Hydraulic locking differential

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED OPENINGS THEREIN, COAXIAL WHEEL DRIVING SHAFTS EXTENDING INTO SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS, A DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE MECHANISM DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING A DRIVE PINION, A DIFFERENTIAL CASE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFTS CARRYING A RING GEAR IN MESH WITH SAID DRIVE PINION, A SET OF DIFFERENTIAL SIDE GEARS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASE AND MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL DRIVING SHAFTS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A SET OF DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS IN MESH WITH SAID SET OF DIFFERENTIAL SIDE GEARS AND MOUNTED FOR TURNING WITH SAID CASE, THE GEARS OF ONE OF SAID SETS BEING MOVABLE OUTWARDLY ON THEIR AXES FOR EFFECTING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID CASE AND THEREBY RESTRICTING FREE ROTATION OF THE SIDE GEARS RELATIVE TO THE CASE, FIRST MEANS IN SAID CASE RESPONSIVE TO AXIAL THRUST TO ENGAGE FRICTIONALLY AND TO URGE SAID ONE SET OF GEARS AXIALLY OUTWARDLY, AND OTHER MEANS IN SAID CASE RESPONSIVE TO RELATIVE TURNING OF SAID DRIVING SHAFTS TO EFFECT PROGRESSIVELY GREATER AXIAL THRUST UPON SAID FIRST MEANS AS THE RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID DRIVING SHAFTS IS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED.