Differential and brake assembly with parking brake for differential outputs

Claim 2

In an axle assembly including a final drive, a differential having an input member drIven by said final drive, and first and second output members; first and second opposed axles extending in opposite directions from said differential and respectively connected in driving relation with said first and second output members; and brake means comprising a series of rotationally fixed discs and first and second series of rotatable discs respectively operatively driven by said first and second output members and interleaved with said series of rotationally fixed discs, and a brake actuator member operatively connected to said discs for compressing said discs and actuating the same in braking action; the improvement comprising first and second disc plates which are the two adjacent discs of said first and second series of rotatable discs, each of said first and second disc plates having circumferentially spaced teeth formed thereon and first and second pawls positioned for engagement and disengagement with said teeth and having a common actuator, thereby providing a parking brake locking said axles against rotation when so engaged.

Claim 3

A differential drive and brake assembly comprising: a fixed housing; a differential in said housing including an input ring gear, a sun gear providing a first output member, a planetary carrier providing a second output member, outer planetary gears rotatably mounted on said carrier, and intermeshed with said ring gear, and inner planetary gears rotatably mounted on said carrier and intermeshed with said outer planetary gears and said sun gear; a disc brake assembly in said housing including a disc pack chamber having rotatably fixed disc plates therein and a first set of rotatable disc plates operatively connected to said sun gear and a second set of rotatable disc plates operatively connected to said carrier, said rotatable disc plates being interleaved with said rotatably fixed disc plates, a disc brake actuator when actuated pressing said disc plates into friction braking relation, parking brake means including rotatably fixed means selectively engaging at least one of each of said rotatable disc plates of each of said rotatable disc plate sets in a mechanical braking relation, and liquid cooling means for said brake assembly comprising a cooling liquid pump housed in said housing adjacent said disc pack chamber and having a drive shaft and gear driven by a drive gear on said ring gear and driving a pump impeller at a rotational speed greater than the rotational speed of said ring gear.

Claim 4

A differential drive and brake assembly comprising: a fixed housing; a differential in said housing including an input ring gear, a sun gear providing a first output member, a planetary carrier providing a second output member, outer planetary gears rotatably mounted on said carrier, and intermeshed with said ring gear, and inner planetary gears rotatably mounted on said carrier and intermeshed with said outer planetary gears and said sun gear; a disc brake assembly in said housing including a disc pack chamber having rotatably fixed disc plates therein and a first set of rotatable disc plates operatively connected to said sun gear and a second set of rotatable disc plates operatively connected to said carrier, said rotatable disc plates being interleaved with said rotatably fixed disc plates, a disc brake actuator when actuated pressing said disc plates into friction braking relation, parking brake means including rotatably fixed means selectively engaging at least one of each of said rotatable disc plates of each of said rotatable disc plate sets in a mechanical braking relation, and liquid cooling means for said brake assembly comprising a cooling liquid pump housed in said housing adjacent said disc pack chamber and having a drive shaft and gear driven by a drive gear on said ring gear and driving a pump impeller at a rotational speed greater than the rotational speed of said ring gear.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 2, said parking brake means rotatably fixed means including at least some of said rotatably fixed disc plates.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 2, said parking brake means rotatably fixed means including parking pawl means pivotally movable to engage and disengage adjacent rotatable disc plates, one of which is in said first set and the other of which is in said second set of rotatable disc plates.