Patent ID: 7357744

Claim:
A hydro-mechanical, continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) for a vehicle or stationary equipment, said HMCVT comprising: a) an input planetary gear set comprising a first ring gear, a first sun gear, and a first carrier; b) a power input means coupled to a first one of said first ring gear, said first sun gear, and said first carrier; c) a main power output means comprising a main shaft; d) a first transfer gear; e) a second transfer gear, wherein said first and said second transfer gears are coupled to said input planetary gear set; f) a third transfer gear; g) a fourth transfer gear couplable to said main power output means; h) a hydraulic drive branch comprising a first hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic motor, and a hydraulic drive output, wherein i) said first hydraulic pump is of the variable displacement type; ii) said first hydraulic motor is of the variable displacement type; iii) said first hydraulic pump and said-first hydraulic motor are coupled to one another in a closed-loop circuit; iv) said first hydraulic pump is coupled through said first and said second transfer gears to a second one of said first ring gear, said first sun gear, and said first carrier for receiving power input to said hydraulic drive branch; v) said hydraulic drive output comprises said first hydraulic motor coupled to said third transfer gear; and, vi) said hydraulic branch is operable to produce a variable input/output torque ratio by varying the displacements of said hydraulic pump and said hydraulic motor causing said input and output means to rotate at selected relative speeds; j) a mechanical drive branch having a fixed gear ratio, a fixed input/output torque ratio, and a mechanical drive output, wherein said mechanical drive branch is operable to receive power input from a third one of said first ring gear, said first sun gear, and said first carrier, and wherein said mechanical drive output is operable to transmit output to said main output means; k) a two-speed planetary clutch system comprising: i) an input coupled to said main shaft; ii) a low gear range to increase torque at low output speeds; iii) a high gear range to allow for a higher maximum output speed; iv) a low speed clutch; and, v) a high speed clutch, wherein said low speed clutch and said high speed clutch are operable for shifting between the low gear range and the high gear range, respectively; and, l) a transmission housing, wherein said third transfer gear and said fourth transfer gear are operable to combine output from said hydraulic branch with output from said mechanical branch thereby transmitting a main power output to said main output means such that the percentage of mechanical power increases as the output speed increases with corresponding decrease in hydraulic power.