Bevel gear differential with conical spherical gear seats

A differential assembly comprising:

• a housing means;
• a casing means for supporting a differential mechanism;
• a pair of roller bearing means for rotatably supporting said casing means relative to said housing means;
• at least one of said roller bearings having an inner race, an outer race, and an intermediate roller cage assembly;
• said casing means provided with an annular recessed mounting portion for receiving and supporting said outer race;
• said housing provided with an internally threaded bore;
• a bearing retainer having a reduced outer diameter hub portion for receiving and supporting said inner race and said roller cage assembly, said bearing retainer having an externally threaded portion for engagement with said internally threaded bore in said housing;
• said internally threaded bore in said housing being formed of a diameter at least as great as the maximum outer diameter of said roller cage assembly to enable said hub portion of said bearing retainer to be inserted therethrough with said inner race and said roller cage assembly mounted thereon.

A method of assembling a differential assembly, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first and second roller bearings each having an inner race, an outer race, and an intermediate roller cage assembly;
• (b) providing a differential casing assembly defining a pair of first and second arcuate recesses adapted to receive the outer races of said first and second roller bearings, the arcuate recesses surrounding the axis of side gears of the differential casing assembly;
• (c) providing first and second bearing retaining means for supporting the inner races of said roller bearing;
• (d) providing a housing having first and second aligned bores for receiving and supporting said first and second bearing retaining means;
• (e) pressing said inner races of said first and second roller bearings onto outer diameter hub portions of said first and second bearing retaining means;
• (f) pressing said outer races of said first and second roller bearings into said first and second arcuate recesses in said casing assembly;
• (g) positioning said casing assembly having said outer races mounted therein in said housing;
• (h) passing said hub portions of said first and second bearing retaining means having said inner races and said roller cage assemblies mounted thereon through said first and second bores to bring said roller cage assemblies into engagement with said outer races;
• and
• (i) securing said first and second bearing retaining means relative to said housing within said first and second bores.