Differential for four-wheel drive

Claim 2

A planetary differential including a planet carrier element; at least one planet gear carried by said carrier element; first and second gear elements meshed with said planet gear; an input means drivingly connected to one of said elements; means associated with said differential to provide for normal overspeed of one of said gear elements with respect to said other gear element; a locking gear meshing with said planet gear and adapted to engage either of said gear elements, means associated with said locking gear whereby for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element said locking gear is held out of engagement with either of said first or second gear elements and differentiation between said gear elements is permitted but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element, to cause engagement of said locking gear with said first or second gear element to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 3

A planetary differential as in claim 1 including a locking gear carrier pivoted about a central axis of said planet gear for retaining said locking gear in engagement with said planet gear, said locking gear being carried by and journalled for rotation within said locking gear carrier.

Claim 4

A planetary differential as in claim 2 including direction responsive means being frictionally engaged with a stationery element and adapted to coact with said locking gear carrier to hold said locking gear out of engagement with said gear elements.

Claim 5

A planetary differential as in claim 3 including a friction connection between said locking gear carrier and said planet gear whereby said locking gear carrier is urged to rotate about the central axis of said planet gear in the same direction of rotation as said planet gear.

Claim 6

A planetary differential as in claim 4 in which said direction responsive means is adapted to assume a first position relative to Said locking gear carrier when said input means is rotated in a first direction and is adapted to assume a second position relative to said locking gear carrier when said input means is rotated in a reverse direction.

Claim 7

A planetary differential as in claim 5 in which said direction responsive means is engageable with said locking gear carrier during said normal overspeed condition to maintain said locking gear out of engagement with either of said gear elements.

Claim 8

A planetary differential as in claim 6 wherein said direction responsive means coact with said locking gear carrier to permit engagement of said locking gear with one of said gear elements when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element.

Claim 9

A planetary differential as in claim 6 in which said locking gear carrier includes stop means engageable by said direction sensing means during said normal overspeed condition so as to prevent further rotation of said locking gear carrier to maintain said locking gear out of engagement with either of said gear elements.

Claim 10

A planetary differential as in claim 3 including a stationary housing surrounding said differential whereby said direction responsive means is frictionally engaged with said housing.

Claim 11

A planetary differential as in claim 1 in which a plurality of planet gears are carried by said planet carrier.

Claim 12

A multiple path drive system for a vehicle having at least two pairs of traction wheels including a pair of axle assemblies, a pair of torque transmitting members each connected to an axle assembly, a torque transfer mechanism comprising driven means adapted to receive an input torque, a planetary differential mechanism driven by said driven means incuding a planetary carrier element, at least one planet gear carried by said carrier element, first and second gear elements meshed with said planet gear, each of said gear elements connected to one of said torque transmitting members, means drivingly connecting said driven means to one of said elements, means associated with said multiple path drive system to provide for normal overspeed of one of said gear elements with respect to said other gear element, a locking gear meshing with said planet gear and adapted to engage either of said gear elements, means associated with said locking gear such that for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element, said locking gear is held out of engagement with either of said first or second gear elements and differentiation between the gear elements is permitted, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element to cause engagement of said locking gear with one of said first or second gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 13

A multiple path drive system for a vehicle having at least two pairs of traction wheels including a pair of axle assemblies, a pair of torque transmitting members each connected to an axle assembly, a torque transfer mechanism comprising driven means adapted to receive an input torque, a planetary differential mechanism driven by said driven means incuding a planetary carrier element, at least one planet gear carried by said carrier element, first and second gear elements meshed with said planet gear, each of said gear elements connected to one of said torque transmitting members, means drivingly connecting said driven means to one of said elements, means associated with said multiple path drive system to provide for normal overspeed of one of said gear elements with respect to said other gear element, a locking gear meshing with said planet gear and adapted to engage either of said gear elements, means associated with said locking gear such that for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element, said locking gear is held out of engagement with either of said first or second gear elements and differentiation between the gear elements is permitted, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element to cause engagement of said locking gear with one of said first or second gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 14

A multiple path drive system as in claim 11 in which said means for providing normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element includes a first differential mechanism having a ratio relationship and associated with one of said drive axle assemblies and a second differential mechanism having a ratio relationship and associated with said other drive axle assembly, said ratio relationships of said first and second differential mechanisms being unequal.

Claim 15

A torque transfer mechanism comprising a housing, an input shaft operable within said housing, a pair of output shafts operable within said housing, a planetary differential mechanism driven by said input shaft including a planet carrier element, at least one planet gear carried by said carrier element, first and second gear elements meshed with said planet gear, each of said gear elements connected to an output shaft, means associated with said torque transfer mechanism to provide for normal overspeed of one of said gear elements with respect to said other gear element, a locking gear meshing with said planet gear and adapted to engage either of said gear elements, means associated wIth said locking gear such that for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element said locking gear is held out of engagement with either of said first or second gear elements and differentiation between said gear elements is permitted, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element, to cause engagement of said locking gear with one of said first or second gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 16

A torque transfer mechanism comprising a housing, an input shaft operable within said housing, a pair of output shafts operable within said housing, a planetary differential mechanism driven by said input shaft including a planet carrier element, at least one planet gear carried by said carrier element, first and second gear elements meshed with said planet gear, each of said gear elements connected to an output shaft, means associated with said torque transfer mechanism to provide for normal overspeed of one of said gear elements with respect to said other gear element, a locking gear meshing with said planet gear and adapted to engage either of said gear elements, means associated wIth said locking gear such that for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element said locking gear is held out of engagement with either of said first or second gear elements and differentiation between said gear elements is permitted, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element, to cause engagement of said locking gear with one of said first or second gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 17

A torque transfer mechanism as in claim 13 wherein one of said output shafts is concentric with said input shaft and said other of said output shafts is laterally offset with respect to said input shafts.

Claim 18

A planetary differential including a planet carrier element; a plurality of planet gears carried by said carrier element; a sun gear and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears; input means drivingly connected to said carrier element; means associated with said differential to provide for normal overspeed of said sun gear with respect to said ring gear; a locking gear meshing with one of said planet gears and adapted to engage either said sun gear or said ring gear; a locking gear carrier carrying said locking gear and retaining said locking gear in engagement with said planet gear, said locking gear carrier rotatable about a central axis of said planet gear and frictionally connected to said planet gear such that said locking gear carrier is urged to rotate about the central axis of said planet gear in the same direction as said planet gear; and direction sensing means associated with said locking gear carrier and frictionally engaged with a stationary element whereby said direction sensing means is adapted to engage said locking gear carrier and maintain said locking gear out of engagement with either of said gear elements for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element thereby permitting differentiation between said gear elements, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element to allow engagement of said locking gear with one of said gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.

Claim 19

A planetary differential including a planet carrier element; a plurality of planet gears carried by said carrier element; a sun gear and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears; input means drivingly connected to said carrier element; means associated with said differential to provide for normal overspeed of said sun gear with respect to said ring gear; a locking gear meshing with one of said planet gears and adapted to engage either said sun gear or said ring gear; a locking gear carrier carrying said locking gear and retaining said locking gear in engagement with said planet gear, said locking gear carrier rotatable about a central axis of said planet gear and frictionally connected to said planet gear such that said locking gear carrier is urged to rotate about the central axis of said planet gear in the same direction as said planet gear; and direction sensing means associated with said locking gear carrier and frictionally engaged with a stationary element whereby said direction sensing means is adapted to engage said locking gear carrier and maintain said locking gear out of engagement with either of said gear elements for normal overspeed of said one gear element with respect to said other gear element thereby permitting differentiation between said gear elements, but actuable when said normally underspeeding gear element overspeeds said normally overspeeding gear element to allow engagement of said locking gear with one of said gear elements to prevent differentiation between said gear elements.