Drive line disconnect mechanism
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsDonald E. Holmes, Wayne R. Howard, John F. Fisher, Burton S. Zeller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive line disconnect mechanism for effecting rapid connection and disconnection of the drive line between a power module and the ground-engaging wheels of a work module, said modules being adapted to be joined together into an articulated modular vehicle. The drive line disconnect mechanism includes a first toothed coupling half mounted on a power module coupling member and a second toothed coupling half mounted on a work module coupling member wherein the second toothed coupling half is mounted so as to permit multi-planar pivotal movement relative to the first toothed coupling half. Centering means permit initial alignment and biasing means thereafter permit driving engagement.
Claims18
In a modular vehicle which is separable into a powder module having drive means as well as drivable wheels and a work module having drivable wheels, said modules being adapted to be joined together via confronting opposed coupling members attached to said power and work modules, respectively, a drive line disconnect mechanism comprising:
- a. a first toothed coupling half rotatably mounted in a midmount bearing box attached to said power module coupling member, with one end of said first coupling half being adapted to be drivably connected with said power module drive means;
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- b. a second toothed coupling half rotatably and pivotally mounted in a disconnect assembly attached to said work module coupling member, said disconnect assembly including:
- 1. a support housing attached to said work module coupling member and having a through bore;
- 2. an output shaft member extending through said support housing bore and rotatably journalled therein, said output shaft member having a central bore, with one end of said output shaft member merging into opposed radially outwardly extending first flange portions, said output shaft member also including transfer means for drivably connecting said output shaft member with further transfer means adapted to be operatively connected with the drivable wheels of said work module;
- 3. a transfer shaft member, coaxial with said output shaft member and having a longitudially splined bore closed on one end, extends into the bore of said output shaft member, with an open end of said transfer shaft member merging into opposed radially outwardly extending second flange portions adjacent to said first flange portions, said second flange portions being connected with said first flange portions via a first universal joint assembly, thereby permitting a limited amount of multi-planar pivotal movement of said transfer shaft member with respect to said output shaft member;
- 4. an input member, coaxial with said transfer shaft member, has an externally splined bore portion thereof extending into and intermeshing with the splined bore of said transfer shaft member thus forming a driving and axially slidable interconnection therebetween, with one end of said input member merging into opposed radially outwardly extending third flange portions that are axiallly spaced from one end of said output shaft member;
- 5. said second toothed coupling half being coaxial with said input member and having opposed radially inwardly extending fourth flange portions adjacent to said third flange portions, said fourth flange portions being connected with said third flange portions via a second universal joint assembly thereby permitting a limited second amount of multi-planar pivotal movement of said second coupling half with respect to said input member;
- 6. means for centering said second coupling half relative to said first coupling half;
- 7. biasing means for biasing said input member and second coupling half into driving engagement with said first coupling half;
- and
- 8. disconnect means for selectively axially displacing said input member and second coupling half in opposition to said biasing means for disconnecting said first and second toothed coupling halves as said modules are joined, said first and second amounts of multi-planar pivotal movement combining with said means for centering so as to take up unavoidable misalignments between said vehicle modules as said modules are coupled so as to permit initial alignment of said first and second toothed coupling halves, with subsequent actuation of said disconnect means thereafter permitting said biasing means to bias said coupling halves into driving engagement.
In a modular vehicle which is separable into a power module having drive means as well as drivable wheels and a work module having drivable wheels, said modules being adapted to be joined together via confronting opposed coupling members attached to said power and work modules, respectively, a drive line disconnect mechanism comprising a mid-mount bearing box, attached to said power module coupling member, having a first toothed coupling half rotatably mounted therein, with one end of said first coupling half being adapted to be drivably connected with said power module drive means;
- and a disconnect assembly, attached to said work module coupling member, said disconnect assembly including:
- a. a support housing attached to said work module coupling member and having a transverse bore;
- b. an output shaft member extending through said support housing bore and rotatably journalled but axially fixed relative thereto, said output shaft member having a central longitudinal bore, with one end of said output shaft member merging into opposed radially outwardly extending first flange portions, said output shaft member also including transfer means for drivably connecting said output shaft member with further transfer means adapted to be operatively connected with the drivable wheels of said work module;
- c. a transfer shaft member, coaxial with said output shaft member and having a longitudinally splined bore closed on one end, extends into the bore of said output shaft member, with an open end of said transfer shaft member merging into opposed radially outwardly extending second flange portions adjacent to said first flange portions, said transfer shaft member being connected with said output shaft member via a first universal cross and bearing assembly having a first set of opposed bearing cap members attached to said first flange portions and a second set of opposed bearing cap members attached to said second flange portions, thereby permitting a limited first amount of multi-planar pivotal movement of said transfer shaft member with respect to said output shaft member;
- d. a disconnect input member, coaxial with said transfer shaft member, has an externally splined bore portion thereof extending into and intermeshing with the splined bore of said transfer shaft member thus forming a driving and axially slidable interconnection therebetween, with one end of said disconnect input member extending axially outwardly from said output shaft member bore and merging into opposed radially outwardly extending third flange portions;
- e. a second toothed coupling half coaxial with said disconnect input member, said second coupling half having opposed radially inwardly extending fourth flange portions adjacent to said third flange portions, said second coupling half being connected with said input member via a second universal cross and bearing assembly having a third set of opposed bearing cap members attached to said third flange portions and a fourth set of opposed bearing cap members attached to said fourth flange portions, thereby permitting a limited second amount of multi-planar pivotal movement of said second coupling half with respect to said input member;
- f. means for centering said second coupling half relative to said first coupling half;
- g. biasing means, cooperating with said input and transfer shaft members, for biasing said input member and second coupling half into driving engagement with said first coupling half;
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- h. disconnect means cooperating with said support housing and input member for selectively axially displacing said input member and second coupling half in opposition to said biasing means for disconnecting said first and second toothed coupling halves as said modules are joined, said first and second amounts of multi-planar pivotal movement combining with said means for centering so as to take up unavoidable misalignments between said vehicle modules as said modules are coupled so as to permit initial alignment of said first and second toothed coupling halves, with subsequent actuation of said disconnect means causing said biasing means to thereafter bias said coupling halves into driving engagement and allowing the drivable connection of said work module drive wheels with said power module drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.