Patent ID: 8469847

Claim:
An apparatus transmitting torque among a first torque generative device, a second torque generative device and an output member, comprising: a first planetary gear set including respective first, second and third members; a second planetary gear set including respective first, second and third members, the respective first member of the second planetary gear set mechanically coupled to the respective first member of the first planetary gear set; the first torque generative device mechanically coupled to the respective second member of the first planetary gear set through a first input member; and the second torque generative device mechanically coupled to the respective second member of the second planetary gear set through a second input member; a first selectively engageable grounding device disposed between the second member of the second planetary gear set and a transmission housing, said first selectively engageable grounding device including a grounding state wherein rotation of the respective second member of the second planetary gear set and the second input member is prevented and a rotational state wherein rotation of the respective second member of the second planetary gear set and the second input member is not prevented, wherein the first selectively engageable grounding device is always in the grounding state when the first input member is selectively mechanically coupled to the output member at first, second, third, fourth and fifth ones of a plurality of fixed forward speed ratios.