Countershaft transmission having two forward and two reverse speeds

Abstract

Countershaft transmissions are useful for vehicles such as lift trucks or the like. But obtaining the desired speed reduction ratios and alignment of the various axes where space is at a premium is difficult. The subject countershaft transmission provides two forward speeds and two reverse speeds using four compactly grouped rotating clutch assemblies of the interleaved multiple plate and disc type for selectively connecting a plurality of constantly meshing gears in preselected patterns. A reverse clutch assembly is mounted on a first shaft, a forward clutch assembly and a low speed clutch assembly are mounted on a second shaft, and a high speed clutch assembly is mounted on a third shaft. A fourth shaft having a bevel pinion gear thereon is located at a minimal drop height "D" from the first shaft so that the longitudinal axis of the bevel pinion gear can intersect the transverse axis of a bevel ring gear associated therewith. The elements of the disclosed transmission are particularly compact and permit the associated output components on the transverse axis to be located tightly against those longitudinally arranged.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.