Automatic power transmission for transverse engine for front-drive vehicle

In a vehicle transmission having a hydrokinetic unit, a planetary gear unit connected to said hydrokinetic unit through an input shaft and a final drive unit operatively connected to said planetary gear unit via an output shaft, the combination of:

• a first housing unit formed with integral first and and second inversely oriented bell portions, said first and second bell portions each having a mouth and a head, said first bell portion receiving said hydrokinetic unit therein and said second bell portion receiving said final drive unit therein;
• a second housing unit formed with integral third bell portion and cover member, said bell portion receiving therein said planetary gear unit, said second housing unit being connectable to said first housing unit with the mouth of said third bell portion enclosing a part of the head of said first bell portion and with said cover member closing said second bell portion;
• a first single piece support member for supporting said hydrokinetic unit and which is adapted to be detachably connected to the interior of said first bell portion to close off a portion of same to define a chamber in the head of said first bell portion which is inboard of said hydrokinetic unit, said first support member being formed with a through bore through which said input shaft is disposed;
• means defining a first aperture in said chamber through which said input and output shafts extend;
• a first bearing disposed in said chamber about said first aperture;
• a second bearing disposed in the mouth of said through bore;
• a hollow sleeve supported at a first end in an opening formed in said first bell portion and which extends to detachably engage said support member at the second end thereof;
• third and fourth bearings disposed on said sleeve;
• a helical idler gear rotatably supported on said third and fourth bearings;
• a helical output gear disposed on said output shaft and within said chamber so as to be rotatably supported therein by said first and second bearings, said output gear meshing with said idler gear so that upon rotation of said output gear in a first rotational direction the output gear is subjected to an axial thrust which acts toward the head of said first bell portion;
• and
• a helical input gear of said final drive unit which meshes with said helical idler gear, said input gear upon said output gear rotating in said first rotational direction being subject to an axial thrust which acts toward the head of said second bell portion.