Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This application is a divislon of application
Serial No~ 245,694, Eilecl February 13, 1976.
This invention relates to ~orque converter transmissions
and particularly to a transmission drive and torque converter
arrangement with axiaL thrust balancing oE transmission drive
gear axial thxus-t an~ torque converter hydrokinetic axial thrust.
The transmission has drive gearing and a torque
converter which provide substantially the same axial thrust
in opposite dlrections and are connected to the same shaft
to reduce the thrust load on the bearings supporting the shaft~
The transmission has an input shaft rotatably
mounted by bearings in the transmission housing, a hydrokinetic
torque converter mounted on and driven by the input shaft and
an input bevel gearset driving the input shaft. The
hydrokinetic axial thrust of the torque converter is transmitted
to the input sha~t and substantially balanced by the axial thrust
of the input bevel gearset to minimize axial thrust load on
the bearings supporting the input shaft.
The transmission has an angle drive input shaft and
bevel gearset driving an input sleeve shaft rotatably supported
on each side of the bevel gear on the input sleeve shaft by
bearings in an end wall and a central wall of the main
housing to ground axial thrust to the main housing. The
sleeve shaft extends through the end wall and is connecte~
to drive, transmit axial thrust and support the inboard wall
of an outboard mounted rotary torque converter housing. An
outboard fixed cover housing has its open end secured to the
main housing at the end wall, encloses the rotary housing, and
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has a central ground member rotatably and axially slidably ~`~
supporting the outboard wall of the rotary housing. The
torque converter has a bladed impeller on the outboard
wall, a bladed turbine adjacent the inboard wall connected
to drive an~output shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve
shaft and connected to transmit axial thrust to the sleeve
shaft and a bladed stator between the impeller and turbine
mounted on the ground member. The torque converter hydr~kinetic
axial thrust and the axial thrust of the bevel gear on the input
sleeve shaft are both connected to the input sleeve shaft and
ar,e substantially equal and opposite to balance axial thrust
load on the thrust bearing for the input sleeve shaft.
These and other features of the invention will be
more apparent from the Eollowing description and accompanying
drawings, wherein: -
FIGURE 1 is a hydraulic schematic of the transmission
and torque converter fluid supply;
FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view of the transmission;
FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view of a modified
transmission; and
FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the driven bevel gear
showing the driving and thrust forces.
Referring to FIGURE 2, the transmission housing 10
has a main barrel housing 11 and a cover housing 12. The main
housing 11 has an angle input drive annular housing 14
extending transversely relative to main housing ll. The angle
input drive housing 14 has an engine attachment flange 16 and
an annular boss 17 supporting the annular bearing support 18
for thrust, and rotary bearings 21 and 22 which support the
input sleeve hub 23 of input bevel gear 24, The input or engine
. _ _ _ _
shaft (not sho~n) i9 positioned in input sleeve hub 23 and 3
spline-connec-ted by splines 26 on the hub to drive bevel
gear 24 in the direction of the input drive arrow R. The
main housing 11 has a front end support wal:L 27 having a
bearing sup~ort por-tion 28 with a central opening supporting
radial and thrust bearing 29 for cen-trally supporting the
input sleeve shaft 31. The sleeve shaft, at the rear end, is
supported by bearing 32 mounted in a central opening in the
central support wall 33.
A threaded lock nut 34, on the rear end of sleeve shaft
31, engages the inner race of bearing 32, which sequentially
engages bevel gear 36, spacer ring 37, and the inner race of
bearing 29 against shoulder 38 on the sleeve shaEt to axiall~
locate these parts on the sleeve shaft. Input bevel gear 24
drives bevel gear 36 which is connected by key 39 to drive
sleeve shaft 31. The bevel gearset has its apex 41, or inter-
section of the bevel gear axes, pitch lines and input hub,
and sleeve shaft axes, and has left-hand spiral bevel gear
teeth to provide, when driven in the direction of the arrow,
bevel gear axial thrust in a direction from the driven gear 36
toward apex 41.
The front end wall 27 has an annular support member 43
secured by screws 44 to the wall ln overlapping relation to an
opening 46 in the wall for a pump housing 47. The support
member has a recess 48 to receive and locate a passage plate 4
and pump housing 47 in sandwich relation to provide fluid
passages between support member 43 and pump housing ~7, as
explained below. Screws 50 secure passage plate 49 and p~mp
housing 47 to support member 43. The pump 51 is a conventional
concentric gear pump with the internal gear 52 having a tang-
~5i~ 5
and-groove or spline-drive connection to sleeve shaft 31,
and the external gear 53 fixed to -the pump housing 47, and
having (FIGURE 1) inlet port S~ and outlet port 56. The
control and lubrication system drains back t:o the su~p 57
of main housing 11 and is pumped through int:ake screen 58
and suction line 59 to inlet port 54 and delivered by the
pump 51 to outlet port 56 and mainline porti.on 61 to a filter 62.
The mainline portion extends to the exterior surface of the main
housing 11 for connection to an external filter mounted on the
10 transmission housing 10 or vehicle. The mainline portion 66 ~.
from the filter returns filtered fluid to the regulator valve 67,
having a valve element 68 having equal-small-diameter lands
68a, 68b, and 68c, and a larger land 68d in a stepped bore 69.
Mainline 66 is connected at all times between lands 68b and 68c
and restricted passage 71 through the valve element 68 to the
chamber 72 at the closed end of the bore 69. A spring 73,
seated on the spring seat and guide and valve stop assembly 74
is located in spring chamber 76, which is vented through the
spring seat, and engages the valve element. The mainline pressure
20 is regulated by mainline pressure in chamber 72, acting on :
land 68a and moving valve element 68 against the bias of spring
73, to connect first overage to converter supply line 77 and
second overage to exhaust 78. A conventional forward line 79
is connected to the step between lands 68c and 68d to reduce the
regulated mainline pressure in forward drive. The converter -
supply line 77 has one branch connected to converter by-pass
or relief valve 81, and another branch connected to the converter.
The pressure in converter supply line 77 is limited at a value
less than mainline pressure by converter by-pass or relief
valve 81, and the excess fluid is returned by e~haust 82 to
the sump. The by-pass valve 81 may be located in support member
43 adjacent regulator valve 67 or in the sump 57, as only one
passage is required to extend to the by-pass valve. Sump 57
is at the lower portion of main housing 11 and has the intake
screen 58 submerged in oil. The suction line 59 is, in part,
a pipe to -the end wall 27 and, in part a channel line in
passage plate 49 to pump 51 inlet port 54. Pump outlet port
56 is connected through another channel line 61 in passage
plate 49 to a conventional filter boss (not shown) o~ the
exterior of the main housing 11, and re-turned by line 66 in
passage plate 49 to the regulator valve 67. The converter
supply line 77 is connected by the passage plate 49 to the
converter by-pass valve 81, and to transfer passage 83 which
consists of ra~ial passage 84 through sleeve shaEt 31, with
seals preventing axial flow along the internal and external
surfaces of the sleeve shaft~ At the rear of passage 84,
seal 86 on sleeve shaft 31 engages the inner opening of pump
housin~ 47 of wall 27, and seal 87 on turbine output shaft 88
engages the internal surface of sleeve shaft 31. At -the forward
side of passage 84, a transfer passage 91 has seals on both
sides of lock-up clutch apply passage 92 for flow through
transfer passage 91 from support member 43 to rotary converter
housing 93 to provide a seal. At the exterior of sleeve shaft
31, seal 94 on turbine output shaft 88 provides a seal at the
interior of sleeve shaft 31. Any leakage through splines 95
be-tween sleeve shaft 31 and torque converter housing wall
portion 97 and bearing 115 will flow to the chamber in the
torque converter rotary housing. Line 77 has a further
portion 96 e~tending from transfer passage 83 radially and
axially in the output shaft to the front end of the output
shaft~ This construction of line 77 provides a central internal
torque converter supply line ox passage having supply
transfer passage 83 located largely inboard of the main
transmission housing.
The outboard-mounted rotary torque converter housing
93 has a re~r clutch wall portion 97 drive connected by axially
movable splines 95 to the front outboard end of sleeve shaft 31,
and a front and outer wall portion 98 secured by screws 99
to the rear wall to form and enclose an annular operating
chamber. Outboard cover housing 12 has, at the open end,
an attaching flange 101 secured by screws 102 to the outer side
of main housing 11 at end wall 27 thereof. Cover housing 12
encloses the rotary tor~ue converter housing and has a front
transverse end wall 103. A ground me~ber 104 has a shaft
portion 106 extending toward, but spaced from, turbine output
shaft 88 and attaching flange 107 which is pilo-ted in recess
108 in end wall 103 and secured by screws (not shown). The
bladed impeller member I is formed on the inside of rotary
housing wall portion 98. The bladed turbine member T is
secured to turbine hub 114 splined to output shaft 88 to
transmit drive, but not thrust. The output shaft is rotatably
mounted in the input sleeve shaft of this same side input-output
torque converter. Bearing 115, between rotary housing rear
wall 97 and turbine hub 114, supports the turbine, hub, and
output shaft for rotation relative to rotary housing 93.
The bladed stator S is mounted by a one-way brake hub 109
splined on ground member 104 shaft portion 106. The impeller,
turbine, and stator conventionally define a toric operating
chamber. One-way brake hub 109 has an outer race 110 secured
to bladed stator S and an inner race 111 fixed by splines to
ground sleeve shaft portion 106 with rollers 112 therebetween.
5~ i~3~
One race has conventional cams cooperating with rollers 112
to prevent reverse rotation and permit ~orward rotation.
A thrust member 113 is fixed to the outer race 110 and has a
portion having opposite thrust faces between the turbine hub
114 and inn~r race 111. The thrust member 113 face contacting
turbine hub 114 thrust face has radial grooves, so there is
an entrance flow passage between the turbine and stator
hubs. Rotary housing front wall 98 is rotatably supported
and axially located by bearing 116 fixed to shaft portion 106.
A bearing support member 117 is secured by screws and a fastener
ring to the inner edge of front wall 98 and has a forwardly
extending seal sleeve portion 118 extending into an axial annular
sealing flange 119 on ground member 10~. There is a seal ring
between flange 119 and sleeve portion 118 to provide a torque
converter chamber outlet flow passage through bearing 116 and
between the exterior of ground member shaft portion 106 and the
interior of sleeve portion 118 and flange 119 to outlet line
121 through flange 107 and front wall 103 to pipe fitting 122,
providing an internal central outlet passage. From the fitting
122 a pipe 123 continues the outlet passage to the cooler 124.
The cooler outlet i5 returned by pipe 126 to the sump 57.
The seal sleeve portion 118, flange 119, and ground member shaft
portion 106 provide a transfer passage to transfer fluid from
the rotary torque converter housing 93 operating chamber to
stationary ground member flange 107 and cover housing wall 103.
The passage 127 in wall 103 and ground sleeve shaft portion lG6
provide an alternate torque converter supply passage which
would be supplied from torque converter supply line 77 iniwall
27 by a pipe passage externally of the transmission housing 10,
and the above-described internal torque converter supply passage
~ tt.~
with transfer passage 83 would be omitted. Also~ if the torque
converter requires that the supply be connected to the impeller
inlet, then an external torque converter supply pipe-
continuation of line 77 is connected to outlet passage 121;
the alternate supply passage 127 is an outlet connected by an
external pipe to the cooler 124; and the internal supply
passage 77 is omitted.
- The lock-up clutch 131 has a piston 132 in a cylinder
133 formed in the rear wall portion 97. The driven plate 134
is fixed to the turbine hub 114. The backing plate 136 is fixed
to,the rotary torque converter housing 93.
The gearing 137 (not shown in detail) is conventional, `~
preferably planetary power shift gearing, providing one or more
forward drive ratios and a reverse drive from the turbine
output shaft 88 to load or final output shaft 138. A conventional
fluid control system 139 is supplied by mainline branch 141 and
preferably automatically provides, in response to speed,
lock-up clutch apply pressure to line 92 to apply lock-up
clutch 131 and manual forward and reverse control and automatic
forward ratio control. The turbine output shaft 88 is
supported at the converter end by bearing 115 and at the end
driving the gearing 137 by bearing 140 in central support
wall 33.
When the engine drives the transmission input hub 23
and gear 24, bevel gearset 24-36 drives input sleeve shaft 31
and pump 51. The pump 51 supplies fluid from sump 57 at a
pressure limited by converter by-pass valve 81 through the
central internal supply passage, line 77, which is provided by
a channel in passage plate 49, transfer passage 84 through the
sleeve shaft 31, and passage 96 in turbine output shaft 88 to
-
the space between the adjacent ends of turbine output shaft
88 and shaft por-tion 106. Sleeve shaft 31, through splines 95,
drives rotary housing 93 and impell~r I to circulate fluid in a
toroidal flow-path (arrow), in the toric chamber formed by
bladed impeller I, turbine T, and stator S membe~s, and
turbine T drives output shaft 88 rotatably mounted in the
input shaft of this same side input-output torque converter.
The supply pressure and toric flow induces inle-t flow from
the space between shaft portion 106 and turbine output shaft 88,
a,portion of supply passage 77, through the entrance passage
or space grooves in thrust member 113 between stator hub 109
and turbine hub 114 into the toric flow-pa-th through bladed
stator S. Fluid exits from the toric flow-path through the
central internal exit passage between stator hub 109 and
rotary housing impeller front wall portion 98, and the outlet
passage having portions extending through bearing 116, the
transfer passage between the exterior of shaft portion 106 and
the interior seal member sleeve 118 and flange 119, passage 121,
to fitting 122, and then by external passage 123 to cooler 124
20 and passage 126 to internal sump 57. When the torque converter
is filled and operating, the entire operating chamber in the
rotary housing is filled and the pressure is equalized in the
toric flow chamber portion and between the turbine member and
rear wall~ as there is fluid communication across the outer
diameter of the turbine T and through the driven plate 134.
The thrust of left-hand spiral bevel gearset 24-36 on the gear
axis is when the driven gear is rotating clockwise, as viewed
from the rear, or the output end is from the gear toward apex 41,
and thrust bearing 29 provides the reaction thrust. The torque
converter thrust is transferred to the rotary housing 93 and
~ 3~
yrounded in both directions by thrust bearing 116 axially fixed by
a shoulder and snap ring to axially fixed s:haft portion 106.
Turbine member T thrust toward rear wall 97 is transferred
by turbine hub 114 and thrust bearing 115 to rear wall 97
and not to ~utput sha~t 88. All rearward thrust on rear wall
97 is transferred by rotary housing 93 to thrust bearing 116.
Splines 95, between rotary housing rear wal:L 97 and sleeve
shaft 31, permit sufficient relative axial rnovement so that
no significant thrust is transmitted between these members. :
0 Rear wall portion 97 and turbine forward thrust are transmitted
tq thrust member 113, Stator forward thrust is also transmitted
to thrust member 113, so turbine and stator forward thrust are
grounded through the inner race 111 and snap ring to shaft
portion 106. Stator rearward thrust is transferred by thrust
member 113 to turbine hub 114, bearing 115, and rotary housing 93.
The modified transmission shown in FIGURE 3 has many
portions identical and similar to FIGURE 2, so like reference
numerals, primed, have been used to identify these portions,
and reference to the above description is made for a description
of these portions. The following description points out the
identical, similar, and different portions of the FIGURE 3
transmission. The same fluid supply system for the torque
converter as shown in FIGURE 1 and described above is used.
The housings are the same, except for the outlet passage 121'
in cover housing 12' which is described below. The input member
23' bevel gearset 24'-36', sleeve shaft 31', and the bearings
mounting the input member and sleeve shaft in the housing are
basically ~he same, except that the left-hand spiral bevel
gearset 24'-36' is designed, has spiral and pitch angles and
tooth design to provide, when rotating clockwise, as viPwed
from the output (arrow R), a gear thrust (arrow GT) toward
the apex 41' and toward the converter to balance the net
converter housing 93' thrust (arrow CT) in the opposite
direction. The blade angles of the bladed members, the volume
and velocity of toric ~low, and the operating characteristics,
-the speed of the members, torque and torque multiplication,
determine the rotary housing thrust.
The ro-tary torque converter housing 93' is, at wall
98', rotatably mounted by a plain bearing 116' or needle bearing
and seal (not shown) which permits free axial movement and
th'us does not transmit axial thrust to shaft portion 106'.
The rotary housing 93', at wall 97', is rotatably connected
by splines 95' to sleeve sha~t 31' and has a spline sleeve end
abutting a shoulder 143 to transmit the large torque converter
rotary housing thrust (arrow CT) directly to the sleeve shaft
31'. The lower rotary housing thrust, which occurs during
overrun, is in the opposite direction and is transferred from
wall 97' through bearing 115', turbine hub 114', thrust member
113', and inner race 111' to shaEt portion 106'. Some o~errun
thrust in the opposite direction may also be transerred
from wall 97' through snap ring :L42 to sleeve shaft 31' to
limit transer of such thrust through the above path to the
shaft portion 106~o
The end wall assembly, consisting of housing end
wall 27', support member 43', channel passage plate 49', pump
housing 47', and pump 51', is identical, but the section of
support member 43' is different and shows some other passajge
portions, such as suction passage 59' and a passage to the
filter. The above-described passages in FIGURE 1 are
structurally located in both passage plate 49' and support
member 43'.
12
The rotar~7 housing 93', with regard to the converter
structure, and lock-up clutch 131', are -the sa~ne except that,
as described above, bear:ing 116' is a plain beaxing and bearing
support 117' does not have sleeve portion 118 to provide a
transfer passage.
Shaft portion 106' has an internal outlet passage 144
connecting outlet passage 121' to radial transfer passage 146
for communication with the exit passage between stator hub 109'
and wall 98'~ The closure or wall 147 in shaft portion 106'
10 blocks direct communication of the outlet passage with the
supply passage at the space between turbine output shaft 88'
and shaft portion 106'.
The operation oE the modieied transmission shown in
~IGURE 3 is similar, but has important differences, now pointed
out. Fluid is similarly supplied by the internal passages to
the toric flow-path, but exits through the exit space or passage
between stator hub 109' and wall 98' and bearing support member
117', to outlet passages, radial transfer passage 146, axial
passage 144 in the ground sleeve, to outlet passage 121' and
20 pipe 123', to cooler 124', and then is returned to sump 57'.
While the above-described, particularly with respect
to FIGURE 2 but also in FIGURE 3, in ternal torque converter
supply passages are preferred, the supply passage 77 may be
connected externally oi~ cover housing 12' to its end wall 103'
and contlnue as a pipe extending through passages 121', 144,
and wall 147, externally sealed to each wall where it passes
through each wall to supply the entrance space between the
shaft portion 106' and sle~ve and inner shafts 31', 88'.
The torque converter and the bevel gearset are
30 de~igned to provide substantially equal and opposite axial
thrust during maximum torque and power drive operation to
)
substantially reduce or eliminate hiyh thrust loads on the
main thrust bearing ~9'.
FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the driven bevel gear
36', showing the left-hand spherical bevel gear looking at
the near side of the gear as viewed in FIGUl~E 3 showing the
left-hand spherical bevel gear teeth center-line to illustrate
these terms and showing the driving force (arrow D) from the
driving gear which is the same as the direction of ro-tation
~arrow R) of the driven gear and the resultant gear thrust
(arrow G~).
14
