Abstract: An engaging apparatus is provided that includes: outer and inner support members having respective splines that are opposed to each other in a radial direction thereof, and being rotatable relative to each other; a plurality of outer friction plates engaging with the spline of the outer support member; a plurality of inner friction plates alternately superposed on the outer friction plates and engaging with the spline of the inner support member; and a hydraulic piston mechanism for compressing a stack of the outer and inner friction plates. A spring member is inserted between circumferentially opposed faces of a driven set of the friction plates and a spline of the corresponding support member. The spring member is formed by bending an elastic material at an axially intermediate point thereof to have a long side and a short side with a circumferential spacing left therebetween.

Abstract: According to the clutching device of the present invention, a flexible member, which uniformly forces a plurality of friction plates almost in the circumferential direction, is inserted between edge faces, of fixed friction plates, to which no load is applied at the time of engagement, and a spline face that is opposite to the edge faces. The insertion position is selected at such a location where the rotational direction of a rotary body is diagonally upward and toward the center. Since a load on and a degree of distortion of the flexible member are small, the flexible member can be compactly made and can have a simple design, and the mounting structure on the spline side is also simpler.The clutching device with this structure effectively prevents the vibration of friction plates, requires only a small number of components. And additional components are easily installed and removed.

Abstract: A bearing structure for an output shaft of an automatic transaxle employs a ball bearing, radial needle bearing and a thrust needle bearing in combination. The ball bearing and the radial needle bearing radially support the output shaft. On the other hand, the thrusting load to be exerted on the output shaft when it is driven by an output torque of the engine is received by the thrust needle bearing, and relatively small thrusting torque in reverse direction is received by the ball bearing. The ball bearing is provided on a side cover which is fixed to a transaxle casing. The radial thrust bearing is radially supported by the inner periphery of an output retainer. The thrust needle bearing is oriented at the opposite side to the ball bearing with respect to the output gear. A generally cylindrical retainer body having an axial end mating with a wall section of a transmission casing has a cylindrical projection extending from the axial end adjacent an inner circumferential edge.