GB888263A - Improvements in or relating to vehicle differentials - Google Patents

Abstract

888,263. Differential gear; toothed gearing; securing universal joints and bearing races on shafts. FORD MOTOR CO. Ltd. July 27, 1960 [Aug. 20, 1959], No. 26086/60. Classes 80 (1) and 80 (2). [Also in Groups XXXI and XXXIV] Differential gearing comprises an input and three output shafts, two of the output shafts being connected to the input by differential gearing, and the third output shaft being directly connected to the input shaft. As shown, an input shaft 16, Fig. 1, carries a hypoid gear 26 meshing a hypoid crown-wheel 28 fast with the planet carrier 74 of a bevel gear differential having sun-gears 80, 82 fast with output shafts 90, 92, a universal joint member 18 secured to one end of the shaft 16 transmitting drive thereto and a similar universal joint member 58 at the other end thereof transmitting drive onwards to a further differential. The axial position of the shaft 16 can be adjusted by selecting a shim 42 of a desired thickness, a nut 44 screwed into a housing 12 holding the outer race 34 of twin taper roller-bearings 30 and being locked in position by a key 46. To obtain correct meshing of the hypoid gears 26, 28, the transverse position of the differential gear 74 &c. is adjusted by a similar construction of nut. Tapered roller bearings 68, 70 journalling the shafts 90, 92 have their outer races positioned by two nuts 98, 100 screwed into the housing 12. Castellations on each nut and at 120, 122, Fig. 2, within the housing receive a key 102 so shaped that it can be turned through 180 degrees to allow stepped adjustment of the nut by rotation through an angle corresponding to half that subtended between castellations, or multiples thereof. The hypoid pinion 26 is splined upon the shaft 16 and is abutted by the inner races 36 of the twin taper roller bearings 30, separated by a spacer 30, these races in turn being abutted by the universal joint member 18 splined upon the end of the shaft 16 and held in position by a nut 24. The universal joint member 58 is secured by a nut 62 to the remote end of the shaft 16. The housing 12 is provided with legs 107 by which it is secured to the frame of a vehicle driven through the gearing. In the form shown, the gearing is mounted at 10, Fig. 3, in a tandem drive lorry, the engine 114 driving through a propeller shaft 116 to the shaft 16, the output end of the latter being connected through a further propeller shaft 130 to a conventional differential gear 11.