Abstract: The gear shift mechanism according to this invention includes a selector shaft, rotatable by means of a shift lever for selecting various gear shift channels and axially displaceable for engaging the selected gear. The selector shaft carries a shift finger for engagement with the selector forks in the respective gear shift channels and a selector finger, which engages the slots of an internal shift gate to constrain the movement of the selector shaft. To prevent inadvertent engagement of the reverse gear, a pawl is rotatably mounted on the selector finger and is held by a spring biased detent in one of two stable angular positions, which are aligned with and perpendicular to the direction of the gear shift channels. A stop and at least one control pin are provided on the gate plate to cooperate with the pawl.

Abstract: A four wheel drive for a wheeled vehicle wherein the driver of the vehicle has the option of establishing a front wheel drive, a rear wheel drive, four wheel drive and four wheel lockup drive including multiple ratio gearing, a main geared differential and an interaxle geared differential.

Abstract: A creeper speed mechanism includes a speed reduction gearset driven by an engine through selectively engaged, hydraulically actuated clutches, which are pressurized and vented alternately to produce a high speed ratio and a low speed ratio gear reduction between the engine and the creeper speed mechanism. A coupler connects alternately the creeper speed mechanism and the engine to the transmission input shaft in accordance with the position of a shift rail slidably mounted within the transmission casing. The hydraulic system that actuates the clutches pressurizes a cylinder and moves the shift rail and coupler to engage the creeper speed mechanism. A compression spring moves the coupler away from the creeper speed mechanism and toward engagement with the clutch output. The clutches are vented each time the coupler is moved to a neutral position out of engagement with the creeper speed mechanism and the clutch output.

Abstract: A selector shaft return guide for a multiple speed automotive transmission includes a selector shaft for selecting the gear shift channel; a lever member rotatably fixed to the selector shaft; a holding member axially displaceable relative to the selector shaft and fixed rotatably to the casing; and a spring that forces the holding member against the lever. The lever member is formed with two tracks, offset angularly and having a depth that varies in a peripheral direction. Balls located in the tracks between the holding member and the lever member travel within the groove against the force produced by the spring that urges the selector shaft to return to the neutral position.

Abstract: In a manual power transmission for automotive vehicles, a gear noise suppressor and vibration isolator includes elastomeric sleeve preferably fitted within several holes through the thickness of the gear wheel, angularly spaced about the axis of the wheel. The spacers define a space within which a metal sleeve is inserted and the sleeve defines a central bore through which a pin is fitted. A load plate located adjacent an end face of gear wheel has teeth formed on its outer periphery which are adapted to mesh with the teeth of an input pinion with which the gear wheel is continuously engaged. Pins having a headed end that abuts the load plate hold the plate in contact with the elastomeric sleeves and prevent contact of the load plate against the gear wheel. The sleeves resiliently deflect and permit engagement of the load plate and gear wheel with the drive pinion.

Abstract: A coupling for connecting hydraulic conduits includes a tube formed with multiple depressions that are angularly and axially mutually spaced on the surface of the tube, a spring latch having a corresponding pattern of multiple protrusions adapted to fit within the depression of the tube, a connector body permanently mechanically connected to one of the hydraulic conduits defining a recess into which is fitted an O-ring, and a bar adapted to be locked on the spring latch. The O-ring provides a hydraulic seal between the conduits. The latch includes an inclined surface with which the bar makes contact and by means of which the latch is deflected as the conduits are forced axially together. When the bar clears the apex of the inclined surface, it becomes locked within a recess on the upper surface of the latch preventing axial disconnection of the conduits.

Abstract: An automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle that transmits torque from an engine crankshaft to an outlet shaft includes a first clutch whose engagement driveably connects the engine directly to the output shaft and a second clutch whose engagement connects the engine to a countershaft on which a gear wheel having multiple pinions is formed. The output shaft has multiple forward drive output gears and a reverse output gear journalled on its outer surface. The countershaft has a forward drive pinion in continuous meshing engagement with a forward drive output gear, which is selectively connected to the output shaft by a synchronizer or coupler. A reverse idler gear wheel is in continuous engagement with the forward drive output pinion and with a reverse drive output gear that is connected to the output shaft by the synchronizer. A second synchronizer or coupler driveably connects selected forward drive gears to the output shaft.

Abstract: A control valve system for a continuously variable belt transmission for an internal combustion engine comprising a main control valve acted upon by a force related to the transmission ratio and the rotational speed of the primary shaft, a transmission ratio control valve acted upon by a force related to the desired calibrated rotational speed of the engine and of the primary shaft, and an auxiliary valve connected mechanically to the transmission ratio control valve, the auxiliary valve (15) being acted upon by means of an electromagnetic pressure regulator (21) as a function of a selected characteristic relationship of desired rotational speeds for different operating conditions in an electronic control unit.

Abstract: A tractor transmission includes a pair of dual power clutches that connects an engine to an input shaft through a gearset that selectively makes a direct connection or overdrives the shaft in accordance with the engaged or disengaged state of the clutches. A synchronizer connects the input shaft to an interior shaft of the transmission. A gear selector moves the sleeve of the synchronizer into engagement either with a gear on the input shaft or a gear on the interior shaft. When certain upshifts are made, the gear selector causes the clutch that overdrives the input shaft gear to disengage and the clutch that directly connects the input shaft gear to the engine to engage. This action slows the gear toward the synchronous speed at which the synchronizer connects the input gear to the interior shaft with minimal shifting effort.

Abstract: A spot weld controller includes a current transformer, a current amplitude detector, a keypad data entry, a solenoid, an air valve and pneumatic cylinder, welding electrodes, a connection to an electric power supply, a source of pressurized air, and programmed logic that controls the sequential operation of the equipment. The controller performs a weld cycle that includes a preheat period, during which inorganic material that bonds metal laminas together is heated and forced away from the electrodes, and a weld period, during which electric current at welding amplitude produces the weld after the metal lamina contact one another.

Abstract: A cable length adjusting device includes a housing fixed in position against longitudinal displacement and formed with a surface having multiple teeth, an adjuster fitted within the hole of the housing and formed with teeth along its length that can engage the teeth of the housing, a compression spring that biases the adjuster away from the housing, a retainer that limits the amount of longitudinal movement of the adjuster relative to the housing due to the effect of the spring, a locking mechanism that pivots the adjuster on the surfaces of the housing hole so that the teeth of the adjuster and housing are brought into engagement, a conduit fixed to the adjuster and a cable core supported within the conduit and adapted for attachment at each of its ends to a pivotally mounted lever.

Abstract: A control valve system for an automatic transmission having a hydrokinetic torque converter, a lockup clutch in the torque converter for mechanically bypassing the hydrokinetic torque flow path, speed and torque responsive valves for effecting ratio changes in the transmission, a bypass clutch control valve for engaging and disengaging the lockup clutch and a converter bypass valve for triggering operation of the bypass clutch control valve, the bypass clutch control valve being responsive to input torque and speed.

Abstract: A cable assembly for transferring motion between two pivotally mounted levers includes a mounting bracket for fixing the device against movement, a sleeve formed with grooves or teeth on its outer surface, an adjustment lock mechanism including a clip adapted to engage the teeth on the sleeve, and a spring that resiliently biases the sleeve away from a housing formed with a bore into which the sleeve, a conduit and a cable extend. The cable length is adjusted by applying tension to the cable, which forces the conduit and the sleeve to move in the direction of the tension force. The clip is then moved into engagement with the teeth of the sleeve to fix the length of the cable assembly to a desired length.

Abstract: Multiple-speed, hydrokinetic-mechanical change-speed gearbox controlled by an hydraulic control valve system for a motor vehicle comprising multiple ratio gearing and a simple planetary gear unit located between the hydrokinetic portion and the multiple ratio gearing.

Abstract: In a transmission unit for motor vehicles with a continuously variable traction member transmission and forward-reverse planetary gearing associated therewith, the engine crankshaft being disposed approximately in the longitudinal median plane of the vehicle and directly connected or is connected by way of a hydrokinetic torque converter (3) to the input member (8) of the forward-reverse planetary gearing (7) and the output member thereof being disposed at the driving end and connected by first fixed gearing 15 and 16 to a primary shaft (18) which is connected by way of the traction member (21) to a secondary shaft (24) disposed laterally at approximately the same level as the primary shaft, the secondary shaft (24) being connected by way of second fixed gearing 26 and 27 to the driven shaft (28) which is disposed approximately in the longitudinal median plane of the vehicle.

Abstract: A gear shift control mechanism for a manual transmission having multiple shift rails slideably mounted on the transmission casing and carrying shift forks for moving synchronizer clutches into engagement with the gears of the various speed ratios of the transmission includes a shift lever supported pivotally for movement both parallel to the axis of the shift rods and perpendicular to the axis of the shift rods. Pivotal movement to the shift rods brings interlock flanges into engagement with the shift forks that are not selected for engagement by the vehicle operator and prevent these shift forks from moving. When certain selected shift forks are engaged, spring arms resiliently bias the shift assembly toward the three-four shift plane. Pivotal movement of the assembly in one angular direction is limited in one plane by bearing contact between the shift lever and the interlock flanges and in the other plane by contact between the interlock flanges and the outer surface of the shift forks.

Abstract: The transfer case of a vehicle that can be driven in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive includes a range speed transmission driveably connected to the output of a multiple speed ratio transmission and adapted to drive the transfer case output shaft. A drive sprocket journalled on the output case is driveably connected by a chain belt to a driven sprocket that is connected to the front driveshaft. The front axle has a differential that transmits power from the front driveshaft to left and right axleshafts when four-wheel drive is selected. Automatic locking hubs driveably connect the front axleshafts to the front wheel assemblies and are adapted to automatically disengage when the front wheels rotate opposite the direction that produced engagement of the locking hubs. The drive sprocket is accelerated from rest to the speed of the output shaft of the transfer case through operation of a magnetic clutch or hydraulic coupling.

Abstract: A clutch pressure control valve for a hydraulically actuated friction clutch which includes a valve spool 5 disposed within a valve bore and having two control collars 6 and 7. The spool is acted upon at one end by a linear compression spring 8 and a speed dependent pressure signal, the spool serving to regulate the clutch pressure by regulating the free cross section at an outlet port disposed between its control collars. To avoid the second order variation of the clutch pressure with speed, the control collars 6 and 7 of the valve spool 5 have two different diameters and the spool 5 is disposed within a stepped bore 2, 3 and 4. The end of the linear compression spring 8, remote from the valve spool 5, abuts a reaction piston 9, which is disposed within the valve bore and is acted upon on one side by the speed dependent pressure signal and on the other side by a second, non-linear compression spring 11, which is compressed between the reaction 9 and a shoulder 12 in the valve bore.

Abstract: An automatic transaxle for use in an automotive vehicle driveline including a compound planetary gearset, a hydrokinetic unit and a torque splitter gear unit that cooperate to define torque delivery paths from the vehicle engine to a driven shaft; the driven shaft being located between the hydrokinetic unit and the compound planetary gearing and the torque splitter gear unit being located within the housing for the hydrokinetic unit; and clutch-and-brake means for establishing and disestablishing each of the forward driving ratios and the reverse drive ratio, the clutch-and-brake means being arranged in a compact fashion within the housing for the compound planetary gearing to provide a minimum axial length of the assembly; the driven shaft being connected drivably to the vehicle traction wheels through a differential gearing mechanism; the hydrokinetic unit, the gearing and the differential mechanism being enclosed in a common cast housing.

Abstract: A control valve system for a four speed automatic transmission wherein a single valve mechanism acts in combination with a 2-3 shift valve, a 3-4 shift valve and a torque sensor throttle valve to control heavy throttle 2-3 upshifts, light throttle 2-3 upshifts, light throttle 3-4 upshifts, heavy throttle 3-4 upshifts, heavy throttle 3-2 downshifts and coasting downshifts to provide maximum smoothness in the engagement and release of fluid pressure operated ratio control servos.