Patent ID: 7998019

Claim:
A transmission comprising: an input member; an output member; a first, second, and third planetary gear set each having a sun gear, a carrier member, and a ring gear, wherein the input member is continuously interconnected with the carrier member of the first planetary gear; a first, second, third, and fourth co-planar gear set each having a first gear intermeshed with a second co-planar gear set, wherein the output member is continuously interconnected with the second gear of the fourth co-planar gear set; a first interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the first gear of the first co-planar gear set with the sun gear of the first planetary gear set; a second interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the ring gear of the first planetary gear set with the first gear of the second co-planar gear set; a third interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the sun gear of the second planetary gear set with the first gear of the third co-planar gear set and the sun gear of the third planetary gear set; a fourth interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the ring gear of the second planetary gear set with the second gear of the second co-planar gear set; a fifth interconnecting member continuously interconnecting the carrier member of the third planetary gear set with the first gear of the fourth co-planar gear set; a first torque transmitting mechanism selectively engageable to interconnect the second gear of the third co-planar gear set with at least one of the carrier member of the first planetary gear set and the input member; a second torque transmitting mechanism selectively engageable to interconnect at least one of the ring gear of the first planetary gear set and the first gear of the second co-planar gear set with the second gear of the third co-planar gear set; a third torque transmitting mechanism selectively engageable to interconnect the second gear of the first co-planar gear set with the ring gear of the third planetary gear set; a fourth torque transmitting mechanism selectively engageable to interconnect the ring gear of the third planetary gear set with the carrier member of the second planetary gear set; and a fifth torque transmitting mechanism selectively engageable to interconnect at least one of the first gear of the first co-planar gear set and the sun gear of the first planetary gear set with a stationary element, and wherein the torque transmitting mechanisms are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish at least eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.