Patent GB-906276-A (GB)
Title: Vehicle transmission
IPC: B60K17/06
Filed: 1959-03-12
Abstract: 906,276. Variable-speed gear. BORGWARNER CORPORATION. March 12, 1959 [March 13, 1958], No. 8585/59. Class 80 (2). [Also in Group XXXI] A motor vehicle transmission unit for location at the rear of the vehicle at the opposite end to the engine (see Group XXXI) comprises an hydraulic torque converter, a planetary gear set and a differential gear for driving the vehicle wheels, the hydraulic torque converter comprising an impeller driven from the transmission input member, first and second turbines and a stator, the planetary gear set having an output member connected to the difierential gear, means being provided for connecting one element of the gear set to one turbine and further means for connecting the other turbine to another element of the gear set, there being brake means and a one-way clutch made effective thereby for completing an initial drive through the converter and gear set. The hydraulic torque converter 28, Fig. 4, planetary gear set 29, and differential gear are located within a housing 24. An input shaft 25 is connected via bevels 38 and 39 and shaft 40 to the impeller 30 of the torque converter 28 which also comprises a small turbine 31, a large turbine 32, respectively connected to shafts 41 and 42, and a stator 33 connected via a one-way clutch 44 to a shaft 43. A sun-gear 46 is mounted on a shaft 50 which may be connected to the shaft 43 through a friction clutch 53 or through a one-way clutch 51 which engages for a force on the stator 33 in the direction of rotation opposite to that of the impeller 30. A friction brake 52 is provided for the shaft 43. Planet wheels 47 meshing with sun 46 are mounted on a carrier 48 which may be coupled through a friction clutch 49 to shaft 42 and a ring gear 45 also meshing with the planets 47 is connected to the shaft 41, for which a friction brake 54 is provided. A gear 55 is mounted on the carrier 48 and meshes with a gear 56 which meshes with a ring gear 57 of the differential which also comprises bevels 58 mounted in the ring gear carrier 59 and meshing with bevels 60 and 61 of output shafts 26 and 27 which drive the road wheels through universal joints 23 and swinging half axles (not shown). For forward drive, brake 52 and clutch 49 are engaged, the stator 33 being held from reverse rotation through shaft 43 and one way clutch 44. The sun-gear 46 is also held through one-way clutch 51. Initially, the small turbine 31 drives the ring gear 45 through shaft 41 and thus the output gear 55 is driven through carrier 48. The speed of gear 55 gradually increases while the torque conversion by the converter 28 gradually decreases. Initially, the larger turbine 32 does not have sufficient torque applied to it by the fluid to carry the drive. As the speed of the vehicle increases, the fluid flowing into the large turbine is sufficient for it to drive the load which causes rotation of the sun-gear 46 and over-running of one-way clutch 51. Again the speed of the output member 55 increases relatively to the speed of the input shaft 25 until the torque conversion decreases to a point where the reaction on stator 33 reverses and the stator rotates in a forward direction, permitted by one-way clutch 44. The converter 28 now acts similarly to a two-element fluid coupling and no conversion takes place. To obtain a reverse drive, brake 54 and clutches 53 and 49 are engaged and brake 52 is released. Turbine 31 is held by brake 54 and shaft 41 under which conditions the fluid entering the turbine 32 is in the reverse direction and a reverse drive is applied to output gear 55 through shaft 42, clutch 49 and carrier 48. Simultaneously, a force in the reverse direction is applied to stator 33 which is transmitted through one-way clutch 44, shaft 43, clutch 53 and shaft 50 to sun-gear 46 and thus the stator 33 also applies a reverse driving torque on carrier 48 and gear 55. The stator receives its maximum force when the vehicle is just starting to move. The transmission is in neutral when the brakes 53 and 54 and clutches 53 and 49 are released. When the large turbine 32 is driving the gear 55 through shaft 42 and carrier 48, the engine will provide a retarding to supplement the wheel brakes when the input shaft is no longer providing power. Two stages of increased engine braking force for use on hills are described wherein (1) clutches 49 and 53 and brake 52 are engaged and (2) clutch 49 and brakes 52 and 54 are engaged.