Multiple clutch control system employing clutch status monitor

A rotary power transmission system comprising:

• a power input shaft;
• a power output shaft;
• means interposed between said power input shaft and said power output shaft for transferring power between said power input shaft and said power output shaft at a first predetermined rotational speed ratio;
• second means interposed between said power input shaft and said power output shaft for transferring power between said power input shaft and said power output shaft at a second predetermined rotational speed ratio;
• first clutch means cooperating with said first power transferring means for selectively interrupting the flow of power through said first power transferring means between said power input shaft and said power output shaft;
• second clutch means cooperating with said second power transferring means for selectively interrupting the flow of power through said second power transferring means between said power input shaft and said power output shaft;
• first actuator means coupled to said first clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said first clutch means;
• second actuator means coupled to said second clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said second clutch means;
• selector means for selectively causing said first and second actuator means to selectively engage one of said first and second clutch means, and therefollowing to disengage the other one of said first and second clutch means after a predetermined time interval;
• and
• means responsive to the engagement of said clutches for preventing both of said clutches from being simultaneously engaged for more than a predetermined time interval said simultaneous engagement preventing means having monitor means (48, 84, 87, 80, pin 5) effective to afford operation thereof and connected to continuously monitor the second clutch, throughout said predetermined time interval, for failure to in fact disengage therewithin, whereupon the monitor means is effective so as to afford the desired operation of the simultaneous engagement preventing means.

A rotary power transmission system comprising:

• a power input shaft;
• a power output shaft;
• means interposed between said power input shaft and said power output shaft for transferring power between said power input shaft and said power output shaft at a first predetermined rotational speed ratio;
• second means interposed between said power input shaft and said power output shaft for transferring power between said power input shaft and said power output shaft at a second predetermined rotational speed ratio;
• first clutch means cooperating with said first power transferring means for selectively interrupting the flow of power through said first power transferring means between said power input shaft and said power output shaft;
• second clutch means cooperating with said second power transferring means for selectively interrupting the flow of power through said second power transferring means between said power input shaft and said power output shaft;
• first actuator means coupled to said first clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said first clutch means;
• second actuator means coupled to said second clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said second clutch means;
• selector means for selectively causing said first and second actuator means to selectively engage one of said first and second clutch means and to disengage the other one of said first and second clutch means;
• and
• means responsive to the engagement of said clutches for preventing both of said clutches from being simultaneously engaged for more than a predetermined time interval;
• said system characterized wherein said selector means includes a manually operable selector switch electrically coupled to said preventing means and having a first condition of operation and a second condition of operation, and wherein said first and second actuator means are electrically coupled to said preventing means and responsive to the condition of operation of said selector switch, said first actuator means being operative to engage said first clutch means when said selector switch is in the first condition of operation, said second actuator means being operative to engage said second clutch means when said selector switch is in the second condition of operation.

Failure detecting control for a gear drive transmission with a multi-speed function obtained by a shifting operation to a first clutch for selecting a first gear ratio, from a second clutch affording a second selective gear ratio, comprising:

• first means which first engages the first clutch;
• second means which, with delay, then disengages the second clutch;
• and
• overcontrol means (157) which, when the second clutch delayed disengagement takes longer than a predetermined time interval, disengages at least one of the clutches.

Failure detecting control for a gear drive transmission having first and second clutches for shifting from a first transmission gear ratio to a second transmission gear ratio when the first clutch engages and the second clutch disengages after a transitory period of clutch overlap, comprising:

• monitor means (76) effective to detect, at a first time, that the first clutch engages;
• monitor means (78) effective to detect, at a second time, that the second clutch disengages;
• and
• clutch disengaging interval timer means (78, 84, 87, 80, pin 5, 188, 157) effective, when the difference between the first and second times is taking longer than a predetermined interval of time, to disengage at least the first clutch.

Method of failure-detection control over a gear drive transmission having first and second clutches for shifting from a first transmission gear ratio to a second transmission gear ratio when the first clutch engages and the second clutch disengages after a transitory period of clutch overlap, comprising:

• monitoring to detect, at a first time, that the first clutch engages;
• monitoring to detect, at a second time, that the second clutch disengages;
• and
• establishing a predetermined time interval and automatically disengaging at least the first clutch when the difference between the first and second times is taking longer than the predetermined time interval established.