Abstract: A steplessly variable transmisison system for a vehicle, having a belt-pulley type transmission. An input shaft of the transmission consists of first and second shaft portions. A sleeve member is provided and is slidably splined on the first shaft portion. A driven gear is provided on the second shaft portion which is engageable with the sleeve member by a synchronizer mechanism. A reverse gear mechanism is also provided, the reverse gear of which is engageable with an outer gear formed on the circumference of the sleeve member. The sleeve member is slid by a shaft fork to thereby selectably engage the first shaft portion with the second shaft portion through either the synchronizer mechanism or the reverse gear mechanism. By selecting the engagement through the synchronizer mechanism, a forward driving transmission is implemented, whereas, by selecting the engagement through the reverse gear mechanism, a reverse driving transmission is implemented.

Abstract: A flat-type torque converter wherein a toroid is formed of a turbine having a plate-worked turbine blade, a pump having a plate-worked pump blade and a stotor having a cast-iron stator blade, and a ratio L.sub.1 /(r.sub.2 --r.sub.1) of a toroid axial dimension L.sub.1 to its radial dimension (r.sub.2 --r.sub.1) lines between 0.67 and 0.87, a ratio r.sub.1 /r.sub.2 of a toroid internal radius r.sub.1 to its external radius r.sub.2 lies between 0.39 and 0.46, and the converter has a small axial thickness; characterized by that a wall thickness of the stator blade is made small so that an effective passage cross section inside the stator blade can be secured, a flow-in side tip edge of the stator blade is formed into a flat-shape, a core-side and a shell-side of the stator blade are formed by being twisted, and a core-side length of the stator blade is fabricated as long as possible.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive automobile has a driving system which includes a transversely oriented engine unit, a transmission having input and output shafts which extend transversely of the car body, an inter-axle differential gear mechanism, front and rear inter-wheel differential gear mechanisms, and a differential gear lock mechanism. The inter-axle differential gear mechanism, the front inter-wheel differential gear mechanism and the differential gear lock mechanism are arranged coaxially with one another. The differential gear lock mechanism is provided in a part of said inter-axle differential gear mechanism which is positioned at a side of the front differential gear mechanism so that the front differential gear mechanism is located between inter-axle differential gear mechanism and the differential gear lock mechanism.