US 4,063,609 AGranted

Four wheel drive power train

OwnerElmo Kincaidinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A power train having an internal differential for transferring power to four driven wheels of vehicles having an integral combustion engine, a transmission, and paired front and rear wheels comprises a first pulley drive system to interengage the internal combustion engine and the transmission, an equalizer comprising a plurality of split pulley sheaves slideably joined to a shaft which is mounted rotatably transversely of the vehicle, a second pulley drive system to interengage the transmission and the equalizer, and drive V-belts interengaging the sheaves and the wheels. The pulley sheaves self adjust longitudinally along the shaft to vary the distance between sheave halves to set the effective diameter of belts driving slower and faster wheels thus allowing all wheels to be driven without slippage of the belts. A belt tightener automatically maintains uniform tension in all of the belts.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A four-wheel drive power train for use on a vehicle having an engine, a transmission driven by said engine, a front pair of wheels, and a rear pair of wheels, one of said pairs of wheels being articulated for steering, said power train comprising:

a shaft rotatably mounted transversely of said vehicle, means drivingly interconnecting said shaft to said transmission;
at least four sets of split pulley sheave halves mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith and longitudinal slideability therealong, each of said sets containing a right hand sheave half and a left hand sheave half;
at least four V-belt drive pulleys, each one of said pulleys being drivingly connected to only one of said wheels;
at least four drive V-belts, each of said belts interengaging only one of said pulleys with only one of said sets of sheave halves;
and means for limiting the longitudinal extent of said slideability of said sheave halves along said shaft such that separation of the halves of one of said sets causes convergence of the halves of the others of said sets whereby each of said wheels is driven differentially of every other one of said wheels.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/626,634Filed 29 Oct 1975
Granted: 20 Dec 1977
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F16H 48/12
Differential gearings: without gears having orbital motion
B60K 17/16
Characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing: of differential gearing
B60K 17/342
For driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles: having a longitudinal, endless element, e.g. belt or chain, for…
F16H 2009/163
Using two pulleys, both built-up out of adjustable conical parts: arrangements of two or more belt gearings mounted in parallel, e.g. for…