Chain transfer case with accessory transmissions

Claim 2

A chain transfer case having an aperture receiving an input shaft and an opening spaced from said aperture, an input shaft having a free end accessible through said opening, a chain sprocket having a hub concentric with said input shaft and supported for free rotation on said input shaft, said chain sprocket also being accessible through said opening, and a removable closure attached to the case for covering said opening including a transmission unit having a supplementary housing attached to the case, said housing constituting said removable closure and having an opening in registry with said chain case opening.

Claim 3

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transmission unit includes a driving member concentric with said chain case input shaft.

Claim 4

A chain transfer case according to claim 2 wherein said driving member is splined to said end of sAid input shaft and means for selectively moving said driving member axially on said input shaft to drivingly engage and disengage said driving member with said chain sprocket hub.

Claim 5

A chain transfer case according to claim 1 including a transmission unit input shaft coaxial with said chain case input shaft, a coupling connecting said input shafts, and a tubular transmission unit output shaft concentric with said transmission unit input shaft and drivingly engaged through said chain case opening to actuate said chain sprocket hub.

Claim 6

A chain transfer case according to claim 4 wherein said input shafts have external splines and said coupling comprises a sleeve having an internal spline which inferfits with said shaft splines and a sleeve bearing located between said coupling and said tubular output shaft.

Claim 7

A chain transfer case according to claim 4 wherein said output shaft has axial clutch teeth at one end and driving teeth at the other end, said driving teeth being engaged with said hub of said chain sprocket, and a first gear having a gear hub having clutch teeth engageable with said clutch teeth on said output shaft.

Claim 8

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 6 including a second shaft supported in said transmission unit housing, a second gear supported on said second shaft, a third shaft supported in said transmission unit housing, a third gear on said third shaft in mesh with said second gear, a fourth gear on said third shaft in mesh with said gear teeth on said output shaft and means for shifting said first gear axially on said transmission unit input shaft for selective engagement and disengagement with said clutch teeth on said output shaft and said second gear.

Claim 9

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 6 including a second gear fixed to said transmission unit input shaft, a second shaft rotatably supported in said transmission unit housing, a sprag clutch having an input element with gear teeth in mesh with said first gear and an output element fixed to said second shaft and having gear teeth in mesh with said teeth on said output shaft, and means for automatically changing the rate of rotation of said output shaft, said means including a centrifugal clutch having a drum provided with gear teeth in mesh with said second gear on said transmission input shaft with said centrifugal clutch having a hub fixed to said second shaft, said hub including centrifugally operable shoes yieldably mounted for movement into engagement with said drum at a predetermined rate of rotation so that power is initially transferred from said first gear to said input element of said sprag clutch and from said output element of said sprag clutch to said output shaft and said sprag clutch overrunning when said second shaft is accelerated as said centrifugal clutch hub attains said predetermined rate of rotation.

Claim 10

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 8 including a third shaft having first and second gears with said second gear on said third shaft being in mesh with said teeth on said output element of said sprag clutch and said first gear on said transmission unit input shaft being movable into engagement with said first gear on said second shaft to counter-rotate said output shaft.

Claim 11

A chain transfer case having first and second opposed openings, an input shaft extending through said first opening and having a shaft end accessible through said second opening, a chain sprocket having a hub supported within said case on said input shaft, means on said shaft end for drivingly engaging said chain sprocket hub, and a supplementary housing constituting a removable closure for said second opening and secured to said case for enclosing said shaft end and wherein said supplementary housing contains a transmission unit and an opening in registry with said second opening to afford connection of parts of the transmission with said input shaft.

Claim 12

A chain transfer case having first and second opposed openings, an input shaft extending through said first opening and having a shaft end accessible through said second opening, a chain sprocket having a hub supported within said case on said input shaft, means on said shaft end for drivingly engaging said chain sprocket hub, and a supplementary housing constituting a removable closure for said second opening and secured to said case for enclosing said shaft end and wherein said supplementary housing contains a transmission unit and an opening in registry with said second opening to afford connection of parts of the transmission with said input shaft.

Claim 13

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 10 wherein said hub has an aperture having an intErnal spline and said means on said shaft end for drivingly engaging said chain sprocket hub comprises an external spline on said shaft end.

Claim 14

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 10 wherein said means on said shaft end drivingly engaging said chain sprocket hub comprises a clutch dog splined to said shaft end and means for selectively moving said clutch dog axially on said input shaft to drivingly engage and disengage said clutch dog with said chain sprocket hub.

Claim 15

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 12 wherein said clutch dog includes an axial aperture and said supplementary housing includes a boss coaxial with said shaft end and projecting into said aperture to support said clutch dog.

Claim 16

A chain transfer case in accordance with claim 12 including a rocker arm supported in said housing and a coil spring having legs, one of said legs being anchored in said supplementary housing, the other of said legs being anchored in said rocker arm to shift over center and maintain said clutch dog in the selected position.

Claim 17

A chain case in accordance with claim 10 in combination with a transmission input shaft rotatably supported in said supplementary housing and coaxial with said shaft end of said chain case input shaft, a coupling connecting said input shafts, and wherein said means on said shaft end drivingly engaging said chain sprocket hub comprises a tubular transmission output shaft concentric with said input shafts and extending through said second opening in said chain case.

Claim 18

A rate changer comprising a housing having a hollow interior, an aperture in said housing adapted to receive the input shaft of a chain transfer case, a first shaft supported in said housing, a first sleeve shaft concentric with said first shaft and having gear teeth and clutch teeth, a first gear movable axially on said first shaft, said first gear including clutch teeth and gear teeth, a second gear on said first shaft, a second shaft, a second sleeve shaft concentric with said second shaft and having gear teeth, a centrifugal clutch providing driving connection between said second shaft and said second sleeve shaft, a sprag clutch on said second shaft having an input element with teeth in mesh with said first gear on said first shaft, a sprag clutch output element fixed to said second shaft and having gear teeth in mesh with said gear teeth on said first sleeve shaft, and means for shifting said first gear axially to afford selective engagement of said clutch teeth on said first gear with said clutch teeth on said first sleeve shaft and said first gear with said input element of said sprag clutch to afford first and second rates of rotation of said first sleeve shaft, said first rate of rotation being provided by power flow from said first gear to said clutch input element and said second rate of rotation being provided when said clutch shoes in said centrifugal clutch engage said clutch drum to transfer power from said second gear on said first shaft to said second shaft.

Claim 19

A rate changer comprising a housing having a hollow interior, an aperture in said housing adapted to receive the input shaft of a chain transfer case, a first shaft supported in said housing, a first sleeve shaft concentric with said first shaft and having gear teeth and clutch teeth, a first gear movable axially on said first shaft, said first gear including clutch teeth and gear teeth, a second gear on said first shaft, a second shaft, a second sleeve shaft concentric with said second shaft and having gear teeth, a centrifugal clutch providing driving connection between said second shaft and said second sleeve shaft, a sprag clutch on said second shaft having an input element with teeth in mesh with said first gear on said first shaft, a sprag clutch output element fixed to said second shaft and having gear teeth in mesh with said gear teeth on said first sleeve shaft, and means for shifting said first gear axially to afford selective engagement of said clutch teeth on said first gear with said clutch teeth on said first sleeve shaft and said first gear with said input element of said sprag clutch to afford first and second rates of rotation of said first sleeve shaft, said first rate of rotation being provided by power flow from said first gear to said clutch input element and said second rate of rotation being provided when said clutch shoes in said centrifugal clutch engage said clutch drum to transfer power from said second gear on said first shaft to said second shaft.

Claim 20

A rate changer according to claim 16 in which the centrifugal clutch comprises a hub with clutch shoes and a clutch drum, said drum being fixed to said second sleeve shaft and said hub being fixed to said second shaft.

Claim 21

In combination, a chain transfer case having first and second opposed openings, a chain case input shaft projecting through said openings, a rate changer including a rate changer housing having an opening in registry with said first opening in said chain case, a rate changer input shaft supported in said rate changer housing and coupled to said chain case input shaft, a tubular output shaft concentric with said first shaft and extending from said rate changer housing into said chain transfer case and a chain sprocket supported for free rotation on said chain case input shaft and drivingly engaged with said output shaft.

Claim 22

In combination, a chain transfer case having first and second opposed openings, a chain case input shaft projecting through said openings, a rate changer including a rate changer housing having an opening in registry with said first opening in said chain case, a rate changer input shaft supported in said rate changer housing and coupled to said chain case input shaft, a tubular output shaft concentric with said first shaft and extending from said rate changer housing into said chain transfer case and a chain sprocket supported for free rotation on said chain case input shaft and drivingly engaged with said output shaft.

Claim 23

The invention of claim 10 in which said input shaft extends through said second opening, said means on said shaft end for drivinGly engaging said chain sprocket hub being movable axially on said input shaft and through said second opening.

Claim 24

The invention of claim 19 in which said input shaft has support bearings in said chain transfer case which are wholly at the side of the chain sprocket which is opposite the said means, whereby to leave said input shaft free for axial movement of said means through said opening.