Semi-locking differential

Claim 1

A DEVICE COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE END SURFACES THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION, FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS MOUNTED RESPECTIVELY ON SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS ADJACENT THE END SURFACES THEREOF, SAID FACE GEAR MEANS BEING LOCATED WITH THE ACTIVE SURFACES OF EACH GEAR MEANS FACING A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT MEANS AN INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, CARRIER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT ON AN AXIS COINCIDENT WITH THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS, AT LEAST TWO SETS OF PINION MEANS SPACEDLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT ON AND FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT WITH SAID CARRIER MEANS IN COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED FACE GEAR MEANS, EACH OF SAID SETS OF SAID PINION MEANS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS COOPERABLE RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS BEING MOUNTED ON AXES WHICH ARE IN SKEW RELATIONSHIP TO THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED GEAR MEANS AND SAID PINIONS HAVING PARALLEL PLANES OF ROTATION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS EACH HAVING A HAND AND EACH BEING LOCATED IN THE PROPER QUADRANT FOR THAT HAND RELATIVE TO ITS MATING FACE GEAR MEANS AND IN CORRECT MESHING RELATIONSHIP THERETO TO PROVIDE AN OPPOSITE SENSE OF ROTATION THEREBETWEEN WHEN VIEWED FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE FACE GEAR MEANS FROM THE TOOTHED SIDE OF THE FACE GEAR MEANS, COUPLING MEANS FOR SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS TO TRANSMIT POWER THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE END SURFACES THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION, FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS MOUNTED RESPECTIVELY ON SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS ADJACENT THE END SURFACES THEREOF, SAID FACE GEAR MEANS BEING LOCATED WITH THE ACTIVE SURFACES OF EACH GEAR MEANS FACING A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT MEANS AN INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, CARRIER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT ON AN AXIS COINCIDENT WITH THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT MEANS, AT LEAST TWO SETS OF PINION MEANS SPACEDLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT ON AND FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT WITH SAID CARRIER MEANS IN COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED FACE GEAR MEANS, EACH OF SAID SETS OF SAID PINION MEANS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS COOPERABLE RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS BEING MOUNTED ON AXES WHICH ARE IN SKEW RELATIONSHIP TO THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED GEAR MEANS AND SAID PINIONS HAVING PARALLEL PLANES OF ROTATION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS EACH HAVING A HAND AND EACH BEING LOCATED IN THE PROPER QUADRANT FOR THAT HAND RELATIVE TO ITS MATING FACE GEAR MEANS AND IN CORRECT MESHING RELATIONSHIP THERETO TO PROVIDE AN OPPOSITE SENSE OF ROTATION THEREBETWEEN WHEN VIEWED FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE FACE GEAR MEANS FROM THE TOOTHED SIDE OF THE FACE GEAR MEANS, COUPLING MEANS FOR SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINIONS TO TRANSMIT POWER THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACE GEAR MEANS.