Patents Examined by James Yates
  • Patent number: 4191285
    Abstract: An automatic wear compensator for the clutch friction faces of a diaphragm or Belleville spring-actuated clutch for an automotive vehicle to maintain optimum spring characteristics and uniform clutch release lever and bearing position through the utilization of a rotatable cam ring positioned on the backside of the clutch pressure plate and several levers pivotally mounted in slots in the pressure plate. One end of each lever is adapted to engage the clutch flywheel and the opposite end of the lever operatively engages a projection on the cam ring, with the spacing between the flywheel and the pressure plate determining whether the levers are pivoted to rotate the cam ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1980
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventors: W. Vincent Thelander, Sr., Terry K. Lindquist
  • Patent number: 4189962
    Abstract: A multiple speed gear reducer embodying the present invention includes a power input shaft and a power output shaft, a plurality of load sharing gear trains interconnecting said input and output shafts, and two or more reaction gears of different sizes coaxially arranged on the input shaft and operatively connected to the gear train or trains for producing relative rotation between said gear train or trains and the input shaft. A clutch for each of said reaction gears selectively restrains the gears to obtain a predetermined gear reduction ratio between the input and the output shafts. The reaction gears are mounted on separate, coaxially arranged sleeves around the input shaft and are controlled through clutches on the sleeves to obtain a selected gear ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Company
    Inventor: Jackson Chung
  • Patent number: 4186625
    Abstract: An improved reversible transmission employing a planetary gear train between an input and output shaft so that when the carrier of the planetary gear train is free to rotate and the carrier is coupled to the output shaft the input and output shafts rotate in the same direction and when the carrier is held stationary the output shaft rotates in the opposite direction to the input shaft. The carrier is selectively coupled to the output shaft through a two stage coupling the first stage of which incorporates a friction drive device and is initially engaged and held so engaged while the second stage is operated to provide a direct mechanical coupling between the carrier and the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1980
    Inventor: Alan H. Chamberlain
  • Patent number: 4181041
    Abstract: A dual path, dual range transmission utilizes two simple planetaries with a sliding shaft shift wherein a first ring gear is in constant mesh with the first planet gear, the second ring gear is connected with the first carrier and the second ring gear is also in constant mesh with the second planet gear. A variable speed device, drivingly connected with the input shaft, controllably varies the rotative speed of a variable speed control shaft which is connected with the first and second sun gears. The input shaft is also independently drivingly connected with the first ring gear and the second planet carrier, with the output shaft being connected with the first carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1980
    Assignee: Clark Equipment Company
    Inventor: Barry L. Frost
  • Patent number: 4163400
    Abstract: A differential including a housing having an internal surface defining a chamber, a drive gear secured to the housing externally thereof, a pair of side gears within the housing, a spider within the housing and between the side gears and extending into the housing at spaced locations on the internal surface, pinions journalled on and carried by the spider within the housing and engaged with the side gears, elongated recesses in the internal surface at the spaced locations, and noncircular thrust washers interposed between the internal surface and the corresponding one of the pinions, the washers being a size and shape to be tightly received within the recesses and about the sides thereof for a substantial distance to fix the washer against rotation relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventors: William F. Fisher, Paul C. Rosenberger
  • Patent number: 4163399
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus in which a crank shaft of an internal combustion engine, an input shaft of a speed-change mechanism and an output shaft of the speed-change mechanism are arranged in three parallel rows, the input shaft being provided at an end portion with a torque convertor drivingly coupled to the crank shaft. At least two gears are provided on the input shaft and are in mesh with respective gears rotatably mounted on the output shaft. The output shaft is provided at an intermediate portion between the two gears thereon with a shift member which is connected for common rotation with the output shaft but is slidable thereon in axial direction. Between each end surface of the shift member and a facing surface of the gear on the output shaft there is interposed a dog clutch comprising pins on one surface and pin openings in the other surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youji Yamada, Kunio Miyazaki, Masumi Hamane
  • Patent number: 4161126
    Abstract: A winch construction including a frame having a winch drum journalled for rotation thereon, the winch drum having a hollow hub. A bidirectional, rotary output, hydraulic motor is mounted on the frame and has an output shaft extending into the hub. A first set of planetary gears is contained within the hub and includes a sun gear driven by the shaft, a planet gear engaging the sun gear and journalled on a rotatable carrier, and a ring gear engaging the planet gear. A second planetary gear set is disposed within the hub and includes a sun gear, at least one planet gear engaging the sun gear and journalled on the drum within the hub and a ring gear engaging the planet gear. An axially shiftable face gear is coupled to the carrier of the first set for rotation therewith and a motor is provided for selectively axially shifting the face gear between positions engaging the sun gear of the second set and the drum within the hub. A hollow shaft is concentric about the motor shaft and extends within the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventor: James E. Winzeler
  • Patent number: 4157668
    Abstract: A friction speed change gearing of the type comprising a plurality of planetary cylindrical rollers which make a planetary movement along an annular space defined by inner and outer races and a spider member engaged among the rollers in a sliding contact therewith, wherein flexible bearing shoes are provided in the spider member for improving the lubricating oil film maintained between the engaging surfaces of the roller and the spider member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1979
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Fukuma, Yoshito Katou
  • Patent number: 4156481
    Abstract: A friction clutch comprising a driving and driven members to be operatively connected with or disconnected from each other by being axially pressed to or separated from each other, respectively.Both members are coupled through elastic damper means in engagement of the clutch to thereby provide cushioning service when the clutch is being engaged against an impulsive torque applied to the driven member particularly by a heavier weight of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1979
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Ishida, Hisao Murase
  • Patent number: 4152957
    Abstract: An automatic transmission including a fluid torque converter, an overdrive means and an auxiliary gear means, the overdrive means having a housing which presents a cylindrical outer peripheral surface concentric with the central axis of the transmission, the fluid torque converter and the auxiliary gear means having individual housings having a rear end portion and a front end portion, respectively, and presenting a cylindrical inner peripheral surface of substantially the same diameter as the aforementioned cylindrical outer peripheral surface and concentric with the central axis of the transmission whereby the transmission is assembled by engaging the aforementioned front and rear end portions over the overdrive housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Watanabe, Koujiro Kuramochi, Kiyoshi Ohnuma
  • Patent number: 4150737
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, for a vehicle having a transmission and brake means wherein hydraulic passage means connects a source of fluid pressure to a fluid actuated clutch, an improved inching valve interposed in said passage means for selectively reducing the hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch in proportion to the degree of actuation of the brake means in two successive stages wherein there is no direct initial mechanical connection between the inching valve spool and its actuating means whereby in the first stage of operation the solely hydraulical connection between the actuating means and the spool member positively restricts the operation of the improved inching valve to pressures below the maximum desired clutch slip pressure and wherein during the second stage of operation, the clutch pressure is further reduced to a minimum slip pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1979
    Assignee: Clark Equipment Company
    Inventor: Jon R. Patton
  • Patent number: 4148229
    Abstract: An overdrive device including an input shaft coupled to a fluid-coupling type torque converter, an output shaft coupled to a plurality of auxiliary transmissions each having one or more reduction gear ratios, and planet pinions which are supported by pinion shafts through the medium of two or more needle bearings positioned in a side-by-side relationship in the axial direction of the pinion shafts thereon, and maintained in mesh with a sun gear and a ring gear. The pinion shafts include lubricating oil passages running therethrough, respectively, thereby feeding lubricating oil to the needle bearings at a given pressure. The overdrive device is positioned between the fluid-coupling type torque converter and the auxiliary transmission, so that the size of the automatic transmission is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koujiro Kuramochi, Kazuaki Watanabe, Yukio Terakura
  • Patent number: 4145935
    Abstract: A multispeed reversible transmission shiftable under load having fixed rotation axes for a plurality of gears and respective clutches. The basic structure of the transmission comprises an input gear which forms a gear train for second and third gears each of which is rotatable upon one of the aforementioned fixed axes and is connected by a respective direction clutch (forward or reverse clutch) with fourth and fifth gears also rotatable upon the respective fixed axes and meshing with one another. These fourth and fifth gears are connected by first and second speed-changing clutches with sixth and seventh gears, respectively, locatable about the first and second fixed axes, an eighth gear being connected to the seventh gear and rotatable about the second fixed axis. The ninth gear meshes with the eighth gear and is rotatable about the third fixed axis and is connectible via the third speed-changing clutch with the tenth gear which meshes with the fifth gear but is rotatable about the third fixed axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Werner Herlitzek
  • Patent number: 4129047
    Abstract: A foot pedal control arrangement for the transmission and throttle of a vehicle employing a pair of pedals movable independently of each other in an initial range to control the transmission of the vehicle and movable in a second range to control the throttle and engine speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1978
    Assignee: Massey-Ferguson Inc.
    Inventor: Arthur E. Dornan
  • Patent number: 4128015
    Abstract: A device for storing power and providing for the controllable slow rate release of the stored power is provided. The device comprises a wheelwork fulcrumed to and carried by a pivotal lever, wherein the wheelwork is alternately operated by a motor driven pinion and by an energy storage member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1978
    Assignee: Autovox, S.p.A.
    Inventor: Rodolfo Cicatelli
  • Patent number: 4122727
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a toy or the like for imparting reciprocal movement to a driven member. In one toy application, the driven member comprises a sidewalk, and the drive mechanism imparts reciprocal movement to the sidewalk in either direction of movement of the drive mechanism. By designing the drive mechanism so that the sidewalk is moved in a forward direction at a slow rate of speed and in a reverse direction at a high rate of speed, it is possible to make objects such as toy people or animals advance in steps along the sidewalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1978
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Edward C. Teter
  • Patent number: 4116003
    Abstract: The trans-clutch torque converter of the invention includes a pair of parallel input and output shafts having pairs of interengaging input and output gears on the shafts together with pairs of idler or transfer gears positioned on the shafts between the other pairs of gears thereon and with hydraulic pressure fluid galleries being formed in the housing chamber and with the speed output of the converter being determined by the interengagement and relationship between the gears on the input and output shafts, the improvement comprising using special herringbone gears and side pressure vanes slidably positioned in the housing to move axially thereof for maintaining pressure engagement between the sides of the gears on the input and output shafts after wear thereof, and wherein the gears each have a recess formed in one side face thereof connecting to a hub opening to transmit pressure liquid to the support shaft and a pressure relief orifice therein to aid in controlling the gear interengagement and speed contro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Inventor: Ralph Franklin Walworth