Abstract: A rotary power transmission device including a hydraulic torque converter which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch system which also transmits rotary power between the power input and power output shafts, wherein the lock up clutch system includes a rotary shock absorber including a disk shaped plate element and two ring shaped plate elements cooperating with an outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element in an axially superposed manner so as to provide a rotationally cushioning assembly positioned in an annular space formed adjacent an outer peripheral portion of the turbine of the hydraulic torque converter, while the radially inner portion of the disk shaped plate element is rotationally connected to the power output shaft in parallel with and separately from the turbine, wherein the disk shaped plate is formed with through openings along a radially intermediate annular region thereof for transmitting fluid pressures therethrough.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes: a gear transmission mechanism which can provide several speed stages according to selective supply of hydraulic pressures from a control system; a hydraulic fluid pump; a torque converter incorporating a lock up clutch which is selectively engaged or disengaged according to selective supply of pressure; a line fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump and which provides a supply thereof, regulated to a line pressure level, to the control system; and a torque converter fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump, and which provides a supply thereof to the torque converter as a source of torque converter pressure for filling it with hydraulic fluid and for selectively either engaging or disengaging the lock up clutch, this supply of torque converter pressure being regulated to a proper level by the torque converter fluid pressure control valve, when the supply of hydr

Abstract: A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, selective engagement of which provides various speed stages from the gear transmission mechanism. A line pressure control valve produces a line pressure which increases from a base pressure by an amount proportional to engine load. A throttle pressure control valve produces a throttle pressure which is proportional to engine load. A shift valve selectively switches supply of line pressure to one of the friction engaging mechanisms via a passage, according to the operational conditions of the vehicle. A back pressure accumulator is connected to an intermediate part of the passage.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a gear transmission mechanism with first and second friction mechanisms which are alternatively engaged by alternative supply of first and second actuating pressures thereto when the highest speed stage and the next to highest speed stage are alternatively engaged, and a torque converter including a lockup clutch. A transmission control system includes a pressure control system which controls the gear transmission mechanism by selectively supplying those actuating pressures and possibly others, and a lockup clutch control valve which controls the engagement of the lockup clutch. The lockup clutch control valve is switched to its disengage position when it receives neither a first nor a second control pressure, and is switched to an opposite position by supply of either the first or second control pressure, this opposite position being an engage position for the lockup clutch if governor pressure is over a first specified value.

Abstract: A transmission has a gear mechanism which is selected between speeds by selective engagement of a brake including first and second friction plate elements. A piston is driven by pressure in a fluid pressure chamber so as selectively to squeeze the friction plate elements together and engage them. A return spring for releasing this engagement is mounted parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake in a cavity formed in the transmission housing, radially outside the brake, and biases the piston in the release direction. This allows the transmission to be axially shorter than when the return spring is mounted radially inwards of the brake.

Abstract: In a torque transmission apparatus of an automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle, a direct coupling clutch is provided in parallel to a fluid type torque converter.

Abstract: In a transmission for automobiles including; a housing containing planetary gear units respectively having at least three revolving elements, such as ring gears, sun gears and a carrier; an input shaft connected to one of the revolving elements of the planetary gear units, and an output shaft connected to another one of the three revolving elements of the planetary gear units and rotatably supported on the input shaft through the medium of a first antifriction bearing means consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller; the improvements comprising; a face of the input shaft substantially vertical with respect to the axis of the assembly, one of the inner and outer races of the first antifriction bearing means being adapted to engage the face of the input shaft; a second antifriction bearing means disposed between the input shaft and the housing so as to support the input shaft rotatably and consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller, and a pressure means screwed with the end of said inp

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a gear transmission mechanism with several friction engaging mechanisms. Selective supply of actuating pressure to these mechanisms selectively provides different speed stages from the transmission, including a directly connected speed stage and an overdrive speed stage. A driver operated manual selector valve can be set to several forward ranges including a "D" range, and produces a lower range pressure when any forward range except for "D" range is selected thereon. A kickdown pressure is produced when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed beyond a predetermined amount. An electrically operated pressure control device produces a holddown pressure signal according to operating conditions of the vehicle.

Abstract: A rotary power transmission device includes a torque converter, which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch between the power input and power output shafts, which includes first and second plate elements which can be biased towards or away from one another. The first clutch plate element is connected to the power input shaft. In a generally annular space defined between the outer part of the generally toroidal torque converter and the outer part of the second clutch plate element there is disposed a rotary damper which rotationally couples together the second clutch plate element and the power output shaft and provides a certain amount of rotary damping therebetween.

Abstract: A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, selective engagement of which provides various speed stages from the gear transmission mechanism. A line pressure valve produces a line pressure which increases from a base pressure by an amount proportional to engine load. A throttle pressure valve produces a throttle pressure which is proportional to engine load. A shift valve selectively switches supply of an actuating pressure to one of the friction engaging mechanisms via a passage, according to the operational condition of the vehicle. The actuating pressure is supplied by a fluid pressure control system which receives supply of line pressure and which outputs a pressure which, when engine load is medium, is approximately equal to line pressure, but which, when engine load is small or is large, is substantially lower than line pressure.

Abstract: In an automatic transmission for vehicles which has a fluid torque converter, a lock-up clutch for directly connecting the input and output members of the torque converter when pressure is supplied to its pressure chamber, and a gear transmission mechanism which has several hydraulic fluid actuated friction engaging devices for providing several speed stages: a control system which provides selective supply of pressures for actuating the friction engaging devices, which includes a system for manually selecting any of several desired shift ranges, several shift valves for selectively providing actuating pressures for the friction engaging devices according to the shift range selected by the manual selecting system and according to the balance between the opening of the intake throttle valve of the engine of the vehicle and its road speed, and a system for supplying pressure to the pressure chamber of the torque converter, when any one of several shift ranges is selected by the manual selecting device, only whe

Abstract: In an automatic transmission including sun gears, ring gears and a carrier for rotatably supporting a pinion on a shaft, the pinion being adapted to mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear; the improvements comprising a hub extending radially outside of the ring gear and having a friction surface in part of the outer peripheral wall thereof and external spline teeth provided in the other part of the outer peripheral wall, the hub being attached to the carrier; a friction element adapted to engage a cylindrical outer race fitted on internal spline-teeth of a transmission housing and the friction face of the hub; a plurality of first friction plates axially, slidably fitted on the external spline teeth of the hub; and a plurality of second friction plates axially, slidably fitted on the internal spline-teeth of the transmission housing, the first and second friction plates disposed one after another.

Abstract: A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission, which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, and which is shifted to various speed stages including an overdrive speed stage, a directly connected speed stage, and a reduction geared speed stage which is the closest speed stage below the directly connected speed stage, according to selective supply of actuating fluid pressure to the friction engaging mechanisms. The control system includes a governor pressure control valve, a throttle pressure control valve, a first shift valve for upshifting and downshifting between the directly connected speed stage and the overdrive speed stage, and a second shift valve for upshifting and downshifting between the reduction geared speed stage and the directly connected speed stage. These shift valves shift according to balance relationships between the throttle pressure and the governor pressure.

Abstract: A transmission for a motor vehicle including a fluid-type torque converter coaxial with and operatively connected to an auxiliary speed change gear assembly which includes coaxially arranged, operatively coupled underdrive and overdrive units and an output driving gear, the underdrive and overdrive units each having at least one planetary gear unit for providing a plurality of forward speed range drives including overdrive and reverse. A countershaft having gears at each end thereof drivingly interconnects the driving gear with a final reduction gear assembly. The driving gear is disposed between the overdrive and underdrive units and coaxial with the ring gear of the overdrive unit and is rotatably supported by a bearing mounted on an intermediate shaft drivingly interconnecting the carrier of the overdrive unit with the underdrive unit.

Abstract: A transmission for use in a motor vehicle having a torque converter; an auxiliary speed change-gear assembly coaxial with the torque converter; an intermediate shaft extending through the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; a countershaft extending in parallel to the intermediate shaft of the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; and a final reduction-gear assembly for transmitting a driving force from the countershaft to wheel axles. The auxiliary speed change-gear assembly provides a plurality of forward speed range drives including overdrive and reverse drive and has an output driving gear. A driven gear is mounted on the countershaft and meshes with the driving gear.

Abstract: A vehicular transmission including an underdrive unit and an overdrive unit each having at least one planetary gear system including a sun gear, ring gear, planetary pinions and planetary carrier wherein an axial extension member integral with the output gear of the underdrive unit and an axial extension member integral with the input gear of the overdrive unit are axially engaged to counterbalance the thrusts of the planetary gear systems. The transmission also includes structures within the overdrive planetary gear system and between the overdrive planetary gear system and gear transmitting output of the overdrive unit to the vehicle wheels for counterbalancing their respective thrusts.

Abstract: A vehicular transmission including an underdrive unit and an overdrive unit operatively interconnected by an intermediate shaft, each having at least one planetary gear system including a sun gear, a ring gear, planetary pinions and a planetary carrier wherein an extension member integral with the input gear of the overdrive unit axially extends around the periphery of the intermediate shaft and is operatively spline-coupled to the intermediate shaft. The transmission also includes bearings on the outer periphery of the extension member for supporting an output gear mounted for rotation axially between the underdrive and overdrive units; the output gear conveying transmission rotation to gears for driving the wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: An oil pressure control means for an automatic transmission for vehicles having a plurality of speed shift valves for changing over supply of oil pressure to a plurality of friction engaging means for establishing various speed stages, a manual shift valve for shifting speed ranges and adapted to selectively supply control pressure to the speed shift valves, and a downshift control valve for controlling supply of the downshift control pressure to a particular speed shift valve so that a downshift operation performed by the manual shift valve does not cause abrupt two stage downshifting from the highest speed stage to the next but one lower speed stage, skipping the next lower speed stage.

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.

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.