Ultrasonic transmission and reception apparatus comprising: a transmission circuit for generating a transmission signal at its signal outputs , an ultrasonic transducer which is set up to convert electrical signals into sound signals and to convert sound signals into electrical signals, a transformer , the primary side of which is connected to the signal outputs of the transmission circuit and the secondary side of which is connected to the ultrasonic transducer , and a reception circuit for processing a reception signal applied to its reception input , wherein the reception input of the reception circuit is connected to the transformer via an additional winding tap of the transformer , wherein the additional winding tap is inserted into the transformer in such a manner that the transformed transmission signal at the reception input of the reception circuit is amplified with a lower gain factor in its voltage amplitude than the transformed transmission signal which excites the ultrasonic transducer , wherein the transformer comprises, on the primary side , a primary coil having a first primary winding section with at least n windings, and wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first primary winding section and excites the transformer via n windings of the first primary winding section, characterized in that the transformer comprises, on its secondary side , a secondary coil having y windings which comprises a partial winding section with z windings, where z<y, the ultrasonic transducer is connected to the transformer via all y windings of the secondary coil , the reception circuit is connected to the transformer via all z windings of the partial winding section, and the ratio of the numbers of windings z and n is selected in such a manner that the maximum amplitude of a transmission signal which is directly transmitted to the reception circuit via the transformer does not exceed the dielectric strength of the reception circuit . a transmission circuit for generating a transmission signal at its signal outputs , an ultrasonic transducer which is set up to convert electrical signals into sound signals and to convert sound signals into electrical signals, a transformer , the primary side of which is connected to the signal outputs of the transmission circuit and the secondary side of which is connected to the ultrasonic transducer , and a reception circuit for processing a reception signal applied to its reception input , wherein the reception input of the reception circuit is connected to the transformer via an additional winding tap of the transformer , wherein the additional winding tap is inserted into the transformer in such a manner that the transformed transmission signal at the reception input of the reception circuit is amplified with a lower gain factor in its voltage amplitude than the transformed transmission signal which excites the ultrasonic transducer , wherein the transformer comprises, on the primary side , a primary coil having a first primary winding section with at least n windings, and wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first primary winding section and excites the transformer via n windings of the first primary winding section, characterized in that the transformer comprises, on its secondary side , a secondary coil having y windings which comprises a partial winding section with z windings, where z<y, the ultrasonic transducer is connected to the transformer via all y windings of the secondary coil , the reception circuit is connected to the transformer via all z windings of the partial winding section, and the ratio of the numbers of windings z and n is selected in such a manner that the maximum amplitude of a transmission signal which is directly transmitted to the reception circuit via the transformer does not exceed the dielectric strength of the reception circuit . <EOS>