Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A transmission comprising: a drive shaft; a driven
shaft; first, second, and third axially spaced planetary units
having a rotatable common planet carrier spanning the shafts;
said first planetary unit including a first sun gear secured to
the drive shaft, a first rotatable ring gear surrounding the
first sun gear, and a first planet gear journaled in the planet
carrier meshing with the first sun gear and the first ring gear;
first brake means for selectively braking and releasing the first
ring gear; first clutch means for selectively coupling the planet
carrier and the drive shaft together; said second planetary unit
including a second sun gear secured to the drive shaft axially
spaced from the first sun gear, a second rotatable ring gear
surrounding the second sun gear, and a second planet gear jour-
naled in the planet carrier for rotation independent of the first
planet gear meshing with the second sun gear and the second ring
gear; second brake means for selectively braking and releasing
the second ring gear; said third planetary unit including a third
and fourth relatively rotatable sun gears, a third ring gear
surrounding said third sun gear, a third planet gear journaled in
the planet carrier meshing with the third sun gear and the third
ring gear, and a fourth planet gear journaled in the planet
carrier meshing with the third planet gear and the fourth sun
gear; third brake means for selectively braking and releasing the
third ring gear; fourth brake means for selectively braking and
releasing the third sun gear; second clutch means for selectively
coupling the third and fourth sun gears together whereby the
driven shaft is rotatable at six different forward ratios when
the first, second, and fourth brakes are selectively braked and
released and the first and second clutches are selectively coupled
and released and whereby the driven shaft is rotatable at two
different reverse ratios when the first and second brakes are
alternately braked and released with the third brake braked.
2. The transmission as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
second planetary unit is coaxially behind the first planetary
unit and the fourth sun gear is located ahead of the third sun
gear and rearwardly of the first and second sun gears, the third
sun gear is axially hollow and the driven shaft extends coaxially
therethrough and is connected to the fourth sun gear, and the
fourth brake means includes a hollow portion coaxially surround-
ing the driven shaft and coaxially connected to the third sun
gear.
3. The transmission as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
drive shaft, the planet carrier, and the driven shaft are coaxial
on a fore and aft axis, the second sun gear is spaced rearwardly
of the first sun gear, the first clutch means is secured to the
drive shaft ahead of the first sun gear, and the second clutch
means is secured to the driven shaft behind the third sun gear.
4. The transmission as claimed in claim 3 wherein the
third sun gear is axially hollow and is spaced rearwardly from
the fourth sun gear, the fourth brake means includes a hollow
intermediate portion coaxially connected to and extending rear-
wardly from said third sun gear, and said fourth sun gear is
coaxially between the second and third sun gears and is secured
to the driven shaft which extends rearwardly through said hollow
intermediate portion.
5. A transmission comprising: a drive shaft; a driven
shaft; first, second, and third axially spaced planetary units
having a rotatable common planet carrier spanning the shafts;
said first planetary unit including a first driven gear secured
to the drive shaft, a first rotatable reaction gear surrounding
the first driven gear, and a first planet gear journaled on the
planet carrier meshing with the first driven gear and the first
reaction gear; first brake means for selectively braking and
releasing the first reaction gear; first clutch means for selec-
tively coupling the planet carrier and the drive shaft together;
said second planetary unit including a second driven gear secured
to the drive shaft axially spaced from the first driven gear, a
second rotatable reaction gear surrounding the second driven
gear, and a second planet gear journaled in the planet carrier
for rotation independent of the first planet gear meshing with
the second driven gear and the second reaction gear; second brake
means for selectively braking and releasing the second reaction
gear; said third planetary unit including a third and fourth
relatively rotatable driven gears, a third reaction gear surround-
ing said third driven gear, a third planet gear journaled in the
planet carrier meshing with the third driven gear and the third
reaction gear, and a fourth planet gear journaled in the planet
carrier meshing with the third planet gear and the fourth driven
gear; third brake means for selectively braking and releasing the
third reaction gear; fourth brake means for selectively braking
and releasing the third driven gear; second clutch means for
selectively coupling the third and fourth driven gears together
whereby the driven shaft is rotatable at six different forward
ratios when the first, second, and fourth brakes are selectively
braked and released and the first and second clutches are selec-
tively coupled and released and whereby the driven shaft is
rotatable at two different reverse ratios when the first and
second brakes are alternately braked and released with the
third brake braked.
6. A transmission comprising: a drive shaft; a driven
shaft; first, second, and third axially spaced planetary units
having a rotatable common planet carrier spanning the shafts;
said first planetary unit including a first sun gear secured to
the drive shaft, a first rotatable ring gear surrounding the
first sun gear, and a first planet gear journaled in the planet
carrier meshing with the first sun gear and the first ring gear;
first brake means for selectively braking and releasing the first
ring gear; first clutch means secured to the drive shaft for
selectively clutching the planet carrier directly to the drive
shaft; said second planetary unit including a second sun gear
secured to the drive shaft axially spaced from the first sun gear
for common rotation with the first sun gear, a second rotatable
ring gear surrounding the second sun gear, and a second planet
gear journaled in the planet carrier independent of and offset
from the first planet gear meshing with the second sun gear and
the second ring gear; second brake means for selectively braking
and releasing the second ring gear; said third planetary unit
including a third and fourth relatively rotatable sun gears, a
third ring gear surrounding said third sun gear, a third planet
gear journaled in the planet carrier meshing with the third sun
gear and the third ring gear, and a fourth planet gear journaled
in the planet carrier meshing with the third planet gear and the
fourth sun gear; third brake means for selectively braking and
releasing the third ring gear; fourth brake means for selectively
braking and releasing the third sun gear; second clutch means for
selectively coupling the third and fourth sun gears together
whereby the driven shaft is rotatable at six different forward
ratios when the first, second, and fourth brakes are selectively
braked and released and the first and second clutches are selec-
tively coupled and released and whereby the driven shaft is
rotatable at two different reverse ratios when the first and
second brakes are alternately braked and released with the third
brake braked.
7. The transmission as claimed in claim 6 wherein the
second planetary unit is coaxially behind the first planetary
unit and the fourth sun gear is located ahead of the third sun
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gear and rearwardly of the first and second sun gears, the third
sun gear is axially hollow and the driven shaft extends coaxially
therethrough and is connected to the fourth sun year, and the
fourth brake means includes a hollow portion coaxially surround-
ing the driven shaft and coaxially connected to the third sun
gear.
8. The transmission as claimed in claim 6 wherein the
drive shaft, the planet carrier, and the driven shaft are coaxial
on a fore and aft axis, the second sun gear is spaced rearwardly
of the first sun gear, the first clutch means is secured to the
drive shaft ahead of the first sun gear, and the second clutch
means is secured to the driven shaft behind the third sun gear.
9. The transmission as claimed in claim 8 wherein the
third sun gear is axially hollow and is spaced rearwardly from
the fourth sun gear, the fourth brake means includes a hollow
intermediate portion coaxially connected to and extending rear-
wardly from said third sun gear, and said fourth sun gear is
coaxially between the second and third sun gears and is secured
to the driven shaft which extends rearwardly through said hollow
intermediate portion.
10. A transmission comprising: a drive shaft; a driven
shaft; first, second, and third axially spaced planetary units
having a rotatable common planet carrier spanning the shafts;
said first planetary unit including a first driven gear secured
to the drive shaft, a first rotatable reaction gear surrounding
the first driven gear, and a first planet gear journaled on the
planet carrier meshing with the first driven gear and the first
reaction gear; first brake means for selectively braking and
releasing the first reaction gear; first clutch means secured to
the drive shaft for selectively clutching the planet carrier
directly to the drive shaft; said second planetary unit including
a second driven gear secured to the drive shaft axially spaced
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Claim 10 continued
from the first driven gear for common rotation with the first
driven gear, a second rotatable reaction gear surrounding the
second driven gear, and a second planet gear journaled in the
planet carrier independent of and offset from the first planet
gear meshing with the second driven gear and the second reaction
gear; second brake means for selectively braking and releasing
the second reaction gear; said third planetary unit including a
third and fourth relatively rotatable driven gears, a third
reaction gear surrounding said third driven gear, a third planet
gear journaled in the planet carrier meshing with the third
driven gear and the third reaction gear, and a fourth planet gear
journaled in the planet carrier meshing with the third planet
gear and the fourth driven gear; third brake means for selec-
tively braking and releasing the third reaction gear; fourth
brake means for selectively braking and releasing the third
driven gear; second clutch means for selectively coupling the
third and fourth driven gears together whereby the driven shaft
is rotatable at six different forward ratios when the first,
second, and fourth brakes are selectively braked and released and
the first and second clutches are selectively coupled and
released and whereby the driven shaft is rotatable at two differ-
ent reverse ratios when the first and second brakes are alter-
nately braked and released with the third brake braked.
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