Torque transfer mechanism

A torque transfer mechanism having a high speed power path and a low speed power path, said mechanism comprising:

• a rotatable input shaft;
• a first rotatable output shaft coaxial with said input shaft;
• an intermediate shaft radially spaced from said input shaft;
• an input gear set including a drive gear connected to said input shaft and a driven gear supported for rotation on said intermediate shaft and in constant meshing engagement with said drive gear;
• an output gear set including a first output gear supported for rotation on said first output shaft and an intermediate gear supported for rotation on said intermediate shaft and in constant meshing engagement with said first output gear;
• first clutch means for establishing the high speed power path including clutch teeth on said drive gear, clutch teeth on said first output shaft and clutch teeth on said first output gear, and a first axially shiftable clutch collar in constant engagement with said first output shaft clutch teeth and slidably engageable with said drive gear clutch teeth and said first output gear clutch teeth;
• second clutch means for establishing the low speed power path including clutch teeth on said drive gear and clutch teeth on said intermediate gear, and a second axially shiftable clutch collar in constant engagement with said driven gear clutch teeth and slidably engageable with said intermediate gear clutch teeth;
• operating means connected to said first and second shiftable clutch collars for shifting said clutch collars simultaneoulsy in the same axial direction;
• said driven gear clutch teeth having an end portion adjacent said intermediate gear substantially radially aligned with an end portion of said output shaft clutch teeth adjacent said first output gear;
• an end portion of said output gear clutch teeth adjacent said output shaft clutch teeth substantially radially aligned with an end portion of said intermediate gear clutch teeth adjacent said driven gear;
• said first and second clutch collars having a first position wherein said first clutch collar is engaged with said drive gear clutch teeth for establishing the high speed power path between said input shaft and said first output shaft and wherein said second clutch collar is disengaged with said intermediate gear clutch teeth;
• said first and second clutch collars having a second position wherein said first clutch collar is engaged with said first output gear clutch teeth and said second clutch collar is disengaged with said intermediate gear clutch teeth;
• and
• said first and said second clutch collars having a third position wherein said first clutch collar is engaged with said first output gear clutch teeth and said second clutch collar is engaged with said intermediate gear clutch teeth for establishing the low speed power path between said input shaft and said first output shaft.