US 4,625,846 AGranted

Device for disconnecting the wheels from a vehicle's optional drive

AssigneeAVM-Auto Equipamentos Lida

InventorMiguel Gomez

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Abstract

The automatic free wheeling hub assembly includes a housing or body secured to the vehicle's wheel hub. The vehicle's drive axle extends into and is mounted in the body and wheel hub. The free wheeling hub assembly includes a cylindrical axle hub located in the interior of the body and spline connected to the splined end of the drive axle. The axle hub is provided with an external toothed section or series of circumferentially spaced teeth. A tubular clutch ring is mounted in the body for axial movement and is provided with internal teeth for engagement with the disengagement from the series of teeth provided on the axle hub. Fluid actuating means are provided in the body including a movable member in the form of a diaphragm or piston connected to the clutch ring for axially moving same relative to said axle hub in response to the pressure or pressure differential from a fluid source such as vacuum to effect the engagement and disengagement of the matching teeth of the axle hub and clutch ring.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An automatic free wheeling hub assembly for a four wheel drive vehicle to drivingly connect a wheel to the associated vehicle's drive axle shaft which has a longitudinally extending axis and is provided with external splines on one end thereof;

said hub assembly comprising a housing hub having an axial bore through which the shaft extends;
a body having a cavity aligned with said bore, with one end of said body abutting an end face of said housing hub and the other end of said body being closed, said body having an internal section of slots;
means securing said body to said housing hub;
means in said housing hub for mounting said hub assembly on the spline end of the shaft, with said housing hub completely surrounding the shaft and with the spline end thereof extending into the cavity of said body;
a cylindrical axle hub provided with internal splines and mounted on and carried by the spline end of the shaft within said cavity;
said axle hub having an integral toothed section of teeth on the exterior thereof;
an axially movable clutch ring located in the cavity of said body and spaced from the spline end of the shaft, said clutch ring having an internal section of teeth for selective engagement with the teeth on said axle hub carried by the shaft;
said clutch ring having an external section of locking teeth located in and movable along the internal slots provided in said body;
fluid responsive actuating means including a movable member located in said cavity axially opposite the spline end of the shaft;
said movable member dividing said cavity into a pair of fluid chambers;
and
means securing said movable member to said clutch ring;
said fluid responsive actuating means being responsive to a pressure differential in said chambers thereby moving said movable member and said clutch ring axially in said cavity to effect engagement or disengagement of the teeth of said clutch ring and said axle hub;
said body, hub housing, movable member and clutch ring when disengaged from said axle hub, being adapted to turn freely as a unit, independent from said axle hub and the shaft.

11 more elements

said hub assembly comprising a housing hub having an axial bore through which the shaft extends;
a body having a cavity aligned with said bore, with one end of said body having an annular surface abutting an end face of said housing hub and the other end of said body being closed, said body having an internal section of slots;
means securing said body to said housing hub;
means in said housing hub for mounting said hub assembly on the spline end of the shaft, with said housing hub completely surrounding the shaft and with the spline end thereof extending into the cavity of said body;
a cylindrical axle hub provided with internal splines and mounted on and carried by the spline end of the shaft within said cavity;
said axle hub having an integral toothed section of teeth on the exterior thereof;
an axially movable clutch ring located in the cavity of said body and spaced from the spline end of the shaft, said clutch ring having an internal section of teeth for selective engagement with the teeth on said axle hub carried by the shaft;
said clutch ring having an external section of locking teeth located in and movable along the internal slots provided in said body;
actuating means including a movable member located in said cavity axially opposite the spline end of the shaft;
said movable member dividing said cavity into a pair of chambers;
and
means securing said movable member to said clutch ring;
said actuating means being responsive to a force for moving said movable member and said clutch ring axially in said cavity to effect engagement or disengagement of the teeth of said clutch ring and said axle hub;
said body, hub housing, movable member and clutch ring when disengaged from said axle hub, being adapted to turn freely as a unit, independent from said axle hub and the shaft.

11 more elements

An improved wheel drive disengagement device for disengaging a hub (2) of an optional drive wheel from an axle (13) comprising:

a body (1) secured to the hub (2), the body (1) defining an internal bore having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves (22);
a cylindrical axle hub (10) having a central opening;
a plurality of splines (11) formed in the central opening;
a splined end (12) formed on one end of the axle (13) to selectively engage the plurality of splines (11);
the axle hub (10) having a pair of spaced annular grooves (14) which receive internal snap rings (15);
a bearing (16) attached to the axle hub (10) between the snap rings (15), and the bearing (16) being attached to the body (1) by another snap ring (17) which is received in an annular groove formed in the internal bore of the body (1);
a plurality of external teeth (18) formed on the axle hub (10) adjacent to one of the internal snap rings (15);
a ring (20) having internal teeth (19) for selectively engaging the external teeth (18), said ring (20) having external locking teeth (21) corresponding to and received in the grooves (22);
an actuating disc (25) fastened to the body (1), the actuating disc having a central opening formed therein;
a diaphragm (27) secured to the body (1) adjacent to the actuating disc (25) by a snap ring (30) and a washer (29), the diaphragm (27) having a central opening formed therein;
a disc (28) disposed adjacent to the diaphragm (27), the disc (28) having a central opening formed therein;
a pin (26) secured to and extending through the central openings formed in the actuating disc (25), the diaphragm (27) and the disc (28);
a spindle (35) secured on a first end to the hub (27) by fasteners;
a sealing nut (34) having a smooth external surface being secured to the spindle (35) by a snap ring (33) which is retained in an annular groove formed in the splined end (12) of the axle (13);
a gasket (36) secured to the spindle (35) adjacent the sealing nut (34) for sealing therebetween;
a seal (37) fitted into the internal bore of the body (1) on one end, the seal engaging the smooth external surface of the sealing nut (34) for forming a seal between the spindle (35) andthe body (1);
a second end of the spindle (35) having an annular recess (41) formed in a flange (42) in which an oil seal (40) is retained, the oil seal maintaining contact with the axle (13);
a seal (43) and a bearing (44) are secured within one end of the hub (3), the bearing (44) being secured to the spindle (35) and the seal (43) maintaining contact with the spindle (35);
the spindle (35) having an orifice (47) formed adjacent the flange (42), the orifice (47) being open to a radial space (46) formed between the axle (13) and the spindle (35);
a tube (48) connected to the spindle (35) and open to the orifice (47), said tube being adapted to be interconnected through flexible hoses to a source of fluid pressure.

17 more elements

An improved wheel drive disengagement device for disengaging a hub (2) of an optional drive wheel from an axle (13) comprising:

a body (1) secured to the hub (2), the body (1) defining an internal bore having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves (22);
a cylindrical axle hub (10) having a central opening;
a plurality of splines (11) formed in the central opening;
a splined end (12) formed on one end of the axle (13) to selectively engage the plurality of splines (11);
the axle hub (10) having a pair of spaced annular grooves (14) which receive internal snap rings (15);
a bearing (16) attached to the axle hub (10) between the snap rings (15), and the bearing (16) being attached to the body (1) by another snap ring (17) which is received in an annular groove formed in the internal bore of the body (1);
a plurality of external teeth (18) formed on the axle hub (10) adjacent to one of the internal snap rings (15);
a ring (20) having internal teeth (19) for selectively engaging the external teeth (18), said ring (20) having external locking teeth (21) corresponding to and received in the grooves (22);
an actuating disc (25) fastened to the body (1), the actuating disc having a central opening formed therein;
a piston (31) secured to the body (1) adjacent to the actuating disc (25) by a snap ring (30) and a washer (29), the piston (31) having a central opening formed therein;
a pin (26) secured to and extending through the central openings formed in the actuating disc (25) and the piston (31);
a spindle (35) secured on a first end to the hub (27) by fasteners;
a sealing nut (34) having a smooth external surface being secured to the spindle (35) by a snap ring (33) which is retained in an annular groove formed in the splined end (12) of the axle (13);
a gasket (36) secured to the spindle (35) adjacent the sealing nut (34) for sealing therebetween;
a seal (37) fitted into the internal bore of the body (1) on one end, the seal engaging the smooth external surface of the sealing nut (34) for forming a seal between the spindle (35) and the body (1);
a second end of the spindle (35) having an annular recess (41) formed in a flange (42) in which an oil seal (40) is retained, the oil seal maintaining contact with the axle (13);
a seal (43) and a bearing (44) are secured within one end of the hub (2), the bearing (44) being secured to the spindle (35) and the seal (43) maintaining contact with the spindle (35);
the spindle (35) having an orifice (47) formed adjacent the flange (42), the orifice (47) being open to a radial space (46) formed between the axle (13) and the spindle (35);
a tube (48) connected to the spindle (35) and open to the orifice (47), said tube being adapted to be interconnected through flexible hoses to a source of fluid pressure.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.