GB533790A - Improvements in or relating to automotive vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

533,790. Differential gearing; free-wheel clutches. DIFFERENTIAL WHEEL CORPORATION. Aug. 19, 1939, No. 23974. Convention date, Aug. 22, 1938. [Class 80 (ii)] [Also in Groups XXXI and XXXIV] Dual wheels 29, 39 are driven from an axle shaft 1 through means permitting free-wheeling of at least one wheel relatively to the shaft and the other wheel. In the construction shown, both wheels are driven through separate one-way roller clutches 53 so connected to the brake and gear controls that either wheel can over-run the other in both forward and reverse driving, and both wheels are braked when the brake is applied. The axle shaft 1 rotates in a stationary axle housing 4 and is fixed by a disc 10 to a sleeve 7 mounted on bearings 16, 23 on the housing. The wheels 29, 30 are journalled on sleeves 31, 35, 41, 45 and are connected to the driving sleeve 7 by the rollers 53. These rollers engage outer sleeves 62 fixed to the wheels, and inner sleeves 51 which are fixed to the sleeve 7 and have flat faces 52. Axial pins 54 on the rollers work in slots 55 in roller cages which comprise rings 56, 57 connected together by rods 61 and are capable of slight rotary movement relatively to the sleeve 7, this movement being limited by arms 67 engaging pins 68 on the cages. The arms 67 are fixed on shafts 66 journalled in the sleeve 7 and having other arms 71 carrying rollers 72 engaged by a non- rotary conical cam 75 sliding on the axle housing 4. The cam is connected by pins 87 and arms 92 to the brake pedal 137, Fig. 9, and the reverse gear selector rod 117, so that when either of these is operated the cam is moved to the left against its spring 78 and rocks the arms 67 counter-clockwise from the normal position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, which is that for forward driving, the driving sleeve 7 rotates counter - clockwise and drives both wheels through the rollers 53, either wheel being able to over-run the sleeve. When the brakes are applied by the pedal 137, the arms 67 are rocked slightly counter - clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, and a brake drum 121, which is fixed to the sleeve 7, is retarded by its brake shoes 126 so that the sleeve lags behind the road wheels and the latter are locked to the sleeve by the roller due to a slight rotation of the roller cages. When the gear lever is moved to the reverse position, the arms 67 are similarly moved counter-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, and the wheels are positively driven in the reverse direction but are free to over-run the driving sleeve.