Front wheel assist drive for a vehicle machine

A front wheel assist drive for a vehicle having a rear wheel main drive comprising:

• a fluid pump;
• conduit means connected to the inlet and outlet of said pump for respectively delivering fluid to and from said pump;
• a hydraulic motor having an inlet and an outlet connected through said conduit means to said pump outlet and inlet, said motor having an output shaft including a gear attached thereto;
• an input mesh gear in driving engagement with said motor gear;
• an output shaft, including a sun gear, said shaft being connected to said input mesh gear;
• an overrunning clutch interposed between said input mesh gear and said output shaft for selectively connecting said shaft through said input mesh gear to said motor when the motor is turning in a first direction;
• a ring gear having internal teeth disposed concentrically about said sun gear;
• a planetary gear set interposed between said sun and ring gears and being in driving engagement with said sun gear;
• means in driven engagement with said planetary gear set and connected to said front wheel for driving said wheel in a first direction;
• and
• control means connected to said motor for preventing the motor from functioning as a pump when the front wheel is driven in a reverse direction through the main drive, said control means including normally close check valve means in fluid communication with said motor inlet;
• and a control circuit connected to said valve means to open said valve means when the wheel is driven in a reverse direction through the main drive to establish a flow path from the motor inlet to the outlet.

A front wheel assist drive for a vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel including a rear wheel main drive comprising:

• a fluid pump;
• conduit means connected to the inlet and outlet of said pump for respectively delivering fluid to and from said pump;
• a hydraulic motor having an inlet and an outlet connected through said conduit means to said pump outlet and inlet;
• an output shaft connected to said motor and operated thereby;
• an overrunning clutch interposed between said motor and said output shaft for selectively connecting said shaft to said motor when the motor is turning in a first direction;
• means connecting said output shaft to said front wheel for driving said wheel in a first direction via said motor;
• and
• control means connected to said motor for preventing the motor from dynamically braking the vehicle when the front wheel is driven in a reverse direction through the main drive, said control means including normally close check valve means in fluid communication with said motor inlet and a fluid control circuit operable to open said valve means when the front wheel is driven in a reverse direction through the main drive to establish a flow path from the motor inlet to the outlet for preventing the motor from functioning as a pump.

A method of driving the front wheels of a vehicle having a rear wheel main drive comprising the steps of:

• providing a fluid motor, normally disconnected from the front wheels, to drive the front wheels when motor speed exceeds front wheel speed;
• mechanically connecting the motor to the front wheels when the vehicle is traveling in a first direction and motor speed exceeds front wheel speed;
• establishing a hydraulic control circuit to control the connection of the motor to the front wheels to drive the same when the vehicle is traveling in a second direction;
• hydraulically overriding the mechanical connection between the motor and front wheels when the vehicle is traveling in the second direction and front wheel speed exceeds motor speed;
• and
• hydraulically actuating through said control circuit a second mechanical connection between said motor and front wheels when the vehicle is traveling in the second direction and motor speed exceeds front wheel speed.

A method of driving the front wheels of a vehicle having a rear wheel main drive comprising the steps of:

• providing a fluid motor, normally disconnected from the front wheels, to drive the front wheels when motor speed exceeds front wheel speed;
• driving the motor by delivering fluid thereto from a hydraulic pump;
• mechanically connecting the motor to the front wheels when the vehicle is traveling in a first direction and motor speed exceeds front wheel speed;
• establishing a hydraulic control circuit to control the connection of the motor to the front wheels to drive the same when the vehicle is traveling in the second direction;
• overriding the mechanical connection between the motor and the front wheels when front wheel speed exceeds motor speed and the vehicle is traveling in the second direction;
• and
• hydraulically actuating through said control circuit a second mechanical connection between the motor and front wheels when the vehicle is traveling in the second direction and motor speed exceeds the wheel speed.