Patent ID: 8920281

Claim:
A transmission comprising: an input member; an output member; first, second, third and fourth planetary gear sets each having first, second and third members; four interconnecting members continuously interconnecting a member of the first, second, third and fourth planetary gear sets with another member of the first, second, third and fourth planetary gear sets; and six torque transmitting mechanisms, wherein three of the six torque transmitting mechanisms are each selectively engageable to interconnect at least one of the first, second and third members of one of the planetary gear sets with at least one other of the first, second, third members of another planetary gear set and another three of the six torque transmitting mechanisms are each selectively engageable to interconnect at least one of the first, second and third members of one of the planetary gear sets with a stationary member, and wherein the six torque transmitting mechanisms are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish a plurality of forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member, a first of the six torque transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to interconnect the first member of the first planetary gear set and the first member of the third planetary gear set with the input member and the second member of the fourth planetary gear set, a second of the six torque transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to interconnect the third member of the first planetary gear set and the first member of the second planetary gear set with the second member of the third planetary gear set and the third member of the fourth planetary gear set, a third of the six torque transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to interconnect the second member of the second planetary gear set with the second member of the third planetary gear set and the third member of the fourth planetary gear set, a fourth of the six torque transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to interconnect the first member of the fourth planetary gear set with the stationary member, and a fifth of the six torque transmitting mechanisms is selectively engageable to interconnect the third member of the second planetary gear set and the third member of the third planetary gear set with the stationary member.