JPH025942B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to differentials, and more particularly to positive clutch differentials.

The most commonly used automotive differential is of the bevel gear type. This differential is connected to the output shaft of the vehicle's engine and distributes engine power and torque equally between the two drive axles. This differential device can change the speed of the drive axle (hereinafter referred to as the axle) as required.

Conventional differentials cannot transmit more than twice the amount of torque to the ground than can be transmitted to the lower traction wheel of the two wheels. Therefore, when the traction force becomes zero, for example because one of the two wheels is spinning on ice, neither the wheel nor the axle transmits power or torque to the ground. As is well known, when one wheel is idling, this conventional differential does not allow the other wheel to rotate at all.

Therefore, various power distribution differentials or slip-limiting differentials have been developed to supply power to the other wheel when one wheel is spinning, that is, when one wheel loses traction. has been done.
For example, an example of this type of power distribution differential is
No. 2,720,796, issued January 18, 1955.

However, currently available slip-limiting power distribution differentials are fairly expensive and complex in construction, and are more prone to wear than the conventional differentials discussed above. Furthermore, when the vehicle is traveling around a curve and the outside wheels must rotate faster than the inside wheels, and there is less friction with the ground, the slip-limiting power distribution differential described above usually works well. In such a case, the wheels stop rotating and the tires are dragged, making it easy to lose control of the vehicle. Problems also arise when one wheel momentarily leaves the ground and the other wheel remains in contact with the ground. Additionally, if one wheel loses traction, that wheel tends to spin to some extent.

This invention was made under the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to be able to instantaneously transmit torque to the other wheel that has traction when one wheel loses traction. Even when one wheel is rotating faster than the other and there is little friction with the ground, the wheels do not stop rotating and the vehicle becomes uncontrollable. To provide a positive clutch differential device that does not complicate the structure or increase cost.

The dimensions and shape of the positive clutch differential housing of the present invention are identical to those of conventional differentials. However, within this positive clutch differential, two self-locking torque-responsive friction clutches are provided, and the husbands of the two self-locking torque-responsive friction clutches are connected to one or the other of the two axles. Ru. When the vehicle is being driven straight forward, the two self-locking torque-responsive friction clutches are engaged and the torque is distributed approximately equally between the two axles, resulting in a rotate equally. In contrast, when the vehicle rounds a curve or turns, the self-locking torque-responsive friction clutch corresponding to the wheel located on the outside of the curve is disengaged, allowing that wheel to rotate freely. As a result, all the power and torque is transferred to the wheels located on the inside of the curve, which in turn transfer all the torque to the ground. Similarly, if either wheel loses traction, all torque is delivered to the other wheel. The performance of the positive clutch differential of the present invention is the same in either drive direction and is therefore always the same whether the vehicle is moving forward or in reverse.

The positive clutch differential includes a thrust coupling member in the form of a central drive ring that is secured within the casing of a conventional differential and rotates therewith. The casing is normally rotated by a bevel gear fixed to the casing that engages a pinion mounted on the propeller or output shaft of the engine. The center drive ring is disposed between a pair of pressure rings that move toward and away from adjacent surfaces of the center drive ring.

A plurality of wedge-shaped cam teeth are formed on each of the opposite sides of the center drive ring. These teeth engage corresponding teeth formed on adjacent surfaces of each of the two pressure rings.

Each pressure ring is connected to the inner end of each of the two axles extending into the casing. This connection engages when the respective pressure ring moves outward, ie, away from the center drive ring, and engages when the pressure ring moves inward, ie, toward the center drive ring. Release.

When the vehicle's wheels are rotating at the same speed, such as when the vehicle is traveling on a straight road, the power transmitted from the engine causes the center drive ring to rotate with the differential casing. . The teeth of the central drive ring engage and are wedged outwardly with corresponding teeth of the two pressure rings. Since the pressure rings are subjected to an outward wedging force in a direction along the centerline of rotation, the pressure rings are urged outwardly to engage their respective friction clutches. These friction clutches are connected to the axle so that power is transmitted to the axle.

When one axle rotates faster than the other, for example when a car goes around a curve, the axle on the outside of the curve must rotate faster than the axle on the inside, the pressure ring on that axle becomes overloaded. run, i.e. rotate faster than the center drive ring. As a result, the wedge-shaped teeth of the pressure ring move faster than the wedge-shaped teeth of the central drive ring, so that both teeth are disengaged. Disengagement causes the pressure ring to move inward in a direction along the centerline of rotation, ie, toward the central drive ring, thereby disengaging the pressure ring clutch. When the clutch is disengaged, the associated axle receives no power or torque, and all torque is transferred to the opposite axle. Therefore, one axle is free to rotate and the other axle receives all the torque and transmits all the torque to the ground through the wheels.

As the teeth of the pressure ring overrun, or speed up, the teeth of the center drive ring with which they engage, these teeth normally reengage. That is, even if the teeth are disengaged on one surface, the teeth will be re-engaged on the other surface. To prevent this from occurring, i.e. to maintain a gap between the teeth during overrun or speed-up conditions, a stop ring is provided. A stop ring, also called a balking ring, extends through the center of the center drive ring and connects two
Connect two pressure rings together. The respective connection is provided by the interengagement of splines formed on the surface of the stop ring and splines formed on the inner surface of the opening in the pressure ring into which the stop ring is inserted. These splines, or the teeth that make up the splines, mesh relatively loosely, so that a predetermined amount of backlash is achieved. This backlash causes the pressure ring to disengage the teeth of the pressure ring from the corresponding teeth of the center drive ring and instead engage the teeth of the spline, causing the particular pressure ring to no longer engage with the center drive ring. Allows enough movement to keep it from rotating. As a result, the opposite surfaces of the mating wedge-shaped teeth of both the pressure ring and the central drive ring are spaced apart. That is, the backlash of the splines limits movement and then holds each pressure ring against further rotation with respect to the central drive ring.

More specifically, the positive clutch differential of the present invention typically includes a thrust coupling comprised of a central drive ring and a pair of pressure rings interconnected by wedge-shaped tooth engagement. The torque is transmitted approximately equally to the two axles through the two axles.
A pressure ring is connected to each axle via a friction clutch. On the other hand, if one axle overruns or speeds up, for example when the car is taking a curve or when one axle loses traction and spins out, the pressure on that axle increases. Because the ring rotates faster than the center drive ring, the rear surface of the pressure ring teeth advances further than the front surface of the center drive ring with which it would normally be in contact. Therefore, a gap is formed between each tooth, and the engagement of the thrust mechanism is released.

The continuous forward movement of the pressure ring is stopped by the spacer ring. The spacing of the spacer ring creates a gap between the rear surface of the pressure ring teeth and the front surface of the central drive ring, thereby keeping the opposing tooth surfaces from engaging during overrun. Ru. At this point, the wedge teeth are disengaged so that the associated axle and its wheels are free to rotate and all torque is transferred to the opposite axle and its wheels. Because the disengagement of the teeth no longer wedges the pressure ring outwardly, the disengagement causes the pressure ring to move inwardly in a direction along the centerline of rotation and release its clutch. cause something to happen

When the overrunning axle returns to casing and center drive ring speed, the pressure ring teeth on that axle reengage the center drive ring teeth and power is transmitted normally again. This occurs because the re-engaged teeth wedge or push the pressure ring teeth outwardly again along the centerline of rotation, causing the pressure ring clutch to re-engage.

The positive clutch differential of the present invention consists essentially of five components that are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The first of its five components has a conventional appearance, that is, a conventional size and shape, and is rotated in a conventional manner by conventional transmission from the engine drive shaft or propeller shaft. casing or housing. The second component is a flat disk-shaped or ring-shaped central drive ring that rotates with the casing and is fixed inside the casing. The third component is a pair of pressure rings located on either side of the center drive ring, and the fourth component extends through the pressure ring and the center drive ring located in line with the centerline of rotation. and a stop ring interconnected with a pressure ring through a corresponding loosely toothed spline. The fifth component is a coil spring disposed around the stop ring, between the two pressure rings, and extending through a central opening in the central drive ring, the coil spring extending along the centerline of rotation. Apply a small pressure to the pressure ring, acting outward in the direction. The coil spring engages the clutch substantially instantaneously when a driving force is applied.

These five components, especially the ring, have a very simple construction and are inexpensive to manufacture. For example, the wedge-shaped teeth of the ring can be manufactured in a forging process with minimal machining. Furthermore, the amount of movement required to engage and disengage the clutch is small, eg, a few thousandths of an inch. Since this movement is substantially instantaneous, there is little wear on the clutch during engagement or disengagement. Accordingly, the positive clutch differential of the present invention is expected to be much less prone to wear and have a longer lifespan than currently available differentials.

It is an object of the present invention to improve traction in a slip condition, prevent wheels from spinning when one wheel loses traction, and provide higher efficiency and safety. An object of the present invention is to provide a positive clutch differential. Positive clutch differentials of this type are particularly useful in four-wheel drive vehicles and rough terrain vehicles. Despite the greatly improved performance, the construction is very simple and therefore costs less to manufacture than other lock-type differentials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a positive clutch differential that is quiet under all driving conditions and even when power is transferred from one axle to the other during slip conditions, curves, and turns. It is to be. Additionally, the positive clutch differential configuration eliminates the negative torque induced within the system and the so-called "stackslip" condition common with currently available limited slip differentials.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the positive clutch differential of the present invention that utilizes a conical clutch. This positive clutch differential has a rotatable inner casing 10, and the inner casing 10 is composed of a flange member 11 and a facing member 12, and there is a flat surface between the flange member 11 and the facing member 12. A ring-shaped member 13 is arranged. The flange member 11 and the opposing member 12 each have a bolt 14 passing through a hole provided in each of them so as to be aligned with each other and a through hole 15 of the ring-shaped member 13.
are fixed to each other. The holes in the counter member 12 are threaded so that the flange member 11 and the counter member 12 can be mechanically secured to each other by bolts 14 to form a hollow inner casing 10 .

Each of the flange member 11 and the opposing member 12 includes
A sleep-shaped bearing end 16 is provided,
A bearing 17 is attached around each bearing end 16. The bearing 17 is fixed inside a conventionally known fixed outer casing (not shown) of a positive clutch differential, and the inner casing 1
0 rotates around a bearing 17 within an outer casing (not shown). Fixed outer casings, not shown, are known from the prior art and will not be described here. For example, the power distribution differential described in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 2,720,796 includes such an outer casing.

A conventional bevel gear 18 is fixed to a flange 19 formed integrally with the flange member 11 of the inner casing 10. For fixing the bevel gear 18 to the flange 19, suitable bolts 20 are used. As in the conventional case, the bevel gear 18 meshes with a drive pinion 21 fixed to one end of a power transmission shaft 22 such as a propeller shaft or an output shaft of an engine.

A pair of axles 25 extend into the inner casing 10 via a pair of bearing ends 16 . A spline 26 is provided at the inner end of each of the pair of axles 25 . An axle hub 27 has spline teeth 28 that mesh with splines 26 at the inner end of the axle 25, and the axle hub 27 can slide relative to the axle 25 in a direction along the longitudinal centerline.

The central drive ring 30 is integral with a flat ring-shaped member 13 interposed between the flange member 11 and the counter member 12 of the inner casing 10 . The central drive ring 30 thus rotates with the inner casing 10 as if it were part of the inner casing 10. A plurality of wedge-shaped teeth 31 having a V-shaped cross section are formed on both sides of the center drive ring 30 .

The center drive ring 30 is disposed between a pair of pressure rings 32, each of the pair of pressure rings 32 having a plurality of wedge-shaped teeth 33 that mesh with the wedge-shaped teeth 31 of the center drive ring 30. are doing.

Each of the pair of pressure rings 32 is also provided with an internal spline 34 .

Inside the inner casing 10 there is a stop spring 35, a so-called balking ring,
A stop ring 35 is disposed concentrically with respect to the center of rotation of the pressure ring 32 and the central drive ring 30 and extends therethrough. Spline teeth 36 formed on the stop ring 35, particularly at its diametrically opposite edge, mesh loosely with the teeth of the inner spline 34 of the pressure ring 32. The spline teeth 36 on the opposite edge of the stop ring 35 may be formed by integral spline teeth extending over the entire surface of the stop ring 35.

The rims 37 of the pressure ring 32 are considerably flared and each rim 37 is provided with an inner conical clutch surface 39. The inner conical clutch surface 39 engages an outer conical clutch surface 40 on the adjacent axle hub 27. axle hub 2
7 includes an outer conical portion 41 that fits into a conical seat portion 42 formed on the flange member 11 and the opposing member 12 of the inner casing 10.
is also formed (see Figure 1).

A coil spring 43 surrounds the stop ring 35, and both ends of the coil spring 43 abut against opposing pressure rings 32. The coil spring 43 is
A pair of pressure rings 3 apply a small pressure acting in a direction along the center line of rotation and moving away from each other.
2, the pair of pressure rings 32 typically move away from each other in a direction along the center line of rotation to engage the inner conical clutch surfaces 39 of the pair of pressure rings 32 and the pair of axle hubs 27. Frictional engagement between the outer conical clutch surface 40 and the outer conical portion 41 of the pair of axle hubs 27 and the flange member 11 and countermember 1 of the inner casing 10
Frictional engagement is made between the conical seat portion 42 of No. 2 and the conical seat portion 42 of No. 2.

2 to 5 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the positive clutch differential shown in FIG. 1. FIG. In FIG. 2, the central drive ring 30 is rotationally driven by the rotating inner casing 10 as indicated by the large arrow. As the central drive ring 30 rotates, its wedge-shaped teeth 31 engage the wedge-shaped teeth 33 of each adjacent pressure ring 32. The wedging force due to this engagement of the wedges is indicated by small arrows at the locations of the engaging teeth. Rotation of central drive ring 30 thus causes rotation of pair of pressure rings 32. The inner conical clutch surface 39 of each of the pair of pressure rings 32 is connected to the pair of axle hubs 27 .
is in frictional engagement with a corresponding outer conical clutch surface 40 . As a result, the axle hub 27
2, the axle hub 27 rotates with the spline teeth 2.
8 to the spline 26 of the axle 25, the axle 25 also rotates at the same speed. This corresponds to the case where the car is traveling on a straight road.

The distance traveled by the pair of pressure rings 32, which are moved away from each other in the direction along the center line of rotation by the wedge action caused by the engagement of the wedge-shaped teeth, is between 1/20,000 and 30,000 of an inch. It is 1. The smaller the distance of movement, the shorter the time required for engagement. Normally, the time required for the engagement is very short, and when a positive clutch differential is actually used, the engagement always occurs instantaneously.
The distribution of the torque output to 5 takes place instantaneously.

During the drive condition shown in FIG. 2, the spline teeth 36 of the stop ring 35 are centered between the teeth of the inner spline 34 of the pressure ring 32. Since the teeth of the inner spline 34 and the spline teeth 36 of the stop ring 35 are loosely meshed with each other, the plurality of spline teeth 36 of the stop ring 35 are connected to the pressure ring 32, as shown schematically and exaggerated in FIG. Sufficient play is provided for centering between the teeth of the internal spline 34 of the spline.

Turning now to FIG. 4, the inner conical clutching surface 39 of the right side pressure ring 32 is now out of frictional engagement with the outer conical clutching surface 40 of the right axle hub 27. Such a situation occurs when the right wheels have to rotate faster than the left wheels, such as when the car is turning to the left or traveling along a curve to the left. In such a case, the right wheel axle will rotate faster than the center drive ring 30 and inner casing 10.

When the right drive axle 25 rotates faster than the center drive ring 30, the outer conical clutch surface 40 of the axle hub 27 and the inner conical clutch surface 39 of the adjacent pressure ring 32 are in frictional engagement so that the right The pressure ring 32 of the center drive ring 30
tends to overrun, i.e. advance beyond the center drive ring 30. As a result, the teeth of the right pressure ring 32 move further forward than the wedge-shaped teeth of the center drive ring 30 such that the rear surfaces of the teeth of the right pressure ring 32 are the corresponding front surfaces of the teeth of the center drive ring 30. momentarily separates from the center drive ring 30, but in the next moment the front surface of the teeth of the right pressure ring 32 re-engages with the rear surface of the teeth of the center drive ring 30.

However, now the teeth of the stop ring 35 are brought into engagement with the tooth surfaces of the two pressure rings 32 in order to prevent the momentarily spaced wedge-shaped teeth from re-engaging on their opposite faces. The position of the stop ring 35 is determined. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the rear surface of the teeth of the right pressure ring 32 engages the front surface of the spline teeth of the stop ring 35. The opposite happens with the teeth on the left. That is, there is no backlash and the teeth are engaged and stopped, thereby maintaining the wedge-shaped teeth as shown in FIG.

Since the wedge-shaped teeth shown in FIG. 4 are not engaged on the right side, the right pressure ring 32 moves axially inward, i.e. to the left, and is held in a centered position without any load. Ru. As a result, the mutually engaged clutch surfaces are separated. The axle hub 27 now disengages the pressure ring 32 so that the axle hub 27 disengages the center drive ring 32.
Rotates freely regardless of 0. Therefore, the right-hand axle rotates freely, ie, no power is supplied to the right-hand axle. However, the left axle still has power and the teeth of the left pressure ring 32 are still in contact with the wedge shaped teeth of the center drive ring 30 for normal operation.

Thus, the loosely meshed teeth of stop ring 35 and the splines of pressure ring 32 cooperate to form a stop. In some situations this stop causes the wedge-shaped teeth of the central drive ring 30 to engage the teeth of the pressure ring 32, but in other situations, such as when one axle is rotating faster than the casing. , disengages the stop or wedge-shaped teeth and maintains the disengaged state.

While the wedge-shaped teeth are engaged, the meshing action of the wedge pushes each pressure ring 32 outward. However, once the wedge teeth are disengaged, the pressure ring 32 moves inwardly. To obtain an instantaneous response to clutch engagement, a small spring force is typically applied to the coil to separate the two pressure rings and urge them axially outwardly toward the clutch engaged position. A spring 43 provides.

The relative relationships required of the components of the differential to achieve self-locking of the conical differential clutch are expressed by the following equation.

TanB=tanAr/4RU During the ceremony, B is thrust angle, cam angle r is the average radius of the thrust connection R is the average radius of the clutch surface U is the coefficient of friction A is the cone angle.

Thrust angle B is the angle that the surfaces of one wedge-shaped tooth make with respect to a vertical line that bisects the triangle formed by the opposing surfaces of adjacent teeth. That is, it is the angle formed by the hypotenuse (tooth surface) of an equilateral triangle formed by the surfaces of adjacent wedge-shaped teeth and the perpendicular bisector.

Although the clutch is shown as cone-shaped, a disk-shaped clutch may also be used depending on the configuration of the positive clutch differential. Figures 7 and 8
The figure shows a positive clutch differential similar in operation and construction to the positive clutch differential shown in FIGS. 1-6, but utilizing a disk clutch in place of a conical clutch. FIG. 7 shows two opposing parts, a flange member 11 and a facing member 12, similar to the casing shown in FIG.
1 shows a differential device including a casing 10 made up of. Opposing axles 25 are inserted inside the casing as described above, and each axle has an axle hub 4 having an inner spline that meshes with a spline formed on the inner end of the axle 25.
Contains 5.

The inner, opposing ends of the axle hub 45 are of reduced diameter and are surrounded by a stop ring 46 having an outer spline toothing 47. A coil spring 48 surrounds a splined stop ring 46 and is housed within a central opening of a central drive ring 30 similar to the central drive ring 30 described in connection with FIG.

Pressure ring 32a has wedge-shaped teeth 33 that mate with correspondingly shaped wedge-shaped teeth 31 on central drive ring 30 as described above.

The pressure ring 32 is similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 with respect to the embodiment of FIG.
It has an inner spline 34 that meshes with an outer spline toothing 47 of the stop ring 32. However, a second spline 49 is formed on the outer surface of the pressure ring. The second spline 49 meshes with an internal spline 50 formed on a clutch ring 51 surrounding the pressure ring.

A plurality of flat clutch plates 52 surround each axle hub 45;
2 engages between the pressure ring's outer plate-engaging surface 53 and an anvil or annular rib 54 formed within the casing (FIG. 7).

The clutch plate 52 is connected to the outer clutch ring 51.
The axle hub 45 alternates between plates having outer notches to receive the teeth of the inner spline 50 of the axle hub 45 and plates of reduced diameter having inner notches to receive the spline teeth 55 of the axle hub 45 . That is, the clutch plate 52 has a large diameter plate 56 and a small diameter plate 5.
7, the plates being urged in a direction towards the annular rib 54 by the pressure of the outer plate engaging surface 53 of the pressure ring.
This pressure causes the wedge-shaped teeth 33 of the pressure ring to displace the wedge-shaped teeth 31 of the center drive ring 30 as shown in FIG.
This occurs when the tooth 31 engages with the tooth 31 and is driven by the tooth 31.

If the axle overruns, the clutch plate
As shown in the figure, it moves to a spaced position through space. That is, the wedge teeth are disengaged and the flat pressure or outer plate engaging surface 53 is applied to the clutch plates as it moves inward in the direction along the center of rotation toward the center drive ring 30. The pressure is released and the clutch opens.

Inner splines 34a of pressure ring 32a engage and slide axially against outer spline teeth 47 of stop ring 46 to provide a stopping and spacing action as shown in FIG.

As with conical clutches, the movement of the pressure ring along its axis of rotation is small, on the order of a few thousandths of an inch, but is sufficient to cause the clutch to engage or disengage from a particular axis. is sufficient. Therefore, there is very little wear on the clutch surfaces and engagement and disengagement of the clutch is virtually instantaneous. In a disc type clutch, like a cone type clutch, the clutch surfaces engage when each component moves at a constant speed, so wear caused by engagement and disengagement can be almost eliminated. can.

The relative relationships required of the components of the disk-type clutch of FIGS. 7 and 8 in order to automatically lock the clutch of the differential are determined by the equations previously presented for the cone-type clutch. This relationship is somewhat different from that expressed by , and is expressed by the following equation.

TanB=r/RNU During the ceremony, B is thrust angle, cam angle r is the average radius of the thrust connection R is the average radius of the clutch surface N is the number of friction surfaces U is the coefficient of friction.

The construction of the differential described above, whether of the conical or disk clutch type, is uncomplicated and the components can be manufactured at relatively low cost. Therefore, the differential arrangement of the present invention can be manufactured economically and cheaply, and is more efficient than similar differentials of the prior art.
Moreover, it is possible to obtain excellent wear resistance and reliable operation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a positive clutch differential according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. , a diagram schematically showing the relative positions of the mutually meshed teeth of each of the stop ring and the two pressure rings when in the normal power drive condition as shown in FIG. 2;
Figure 2 schematically shows the right-hand clutch disengaged such that the right-hand pressure ring is disengaged from the central drive ring and the right-hand axle is free to rotate. FIG. 5 schematically shows, like FIG. 3, the relative positions of the mutually meshed teeth of each of the stop ring and the two pressure rings in the state shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is an exploded view, partially in cross section, of some of the components that make up the positive clutch differential; FIG. Diagram schematically shown using a cross section;
and FIG. 8 is an exploded view, partially in cross section, showing several parts constituting the disc clutch type positive clutch differential of FIG. 7. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Inner casing, 11... Flange member, 12... Opposing member, 13... Ring-shaped member, 14... Bolt, 15... Through hole, 16...
Bearing end, 17...Bearing, 18...Bevel gear, 19
... Flange, 20 ... Bolt, 21 ... Drive pinion, 22 ... Power transmission shaft, 25 ... Axle, 2
6... Spline, 27... Axle hub, 28...
Spline tooth, 30... Center drive ring, 31...
...Wedge-shaped teeth, 32, 32a...Pressure ring, 33
... Wedge-shaped tooth, 34, 34a ... Inner spline, 35 ... Stop ring, 36 ... Spline tooth, 37 ... Rim, 39 ... Inner conical clutch surface, 40 ... Outer conical clutch surface, 43
... Coil spring, 45 ... Axle hub, 46 ... Stop spring, 47 ... Outer spline tooth row, 4
8...Coil spring, 49...Second spline,
50... Inner spline, 51... Clutch ring, 52... Clutch plate, 53... Outer plate engagement surface, 54... Annular rib, 55... Spline tooth,
56...Large diameter plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A pair of axle-like shafts having a housing in which adjacent ends of the pair of axle-like shafts extend inward and arranged in a straight line are rotated so that the housing is In the shaft rotatable around a rotation center line arranged in a straight line with respect to the rotation center line of the shaft, the ends of the shaft are removably interconnected with the housing, thereby rotating the shaft. improved means disposed in the housing for aligning the center of rotation with the center of rotation of the housing and a central drive ring connected to and rotating with the housing; Each of them has its rotation center line aligned with one adjacent end of the center drive ring arranged as described above, and has short lines along the rotation center line in the direction toward the center drive ring and in the direction away from the center drive ring. a pair of annular pressure rings movable over a distance and having adjacent opposing portions similar to the central drive ring; on adjacent opposing portions of the central drive ring of each of the pair of pressure rings; Wedge-shaped teeth that are integrally formed and engage with each other and generally have a V-shape, where adjacent wedge-shaped teeth that engage with each other gently mesh. The rotation of the center drive ring causes the teeth of the pressure ring to engage the teeth of the center drive ring and wedge outwardly in the direction along the center line of rotation, so that the speed of the center drive ring is lowered by the rotation of the center drive ring. Rotation of either one of a pair of pressure rings with a great velocity also causes the teeth of that pressure ring to be spaced away from contact with their corresponding adjacent central drive ring teeth, so that the wedge action is released. a pair of pressure rings extending into the center drive ring and concentric with the center drive ring, wherein the pressure ring is movable along the centerline of rotation in a direction toward the center drive ring; a stop ring passing through an opening arranged in a straight line with the center line of rotation formed in each of the stop rings formed on the diametrically opposite outer peripheral edge of the stop ring and formed in each adjacent pressure ring. the teeth of the stop ring and the teeth of the inner pressure ring are in mesh with corresponding inner gear teeth formed on the periphery thereof defining an aperture in which the stop ring is provided; a loose fit that limits relative rotational movement of the stop ring and the respective pressure ring before the respective teeth engage; formed between adjacent inner pressure ring teeth and the stop ring teeth; a space in which the wedge-shaped teeth of the central ring and the wedge-shaped teeth of the adjacent pressure ring engage the adjacent teeth when spaced apart, thereby causing the spaced apart teeth to engage; which prevents the surfaces of diametrically opposed teeth of teeth spaced apart from each other from engaging each other; and outwardly of the central pressure ring during engagement of the respective teeth; interengaging each pressure ring with its corresponding adjacent axle end when the respective pressure ring performs a wedging action in the direction toward;
releasable clutch means for disengaging the pressure ring from its adjacent axle end when the respective teeth are spaced apart; releasable clutch means extending between the pair of pressure rings to space the pair of pressure rings from each other; a spring for resiliently biasing the pair of pressure rings into engagement with their corresponding clutch means; thereby causing the normal release of the central drive ring with the housing; The rotation is 1 through the respective clutch means.
Both the pressure ring and the axle shaft of the pair are rotated, but when the speed of either axle becomes excessive relative to the rotation of the housing, the meshing wedge-shaped teeth of its respective pressure ring are driven centrally. separated by a space from the corresponding wedge-shaped teeth of the ring;
The pressure ring thereby moves in a direction along the center line of rotation towards the central drive ring, thereby declutching it from the axle so that the axle becomes independent relative to the housing. A positive clutch differential device characterized by being able to rotate freely. 2. The clutch means is in surface contact and frictionally engaged with a mating conical clutch surface formed on the axle ring formed on the respective pressure ring and disposed on the adjacent axle end thereof. 2. A positive clutch differential according to claim 1, further comprising a conically shaped clutch surface for engaging and disengaging the pressure ring and its respective axle end. Device. 3. The clutching means for each of the pair of pressure rings includes a series of interleaved clutch plates secured in a staggered manner relative to the respective pressure ring and its adjacent clutch hub; The interleaved clutch plates move their pressure rings toward the clutch surface relative to the center of rotation by moving away from and toward the center drive ring in a direction along the center of rotation. 2. A positive clutch differential according to claim 1, wherein the positive clutch differential moves in a direction along . 4. A spring is wound around the stop ring and extends through the central drive ring, each of its opposite ends being engaged against a pressure plate, the springs being arranged so as to keep the pair of pressure rings normally spaced apart from each other. 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a helical spring resiliently biased away from the central drive ring for engagement of adjacent wedge-shaped tooth rows and the clutch means. Clutch differential.