Integrated hydro-mechanical multiple lockup transmission

An integrated hydro-mechanical lockup transmission for communicating power from a power source to a driven member comprising;

• a hydro-mechanical transmission having an input shaft for receiving power from the power source at a variable input RPM, an output shaft for driving the driven member at a variable output RPM, and hydrodynamically linked transmission means including a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor, and a sun and planetary gear set having an outer ring gear, a planet carrier, and a plurality of planet gears mounted on the planet carrier for engaging the outer ring gear, said hydraulic pump, said hydraulic motor, and said sun and planetary gear set being arranged to provide for continuously varying the output RPM relative to the input RPM from forward through zero to reverse;
• a lockup transmission comprising:
• a rotatable input means comprising a composite sun gear being bearing mounted at each of its ends and having at least one gear element arranged in series along its length, and wherein there is one gear for each operator selectable output to input ratio;
• a first linking means comprising a spline coupling at one end of each of the composite sun gear and the input shaft arranged such that the composite sun gear and input shaft are fixed together at the spline coupled ends and such that the input shaft and the composite sun gear are fixed axially and are free to rotate about a common axis;
• a rotatable output means comprising at least one planetary gear set each having an outer ring gear, a planet carrier, and a plurality of planet gears mounted on the planet carrier for engaging said outer ring gear, said at least one planetary gear set being arranged in series with the outer ring gear of the hydrodynamically linked transmission means at one end and the output shaft at the other end, and wherein there is one at least one planetary gear set for each operator selectable output to input ratio;
• a second linking means comprising fixing means fixing one planet carrier of said at least one planetary gear set to the outer ring gear of the hydrodynamically linked transmission means arranged such that each successive planet carrier of said at least one planetary gear set, is fixed to the preceding one with the output shaft being fixed to the last planet carrier, and such that said outer ring gear of the hydrodynamically linked transmission means, the said planet carrier, and the output shaft form a single assembly, are fixed axially, and are free to rotate about a common axis;
• and lockup means for selecting one of the at least one planetary gear set thus providing at least one operator selectable output to input ratio;
• and control system means comprising manually operable means for selecting one of said output to input ratio of the lockup transmission, and means responsive to output RPM and input RPM for disengaging the hydrodynamically linked transmission means and engaging the lockup means when the output RPM relative to the input RPM is above a threshold value, and for disengaging the lockup means and engaging the hydrodynamically linked transmission means when said output RPM relative to the input RPM falls below a threshold value.