Patent GB-1489353-A (GB)
Title: Transmission assemblies
IPC: F16H61/02
Filed: 1976-03-04
Abstract: 1489353 Change speed gear and control GENERAL MOTORS CORP 4 March 1976 [12 March 1975] 08678/76 Heading F2D A transmission providing two and four wheel drive comprises a main transmission 36 driving the front wheels at two or more (three shown) ratios automatically selected in response to output speed, and an auxiliary transmission 36<SP>1</SP> driving the rear wheels at only the first forward ratio (or reverse), the control being such that when, in response to speed increase, the main gear 36 upshifts from first ratio the auxiliary gear 36 is automatically neutralized to discontinue rear wheel drive. Both transmissions include reverse and provide two-way reverse four wheel drive. Modifications, Figs. 3 and 4, not shown, provide alternative modes of four wheel drive according to range selection and to circuit modifications described at the end of this abridgment. In all cases the speed signal is opposed by a signal representing torque demand. General.-The front drive transmission 36 provides full-time front drive, with automatic shift by 1-2 and 2-3 shift valves 205, 230, responding to output governor pressure 122 and modulator pressure 123 responding to engine intake pressure on a modulator valve 120. A manual valve 150 provides ranges Drive, Intermediate, Low, Neutral and Reverse, the first two ratios being one-way in DR and twoway in Inter and Low. Detent (kickdown) is provided by a detent valve solenoid 306. The part-time rear drive transmission 36 is controlled in common with the front 36, but omits certain parts resulting in first ratio being automatically overrun on 1-2 upshift in the front unit. Various timers and accumulators, the latter combined with the ratio brake servos smooth the shifts. Gear arrangement.-The turbine shaft 28 of a torque converter, with fixed or overrun reactor, drives, through a chain 32, a main two train planetary Simpson gear set 36, providing directdrive, two reduced ratios and one reverse and driving, through an output shaft 81, the front wheels; and, directly from the turbine shaft 28, a similar auxiliary gear set 36<SP>1</SP> (all reference numerals primed), in which the intermediate brake on the common suns is omitted and the set is thus capable of providing only first ratio and reverse, to drive, through an output shaft 81<SP>1</SP>, the rear wheels. Both main and auxiliary gears include the usual forward and direct-reverse input clutches 44, 48, the former driving the input ring gear 47, the latter the common suns 71, 72; and a one-way brake 82, with parallel band-brake 79 for one- or twoway first ratio or two-way reverse; the main set 36 also including a brake for the common suns 71, 72 formed by a one-way brake 63 in series with a releasable disc brake 65 and in parallel with a band-brake 60 for one- and two-way second ratio respectively. In both gear sets the direct-reverse clutch 48 is applied by a stepped piston 54 by pressure in small and large chambers 55, 56, the former being used alone for direct drive in the main set 36, whilst, for the higher torque required for reverse, both chambers receive pressure, the small chamber 55 being filled by pressure received from the larger 56 through a one-way passage 57 in the piston in the main gear set 36, whilst both are filled simultaneously for reverse in the auxiliary gear set 36<SP>1</SP> which does not have direct-drive. In Drive and Intermediate settings of a manual selector valve 150, both first and second ratios are one-way, using brakes 82, 63 and the releasable second ratio disc brake 65, whilst in Low range first and second ratios are two-way using the band brakes 79, 60. Fluid pressure supply and regulation.-A single engine-driven pump 19, fed from front and rear sumps 85, 95, the latter draining into the former, supplies a main pressure line 120 at a pressure controlled by a differentially-loaded main regulator valve 90, spilling first to a line 110 feeding the torque converter and thence to a lubricating line 113, and next to exhaust 86, and loaded by a spring 100 and boost lines 117, 125. In DR setting of a manual selector valve 150 the boost line 117 receives, through a shuttle valve 116, modulator pressure 123 which reduces with increase in vehicle speed and engine intake depression over a range of 0 to 150 p.s.i., causing main line regulation to vary between 60 and 150 p.s.i., in normal driving whilst in detent (see below), detent pressure replaces modulator pressure in the lines 123, 117 causing the main regulator to regulate to an increased value, 70-150 p.s.i. In Intermediate and Low, the boost line 117 receives full line pressure through the shuttle valve 116 and line pressure 120 is regulated to a constant 150 p.s.i., modulator pressure 123 being increased to full line pressure in Low. In Reverse setting, the boost lines 117, 125 receive respectively modulator pressure 123 and line pressure, and main line regulation is increased to 150 to 250 p.s.i. Control pressures.-Governor.-Output speed responsive pressure 122 is provided by a governor 200 (not described) which is fed through a line 121 through the manual selector valve 150, which supplies line pressure 120 in DR, Inter, and Low and exhausts the line 121 in Reverse. Modulator pressure.-A differentially landed modulator valve 120 regulates modulator pressure 123 (0 to 150 p.s.i.) under pressurereducing loading by engine intake depression 182 and governor pressure 122 acting against a spring. Detent pressure ("kickdown" pressure, see below), when present, in a line 128, overcomes the regulating functions of the modulator valve to supply full line pressure 120 to the modulator line 123. For loading the main regulator 90 modulator pressure 123 is used directly but for shift valve loading two degrees of modulator pressure, i.e. modulator I and modulator II, are employed under detent pressure control, see below. Small restrictors 197, 198 between main, modulator, and detent lines 120, 123, 128 improve regulation. Detent pressure in a detent line 128 is controlled by a detent control valve 250 and aligned detent regulator valve 260. In normal (i.e. non- kickdown) drive condition in DR and Inter, line pressure 120, passing through a restrictor 306 and line 120a, maintains the spools of both these valves in the extreme left position shown, the detent line 128 being then exhausted through the Low line 124 and manual valve 150, and in addition the detent control valve 250 feeds modulator pressure 123 into modulator pressure I line 130. Energization of a detent solenoid 306, at full throttle, exhausts the line 120a permitting a spring 269 to move the spool 261 to a position in which it regulates line pressure 120, 121 to the detent line 128 at an intermediate constant 70 p.s.i., and the spool 251 to substitute detent pressure 128 for modulator pressure 123 in the modulator I line 130. In low setting the Low line 124 receives full line pressure 120 and feeds it unregulated to both the detent line 128 and the modulator I line 130. Shift modulator pressures I and II.-Both 1-2 and 2-3 shift valves 205, 230 receive their governor-pressure-opposing downshift bias from a modulator pressure II line 129 controlled by a 3-2 valve 275 which controls the downshift bias for 3-2 shift as follows. In all forward ranges in first and second ratios the 3-2 valve 275 occupies the position shown, in which, with the detent line 128 exhausting, modulator pressure I in line 130 is fed direct to modulator pressure II line 129. In third ratio directreverse clutch pressure 132 tends to depress the equally-landed spool of the 3-2 valve 275 against a spring and modulator pressure I 130. At low throttle openings the spool exhausts the pressure II line 129 at the detent line 128, removing the modulator downshift bias from the shift valves. At higher throttle openings modulator pressure I 130 is able to maintain communication with the pressure II line 129 to provide a heavy downshift bias, which is useful in pre-detent of the spring-loaded regulator spool 216, which regulates a reduced modulator pressure to between the detent and regulator spools 215, 216, producing a second modulator downshift load on the detent spool 215. In the rightward upshift position downshift bias is provided by line pressure 121 acting on the lands of the spool 206, giving main line hysteresis. Modulator II line 129 is blocked and its previously acting spaces are exhausted so that 2-1 downshift is independent of modulator pressure. For 2-1 detent downshift, detent pressure 128 acts between the spools 215, 216 disabling the regulating action of the latter and producing downshift at a higher speed than normal throttle downshift. After detent downshift the downshift bias is by detent pressure 128, now present in the modulator II passage 129, and, past the still disabled regulator spool 216 to differential lands of the detent spool 215, resulting in detent upshift at speeds higher than at normal throttle and operation. For detent operation both lines 128 and 130 have full detent pressure which is delivered directly to the modulator pressure II line 129 irrespective of the position of the 3-2 valve 275.  1-2 Shift valve 205 comprises a valve spool 206 communicating the second ratio brake line 127 and the 2-3 shift valve 230 with exhaust 210 in the downshifted position shown, or with line pressure 121 in the rightward upshifted position, to which it is moved by governor pressure 122 acting constantly. Aligned with the spool 206 are a detent spool 215 and a regulator spool 216 both these spools 215, 216 having lands decreasing in diameter stepwise to the right, whilst the valve spool 206 has lands increasing in diameter to the right. In the downshift position, shown, downshift bias at normal throttle is provided by modulator pressure II 129 acting on differential lands of the detent spool 215 and, through a passage 226, on the right end of the and higher than detent downshift, thus p