May 27, 1947.

A, Y, DODGE - 2,421,190
' HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL -

Filed April 16, 1941 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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~ ATTORNEYS
May 27, 1947. A. Y. DODGE 242L196
HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL

Filed April 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

ATTORNEYS
Patented May 27, 194? 2,421,190

2,421,190
HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL
Adiel Y. Dodge, Rockford, Ill.
Applicatior April 16, 1941, Serial No. 388,725
4 Claims. (Cl. 74-4895)
i 2
This invention relates to transmissions, and tion when read in connection with the acccm
more particularly to transmissions embodying panying drawings, in which: .
?uid drives of the type suitable for use in auto Figure 1 is an axial section with parts in ele
motive vehicles. vation of atransmission embodying the inven
One of the objects of the invention is to pro tion; '
vide a transmission which is fully automatic from Figure 2 is a partial section of the gear brake of
a free condition in which there is no driving con Figure 1;
nection between the driving and driven shafts Figure 3 is a partial view similar to Figure 1,
through a plurality of torque ranges to a con illustrating an alternative construction; and.
dition of one to one drive. The free condition 10 Figure 4 is a section of the speed responsive
is obtained by the use of an automatic speed re clutch at right angles to Figure 1.
sponsive clutch for connecting the input or driv The transmission of Figure 1 is enclosed in a
ing member of the transmission to the driving stationary housing or casing Ill, adapted to be
shaft above a predetermined speed. One of the mounted in a ,vehicle in the place of the usual
features of the invention relates to the construc transmission mechanism. A driving shaft l2,
tion of a clutch of this type which will connect which may be the engine crank shaft or an ex
the driving shaft and the driving member at a tension thereof, projects into the casing Ill and
predetermined speed, and will maintain the con is connected to a rotatable casing l4, which
nection, once it is made, to a lower speed. houses the hydraulic torque transmitting unit.
Another object of the invention is to provide The hydraulic torque transmitting unit illus
a transmission including a ?uid unit for operat trated comprises a driving member or impeller
ing a gear set in which the speed ratio in the casing 16 rotatably mounted on the driving shaft
gear set is automatically changed in response on bearings Ill, and having a series of vanes 20
to the transmission speed. According to one'fea rigidly secured thereto adjacent its inlet end. A
ture of the invention, the speed ratio of the series of vanes 22 is mounted adjacent the outlet
gear set may be changed at will to a lower ratio, ends of the vanes '20, carried by a ring 24. When
regardless of speed, as for example, when it is the impeller is rotating at low speed, the vanes
desired to obtain rapid acceleration at high 20 and 22 are free to rotate relatively to each
other, but at higher speeds of the impeller they
speeds.
Another object of the invention is to provide 30 are connected by a speed responsive clutch mech
a transmission automatically operable to fur anism 26 so that the vanes 22 form, in effect, a
continuation of the vanes 20. '
nish a plurality of torque ratios, and in which A driven member or rotor structure is mounted
a low speed gear 'drive and a reverse drive are on a hub 28 and carries a plurality of sets of ro
provided. One feature of the invention relates tor vanes '30 interconnected by a core member 32.
to an interlocking connection between the low 35 The hub v28 is rotatably supported on a bearing
speed and reverse drive and the automatic speed 3t, andon a. combined one-way clutch and hear
changing mechanism, such as to prevent opera- I ing 3-6, which prevents forward rotation of the ro
vtion of the automatic mechanism when the trans tor at a speed. higher than that of a gear carrier
mission is manually controlled to provide low 40 38.
speed or emergency. Two reaction members. or stators are provided,
Still another object of the invention is to pro having sets of vanes arranged respectively be
vide a transmission in which shifting to vary tween the spaced sets of rotor vanes, the ?rst sta
the speed ranges can be performed quickly and tor 40 being supported on a combined one-way
easily. In connection with automatic changes 45 clutch and bearing 42 engaging a ?xed extension
of speed in the gear unit, there is preferably pro of the housing ill to prevent rearward rotation of
vided a brake mechanism operated in conjunction the stator while permitting it to rotate forwardly.
with the automatic changing to brake the input The second stator 44 is similarly supported on a
member, thereby to facilitate shifting. In con separate one-way clutch and bearing '46 operat
nection with manual shifting, there is prefer 50 ing in the same manner. vIt will be noted that
ably provided a ?uid operated brake acting on an the casing It extends around and is sealed against
element of the gear set. v the stator till by a ?uid seal 48 of the type more
The above and other objects, advantages and particularly shown and claimed in my co-pending
novel features of the invention will be more read \ application, Serial No. 379,154, ?led February 17,
31y apparent from the following detailed descrip 55. 1941. The casing is so shaped as to form a reser
 2,421,190
4
voir space 58 to receive liquid, thereby insuring mechanism (not shown) into engagement with
that the ?uid circuit de?ned by the several vane the gear 18 to provide a low speed forward drive,
members will be kept full at all times. or may be shifted into engagement with the idler
The torque unit drives a planetary differential pinion 74 to provide a reverse drive.
gear set formed by a ring gear element 52 on the In order to provide an over-ruling control be
interior of the rotor hub 28, a planet pinion 54 tween the shaft 58 and the driven shaft when
on the gear carrier element 38, and a sun gear desired, the clutch collar 86 has connected thereto
element 56 formed on an extension of the driving a lever I82 pivoted at I84 so as to be moved when
shaft I2. This construction provides a two-path the collar is shifted. At the outer end of the lever
drive, of the type more particularly described and 10 I82,.a solenoid plunger I86 is connected by link
claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. I88, the plunger being slidably mounted in a coil
723,883, ?led April 30, 1934, which has eventuated H8. The coil H8 is controlled by a switch, indi
in Patent No. 2,242,515, dated May 20, 1941, cated diagrammatically at H2, which may be
The gear carrier 38 is connected to a shaft 58 operated by the usual accelerator pedal when it
which extends into the gear box forming an ex 15 is-fully depressed, or by a separate control pedal
tension of the housing I8, and has rotatably or lever, as desired. When the coil H8 is ener
mounted thereon a gear 68. The gear 68 is con gized, it pulls the plunger I86 to the left, shifting
nected to the shaft 58 by means of a combined the clutch collar 86 to the right into engagement
one-way clutch and bearing which acts in the with the teeth on the ?ange 88. When the clutch
negative direction, that is, which permits shaft 20 collar 98 is in its engaged position, this provides
58 to overrun the gear 68, but prevents the gear a direct drive between shaft 58 and the driven
from overrunning the shaft. The gear 68 meshes shaft 96. It will be apparent that the shift, as
with a gear 64 on a lay shaft 66, which also car above described, may be performed at will at any
ries gears 68, I8 and I2. The gear 12 meshes with time, as for example, when rapid acceleration is
a reverse idler 14. 25 desired.
A second gear '16 is rotatable on the shaft 58', To prevent operation of theclutch collar 86
being connected thereto by a combined one-way when reverse or low speed positive drive is de
clutch and bearing I8, which may be termed a sired, an interlock is provided between clutch
positive one-way clutch. This means that shaft collars 86 and 98. It will be understood in this
58 will drive the gear I6 through one-way clutch 30 connection that clutch collar 98 must always be
18 in a forward direction, but gear 16 will not shifted to its disengaged position before shifting
drive the shaft. The gear I6 is formed with an the gear I88 into either its forward or reverse
elongated hub having at one end a ?ange 88 drive position, due to a conventional interlocking
formed with clutch teeth in its face, and on its device (not shown). This shift may readily be
opposite end with a series of clutch teeth 82. Gear 35 effected by mechanical, ?uid or other connections
68 is similarly formed with a ?ange 84 having from these members to a suitable shift member,
clutch teeth facing the clutch teeth 88. Between ' disengagement of the clutchcollar 98 occurring
the ?anges 88 and 84 there is a collar 86 splined when the shift member is moved across the H
on the shaft 58 and formed on its opposite ends slot, as in the usual transmission control. As
with clutch teeth adapted to engage the teeth 88 40 shown, the interlock is provided by a pivoted shift
and 84 respectively. lever I I4, connected to the collar 98 and oper
The collar 86 is normally urged to the right, as ating a cam'member II6 through a rod I I8. The
seen in Figure 1, by a compression spring 88, so cam member controls a locking plunger I28, which
as to engage thecollar with the clutch teeth on is adapted to move into and out of the path of a
the ?ange 88. In this position, the gear I6 is 45 projecting lug I22 on the lever I82. When the
positively clutched to the shaft 58 to be driven clutch cam 98 is in its disengaged position, as
thereby. The clutch collar 86 is adapted to be shown, the plunger I 28 is cammed upwardly in
moved to the left to engage the teeth on ?ange front of the lug I22, so as to prevent clockwise
84 by means of centrifugal weight members 98, movement of the lever I82. When the clutch
engaging converging cam surfaces on the interior 50 collar 98 is shifted into engaged position, the cam
of the clutch sleeve and on a ?ange 92, which is H6 will be moved to the right, allowing the
held against axial movement along the shaft by plunger I28 to drop down out of register with the
engagement with the gear I6. The weights 98 lug I22, thereby permitting free movement of
are normally urged inwardly by garter spring 94, the clutch collar 86. It will be noted that when
and at a predetermined speed will move outwardly 55 the lever I 82 is moved counter-clockwise by en
to cam the clutch collar 86 to the left into engage gagement of the plunger I28 with the lug I 22,
ment with the teeth on ?ange. 84. At this time, the collar 86 will be camined to the right, so as
gear 68 is connected to the shaft 58, to be driven to engage the clutch teeth on the ?ange 88,
thereby, and drives the gear 614, and through it, thereby connecting gear I6 with the shaft 58. At
the lay shaft. This turns gear 68, which in turn 60 this time, gear I6 drives gear 68, and'through it
drives gear I6, the gear sizes being such that gear drives the lay shaft, torque being transmitted to
I6 will be driven at a higher rate of speed than the driven shaft from either gear I8 or gear I2
the shaft 58. and idler I4 to the gear I 88.
In order to connect gear I6 to the driven shaft In order to facilitate shifting of the clutch
96, a clutch collar 98 is splined on the driven shaft sleeve 86, it is desirable to retard operation of
and is formed with clutch teeth to engage the the shaft 56 so that the clutch sleeve 86 and
clutch teeth 82. In both driving positions, as the gear member which it is to engage will be
above described, the clutch collar I8 is moved to operated at more nearly synchronous speeds.
its engaged position connecting gear I6 to the For this purpose, a brake I24 is provided, en
driven shaft. 70 gageable with the casing I4, and operated by a
In order to obtain an emergency low and a re lever I26. The lever I26 is connected to a pis
verse drive, a gear I88 is splined on the driven tion I28, slidable in a cylinder I38, which is con
shaft 96, and normally occupies a neutral position nected through a. conduit I82 to a source of
between the gear I8 and the idler pinion I4. The vacuum such as the intake manifold of the en
gear I88 may be shifted by manual controlled 75 gine. A valve I34 of the three-way poppet type
 2,421,190 l
connects the cylinder I30 either to atmosphere shoes I60, are gripped between two friction sur
or to the conduit I32, and is controlled by a faces and the impeller of the hydraulic torque
solenoid I36. When the solenoid is de-ener converter, will be drivably connected to the shaft
gized, the valve I34 will occupy the position I2. , The rotor hub 28 will be driven at this time
shown, in which it connects cylinder I30 to at through ?uid reaction on the vanes 30, as is un
mosphere; but when the solenoid is energized, the derstood in the art, and will drive the ring gear
valve will be pulled downwardly, closing the at 52 at reduced speed and increase the torque, the
mospheric port and connecting cylinder I32 to sun pinion 56 turning with the driving shaft I2.
vacuum. The solenoid I36 is controlled by a The planet pinions 54 will thus be driven by the
switch I38, which is operated by a ?nger I40 se 10 sun and ring gears to drive the gear carrier 38
cured to the lever I02 adjacent its pivot. The and the shaft 58 at a lower speed and a higher
switch I38 is normally open, but when the lever torque than the driving shaft I2. This will drive
I02 is rocked in a clockwise direction, the ?nger the gear I6, and through it, will turn the lay shaft
Hi0 will engage the switch and close it tempo and the gear I00, so that the. driven shaft will be
rarily, to actuate the brake I24. As the lever I02 15 turned forwardly at low speed and high torque.
rocks further, ?nger I40 will disengage the switch, It will be noted that the speed and torque trans
allowing it to open again. ' mitted to the driven shaft will be varied auto
Shifting of the gear I00 into engagement with matically through an in?nite number of ranges
either the forward or reverse gear is facilitated by operation of the hydraulic torque converter.
by a brake mechanism of the type more particu 20 If there should be a reversal of torque in this po
larly illustrated in Figure 2. As shown, the lay , sition such that the driven'shaft tends to turn
shaft 66 is formed with a cylindrical drum por the driving shaft, torque will be transmitted back
tion I42, adapted to be engaged by a" pair of to the driving shaft through the one-way clutch
arcuate friction members I 44, diametrically dis 62 and gear 60, it being noted that the one-way
posed and urged apart by springs I46. The fric 25 clutch I8 will overrun. Thus, free wheeling is
tion members I44 are formed with pistons I48, prevented. , -

slidably received in fixed cylinders I50, which ,For higher forward speeds, the gear I00 is
may be supplied with actuating ?uid in any de- _ shifted to its neutral position, and clutch sleeve
sired manner. When the hydraulic pressure in 98 is moved into engagement with clutch teeth
the cylinders I50 is increased, the pistons I46 30 82, thereby freeing the clutch sleeve 86 for auto
will move together to press the friction members matic operation. This is the normal forward
I44 against the cylindrical portion I42 on the driving position, and the parts will not nor
lay shaft, thereby to brake the lay shaft. This mally be shifted from this position, vexcept for
" enables the gear I00 to be shifted easily into emergency conditions requiring a low speed drive
mesh with either the gear I0 or the idler pin 85 or for revrse. In this position, the shaft 58
ion I4. drives the clutch sleeve 86, and through it, the
The transmission as above described is adapted driven shaft through clutch teeth 80 and 82,
to be connected to the driving shaft by a speed and clutch sleeve 98. Thus the torque mul
responsive clutch, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. tiplication is that obtained through operation of
The clutch may be of the general type more par 40 the hydraulic unit which will provide an auto
ticularly described and claimed in my co-pend matic variation through an in?nite number of
ing application, Serial No. 334,706, ?led May 13, speeds up to direct drive between the driving
1940, which has eventuated in Patent No. 2,355, shaft I2 and the driven shaft 96. As the speed
710, dated August 15, 1944, and comprises a plu increases, the centrifugal members 90 will tend
rality of friction shoes I52, pivotally mounted at 45 to move outwardly, to cam the sleeve 86 to the
one end on the casing I4. Weights I54 also piv left. Due to the friction between clutch teeth
otally mounted on the casing I4 are connected 80 and the meshing clutch teeth on sleeve 86,.
to the free ends of theshoes by links I56, so the sleeve will not ordinarily be shifted until the
that when the weights move outwardly in re torque load on the clutch teeth is relieved. This
sponse to centrifugal force, the shoes will be , can be done by temporarily releasing the accel
urged outwardly by a relatively high pressure. erator, at which time the clutch sleeve 86 will
The weights and shoes may be urged inwardly be shifted to the left by action of the weights.
by springs I58, which may be so calibrated as to It will be noted that the clutch teeth are formed
allow the shoes to move outwardly at any desired with a slight ejection angle, so that they will not
- speed of the driving shaft. mesh until substantial synchronism is reached.
Outside of the friction shoes I52 there are This is facilitated by operation of the brake I24,
provided a plurality of similar friction shoes I60, which tends to slow down the speed of shaft 58
> , pivoted to the impeller 20 so as to move outwardly and clutch sleeve 86 so that its speed will'be
in response to the speed thereof. The friction synchronized with that of the gear 60 very quick
shoes I60 are adapted to engage a drum portion 60 1y. As soon as the clutch sleeve 86 engages
I62 formed on the interior of the casing I4. the gear 60, drive will be from shaft 56 through
In operation, with the parts adjusted for gear 60, and one-way clutch 6'2 to gear 64, to
emergency low speed drive, the clutch sleeve 98 drive the lay shaft. Gear 68 on the lay shaft
will be disengaged from the clutch teeth 82, the will drive gear I6, and the driven shaft, at a
clutch sleeve 86 will be shifted to the right, as 65 speed higher than that of shaft 50. This con
shown, and the gear I00 will be in mesh with the nection provides lower torque range than that
gear I0. At this time, with the driving shaft I2 above described, it being noted, however, that
turning slowly, there will be no connection be an in?nite number of speed and torque ratios
~ tween the driving and driven shafts, since the are possible through operation of the hydraulic
speed responsive clutch will be disengaged. As 70 unit. .

the speed of the driving shaft increases, the Figure 3 illustrates an alternative construction,
weights I54 force the friction shoes I52 out parts therein corresponding to likeparts in Fig
wardly into engagement with the friction shoes ure 1 being designated by the same reference nu
I60, and continue to move outwardly, engaging merals. In this construction, the hydraulic
shoes I60 with the drum surfaces I62. Thus the 75 torque converter of Figure 1 is replaced by a ?uid
 2,421,190 -

?ywheel comprising a vaned impeller I64 and a

vaned rotor I66. The impeller 164 is mounted on shaft and including shiftable means to change its
a sleeve I68, carrying a clutch drum I10 adapted torque ratio, means responsive to the speed of
to be engaged by friction shoes . I12 pivotaliy said third element to shift said shiftable means,
mounted on the casing ll of the unit. The clutch a brake engageable with the driving member,
mechanism indicated generally at I12 may be and means controlled by shifting of the shiftable
of the same type as that shown in Figure 4, and means to actuate the brake.
described above in connection with Figure 1. 4. A transmission for connecting driving and
The rotor I66 is connected to a shaft I14 cor driven shafts comprising a hydraulic torque
responding to the shaft 58 of Figure 1, and simi 10 transmitting device including driving and driven
larly connected to the gear unit. A one-way members, means to connect the driving member
clutch H6 is provided between the shaft I14 and to the driving shaft, a differential gear set in
the driving shaft i2, to prevent the shaft I" from cluding three relatively rotatable elements and
over-running the driving shaft so as to eliminate having one element connected to the driving
free wheeling. The operation of this construction 15 shaft and another element connected to the
is substantially similar to that of the embodiment driven member, a gear set connecting a third
shown in Figure 1, and will not be described in element of the differential gear set to the driven
detail. The differences are primarily that with shaft and including shiftable means to change
a ?uid flywheel, such as shown in Figure 3, no its torque ratio, a brake engageable with the
increase of torque in the hydraulic unit itself is 20 driving member, power means to actuate the
possible, all increases of torque necessarily being brake, and electrical control means for the power
provided by the gear unit. means including a switch controlledby the shift
While two embodiments of the invention have able means to engage the brake when the shift
able means is shifting.
been shown and described in detail, it will be un
derstood that these are illustrative only, and are 25 ADIEL Y. DODGE.
not intended as a de?nition of the scope of the in
vention, reference being had for this purpose to REFERENCES CITED
the appended claims. The following references are of record in the
This application is a continuation in part of ?le of this patent:
my pending application, Serial No. 233,844, ?led UNITED STATES PATENTS
October 7, 1938, now matured into Patent No.
2,311,740, issued February 23, 1943. Number Name Date
What is claimed is: 2,084,219 Salerni __________ __ June 15, 1937
1. A transmission for connecting a driving 2,076,362 Boldt et al. ____.______. Apr. 6, 1937
shaft to a driven shaft comprising a hydraulic 35 1,969,561 Keller ______________ Aug. 7, 1934
torque transmitting device including a driving 1,985,884 Banker ___________ __ Jan. 1, 1935
member and a driven member, a gear chain con 2,055,300 Maurer _________ __ Sept. 22, 1936
necting the driven member to the driven sh'aft 2,170,649 Banker __________ .._ Aug. 22, 1939
including a shiftable member to change the 2,008,321 Vincent ______ _______ July 16, 1935
torque ratio of the gear chain, means to shift 40 2,071,292 Woolson ___________ Feb, 16, 1937
the shiftable member, a clutch responsive to the 2,055,303 Patterson _______ __ Sept. 22, 1936
speed of the driving shaft to connect it to the 2,197,179 Hersey ___________ __ Apr. 16, 1940
driving member, a brake engageable with the 2,267,464 Iavelli ___________ __ Dec. 23, 1941
driving member, and means operated by shifting 2,098,691 Neif ____ _________ __ Nov. 9, 1987
of the shiftable member to control the brake. 45 2,097,569 Kilpela _____________. Nov. 2, 1937
2. A transmission for connecting driving and 1,667,565 Radcliffe _________ __ Apr. 24, 1928
driven shafts comprising a hydraulic torque 2,011,734 Sinclair __________ __ Aug. 20, 1935
transmitting device including driving and driven 2,241,764 Bollinger et a1 ____ __ May 13, 1941
members, means to connect the driving member 2,276,862 Peterson _______ __ Mar. 17, 1942
to the driving shaft, 2. di?erential gear set in 50 2,309,051 Dodge _________.____ Jan. 19, 1943
cluding three relatively rotatable elements and 1,912,112 Wunsch ___________ May 30, 1933
having one element connected to the driving 2,202,271 Sinclair et al _____ __ May 28, 1940
shaft and another element connected to the driv. 2,245,017 Sinclair ________ __ June 10, 1941
en member, a gear set connecting a third element 2,248,133 Snow _____________ __ July 8, 1941
of the differential gear set to the driven shaft 2,311,740 Dodge ______________ Feb. 23, 1943
and including shiftable means to change its 2,104,608 Cox et a1. _______ __ Jan. 4, 1938
torque ratio, a brake engageable with the driving 2,102,755 Sinclair __________ __ Dec. 21, 1937
.member, and means controlled by shifting of the 2,343,304 LaBrie __________ __ Mar. 7, 1944
shiftable means to actuate the brake. 2,353,137 Banker _________ __ July 11, 1944
3. A transmission for connecting driving and 1,950,163 Cotterman ______ ___ Mar. 6, 1934
driven shafts comprising a hydraulic torque 2,333,680 Schneider et al. ______ Nov. 9, 1943
transmitting device including driving and driven FOREIGN PATENTS
members, means to connect the driving mem Number Country ' Date
ber to the driving shaft, a differential gear set
including three relatively rotatable elements and 65 - 461,947 Great Britain ____ __ Feb. 26, 1937
having one element connected to the driving 489,396 Great Britain __..___ July 26, 1938
shaft and another element connected to the 285,970 Great Britain _______ Feb. 23, 1928
driven member, a gear set connecting a third 455,699 Great Britain ____ __ July 19, 1935
element of the diilferential gear set to the driven 680,518 France _________ ___ Jan. 22, 1929
511,747 Great Britain _____.. Aug. 23, 1939