Wheel tandem drive mechanism
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorRonald L. Satzler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive mechanism is disclosed for rotating a pair of tandem wheel assemblies journalled on a centrally pivoted tandem drive housing. A jointless elastomeric belt extends about the wheel assemblies which are driven by two chains entrained over respective sprockets contained within the tandem drive housing. A planetary gear set is effective to powerably drive both chains with a differential action to minimize the influence of the belt loading upon the chains. The planetary gear set and the sprockets are constructed to deliver a greater torque to the rear wheel assembly than the front wheel assembly through the chains.
Claims33
A wheel tandem drive mechanism for a vehicle having a frame and being capable of traveling in a normal forward longitudinal direction over uneven terrain, comprising:
- a housing;
- means for oscillatably connecting the housing to the vehicle frame on an axis;
- rear and front wheel assemblies individually having a wheel with a radially outwardly facing elastomeric peripheral surface, the wheel assemblies being rotatably connected to the housing away from the axis;
- an elastomeric belt entrained about the peripheral surfaces of the wheels and solely frictionally connecting the wheel assemblies;
- an input drive member;
- and
- planetary gear set drive means for powerably delivering torque to the rear and front wheel assemblies with a differential action at a preselected torque ratio for driving the belt in response to rotation of the input drive member.
A wheel tandem drive mechanism for a vehicle having a frame, comprising:
- a tandem drive housing;
- means for oscillatably connecting the tandem drive housing to the frame on an axis substantially centrally of the housing;
- rear and front wheel assemblies rotatably connected to the tandem drive housing away from the axis and individually having a pair of juxtaposed wheels;
- an elastomeric belt entrained about the wheels in solely frictionally connecting relationship;
- an input drive member disposed on the axis;
- and
- means for delivering torque to the wheel assemblies with a differential action and maintaining a preselected torque ratio effective to deliver a greater torque to the rear wheel assembly than the front wheel assembly in the normal forward travel direction of the vehicle in response to rotation of the input drive member.
A wheel tandem drive mechanism for a vehicle having a frame, comprising:
- a tandem drive housing;
- means for oscillatably connecting the tandem drive housing to the frame on a transverse axis;
- first and second wheel assemblies rotatably connected to the tandem drive housing away from the transverse axis;
- first and second chain drive means for respectively powerably rotating the wheel assemblies;
- a planetary gear set disposed on the transverse axis and including a sun gear, a ring gear, a planet carrier, and a plurality of planet gears mounted on the planet carrier and intermeshing with the sun gear and the ring gear;
- and
- means for powerably driving the planet carrier and causing the ring gear to drive the first chain drive means and the sun gear to drive the second chain drive means leading to the first and second wheel assemblies respectively.
A wheel tandem drive mechanism comprising:
- a vehicle having a frame;
- a tandem drive housing;
- means for pivotally connecting the tandem drive housing to the frame on a transverse axis and having a releasable cover member,
- an outboard chain drive sprocket;
- first bearing means for rotatably supporting the outboard chain drive sprocket on the releasable cover member;
- an inboard chain drive sprocket;
- and
- second bearing means for independently rotatably supporting the inboard chain drive sprocket on the outboard chain drive sprocket.
A wheel tandem drive mechanism comprising:
- a frame;
- an annular support assembly connected to the frame and including first and second radially inwardly extending annular flanges defining a radially inwardly facing chamber therebetween, and a support hub connected to the first flange;
- a tandem drive housing having an axially inwardly extending tubular portion and a thrust collar connected thereto that is entrappingly received in the chamber;
- and
- bearing means for communicating thrust forces from the collar to the flanges and for oscillatably supporting the tubular portion of the tandem drive housing on the support hub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.