Patent ID: RE41034

Claim:
A vehicle transmission system adapted for receiving inputs from variable and constant power sources for driving an output shaft comprising: a combining planetary gear arrangement having a plurality of members , including a ring gear operatively coupled to said output drive shaft, and operatively coupled to a rotatable shaft of said variable power source, and a rotatable shaft of said constant power source , and to said output shaft ; a torque transmitting arrangement coupled to a member other than said ring gear of said combining planetary gear arrangement and responsive to said variable power source for influencing rotation of said ring gear and said output shaft according to rotation of said shaft of said variable power source; and a clutch for selectively connecting the said constant power source with another member other than said ring gear of the said combining planetary gear arrangement for establishing a drive path between said constant power source and said combining planetary gear arrangement for influencing rotation of the said ring gear and said output shaft according to rotation of the said constant power source shaft ; wherein said system is operative in a first mode such that said ring gear and said output shaft are driven by said variable power source, in a second mode such that said ring gear and said output shaft are driven by said constant power source, and in a third mode such that said ring gear and said output shaft are driven by the combination of said variable and constant power sources .