GB1417944A - Differential toruqe divider and vehicle equipped therewith having a pump and a hydraulic motor - Google Patents

Abstract

1417944 Driving semi-trailer wheels C K GREENE 13 Feb 1974 [16 March 1973] 06448/74 Heading B7H [Also in Division F2] A torque-dividing differential mechanism in a vehicle, e.g. a tractor and trailer combination, comprises an input shaft driven by a power plant, a first output shaft coaxial therewith and mechanically coupled with primary groundengaging driving elements, e.g. wheels on one axle of a tractor, a second output shaft driving an hydraulic pump of fixed or variable displacement connected by ducts with a motor or motors also of fixed or variable displacement coupled to drive secondary driving elements, e.g. trailer wheels, a planet carrier driven by the input shaft and carrying planetary gears meshing with gears coupled to the two output shafts, and clutch means operable, while the input shaft is turning, to couple directly the input shaft to the first output shaft. In one embodiment the input shaft 48, Fig. 2, drives a planet carrier 49 of which the planetary pinions 51 mesh with a ring gear 52 and with a sun 58. The ring gear is fixed to the first output shaft 55, coaxial with the input shaft, and drives the rear wheels of a tractor through the usual differential gear, and the sun 58 is integral with an output gear 59 in mesh with a gear 61 connected to the second output shaft 29 which drives the hydraulic pump 30 connected to the motor which drives trailer wheels through a differential gear. The two conduits between the pump and motor may be interconnected by a controllable valve and a relief valve, and the motor may be connected to the trailer differential through a friction clutch. A clutch member 66 splined to the output shaft 55 is movable axially by a control rod 35 to cause pins 67 to enter holes 69 in the carrier 49 and thereby couple the input shaft to the coaxial output shaft. In a modification, the input shaft 86, Fig. 4, has splined thereon an axially movable sun 90 meshing with the smaller pinions 94 of planetary clusters 95 of which the larger pinions 101 mesh with a sun 102 on the coaxial output shaft 103. The planet carrier 98 has a gear 106 meshing with a gear 107 driving the pump 30, and the sun 90 is movable axially by a control rod 84 to disengage it from the pinions 94 and cause driving engagement between a toothed socket 91 and teeth 105 on the sun 102. In a further modification the input shaft drives a carrier for bevel planetary wheels in mesh with two side wheels one of which has a drive connection with an output shaft coaxial with the input shaft and the other is connected through spur gearing with the pump.