Hydraulic locking differential

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LUBRICATING OIL AND HAVING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED OPENINGS THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE CLOSED BY AXLE SHAFT HOUSINGS, 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 AND CARRYING A RING GEAR COAXIALLY DISPOSED AROUND ITS OUTER PERIPHERY AND IN MESH WITH SAID DRIVE PINION, DIFFERENTIAL SIDE GEARS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASE AND MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL DRIVING SHAFTS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND FOR AXIAL OUTWARD MOVEMENT INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CASE TO RESTRICT RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID CASE AND THE SIDE GEARS, A SPIDER COAXIALLY ARRANGED WITHIN SAID CASE FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND HAVING ITS LEGS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY, DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE LEGS OF SAID SPIDER AND IN MESH WITH SAID SIDE GEARS, SAID DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS BEING MOVABLE OUTWARDLY ON THEIR AXES FOR EFFECTING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID CASE AND THEREBY TO RESTRICT FREE ROTATION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS RELATIVE TO THE CASE, SAID LEGS OF THE SPIDER HAVING PISTON CHAMBERS THEREIN OPENING TO THE OUTER ENDS THEREOF, PISTONS IN SAID CHAMBERS ADAPTED WHEN URGED OUTWARDLY TO MOVE SAID DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS INTO EFFECTIVE FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CASE, THE HUB OF SAID SPIDER DEFINING A PUMP CHAMBER THEREIN, PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID PUMP CHAMBER AND THE INNER ENDS OF SAID PISTON CHAMBERS, OTHER PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID PUMP CHAMBER AND THE LUBRICATING OIL-CONTAINING PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, MEANS IN SAID HOUSING OPERABLE TO SUPPLY OIL TO SAID PUMP CHAMBER, AND PUMP MEANS WITHIN SAID PUMP CHAMBER, SAID PUMP MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF MEMBERS WHICH ARE RECIPROCALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND ARE MOUNTED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDE GEARS FOR IMPARTING AXIAL THRUST THERETO, SAID PUMP MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO RELATIVE TURNING OF SAID DRIVING SHAFTS TO MOVE SAID RECIPROCALLY MOVABLE MEMBERS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SO AS TO URGE SAID SIDE GEARS INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CASE AND TO SUPPLY LUBRICATING OIL UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID PISTON CHAMBERS TO MOVE SAID PISTONS FOR RESTRICTING TURNING OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL PINION GEARS RELATIVE TO SAID CASE TO THEREBY RESTRICT RELATIVE TURNING OF SAID DRIVING SHAFTS WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER.