Patent ID: 8449432

Claim:
A drive system comprising: a driven system comprising one or more output drives; one or more power units, and one or more multi-ratio transmissions, separate ones of the one or more multi-ratio transmissions being coupled at a transmission output to the output drive system and at a transmission input to separate ones of the one or more power units, wherein separate ones of the one or more multi-ratio transmissions comprising: a plurality of gear trains, each of the plurality of gear trains having a gear train input, a gear train output and an integrated clutch capable of disconnecting the gear train output and gear train input in an overrunning condition when the gear train output rotates faster than the gear train input, wherein separate ones of the plurality of gear trains having different gear ratios; and wherein the multi-ratio transmission shifts between separate ones of the plurality of gear trains engaging or disengaging the clutch of the separate ones of plurality of gear trains and modulating the speed of the coupled power unit.