Vehicle with differential assembly

Claim 2

A vehicle including a prime mover, axles or axle parts drivable by the prime mover, a three-member differential gearing of epicyclic type including planet elements mounted in a planet carrier, a control coupling connected between two-members of the gearing to control relative rotation between said members, the coupling including first and second elements relatively rotatable in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100,000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate about a common axis, the elements being annular and spaced from said axis to provide a space thereabout and said differential gearing being located in said space, driving connections between the first and second elements respectively and two members of the differential gearing, and further driving connections between the vehicle prime mover and one member of the gearing and between the other members of the gearing respectively and either the parts of a single driven axle or two driven axles.

Claim 3

A vehicle including a prime mover, axles or axle parts drivable by the prime mover, a three-member differential gearing of epicyclic type including planet elements mounted in a planet carrier, a control coupling connected between two-members of the gearing to control relative rotation between said members, the coupling including first and second elements relatively rotatable in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100, 000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate about a common axis, the elements being annular and spaced from said axis to provide a space thereabout and said differential gearing being located in said space, driving connections between the first and second elements respectively and two members of the differential gearing, and further driving connections between the vehicle prime mover and one member of the gearing and between the other members of the gearing respectively and either the parts of a single driven axle or two driven axles.

Claim 4

A vehicle including a prime mover, axles or axle parts drivable by the prime mover, a three-member differential gearing of epicyclic type including planet elements mounted in a planet carrier, a control coupling connected between two-members of the gearing to control relative rotation between said members, the coupling including first and second elements relatively rotatable in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100, 000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate about a common axis, the elements being annular and spaced from said axis to provide a space thereabout and said differential gearing being located in said space, driving connections between the first and second elements respectively and two members of the differential gearing, and further driving connections between the vehicle prime mover and one member of the gearing and between the other members of the gearing respectively and either the parts of a single driven axle or two driven axles.

Claim 5

A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the members of the differential gearing also work in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100,000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate and the planet elements of the gearing are arranged to pump the fluid along paths which resist the flow of the fluid.

Claim 6

A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the paths include automatically-operated pressure relief valves.

Claim 7

A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the elements of the control coupling and the members of the differential gearing work in the same chamber.

Claim 8

A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the planet elements rotate in closely fitting pockets in the planet carrier so as to effect pumping of the viscous fluid along said paths.

Claim 9

A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the planet elements are bevel gears and the differential gearing includes two coaxial shafts carrying further bevel gears which mesh with the first mentioned bevel gears, the planet carrier being in the form of a cage which is connected to a third coaxial shaft received within one of the first-mentioned coaxial shafts.

Claim 10

A vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the control coupling is connected between the first-mentioned coaxial shafts and the first and second elements are two sets of interleaved plates normal to the rotary axis of the coupling.

Claim 11

A vehicle including a prime mover, axles or axle parts drivable by the prime mover, a three-member differential gearing of epicyclic type including planet elements mounted in a planet carrier, a sun gear and an annulus gear, a control coupling connected between two-members of the gearing to control relative rotation between said members, the coupling including first and second elements relatively rotatable in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100,000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate about a common axis, the elements being annular and spaced from said axis to provide a space thereabout and said differential gearing being located in said space, the first element being carried by said annulus gear; a driving connection between the second element and a member of the differential gearing other than the annulus gear and further driving connections between the vehicle prime mover and one member of the gearing and between the other members of the gearing respectively and either the parts of a single driven axle or two driven axles.

Claim 12

A vehicle including a prime mover, axles or axle parts drivable by the prime mover, a three-member differential gearing of epicyclic type including planet elements mounted in a planet carrier, a sun gear and an annulus gear, a control coupling connected between two-members of the gearing to control relative rotation between said members, the coupling including first and second elements relatively rotatable in a viscous fluid having a viscosity of between 1,000 and 100,000 centistokes at 20*C with a zero shear rate about a common axis, the elements being annular and spaced from said axis to provide a space thereabout and said differential gearing being located in said space, the first element being carried by said annulus gear; a driving connection between the second element and a member of the differential gearing other than the annulus gear and further driving connections between the vehicle prime mover and one member of the gearing and between the other members of the gearing respectively and either the parts of a single driven axle or two driven axles.

Claim 13

A vehicle according to claim 8 wherein said first element comprises a series of annular plates which are normal to the rotary axis of the control coupling and which are surrounded by a housing which carries a series of similar plates which form the second element of the control coupling, the plates of the two series being interleaved.

Claim 14

A vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the housing is of sealed construction except for a running seal between a shaft and a housing radially inwardly of said elements.

Claim 15

A vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the housing has an externally smooth profile.

Claim 16

A vehicle according to claim 8 wherein said first element comprises a plurality of cylindrical projections of different diameters which are interleaved with cylindrical projections carried by a housing which surrounds the annulus gear and which forms the second element of the coupling.