Automatic transmission with centrifugal clutches

In an automatic transmission, in combination:

• an input shaft;
• a first extensible roller bearing means mounted about said input shaft and carrying radially movable centrifugal roller means;
• first pressure disc means disposed adjacent said first bearing means and having surface presenting means for contacting engagement with said roller means, at least one of said pressure disc means being axially displaceable relative to said input shaft under the influence of a first centrifugal force on said roller means;
• first clutch disc means disposed adjacent said one axially displaceable pressure disc means and adapted to be frictionally contacted by said axially displaceable pressure disc means;
• a planetary gear assembly including a sun gear, planet gear means and an outer ring gear, said sun gear being operatively connected to said first clutch disc means;
• means to prevent rotation of said outer ring gear in a direction opposite to that of said sun gear;
• an output shaft operatively connected to said planet gear means and in axial alignment with said input shaft;
• a second extensible roller bearing means carrying radially movable centrifugal roller means;
• second pressure disc means disposed adjacent said second bearing means and having surface presenting means for contacting engagement with said roller means of said second bearing means, at least one of said second pressure disc means being axially displaceable under the influence of a second centrifugal force on said roller means of said second bearing means;
• and second clutch disc means disposed adjacent said axially displaceable disc means of said second pressure disc means and adapted to be frictionally contacted by said axially displaceable disc means of said second pressure disc means;
• the size of said gears of said planetary assembly being such as to provide a reduction in rotational speed between said input shaft and said output shaft for a low rotational speed of said input shaft;
• said surface presenting means on said first and second pressure disc means including a radially extending face in contacting engagement with associated roller means of said rings for idle speeds of said input shaft and a first inclined face to receive said associated roller means for increased rotational speeds of said input shaft;
• said surface presenting means of said second pressure disc means including a second inclined face to receive pressure from said roller means of said second bearing means for further increased rotational speeds of said input shaft causing axially displaceable disc means of said second pressure means to engagedly contact said second clutch disc means whereby a direct rotational drive is obtained between input and output shafts.

In an automatic transmission:

• an input shaft;
• an extensible roller bearing means mounted about said input shaft and carrying radially movable centrifugal roller means;
• a pair of pressure disc means enclosing said bearing means and having surface presenting means for contacting engagement with said roller means, said pressure disc means being axially displaceable relative to said input shaft under the influence of first predetermined centrifugal force of said roller means;
• first clutch disc means disposed adjacent one of said pressure disc means and adapted to be frictionally contacted by said one pressure disc means when axially displaced;
• a planetary gear assembly including a sun gear, planet gear means and an outer ring gear, said sun gear being operatively connected to said first clutch disc means;
• means to prevent rotation of said outer ring gear in a direction opposite to that of said sun gear;
• an output shaft operatively connected to said planet gear means and in axial alignment with said input shaft;
• second clutch disc means disposed adjacent the other of said pressure disc means;
• said other pressure disc means being axially displaceable under the influence of a second predetermined centrifugal force on said bearing means and adapted to frictionally engage said second clutch disc means;
• said second clutch disc means being operatively connected to said outer ring gear;
• the size of said gear means of said planetary assembly being such as to provide a reduction in rotational speed between said input shaft and said output shaft for a low rotational speed of said input shaft;
• each of said surface presenting means of said pressure disc means including:
• a radially extending face in contacting engagement with said roller means for idle speed of said input shaft, a first inclined face to receive pressure from said roller means for increased rotational speeds of said input shaft causing said one pressure disc means to engagedly contact said first clutch disc means, and a second inclined face to receive pressure from said roller means for further increased rotational speeds of said input shaft causing said other pressure disc means to engagedly contact said second clutch disc means whereby a direct drive is obtained between input and output shafts.