# US 12,600,229 B2 · Powertrain for a work machine

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- Number: US 12,600,229 B2
- Document ID: US12600229B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/281,061
- Filed: 2023-03-13
- Published: 2025-10-09
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-22
- Assignees: Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
- Applicants: Mahindra and Mahindra Limited
- Inventors: Saravanan Natarajan; Sivakumar Arumugham; Mohd Ali Abbaas; Pavithra Sundaram; Arjun Prabhakaran; Gokila Ayyasamy; Deepak Saini
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600229B2

## CPC

- B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor
- B60K 17/28: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
- B60K 25/06: from the transmission power take-off
- F16H 3/089: all of the meshing gears being supported by a pair of parallel shafts, one being the input shaft and the other the output shaft, there being no countershaft involved
- F16H 3/14: Gearings for reversal only
- F16H 61/04: Smoothing ratio shift
- B60Y 2200/221: Tractors
- B60Y 2400/404: Electro-magnetic actuators, e.g. with an electromagnet not rotating for moving a clutching member
- B60Y 2400/405: Electric motors actuators
- B60Y 2400/41: Mechanical transmissions for actuators
- F16H 2003/0811: {using unsynchronised clutches}
- F16H 2061/0422: {by an electric machine, e.g. by accelerating or braking the input shaft}
- F16H 2200/0034: the gear ratios comprising two forward speeds
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- F16H: GEARING
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a powertrain for a work machine (50). The powertrain (100) comprises a first prime mover (10), a second prime mover (12), a set of first gears (14a, 14b), a set of second gears (16a, 16b), an engaging unit (24), and an actuator (26). The first prime mover (10) configured to engage a first shaft (18). The second prime mover (12) configured to engage a power take off (PTO) shaft (20). The first gears (14a, 14a) mounted on the first shaft (18) and the second gears (16a, 16b) mounted on the PTO shaft (20). The actuator (26) configured to be in communication with the engaging unit (24), and further configured to selectively displace the engaging unit (24) from the idling configuration to the engaging configuration to engage with one of the second gears (16a, 16b). Advantageously, the engaging unit (24) facilitates the coupling of the second prime mover (12) with the first prime mover (10); therefore the powertrain (100) provides the desired torque to meet the requirements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A powertrain (100) for a work machine (50), said powertrain (100) comprising:
a first prime mover (10), configured to engage a first shaft (18), and further configured to drive wheels (22) of the work machine (50);
a second prime mover (12), configured to engage a power take off (PTO) shaft (20) of the work machine (50);
a set of first gears (14a, 14b) mounted on said first shaft (18);
a set of second gears (16a, 16b), mounted on said PTO shaft (20), at least one of said second gears (16a, 16b) engaged with at least one of said first gears (14a, 14b);
an engaging unit (24), configured to be selectively oriented from an idling configuration to an engaging configuration to engage with at least one of said second gears (16a, 16b) to transmit additional driving power from said PTO shaft (20) to said first shaft (18) for providing auxiliary power to the wheels (22);
an actuator (26), configured to be in communication with said engaging unit (24), and further configured to selectively orient said engaging unit (24) in an operative configuration of said powertrain (100); and
an electronic control unit (ECU) (28), configured to be in communication with a plurality of sensors (30, 32, 34a, 34b, 36a, 36b, 38a, 38b) and said actuator (26), the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a draft sensor (30) or a drawbar sensor (32), said draft sensor (30) configured to be fitted on a top link to sense mounting of an implement draft, said drawbar sensor (32) configured to be fitted on a drawbar to sense pull from a trailed implement, and further including a first and a second current sensor (34a, 34b), a first and a second speed sensor (36a, 36b), and a first and a second direction sensor (38a, 38b) for said first and said second prime movers (10, 12), respectively;
wherein said ECU (28) is configured to receive a sensed signal value from said plurality of sensors (30, 32, 34a, 34b, 36a, 36b, 38a, 38b) and compare said sensed signal value with a preset value of at least one desired parameter stored in said ECU (28) based on a predetermined set of conditions, and further configured to communicate a response based on the comparison to enable operation of said actuator (26), said at least one desired parameter is selected from a group consisting of torque, speed, current, and direction of rotation of said first prime mover (10) and said second prime mover (12);
wherein said ECU (28) is configured to trigger said actuator (26) in response to occurrence of the following said predetermined set of conditions:
a sensed value from at least one of said draft sensor (30) or said drawbar sensor (32) is greater than said preset value for full load for a predefined time and no implement is attached to said PTO shaft (20); and
a difference between a torque required for said first shaft (18) with a torque delivered to said first shaft (18) is positive for the predefined time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The powertrain (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ECU (28) is configured to receive sensed speed values from the first and second speed sensors (36a, 36b) and to synchronise the speed of said second prime mover (12) with the speed of said first prime mover (10) to enable positive engagement of said engaging unit (24) with one of said set of second gears (16a, 16b), provided that a current sensed by said second current sensor (34b) is less than a predetermined threshold current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The powertrain (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging unit (24) is mounted on said PTO shaft (20) and defined by a sleeve (46a)-hub (46b) arrangement, said hub (46b) is configured to be mounted on said PTO shaft (20), to enable said sleeve-hub arrangement to rotate with said PTO shaft (20), an inner surface of said sleeve (46a) is configured with a plurality of protrusions to slidably mesh with a plurality of grooves on an external surface of said hub (46b), an outer surface of said sleeve (46a) is configured with a circumferential groove (58) to receive and engage a fork (48) therein, said fork (48) is configured to engage with said actuator (26), and further configured to slide said sleeve (46a) on said hub (46b) based on triggering of said actuator (26).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The powertrain (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said ECU (28) is configured to receive sensed direction values from said first and second direction sensors (38a, 38b) and to trigger said actuator (26) to selectively displace said sleeve (46a) in an operative backward direction to engage with an operative face of one of the gears (16a) of said set of second gears (16a, 16b) when said first direction sensor senses (38a) same direction of rotation of said first prime mover (10) with respect to the direction sensed by said second direction sensor (38b) for said second prime mover (12).

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The powertrain (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said ECU (28) is configured to receive sensed direction values from said first and second direction sensors (38a, 38b) and to trigger said actuator (26) to selectively displace said sleeve (46a) in an operative forward direction to engage with an operative face of one of the gears (16b) of said set of second gears (16a, 16b) when said first direction sensor (38a) senses different direction of rotation of said first prime mover (10) with respect to the direction sensed by said second direction sensor (38b) for said second prime mover (12).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The powertrain (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said operative faces of said set of second gears (16a, 16b) are configured with a plurality of dog teeth (54) and a cone (56) thereon, said plurality of dog teeth (54) are configured to receive and engage with said plurality of protrusions of said sleeve (46a) in the operative configuration of said powertrain (100).