Patent ID: 8366581

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a planetary gear set having a first, a second and a third member; a stacked planetary gear set arrangement having a first member, a second member, a third member, a fourth member and a fifth member; an input member connected for common rotation with at least one of the first, second, and third members of the planetary gear set; an output member connected for common rotation with at least one of the first, second, and third members of the planetary gear set; an interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the third member of the stacked planetary gear set arrangement with the first member of the planetary gear set; and at least four torque transmitting mechanisms each selectively engageable to interconnect one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth members of the stacked planetary gear set arrangement and the first, second and third members of the planetary gear set with another one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth members of the stacked planetary gear set arrangement the first, second and third members of the planetary gear set and a stationary member, and wherein the at least four torque transmitting mechanisms are selectively engageable in combinations of at least two to establish at least five forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.