Abstract: A device for holding the position of the gear shift lever of a manual transmission includes a first packing member located on the dome of the mounting for the gear shift lever and having a radial slot located between resilient holding tongues. A second packing member, engaged with the first packing, includes a radial slot brought into and out of alignment with the slot of the first packing member by rotation through a predetermined angular range.

Abstract: A gear shift mechanism for a manual transmission includes a shaft axially movable for selecting shift planes and rotatable for engaging the gears defining the shift planes. The shaft is held in a reference shift plane by two helical springs. A finger, fixed to the shaft, carries a cam defining detent surfaces engaged by a spring-loaded catch stud. Shift fork rods support shift forks which have arms formed with grooves extending toward a locking plate that is moved axially along the shaft by the shift finger. The locking plate blocks engagement grooves of the unselected shift forks.

Abstract: A variable speed ratio manual transmission includes two intermediate shafts straddling an output shaft that is coaxial with an input shaft; each intermediate shaft and the output shaft carries a synchronizer coupling. Each shaft carries at least one journalled pinion and has at least one pinion drivably connected to the shaft. The gear selector mechanism includes a shift rail having a selector finger angularly movable with respect to shift forks. A check plate locked against axial displacement prevents movement of the unselected shift forks. Shift rail motion is transmitted to the selected shift forks of the intermediate shafts by auxiliary arms that extend radially from the shift rail into selected engagement with the shift forks.