Patent ID: 8303448

Claim:
A speed change transmission apparatus comprising: an electric motor or a stepless speed change device for receiving an engine drive; a planetary transmission device for, by a plurality of planetary transmission mechanisms, combining an output from the stepless speed change device and the engine drive not subject to a speed change by the stepless speed change device, or combining an output from the electric motor and the engine drive; a speed range setting device for receiving the drive combined by the planetary transmission device and producing a first speed range and a second speed range, the speed range setting device including a first clutch and a second clutch; a forward-reverse changeover device for switching a direction of the output from the speed range setting device; an upstream transmission case portion, the upstream transmission case portion having a rear end; a downstream transmission case portion housing at least a rear wheel differential mechanism, the downstream transmission case portion having a front end to be directly connected with the rear end of the upstream transmission case portion; and an auxiliary speed change device housed in the downstream transmission case portion for receiving an output from the forward-reverse changeover device, wherein the auxiliary speed change device is located downstream of the forward-reverse changeover device in a drive transmitting direction, the auxiliary speed change device extending between a rear end of an output shaft for outputting a drive from the upstream transmission case portion and a front end of an output rotator for inputting the drive from the upstream transmission case portion to the downstream transmission case portion; wherein a transmission case dividing line extends between the upstream transmission case portion and the downstream transmission case portion to define thereat a bonding face of each of the upstream transmission case portion and the downstream transmission case portion; wherein the forward-reverse changeover device includes a forward-reverse changeover clutch; and wherein the plurality of planetary transmission mechanisms has respective sun gears thereof coaxially mounted on a pivot shaft which pivot shaft also mounts thereon a rotating member of each of the first and second clutches of the speed range setting device and a rotating member of the forward-reverse changeover clutch of the forward-reverse changeover device; the planetary transmission device, the speed range setting device and the forward-reverse changeover device being disposed in the stated sequence from the upstream transmission case portion in an axial direction of the pivot shaft.