Axle assembly for an automotive vehicle

Claim 2

An axle shaft and housing assembly comprising an axle shaft, a drive flange on one end of said shaft, said drive flange being adapted to accommodate a connection with a wheel drum, an axle shaft housing, an end flange on said housing, said axle shaft being received within said housing, a thrust bracket secured to said end flange and including a portion extending over one end of said axle shaft housing, a reaction shoulder formed in said axle shaft housing end, a bearing race engageable with said shoulder, spacer means between said end of said housing and said race and adapted to be engaged by said bracket, a thrust collar having a thrust shoulder formed thereon, a thrust bearing situated between said thrust collar shoulder and said bearing race, means for establishing a frictional driving connection between the outboard end of said axle shaft and said thrust collar, a differential assembly situated at the inboard end of said axle shaft, said differential assembly having a carrier housing, and torque delivery elements in said carrier housing adapted to establish a driving connection between said carrier housing and said axle shaft inboard end.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein each thrust collar comprises an internal opening and its thrust shoulder is formed on one end of said opening, each locking sleeve comprising a circular member in the form of a split ring surrounding the adjacent end of its axle shaft, first locking screws received through said thrust collar and engageable with said sleeve and second locking screws received through said thrust collar and engageable with said sleeve at a position generally diametrically opposed to the position of said first locking screws whereby said locking sleeve is deformed to establish a frictional driving connection between its axle shaft and its collar.

Claim 4

An axle shaft assembly comprising two axle shafts, having proximate inboard ends and oppositely disposed outboard ends, a drive flange on the outboard end of each shaft, each drive flange being adapted to accommodate a connection with a wheel drum, an axle shaft housing with housing ends adjacent said flanges, end flanges on said housing, said axle shafts being received within said housing, a thrust bracket secured to each end flange and including a portion extending over one end of said axle shaft housing, a reaction shoulder formed in each axle shaft housing end, a bearing race engageable with each shoulder, spacer means between each end of said housing and each bearing race and adapted to be engaged by a thrust bracket, a pair of thrust collars each having a thrust shoulder formed thereon, a thrust bearing situated between each thrust collar shoulder and one of said bearing races, a differential assembly situated at the inboard ends of said axle shafts, said differential assembly having a carrier housing, torque delivery elements in said carrier housing adapted to establish a driving connection between said carrier housing and each axle shaft inboard end, a locking sleeve surrounding each outboard axle shaft end, a locking sleeve received within each thrust collar, releasable means carried by said collars for exerting a radial force on said sleeves thereby establishing a frictional driving connection between each axle shaft and its thrust collar, and second spacer means for transferring inwardly directed thrust loads on one axle shaft through the other axle shaft to said carrier housing.

Claim 5

An axle shaft assembly comprising two axle shafts, having proximate inboard ends and oppositely disposed outboard ends, a drive flange on the outboard end of each shaft, each drive flange being adapted to accommodate a connection with a wheel drum, an axle shaft housing with housing ends adjacent said flanges, end flanges on said housing, said axle shafts being received within said housing, a thrust bracket secured to each end flange and including a portion extending over one end of said axle shaft housing, a reaction shoulder formed in each axle shaft housing end, a bearing race engageable with each shoulder, spacer means between each end of said housing and each bearing race and adapted to be engaged by a thrust bracket, a pair of thrust collars each having a thrust shoulder formed thereon, a thrust bearing situated between each thrust collar shoulder and one of said bearing races, a differential assembly situated at the inboard ends of said axle shafts, said differential assembly having a carrier housing, torque delivery elements in said carrier housing adapted to establish a driving connection between said carrier housing and each axle shaft inboard end, a locking sleeve surrounding each outboard axle shaft end, a locking sleeve received within each thrust collar, releasable means carried by said collars for exerting a radial force on said sleeves thereby establishing a frictional driving connection between each axle shaft and its thrust collar, and second spacer means for transferring inwardly directed thrust loads on one axle shaft through the other axle shaft to said carrier housing.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein said second spacer means comprises two axially separable parts, one part being adapted to engage one axle shaft inboard end and the other part being adapted to engage the companion axle shaft inboard end, and means for adjusting one part with respect to the other thereby controlling the end clearance between said axle shafts.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein each thrust collar comprises an internal opening and its thrust shoulder is formed on one end of said opening, each locking sleeve comprising a circular member in the form of a split ring surrounding the adjacent end of its axle shaft, first locking screws received through said thrust collar and engageable with said sleeve and second locking screws received through said thrust collar and engageable with said sleeve at a position generally diametrically opposed to the position of said first locking screws whereby said locking sleeve is deformed to establish a frictional driving connection between its axle shaft and its collar.