Patent ID: 7599778

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a) a layshaft coupled to an engine or motor, the speed and torque output of said engine or motor being managed by a control unit; b) an output shaft, parallel to said layshaft, coupled to a mechanical load; c) a plurality of pairs of meshed gears, each of said pairs consisting of a layshaft gear mounted fixedly on said layshaft, and an output gear meshed with said layshaft gear, said output gear being mounted rotatably on said output shaft; the first of said pairs providing a first gear ratio, the second of said pairs providing a second gear ratio, and so forth as required by the number of speeds provided by said transmission; d) a system for shifting from a previously selected output gear to a newly selected output gear, and for synchronizing the speed of said newly selected output gear with the speed of said output shaft, said system further comprising: a plurality of latches mounted on said output shaft; the first of said latches mounted between said pairs of gears providing said first and said second gear ratios, the second of said latches mounted between said pairs of gears providing said third and said fourth gear ratios, and so forth as required by said number of speeds provided by said transmission; every said latch selectively locking either adjacent output gear to said output shaft, or releasing either adjacent output gear from said output shaft; in every output gear adjacent to said latches, a plurality of slots, radially distributed along said gear's side facing said latch, said slots receiving and securing the ends of said latch as to lock said output gear to said output shaft; electromagnetic actuators to operate each of said latches; and, a computerized transmission control unit to command said latch actuators, and to synchronize, in cooperation with said control unit of said engine or motor, the speed of said output gears with the speed of said output shaft.