[1]Patented Apr. 28, 1942 2928ltl59 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,281,159 TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECE[ANISM Victor W. Kliesrath and Robert.P. Breese, New York, N. Y., assignors to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware A]p]plication Octobe r 24,1939, Serial No. 301,056 7 Claims. (Cl. 192--.01) This invention relates to mechanism for oper- Yet another object of the invention is to proating the three-speeds forward and reverse change-speed transmission of an automotive vehicle. With respect to the power operation of the 5 transmission of an automotive vehicle, the prior art is replete with suggestions of so-cared builtin mechanisms for operating the gear train of the transmission. However, such mechanisms 10 are necessarily complicated and expensive, usually requiring a modiflcation of the standard form of transmission and including numerous conduits, valves, cylinders, etc. This invention is accordingly specifically directed to a very simple and economical form of 15 manually and power operated accessory unit adapted to operate the present-day type of transmission including a low and reverse gear shift rail and a second and high gear shift rail. The most important object of the invention is 20 to provide a transmission operating mechanism which may be operated by the physical effort of the driver to place the transmission either in neutral or in gear and by power means, controlled 25 m part by the foot of the driver, for altemately placing the transmission in second gear and in high gear when it is not mantially operated. It js a further object of the invention to so construct said mechanism that after the transmission has been manually placed in low gear the 50 next operation of the mechanism, effected by the power means, will place the transmission in second gear. A further object of the inventioii is to provide a transmission operating mechanism including 55 power means, preferably a spring, a pressure differential operated motor, valve mechanism for controlling the operation of said motor, a hand operated member and force-transmitting means 40 mterconnecting the power element of the motor, the hand operated member and that portion of the transmission operating mechanism for first selecting a shift rail to be operated and then moving said rail, the parts of said mechanisni being so constructed and arranged as to inake 45 possible, flrst, a setting of the trbnsmission In low gear by the physical effort of the driver and then a setting of the transmission in second gear by the operation of said motor and spring. A further object of the invention is to provide, 50 in a transmission operating mechanism, means, preferably a spring ' operable after the accelerator is depressed to actuate a part of said mechanism to thereby prepare for or preselect a subsequent gear setting operation of said mechanism. 55 vide a transmission operating mechanism including a motor and power means, said means being automatically operated, when the low and reverse shift rail is being moved to place the transmission in low gear, to so actuate a part of said mechanism as to insure a second gear operation of the transmission operating mechanism when the same is next operated by the motor. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a transmission operating mechanism including a power means, preferably a spring, and further including a pressure differential operated motor, said mechanism insuring a second gear oper of the transmission, after said mechanism has been actuated by the physical effort of the driver to place the transmission in low gear. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power operated mechanism controlled in Part by a foot operated member for alternately placing a three-speeds forward and reverse automotive transmission in high and 'm second gear, together with a hand operated member cooperating with and constituting a part of said power operated mechanism to provide a mechanism for placing the transinission either in low gear or in reverse gear by the physical effort of the driver and either in second gear or in high gear by the physi,zal effort of the driver in the event of failure of the power means. The invention further contemplates the provision of transmission operatind means including a pressure differential operated motor operable, aiter release of the acc6lerator and depression of a manually operated control member, to place the transmission in second gear after said means is manuauy operated to place the transmission in low gear to start the vehicle. A further object of the invention is to so construct said means that, after the transmission has been placed in second gear, upon release of the accelerator and depression of a manually operat - ed control member the transmission will be placed in high gear, and thereafter the transmission will be placed alternately in second gear and 'm high gear'upon release of the accelerator and depressicin of said control member. A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism for actuating a, three-speeds forward and reverse transmission, said means includ'mg a pressure differential operated motor, separate hand and foot operated control niembers and force transniitting means interconnecting the transmission, motor and one of said control mem-
[2]bers, the parts- of the inechanisra being so constructed and arrang6d as to make possible either a complete manual operation of the transrnission or the niovement of one or the other of the shift rails of the transmission either by the power 5 means or by the power means aided by the physical effort of the driver. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a transmission operating mechanism including a power rneans, preferably a spring, and a 10 pressure differefitial operated motor controued in part by preselector means automatically operable, after the transmission is placed in second gear and the accelt!rator Is depressed to lower the gaseous pressure within the intakd mani- 15 fold, to prepare for a high gear operation of the motor. other objects of the invention and desirable details of constmetion and combinations of parts wiU become apparent from the following de20 tailed description of certain embodiments of the Invention, @aken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings irustrating. said embodiments, in which: Figure I is a diagranirnatic view disclosing the 25 principal eiements of the transmission operating mechanism constituting our invention; Flgure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the transmission operating motor disclosed in Figure 1, the power element and the- relay control 50 valve of said motor being disclosed in full lines in their high gear positions and in dotted lines in the preselected position of the valve for effecting 9, high gear operation of the motor; Flgure 3, is a view disclosing, in section, the 35 relay valve mechanism for controlling the operation of the transmission operating motor, said mechanism being in its preselected position to effect a second gear operation of the motor; Figure 4 is another longitudinal sectional view 40 of the transmission operating motor, the power element thereof and the relay control valve being shown in the positions they assume when the transnilssion is in second gear; , Flgure 5 is yet another longitudinal sectional view of the transmission operating motor, the @15 power element and the relay valve being shown in their transmission neutral positions; Flgure 6 is a sectional view of the clutch operating mechanism disclosed in Mgure 1; 50 e 7 is a view, slmiiar to Mgure 1, disclosing another embodiment of the transmission operating@.mechanism constituting our invention,, and Fiiure 8 is a view disclosing the mechan'-sm, of Mgure 1 together with electrically controlled cut-out means for the transmission operating mechanism. In that embodiment of the invention selected for irustration and disclosed diagranimatically in Flgure 1, there is provided a conventional 60 intemal-combustion engine 10 having an Intake manifold 12 and a throttle 14 actuated by ain accelerator 16, the latter being connected to the throttle by linkage 17. Other parts of the power plant of the vehicle, including the clutch, the 65 three-speeds forward and reverse transmission, the drive shaft and the differential, are not disclosed, inasmuch as they are of conventional design and of themselves constitute no part of our invention. The transmission includes a low 70 and reveise gear. shift rail, a second and high gear shift rail and means for selecting a shift r&U to be actuated and for moving said rail to establish the transniission in gear. 75 The piston 90 or i3ower element of a doubleacting vacuum operated motor 20 is operably connected to force-transmitting means iricluding a connecting rod 22, a link 24, a member 26 and a member 28, the latter being connected to the aforementioned rail selecting and raH moving means. To the upper end of the membe - r 26 there Is secured a knob 30, which is grasped by the hand of the driver. Accordingly, the piston, the manually operated meniber 30 and the means for selecting and for moving one or the other of the shift rails are interconnected by said forcetransmitting means, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to make possible a complete manual operation of the transmission or a power operation thereof, which will be described in detail hereinafter. The motor 20 may be placed in air-transmitting connection with the intake manifold 12 by conduits 31, 32 and 34, a manually operated twoway valve 36 and a three-way valve 38 operatively conriected to the accelerator 16 by a hnk 40, diagrammatically disclosed. The valve 36 Includes a cylindrical casing member 42, which is preferably secured to the floorboard 44. The member 42 is ported at 46 and 48, and a spoolshaped valve member 50, reciprocable within the casing member 42, is actuated by a foot operated treadle or control member 52 secured thereto by a rod 54. The treadle member 52 is preferably pivotally mounted upon a pin 56 and is retumed to its off position by a spring 58. The motor 20 is pivotally secured to the dash at 60, and the connecting rod 22 is universally connected to the link 24 by a ball and socket connection 62. A hub Portion 64 of the piston, constituting a valve member, is slidably mounted on a twopart valve member 66 comprising members 68 and 70 secured together by a projection 72 extending from the member 70 through the member 68 and secured to the latter by a nut 74. The member 70 is threadedly mounted on the end of the connecting rod 22, and a tube 76, extending through theconnecting rod, is threadedly secured at one of its ends to the end of the member 70 and at its other end to a fitting 77 mounted on the end of said rod. Valve members 64, 68 and 70 are provided with cooperating ducts 78, 80, 82, 84, es, 88, go, 92, 94 and 95, referred to hereinafter in describing the operation of the valve. The two-part valve member 66 and the valve meniber 64 constitute a control valve for the motor, said valve as a whole being indicated by the reference numeral 96. The conduit 31 interconnects a vacuum port 98 in the fitting 77 with the foot operated control valve 36, the latter being connected by the conduit 32 with the accelerator operated three-way valve 38. The latter valve controls the connection between the-conduit 32 and the conduit 34 leading to the source of power, namely, the intake manifold 12, and also controls the connection between the manifold and a vacuum operated niotor 100, which is operable when the accelerator is released to effect a disengagement of the clutch. The rnotor may, of course, be mounted adjacent the transmission. The clutch niust be disengaged before the transmission can be operated. Accordingly, when the abcelerator is released, to close the throttle 14 Preparatory to operating the transmission, the motor IC 0 is energized to effect a disengagement of the clutch. However, no claim is made to the mechanism hereiii disclosed for operating the
[3]tlutch, lnamudh as such mechanism and the mechants.m disclosed herein cooperating there-, with for operating the tranamisdon areclaimed in YOtesrath Patent No. 2,134,590 dated October 25, 1938, and in our Patent No. 2,177,662 dated 5 October 31', 1939, the Instant application conati. tuting a continuation-in-part of said last-mentioned patent. I'he clutch operating motor III and its threeway control valve 38 are disclosed in detail in 10 Flgure 6, the@ motor comprising a cylinder 112 housing a piston or so-called -power element 114. The latter element is connected to the clutch by means including a hollow connecting rod 108, a hollow rod 108 threadedly connected to the rod 15 i 06, a sleeve I i 0 threadedly connected to the rod 108, a rod II 2 upon one end of which is mounted a valve member II 4, and a fitting II$ to which is connected linkage, not shown, connected to the clutch. The rod 112 is slidable wit,@hin th6 20 end of the sleeve II 0 for a purpdse to be described hereinafter. The clutch may also be diser4aged by a foot operated clutch pedal II 6 eytending witlilii the driver's compartment next to a brake lmdal 120. 25 The three-way valv6 38 colya-.zists of a plu,@igei122 having L,. recess 124, a rlat 026 and a tapered slot 02@ therein and beiiig connected to the accelerator 18 by the link 4C. 7bis plunger 'AP> reelproca'ole within a cylindricall3r-shaped opening 30 in a valvc., casing 132, @L"his casing is secured to the cylinder 102 by a conduit 939, 'LIie motor and valve mechanism a-s 9, unit being fixedly secured to any convenieiit i3art of the chassis of the vehicle ei, to the engine. The motor conti,olling 35 valve m,"@ihanism also lnclucles a, three-way cutout valvi@ tiog consisting of a pliinger 088 reriprocable j,71thin a cyli--@idrically-shaped opening In the body of the valve casing 032. This - uliinger is recessed at 140, iis provided with a slot I a2, and 40 is conn@,cted to a cable @l@Z constitlting part of a 7aaviden viire control, preferebly exte.,iding to thc@ dasi-fooard of the driver's @tompaeuinerit. Desez-il@iiag the operatior, of the motor @rj@ and coi-itrol valves 30 a@nd ISC,, the l@@onideii vdr@3 con- 4 @-) trol is operated by the drivei,, thereby - tensioning @l,he col-,,Ie 144 and drewint@', the vallie p,iunger 138 6o tl-ie right to the position diselos@ed l@ra Mg-@ ure 6. ]'ill this position, the recess 140 in the plunger 030 registers with ports 946 ond 948 Jr, 50 the valve 'easing 132, thereby placing the recess 124 in the valve r@junger 022 in :flu id-tn-.nsmitting coiinection viith the intake 92. Hoviever, should the driver viish to cut out the operation of both the clutch op-arating motor loo 55 and th-3 transmission operating motor 20, the aforementioned Bowden control is operated to force the valve plunger 038 to the left to cut off the connection with the manifold and vent the motor I 00 and the port 46 in the valve 36 to the 00 atmosphere. The port 148 is then connected to the atmosphere via the slot 142 in the valve plunger 138 and an opening 150 in a plate 152 covering the end of the valire casing 132. 7be accelerator is at this time released to move the 6,5 valve plunger 122 to the position disclosed in Pigure 6 to make possible the aforementioned venting of the motor 100 and of the valve port 46. Inasmuch as the port 149 of the valve 36 is vented to the atmosphere, said valve may not 70 be operated to eff ect an energization of the trans' mission operating motor 20. Describing the clutch disengaging operation of the motor 100, the valves 38 and 136 are placed 75 3 in the positions disclosed In INgme 6. A compextment 153 of the motor III is then partiauy evacuated, for It is connected to the ltitake manifold and the manifold is partially evacuated by virt;:@ of the pumping action of the engine pistons when the engine Is IdUng. The Piston 104 is then drawn to the left to disengage the clutch, for atmosphere entering a compartment 114 of the motor I 01 via a check valve 158 together with the low gaseous pressure within the com-partment I 53, results in the piston 104 being subjected to 4 differential of pressures. When the piston moves to the left, a spring III, weaker ihan the clutch springs, is compressed, thereby movlng the valve 114 away from a seat 160 without, however, moving the rod 112 to disengage the clutch, for said rod is slidable within the sleeve 120. After the spiing 158 goes'solid, continued leftward movement of the piston 104 results in the movement of the ro-d II 2 to effect a disengagement of the clutch. As disclosed in Mgure 6, the conduit 134 leading to the clutch motor 100 is larger than the conduit 32, and this construction makes possible an evacuation of the compartment 053 to effect i'disengagement of the clutch before the motor 20 may be energized to effect an operation of the transmission. The clutch having been disengaged, the trans%mlqsion Is placed In gear by first grasping the member 30 and moving the same and the transmission operating linkage 26 and 28 connected thereto. Tiie driver usually places the transmission in flrst gear to start the car, bowever, eny one of @he gear ratlos of the transmission may be established, for It will be remembered that at this time the treadle $2 Is released to deenergl.7e the motor 20. The driver then depresses t.'ae accelerator to engage the clutch and to open the throttle to speed up the vehicle. Describing the ClUtch engaging operation of the motor 100, movement of @the three-wa3F -valve Ounger 122 to I depressing e accelerator, moves the recessecl portion 0261 of the 1,)Iunger out of registnj v-7itli t'ne port 048 @and moves the slot 126 into registry ,vith v, port I 6 1. The compartment 06@96 of the inotor Is then iiented to the atmosphere'via conduit @34, port 061, slot 126 and the port 150 in the end wall 152 of the valve casing@ The piston 004 is then no longer subject to the aforementioned differential of pressures and the clutch springs immediately function to move the piston to the right. Now. it will be remembered spring 150 is weaker than the clutch springs: accordingly, said spiring 158 remains compressed, thereby permitting oir to leave the compartraent i64 via ports 162 iri the rod 106, a port 164 in the rod 108 and an opening 166 In a rubber boot 168. Air also flows from the compartanent 154 to the atmosphere via a conduit 170 and the tapered slot 129, th@ conduit being connected to the valve casing 132 over a port in the casing, nQt shown which port registers with the slot 128. The bo@t serves to cover the port 164 and the valve i 14 and prevents the entrance of dirt Into said port. When th6 clutch plates flrst contact ' the pull of the clut.ch springs is decreased, resulting in the si)ring 158 expanding to seat the valve 114. Thereafter, the air from the compartment 154 flows through the conduit 170 and thence to the atmosphere via the tapered slot 128 and port 150. There are thus provided two stages of clutch engaging movement of the driven clutch plate, the first stage being relatively fast by virtue of the relatively high rate of effiux of air from the compartment 154 Via the
[4]4 port 164 and the slot 128. After the clutch plates contact and the valve seats, the reite of movement of the driven clutch plate is reduced, inasmuch as the air then passes from the compartment 154 at a relatively slow rate via the tap.ered slot 128. There is thus provided power means for disengaging the clutch when the accelerator is relea,sed and before the transmission may be operated to establish It iri gear: and after the desired gear ratio has been establishe , depression of the accelerator results in a smooth engagement of the clutch simulating a manual operation thereof. The motor I 00 and its control valve mechanism may be eliminated and the conduits 32 and 34 may be joined to provide but one conduit 172 interconnecting the manifold 12 and a valve 174, all as disclosed in Flgure 7. The vaive 174, which is secured to the floorboard 176 by a bracket 178, is of the same construction as the valve 36. The accelerator 179 is connected to the throttle 180 by linkage I 8 1, and the valve 174 is connected to a pressure differential operated motor 182 by a conduit 183. The motor 182 and its connection with the transmission are of the same construction as the transmission operating motor and connections disclosed In Figure 1. The clutch operating motor being omitted, it Is then necessary, of eourse, to manually depress a clutch pedal 104 to disengage the clutch, and, as disclosed in Figure 7, said pedal is provided with a projection 185 contactible with a valve operating rod 186 after the clutch is disengaged. Preferably the distance between the projection 185 and the rod 186 Is such that the valve Is opened only when the clutch pedal is moved to the limit of its throw. The driver may then depress the clutch pedal sufficiently to completely disengage the clutch and thus effect a coasting of the vehicle without operating the transmission to shift gears. Describing now the operation of the transmission operating mechanism constituting our invention, and incidentauy completing the detailed description thereof, the driver of the v6hicle, assuming that he desires to place the transmission in low gear, flrst moves the member 28 to its transmission neutra position. Flgure 5 discloscs the relative positions of the parts of the motor and valve mechanism 96 when the transmission is in this position. The accelerator is at the time released to open the valve 38 and the clutch is accordingly disengaged by the motor 100. The knob 30 is then moved laterally to the left, against the tension of a spring f87, and then is ma7ed toward the driver to place the transmission in low gear. This leftward movement serves to actuate the shift rail selecting mechanis-i enclosed within a transmission casing 188 to prepare for a subsequent actuation of the low and reverse shift rail, and when said rail has been moved to establish low gear. the valve member 68 contacts the valve member 64. The valve parts are then in the position disclosed in Figure 3. The spring 187, preferably secured to the dashboard at 191 and to the casing of the motor i OD, constitutes a power means operative to bias said motor and the fo rce-transmitting means connected thereto to a position to effect a selection of the second and high gear shift rail. Accordingly, this spring must be stretched when the knob 30 is moved to effect what is known as the cross-shift operation of the transmission. The transmission having been placed in w gear by the physical effort of the driver, the driver then depresses the accelerator to open the throttle and dlose the vatve ii, thereby effecting a clutch engaging operation of. the motor Ill. When, the desired vehicle speed Is reached, ihe driver then releases the accelerator and depresm the treadle member 52 with his foot,- thereby opening the valves 38 and 31. The clutch'@,s then again disengaged by the motor 100. DePression of the treadle 52 inoves the spool-shaped valve member 50 downwardly, to interconnect 10 valve port 40 with the port 48 to thereby interconnect the port 08 in the fitting 77 with the intake manifold via conduit 34, valve 38, conduit 32, valve 38 and conduit 31. A compartment 189 of the motor 20 is at the time connected with 1 :p the port 98 via the duct 80 in the valve member 64, a compartment 190 outlined by the valve m-ember 64 and the outer surface of the valve members 68 and 70, ducts 94 and es in the valve member 70 and the tube 70 within the connect20 Ing rod. Air, at atm'ospheric Pressure, enters a compartment 192 of the motor 20 via a port 194 in the fitting 77, the interior of the rod 22 and ducts 82 and 84 in the end of the valve member 70. The gaseous pressures of the compartments 2 i-) 192 and 189 being different, that of compartment 192 being greater than that of compartment 189, the piston IS is then subjected to a differential of pressures, resulting in a movement of the same to the left, Figure 2, to place the transniission in second gear. It is assumed, of course, that the driver removes his hand from the knob 30 during this operation, thus Permitting the spring power means 187 to effect a cross-shift movement of the aforementioned force-trangmitting meam and an operation of the shift rail selecting mechanism connected thereto, when the motor piston I 8 reaches its transmission neutral position. Accordingly, there is provided a power means, including the motor 20 and the 6pring 187, serving 40 to operate the transmission operating mechanism to place. the transmission in second gear, after said mechanism has been operated by the physical effort of the driver to place the transmission In low giar. When thetransmiwon is In second gear and prior to closing the valve 36, 45 the parts of the valve mechanism 96 are in the position disclosed In Figure 4, leftward movement of piston 18 and the valve 96 serving to compress a spring 196 when the cone-shaped face 50 198 of valve member 64 contacts a corresponding cone-shaped face I 99 of the valve member 68. Second gear havin'g been established, the driver then releases the treadle 52, thereby moving the valve member 50 of valve 36 to the position dis55 closed in Mgure 1. In this position, the port 48 is connected to the iiniosphere, re@ulting in admitting air to the then Partially evacuated motor compartment 189. ' The valve operating spring 196 then expands, moving the valve member 64 and the piston 18 connected thereto fiom the second gear position of the parts disclosed in Pigure 4 to the position disclosed in dotted llnes in Flgure 2. The motor controlling valve 96 may thus be defined as a relay valve, which is automatically actuated by the spring 196 as a power 65 means, when the manually oper;ated two-way valve 36 is closed, that is, when the treadle 52 is released. The latter valive may thus be termed a master or pilot valve, which ' together with the pring 196 and a spring 200, described herein70 3a'tcr, controls the operation of the relay valve 9fi. As more completely described hereinafter, should the valve 36 be held open, the throttle 14, actuated by the accelerator, becomes a pjlot valve 75 to control the relay valve 96. The spring 196
