a weighted average of the speeds of the two intermediate shafts carrier 54 drives output shaft 12 via shell 56 whenever low mode clutch 60 is engaged alternatively carrier 54 could be solidly connected to output shaft 12 and the low mode clutch used to disconnect one of the other connections to the planetary gear set specifically a clutch that releasably connects sun gear 48 to gear 46 or a clutch that releasably connects ring gear 50 to gear 40 would accomplish the same function as clutch 60 a number of epicyclic gearing assemblies provide three elements that rotate about a common axis with the speed of one element equal to a weighted average of the speeds of the remaining two elements these include double pinion planetary gear sets stepped pinion planetary gear sets and co planar gear loops as described in u s pat nos 5 030 184 and 6 126 566 any of these epicyclic gearing assemblies should be regarded as an equivalent of the simple planetary gear set of the described embodiment the number of teeth on the various gears are selected such that carrier 54 is stationary for some variator speed ratio within the variator 39 s available ratio range this variator speed ratio is called the geared neutral ratio with the tooth numbers as shown in fig2 the geared neutral ratio is approximately 1 642 1 as a result in low mode variator ratios on the overdrive side of the geared neutral ratio will result in reverse drive and variator ratios on the underdrive side will result in forward drive furthermore at a variator ratio near.