Automotive drive system summing multiple independent drives in the differential housing

Claim 2

An automotive drive system comprising: a differential housing and ring gear rotatably mounted therein; a differential gear assembly attached to said ring gear and including gear means for differentially driving a pair of axles; bearing means supported by said housing and comprising bearings on opposite sides of said housing; first and second discrete shafts, each supported by a said bearing means and extending through said housing; a first pinion gear rigidly attached to said first shaft and positioned to engage and drive said ring gear and a second pinion gear rigidly attached to said second shaft and positioned to engage and drive said ring gear; an internal combustion engine and means coupled to said engine for rotatably driving said first shaft; and a steam engine and means coupled to said steam engine for driving said second shaft.

Claim 3

An automotive drive system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising steam generating means to receive heat from the exhaust of said internal combustion engine and for generating steam and providing steam to said steam engine.

Claim 4

An automotive drive system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising clutch means responsive to said steam generating means and the presence of steam pressure for selectively coupling said steam engine to said second shaft.

Claim 5

An automotive drive system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said internal combustion engine includes a liquid-containing engine cooling jacket and an automotive radiator and said drive system comprises a closed liquid-vapor loop in turn comprising: said boiler; said steam engine; said radiator; said engine cooling jacket; a pump; and wherein: an input of said radiator is connected to an exhaust output of said steam engine, an input of said engine cooling jacket is connected to an output of said radiator, and an output of said engine cooling jacket is connected to an input of said pump, an output of said pump is connected to an input of said boiler and to an input of said radiator, and an output of said boiler is connected to an input of said steam engine, whereby said radiator condenses wet steam output from said steam engine into a liquid, said liquid is preheated by said engine cooling jacket and pumped into said boiler where it is converted into steam and supplied to said steam engine.