Transmission with main shaft centering device

1. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft having first and second ends with said first end to be driven by a vehicle power source and said second end supporting a transmission drive gear;

a main shaft coupled to said input shaft, said main shaft supporting a plurality of transmission gears that provide different gear reduction ratios for varying operating speeds of a vehicle transmission, and wherein said input shaft drives said main shaft to operate the vehicle transmission; and

a resilient member reacting between said input shaft and said main shaft to center said main shaft and said input shaft relative to each other, said resilient member providing a floating interface between said input shaft and said main shaft with said transmission drive gear being positioned on said input shaft to surround at least a portion of said resilient member.

2. The transmission according to claim 1 wherein said input shaft defines an input axis of rotation and said main shaft defines a main axis, said resilient member maintaining a collinear relationship between said main axis and said input axis.

3. The transmission according to claim 1 wherein one of said input shaft and said main shaft includes a bore at one shaft end and the other of said input shaft and said main shaft includes an extension at one shaft end, said extension being received within said bore.

4. The transmission according to claim 3 wherein said bore is defined by an inner peripheral surface and said extension is defined by an outer peripheral surface and wherein said resilient member is positioned between said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface.

5. The transmission according to claim 4 including a first reaction member mounted to said inner peripheral surface and a second reaction member mounted to said outer peripheral surface and wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said first and said second reaction members.

6. The transmission according to claim 4 including a groove formed in one of said inner peripheral surface and said outer peripheral surface wherein said resilient member is received within said groove.

7. The transmission according to claim 6 wherein said resilient member comprises an O-ring.

8. The transmission according to claim 1 wherein said resilient member comprises an elastomeric band surrounding an end of one of said input shaft and said main shaft.

9. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft defining an input axis of rotations;

a main shaft coupled to said input shaft, said main shaft supporting at least one transmission gear, and wherein one of said input shaft and said main shaft includes a bore at one shaft end and the other of said input shaft and said main shaft includes an extension at one shaft end, said extension being received within said bore, and wherein said bore is defined by an inner peripheral surface and said extension is defined by an outer peripheral surface;

a resilient member reacting between said input shaft and said main shaft to center said main shaft and said input shaft relative to each other, said resilient member being positioned between said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface;

a first reaction member mounted to said inner peripheral surface; and

a second reaction member mounted to said outer peripheral surface, and wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said first and said second reaction members, and wherein said first and said second reaction members each have an L-shaped cross-section with a long leg extending in a direction generally parallel to said input axis of rotation and a short leg extending in a direction generally transverse to said input axis of rotation.

10. The transmission according to claim 9 wherein said resilient member is axially positioned between said short legs of said first and said second reaction members in a direction along said input axis of rotation.

11. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft defining an input axis of rotation;

a main shaft coupled to said input shaft, said main shaft supporting at least one transmission gear, and wherein one of said input shaft and said main shaft includes a bore at one shaft end and the other of said input shaft and said main shaft includes an extension at one shaft end, said extension being received within said bore, and wherein said bore is defined by an inner peripheral surface and said extension is defined by an outer peripheral surface;

a resilient member reacting between said input shaft and said main shaft to center said main shaft and said input shaft relative to each other, said resilient member being positioned between said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface;

a first reaction member mounted to said inner peripheral surface;

a second reaction member mounted to said outer peripheral surface, and wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said first and said second reaction members, and wherein said first and said second reaction members each have an L-shaped cross-section with a long leg extending in a direction generally parallel to said input axis of rotation and a short leg extending in a direction generally transverse to said input axis of rotation; and

wherein, said resilient member is axially positioned between said short legs of said first and said second reaction members in a direction along said input axis of rotation, and including at least one annular gap formed between one of said short legs of said first and said second reaction members and said resilient member.

12. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft having first and second ends with said first end to be driven by a vehicle power source and said second end supporting a transmission drive gear, and said input shaft having an internal bore formed within one of said first and said second ends, said internal bore being defined by an inner peripheral surface, and said internal bore being formed directly within an end face of said input shaft such that at least a portion of said transmission drive gear surrounds said internal bore;

a main shaft having an extension formed at one main shaft end, said extension being defined by an outer peripheral surface that is at least partially received within said internal bore, and wherein said main shaft supports a plurality of transmission gears, said main shaft being driven by said input shaft to operate a vehicle transmission; and

a resilient member positioned between said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface to center said main shaft and said input shaft relative to each other.

13. The transmission according to claim 12 wherein said input shaft defines an input axis of rotation and said main shaft defines a main axis and wherein said inner peripheral surface extends circumferentially about said input axis and said outer peripheral surface extends circumferentially about said main axis with said resilient member reacting between said inner peripheral surface and said outer peripheral surface to maintain a collinear relationship between said input axis and said main axis.

14. The transmission according to claim 12 including a first reaction member mounted to said inner peripheral surface and a second reaction member mounted to said outer peripheral surface wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said first and said second reaction members.

15. The transmission according to claim 14 wherein said first and said second reaction members are comprised of a rigid material and said resilient member is comprised of an elastomeric material.

16. The transmission according to claim 12 including a groove formed in one of said inner peripheral surface and said outer peripheral surface wherein said resilient member is received within said groove.

17. Transmission according to claim 12 wherein said resilient member comprises an annular band surrounding said outer peripheral surface.

18. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft having an internal bore formed within one input shaft end, said internal bore being defined by an inner peripheral surface;

a main shaft having an extension formed at one main shaft end, said extension being defined by an outer peripheral surface that is at least partially received within said internal bore, and wherein said main shaft supports a plurality of transmission gears, said main shaft being driven by said input shaft to operate a vehicle transmission, and said input shaft and said main shaft extending along a common axis;

a resilient member positioned between said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface to center said main shaft and said input shaft relative to each other;

a first reaction member mounted to said inner peripheral surface; and

a second reaction member mounted to said outer peripheral surface wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said first: and said second reaction members, and wherein said first and said second reaction members are defined by an L-shape cross-section having a long leg portion extending in a direction generally parallel to said common axis and a short leg potion extending in a direction transverse to said common axis.

19. The transmission according to claim 18 wherein said resilient member is in direct abutting engagement with said long leg portions of said first and said second reaction members.