of tranlations, transmissions and joints.

[Luca <nodoubt@xxxxxxxxx>]

John Hertzman wrote:
>My source for the three simple cross joints in a nongiuboized Alfa driveshaft
>was Fusi, p.453: "trasmissione in due tronchi, con tre giunti cardanici", the
>Italian 'trasmissione' being driveshaft rather than the Anglo-American
>transmision (which is cambio di velocita, following the French box of
>speeds).
>Anyhow, since Fusi does sometimes contain errors, I went to the parts book.
>The base 1900 had a giunto elastico at each end and a crociera in the middle
>in one version, with the single crociera at the rear in another, probably
>later, version; the 1900 TI and TI Super had a single giunto elastico at the
>front, with crocieri at the middle and rear; and the 1900 C had three
>cross-joints - 135624018 anteriore e posteriore, 135824017 crociera centrale.
>Page 170-171 in the 1900-1900 Super e Derivate Catalogo delle Parti di
>Ricambio. 

and Jorge Mazlumian wrote:

>However I would like
>to know where John gets the notion that the italian "cambio di velocita"
>*follows* "the French box of speeds."
>Funny, the spanish "caja de cambios" would be a mix of the two.  I believe
>that the correct italian term is "scatola del cambio (di velocit`)".  Now
>this could follow the French term. But why *follow*?  Did the french use the
>term first in the latin world?  That's what I would like to know.
>Luca help!!!

It's all a bit confused indeed.
First of all, I'd put order onto the joint arguments.
Which joint is what?
Concerning my very knowledge well supported by the good Hoepli Eng-Ita/Ita-Eng 
Techical dictionary I own I claim:
Giunto Cardanico = Universal Joint. Does it stand for the "U-Joint" often mentioned?
Giunto a Croce = Oldham coupling
Crociera = "Universal Joint SPIDER" or "Universal Joint CROSS", Cross journal.
Giunto Elastico = Flexible coupling

On John's quoting, we read the word TRASMISSIONE.
What's the translation for this word?
Still relying on the above mentioned book, I claim:
TRASMISSIONE, from motor to axes, including gearbox, universal joint, and drive shaft:
Driveline, drivetrain, transmission, gearbox.
I realized it sounds confused, but in mechanical italian, the transmission 
is all about deliverying power to wheels. And this includes gearbox, driveshaft
and all about that.
INDEED, on motorcycle world, we always speak about TRASMISSIONE PRIMARIA and
SECONDARIA. These words means, literaly: Primary transmission and Secondary transmission.
Usually, the primary transmission, for a motorcycle engine, is "gears type", while
the secondary is "chain" or "universal joints driveshaft".
This brings us back to automotive "slang": TRASMISSIONE,  in italian, includes 
all about power delivery to wheels. I'd easily say, to keep it simple, that's
everything from engine to wheels, these not included.

Returning to John and Jorge posts, I say they aren't wrong. None of them. 
Mechanically I mean.

John is pretty right when he says that TRASMISSIONE means DRIVESHAFT. In that
case he is right. He is wrong when he quotes that french version. Italian follows
no french, nor spanish way to speak in this case.
The french "box of speed" is the spanish "caja de cambio", as Jorge claims,
and in italian this becomes either "SCATOLA DEL CAMBIO", simply "CAMBIO" or
"CAMBIO DI VELOCITA'". The latest is the less used :-)
Getting back to my Hoepli book, I seeked for CAMBIO (on the Ita-Eng section)
and it came up with this:
Cambio (di velocita'). (automotive): change of gear, speed gear, gearbox (english)
transmission (american). 
And this partially agrees with John.

To sum up and give a final answer to Jorge doubts:
Trasmissione: again, everything from engine to wheels, these not included.

Trasmissione is the "way" to deliver something. Since the engine is the power
and the wheels are those who benefit of it, everything in between belongs to
the "transmissione" group. This, at the same time, confirm and denies John's
words.

Hope you enjoyed.
Available for further feedbacks and discussion ;)

Luca








"When the chosen people 
 grew more strong, 
 the rightful cause at length 
 became the wrong." (John Dryden, Absalon and Achitophel)

937, '87 Alfa 75 Turbo, '90 Alfa 75 1.8ie, '75 Benelli 500 Quattro, RM250
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