US1365586A - Gearless differential - Google Patents

Description

A. F. FORD.

GEARLESS DIFFERENTIAL, APPLICATION FILED JUNE8, 1920.

1,365,586. Patented Jan. 11,1921.

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GEARLESS DIFFERENTIAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1920.

1,865,586, Y Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW F. FORD, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

GEARLESS DIFFERENTIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed June 8, 1920. Serial No. 387,340.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW F. FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Gearless Differentials, of which the following is a to both sides of the differential. I

A further object is to provide a differential that will provide power to both sides at once and that while one side may crawl, the lagging side will maintain its motion as it receives the full power.

A further object is to provide a differential having no ears.

A further ob ect is to provide a differential that is simple to construct and that is relatively cheap to manufacture due to all machine work being truly circular.

With these and other objects in view, reference is now had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one end removed; a

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the cup shaped driven member;

Fig. ,4 is a sectional view of the cylindrical tubular driving member;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cylindri'cal drivingmember; I Fig. 6 is an end view of a wedge block;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation ofthe cylindrical driven member;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of shaped driven member.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the parts assemled, showing wedge blocks in racing position.

Fig. 10 is a similar view, but with wedge block gripping. v s

Fig. 11 is another view with the wedge blocks in another gripping position; and

the cup Fig. 12 is another similar view with the wedge blocks in another gripping position. Having reference to the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts throughout and the numeral 1 refers to the cup-shaped driven member which consists of a bore 2 whlch is truly cylindrical and positioned eccentrically in the member throughout approximately one-half its length. A second bore 3 is also positioned eccentrically therein but diametrically opposite the first mentioned bore, (as plainly shown in Fig. 3), and between these bores is a guide portion 4 which separates or divides the bores and acts as a bearing for the cylindrical tubular driving member 5.

The diameter of the bores are preferably alike and the diameter of the guide ortion is obviously smaller as it unites w1th the sides of least eccentricity of both the bores.

In the cup shaped driven member is shown a bearing stud 6 which may be used if desired to support one end of the cylindrical driven member 7, and integral with this cup shaped driven member is shown a portion of a shaft 8 which represents a power transmitting means.

It will be understood that this means may be removably mounted in the member without departfing from the spirit of my invention.

The cylindrical tubular driving member 5 consists of the tube as shown in Fig. 4 and has attached thereto a driving means such as shown at 9 which represents a gear in this case.

Movably mounted in the walls of this cylinder and on quarters are wedge blocks 10, 11 and'12 respectively, the movement and position I of which will be presently explained.

This driving member 5 is 'revolubly mounted in the cup shaped driven member 1 and is maintainedfin a central position therein by the guide portion 4 which also acts as a bearing point therefor.

The cylindrical driven member 7 is eccentricallymount'ed inthe driving member 5, the eccentricity being maintained by the guide portion 13 which is concentric with the shaft 14 and the inner perimeter of the power transmitting means. In the opposite end of this driven member is provided a journal 15 which registers with the bearing stud 6.

With the parts shown in Figs. 3, l and 5 assembled they would form a View similar to that shown in section in Fig. 1 in which the side of greatest eccentricity of the cylindrical driven member 7 is in contact with the inner portion of the wedge block 12, while its opposite side is in contact with the block 11; the blocks are shortened slightly to give a small amount of play between the parts.

As the driving member is rotated the blocks are carried with it 'until the back lash is taken up and the blocks bind between the driven members which will then rotate with the driving member.

By referring to the Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, in which the various positions are shown, it may be seen that a slight movement of a driven member will change the position of the wedge blocks until they wedge between the two driven members carrying them along with the driving member; the slight movement being sufficient to change the concentricity of the members 1 and 7.

In Fig. 9 I show the parts assembled, in plan, with the wedge blocks 10 in what is termed a racing position, i. e., with the members 1 and 7 concentrically positioned so that the wedge blocks are free to move in the race formed by thesemembers. In this position there is no gripping efi'ect in the bore 2, but there now occurs a gripping in the bore 3, see Fig. 11, as note the block 12 therein. In this view a slight movement to the left of the members land 5 has occurred, which has changed the concentricity. This view also shows the slight movement required to engage the blocks, the amount of movement of the parts 5 and 1 with relation to the part 7 being indicated by the lines thereon; and in this respect it must be noted that this movement (back lash) is exaggerated as the blocks are purposely shortened to clearly show a clearance between the blocks and the bores.

In Fig. 10 it will be plainly noted that the parts are locked against either forward or backward movement, the forward movement and the back lash being clearly demonstrated in F1 12. It is obvious that'the eccentrically positioned bores in the cup shaped driven membermay have a common center, provided the cylindrical driven member is constructed with its eccentricity positioned on diametrically opposite sides, thus showing that the order of construction may be reversed.

It is also obvious that a greater number of bores may be used if desired.

This application is an improvement over my former patent No. 1336950 and dated A ril 13, 1920.

v aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a differential, a cup shaped driven member formed by a plurality of cylindrical bores eccentrically positioned therein, and a guide portion centrally positioned and dividing said bores, and carrying an internal bearing stud therein, a cylindrical driving member revolubly mounted in said cup shaped driven member and maintained centrally by said guide portion, and containing movably mounted wedgeblocks, a cylindrical driven member eccentrically mounted in said driving member, to register operatively with said wedge blocks and carrying a concentric guide portion, and carrying ajournal to register with said bearing stud, and a power transmitting means attached to said driven members.

2. In a difi'erential, a on shaped driven member formed by a plurality of cylindrical bores eccentrically positioned and centered diametrally opposite each other, and a concentric guide portion dividing said bores, a cylindrical tubular driving member revolubly mounted in said cup shaped driven member and maintained centrally therein by means of said guide portion, and containing movably mounted wedge blocks, a cylindrisaid driving member, to register operatively a cylindrical tubular. driving member revolubly mounted and centrally positioned in said cup shaped driven member, and containing a pluralit of movably mounted wedge blocks positioned on quarters within the wall thereof, said blocks being positioned to register operatively with the aforementioned bores, a cylindrical driven member eccentrically mounted in said driving member to register operatively with said wedge blocks, and carrying a concentric guide portion'to maintain the eccentricity of said cylindrical driven member in said driving member, and a power transmitting means attached to said driven members.

4. In a difierential, a cup shaped driven member formed by cylindrical bores of equal diameters and centered eccentrically and diametrally opposite each other therein, a cylindrical tubular driving member revolubly mounted in said cup shaped driven 4 95 cal driven member eccentrically mounted 1n 4 and containing movably mounted. Wedge blocks, a cylindrical driven member eccentrically mounted in said driving member and carrying a concentric guide portion, and power transmitting means attached to said driven members.

5. In a differential, a cup shaped driven member having eccentric inner Walls, a cylindrical, tubular, driving member revolubly mounted in said cup shaped driven member and containing movably mounted Wedge blocks, a cylindrical driven member eccentrically mounted in said driving member, and power transmitting means attached to said driven members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANDREW F. FORD.

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