Gear retainer
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsThomas V. McNamara, Elmer A. Richards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved mainshaft gear retainer means for a twin countershaft transmission having floating mainshaft gears positioned close together in groups of two and clutchable to a mainshaft one at a time by positive clutches which each have splines mateable with splines defined by each gear. The improved mainshaft gear retainer means prevents axial movement of two closely positioned gears and includes a snap ring axially interconnecting the gears, a thrust ring interposed between the axially interconnected gears, and a snap ring carried by each axially interconnected gear.
Claims11
In a transmission of the type having a mainshaft, at least two floating mainshaft gears encircling said mainshaft and axially positioned close together, a plurality of countershafts having countershaft gears supporting said mainshaft gears and driving said mainshaft gears at different rotative speeds, and clutch means selectively operative to clutch said mainshaft gears to said mainshaft one at a time, the improvement comprising:
- thrust means fixed to said mainshaft and having thrust surfaces disposed between axially facing thrust surfaces defined by said mainshaft gears, said thrust means allowing radial movement of said mainshaft gears relative to said mainshaft and preventing axial movement of said mainshaft gears toward each other, whereby forces tending to move a clutched one of said mainshaft gears toward the unclutched mainshaft gear are reacted to the mainshaft through surfaces rotating at the same speed.
In a transmission of the type having a mainshaft, at least two floating mainshaft gears encircling said mainshaft and axially positioned close together, a plurality of counter-shafts having countershaft gears supporting said mainshaft gears and driving said mainshaft gears at different rotative speeds, and clutch means selectively operative to clutch said mainshaft gears to said mainshaft one at a time, the improvement comprising:
- thrust means fixed to said mainshaft and having thrust surfaces disposed between axially facing thrust surfaces defined by said mainshaft gears, said thrust means allowing radial movement of said mainshaft gears relative to said mainshaft and preventing axial movement of said mainshaft gears toward each other, whereby forces tending to move a clutched one of said mainshaft gears toward the unclutched mainshaft gear are reached to the mainshaft through surfaces rotating at the same speed, and
- reaction means rotating at the same speed as said clutched gear and the clutch means clutching said clutched gear to said mainshaft for preventing axial movement of said clutch gear away from said unclutched gear, whereby forces tending to move said clutched gear away from said unclutched gear are reacted by means rotating at the same speed.
In a transmission of the type having a mainshaft, at least two floating mainshaft gears encircling said mainshaft and axially positioned close together, a plurality of countershafts having countershaft gears supporting said mainshaft gears and driving said mainshaft gears at different rotative speeds, at least two jaw clutches slideably splined to said mainshaft and disposed on oppositely facing ends of said mainshaft gears, said clutches selectively engageable, respectively, with mating jaws defined by said mainshaft gears, the improvement comprising:
- thrust means fixed to said mainshaft and hafing thrust surfaces disposed between axially facing thrust surfaces defined by said mainshaft gears, said thrust means allowing radial movement of said mainshaft gears relative to said mainshaft and preventing axial movement of said mainshaft gears toward each other, whereby forces tending to move a clutched one of said mainshaft gears toward the unclutched mainshaft gear are reacted to the mainshaft through surfaces rotating at the same speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.