Abstract: A drive system for a tracked vehicle includes an engine carried in an engine housing and a transmission carried in a transmission housing. The axes of rotation of an engine output shaft, a drive transmission input and drive transmission output shaft are parallel to each other. Drivingly interconnecting the engine output shaft and the transmission input is a transfer gear carried in a transfer housing. The transfer housing is rigidly connected to the engine housing and drivingly engages the transmission input through a rotational coupling which permits radial and skew angular offsets between an axis of rotation of the transfer gear output and the axis of rotation of the transmission input to accommodate dimensional variation in the drive system components from ideal specified dimensions without stress.

Abstract: A superposition steering system for a track vehicle includes an infinitely variable steering drive unit integrated with an engine driven mechanical steering input drive to provide a reduction in the amount of power to be transmitted by the variable steering drive to only 20% of the total steering power. The system includes a steering transmission having five epicyclic differential gears and five shift couplings with the differential gears and shift couplings so connected that for shifting from one operating speed to another, in each instance, only one shift coupling is required to be opened and another shift coupling required to be closed. Because of the small number of shift couplings, operating reliability is increased and shifting between various stages can take place quickly to provide high vehicle maneuverability.

Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a torque converter interconnecting an engine and a speed change gear and a flow brake is drivingly positioned between the torque converter and the speed change gear. A rotor of the flow brake is driven from a drive train which includes a torque converter turbine and the primary side of the speed change gear. During a braking cycle, the speed change gear is downshifted by one or more steps to increase the rotational speed of the flow brake rotor and generate a high braking moment. Because of high rotor speed, the flow brake is relatively small. The torque converter includes a bypass clutch which is disengaged during braking to permit negative slip in the torque converter and prevent excessive engine speed. The total braking load is distributed over the speed change gear, the flow brake, the torque converter and the engine. In addition, an engine brake and vehicle mechanical friction brakes may be employed.

Abstract: A mechanical gear transmission between an engine and a load includes shiftable speed change gearing. Brakes or clutches are provided for shift synchronization when changing to different speeds. Positioned between the engine and the gearing is a main synchronization element such as a clutch. The primary segment of the main synchronization element is driven by the engine output shaft while the secondary segment drives the input shaft of the speed change gearing. During a gear shift under load, the main synchronization element is maintained in a slip mode for a longer duration than the gearing synchronization element and provides the major portion of the total synchronization work. In alternate embodiments, the main synchronization element is combined with a planetary gearing for speed reduction on a pair of planetary gearings for reversing direction. A further embodiment incorporates a microprocessor controller and sensors for monitoring various engine and transmission functions.

Abstract: A shiftable planetary gear train is driven by the output of a conventional vehicle transmission which engages a ring gear of the planetary gear train. The planetary gear train includes two shifting sleeves which are axially displaced as a unit. One of the sleeves is rotatably driven by the ring gear while the other sleeve is nonrotatable. In one shift position, the rotatable sleeve is brought into driving engagement with a planet carrier which drives an output shaft thereby fixing the output shaft relative to the ring gear. When the shifting sleeves are unitarily moved to a neutral position, the rotatable sleeve is disengaged from the planet carrier. Further displacement of the shifting sleeves results in locking the sun gear against rotation. This is accomplished by engagement between the nonrotatable sleeve and a spur gear which is fixed to an extension of the sun gear.

Abstract: A torque division gearing system is disclosed wherein two pairs of bevel gears are provided with each pair having a large bevel gear and a small bevel gear. One of the small bevel gears is arranged on an input shaft and the other small bevel gear is mounted on a second shaft parallel to the input shaft. Each of the small bevel gears drive the respective two large bevel gears arranged on a common axially displaceable shaft. The displaceable shaft is coupled by a gear stage to an output shaft.