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Concept
Transmission (mechanical device)
Summary
A transmission (also called a gearbox) is a mechanical device which uses gears to change the speed or direction of rotation in a machine. Many transmissions have multiple gear ratios, but there are also transmissions that use a single fixed gear ratio.
Most currently-produced passenger cars with petrol or diesel engines use transmissions with 5-8 forward gear ratios and one reverse gear ratio. Electric vehicles typically use a single-speed or two-speed transmission.
The simplest transmissions used a fixed ratio to provide either a gear reduction or increase in speed, sometimes in conjunction with a change in the orientation of the output shaft. Examples of such transmissions are used in helicopters, wind turbines and power take-offs (PTOs) for tractors. In the case of a wind turbine, the first stage of the gearbox is usually a planetary gear, to minimize the size while withstanding the high torque inputs from the turbine.
Many transmissions - especially for transportation applications - have multiple gear ratios that can be switched between while the machine is operating. The multiple ratios are used to match the range of input speeds (e.g. engine rpm) with the output speed (e.g. the speed of a car) required for a given situation.
Manual transmission
A manual transmission requires the driver to manually select the gears by operating a gear stick and clutch (which is usually a foot pedal for cars or a hand lever for motorcycles).
Most transmissions in modern cars use synchromesh to synchronise the speeds of the input and output shafts. However, prior to the 1950s, most cars used non-synchronous transmissions.
File:Cambio H.jpg |Transmission internals for a 2009 [[Volkswagen Golf]]
File:John Deere 3350 tractor cut transmission.JPG |16-speed tractor transmission (plus 8 reverse gears)
Sequential manual transmission
A sequential manual transmission is a type of non-synchronous transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than synchronized manual transmissions, through the use of dog clutches rather than synchromesh.
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