GB869103A - Differential gear mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

869,103. Differential gear; friction clutches. EATON MANUFACTURING CO. July 23, 1959 [Feb. 27, 1959], No. 25398/59. Class 80 (2). Differential gearing for motor cars is provided with a friction lock, tooth reaction of one of the gears when under load producing a lock-engaging thrust and a ring being associated with the lock to restrict the application of the thrust to the area adjacent the maximum diameter of the locking device. In one form, the usual crown wheel 30, Fig. 1, drives a bevel gear differential casing 10 supporting bevel planet pinions 35 meshing sun gears 32, 33, the latter being splined for limited axial movement upon its half-shaft 27 and coacting through a friction lock comprising a multi-disc clutch 13 with the differential casing. Under load, tooth reaction biases the sun gear 33 rightwards and compresses the clutch discs 13 between the back of the gear and a ring-shaped shim 58, Fig. 3, located at the radially outermost portion of a thrust surface 47 formed in the differential casing 10. Slip between the half-shafts 26, 27 when the road wheels of the car slip is thus prevented. In a modification, the shim 58 is replaced by a raised ring-shaped land 58, Fig. 5, formed in the casing 10. Alternatively, the shim &c. may be located at the back of the sun gear 39. The shim 58 or the equivalent land is arranged adjacent to a disc 54 of the clutch pack which rotates with the casing, or, if the shim &c. is at the back of the sun gear 33, the adjacent disc rotates with the sun gear. The clutch discs 54, Fig. 2, rotating with the differential casing 10, are formed with radially projecting lugs 59 which engage between the arms 61a, Fig. 4, of U-shaped hardened inserts 61 mounted in the casing. The clutch discs 55 rotating with the sun gear 39 are splined upon the hubs thereof. In a modification, Fig. 6 (not shown), slip-preventing locking clutches are mounted at the backs of both sun gears 32. 33, and the bevel planet pinions 35 are separated by a spacing bush surrounding their mounting pin 36. In another modification, Figs. 8 ... 11 (also not shown), the U-shaped hardened inserts 61 are replaced by two-part inserts.