor pressure acting on separate governor plugs, e.g. 440 for the 3-4 valve 430, and leftwards to the downshift position, shown, by TV pressure which is first modulated to a lower value by a regulator plug 448 before direction through a passage 580 to act on the shift valve 430 itself. The line 564 which feeds TV pressure to the regulator plug 448 is fed from the TV line 218 through lines 482, 566 and the shift valve 430 itself in its downshift position only. When, on predominance of governor pressure, the shift-valve upshifts to the right, it cuts off the TV supply 566 and exhausts the plug supply line 564, thus removing TV loading entirely from the shift valve. At the same time main pressure 616 now acts rightwards on a differential land of the shift valve 430 and thus ensures that the return downshift movement of the valve, by spring load only, occurs at a much lower speed than that of upshift. A double transition valve 342 controls shifts requiring simultaneous change in both gear trains and is actuated through a restrictor 622 by a pressure line 620 with unrestricted ball-valve exhaust 624. Governor valves.-The output-rotated governor valve 287 has two radially arranged centrifugal valves G1, G2, of differing mass, which regulate main pressure 136, 300 into two lines 304, 318 providing respectively Gland G2 governor pressures in different ranges. The valve G1 has a centrifugal assisting spring 296 to provide an initial G1 pressure of 5 p.s.i. with the output shaft stationary. G1 and G2 g