Power transmitting assembly

A power transmitting assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are rotatably mounted on a fixed support and a gear clutch for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison with respect to the support, the power transmitting assembly comprising:

• the gear clutch having an axially fixed clutch gear carried by the first drive member and an axially moveable clutch gear carried by the second drive member,
• means including a cam assembly rotatably carried by the second drive member for moving the axially moveable clutch gear axially between a first position where it engages the fixed clutch gear for locking the drive members together and a second position where it disengages from the fixed clutch gear;
• and
• an electromagnetic clutch having a coil attached to the support for braking the cam assembly against rotation for activating the moving means;
• the cam assembly comprising a reaction hub and a clutch plate that have cooperating surfaces that spread the reaction hub and the clutch plate apart to bias the clutch plate toward the coil of the electromagnetic clutch when the electromagnetic clutch brakes the cam against rotation to activate the moving means.

A power transmitting assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are rotatably mounted on a fixed support and a gear clutch for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison with respect to the support, the power transmitting assembly comprising:

• the gear clutch having an axially fixed clutch gear carried by the first drive member and an axially moveable clutch gear carried by the second drive member,
• means including a cam rotatably carried by the second drive member and a cam follower non rotatably carried by the second drive member for moving the axially moveable clutch gear axially between a first position where it engages the fixed clutch gear for locking the drive members together and a second position where it disengages from the fixed clutch gear;
• and
• an electromagnetic clutch having a coil attached to the support for braking the cam against rotation for activating the moving means.

A locking hub assembly operatively engaging and disengaging a power driven axle to a wheel, the locking hub assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the wheel;
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the power driven axle, said second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member;
• means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein said first rotatable assembly operatively engages said second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein said first rotatable assembly is disengaged from said second rotatable assembly;
• and
• a nonrotatable electromagnetic means, inboard of said second rotatable assembly fixed for nonrotation about the axle for activating said moving means.

A locking hub assembly operatively engaging and disengaging a power driven axle to a wheel, the locking hub assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the wheel;
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the power driven axle, said second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member;
• a means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein said first rotatable assembly operatively engages said second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein said first rotatable assembly is disengaged from said second rotatable assembly;
• a nonrotatable electromagnetic means fixed for nonrotation about the axle for activating said moving means;
• the moving means comprising;
• a cam assembly rotatable about said second rotatable assembly including a contoured outer rim having at least one V-shape notch to form a low height edge portion and a high height edge portion;
• an engaging spring and a return spring for yieldably biasing said rotating member between said first position and said second position;
• and
• an axially movable cam follower rotatable with said axle and responsive to said contoured outer rim of said cam assembly;
• whereby said electromagnetic means activates said moving means by locking said cam assembly against rotation to cause said cam follower to move axially as said cam follower rotates between said high height edge portion, such that said cam follower compresses said return spring enabling said engaging spring to axially move said rotating member to the first position;
• and said low height edge portion, such that said cam follower releases said return spring to axially move said rotating member to the second position thereby compressing said engaging spring.

A locking hub assembly operatively engaging and disengaging a power driven axle to a wheel, the locking hub assembly comprising:

• a) a first rotatable assembly in communication with the wheel;
• b) a second rotatable assembly in communication with the power driven axle, said second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member;
• c) a means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein said first rotatable assembly operatively engages said second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein said first rotatable assembly is disengaged from said second rotatable assembly, wherein said moving means includes a cam assembly rotatable about said second rotatable assembly including a contoured outer rim having at least one v-shape notch to form a low height edge portion and a high height edge portion, an engaging spring and a return spring for yieldably biasing said rotating member between said first position and said second position, and an axially movable cam follower rotatable with said axle and responsive to said contoured outer rim of said cam assembly, and
• d) a nonrotatable electro-magnetic means fixed for nonrotation about the axle for activating said moving means, whereby said electro-magnetic means activates said moving means by locking said cam assembly against rotation to cause said cam follower to move axially as said cam follower rotates between said high height edge portion, such that said cam follower compresses said return spring enabling said engaging spring to axially move said rotating member to the first position;
• and said low height edge portion, such that said cam follower releases said return spring to axially move said rotating member to the second position thereby compressing said engaging spring.

A method of actuating a locking hub assembly for operatively engaging and disengaging a power driven axle to a wheel, the locking hub assembly including a first rotatable assembly in communication with the wheel, a second rotatable assembly in communication with the power driven axle, the second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member, a means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly is disengaged from the second rotatable assembly including a contoured outer rim having at least one v-shape notch to form a low height edge portion and a high height edge portion, an engaging spring and a return spring for yieldably biasing said rotating member between the first position and the second position;

• and an axially movable cam follower rotatable with the axle and responsive to the contoured outer rim of the cam assembly;
• and a nonrotatable electromagnetic means fixed for nonrotation about the axle for activating the moving means fixed for nonrotation about the axle for activating the moving means, the method comprising the steps of:
• energizing the electro-magnetic means;
• locking the cam assembly against rotation in response to the energized electromagnetic means to provide a stationery contoured circular outer rim having a high height edge portion and a low height edge portion;
• rotating the cam follower about the contoured outer rim of the locked cam assembly;
• moving the rotating cam follower axially in response to the high height edge portion and the low height edge portion, wherein at the high height edge portion the cam follower compresses the return spring allowing the engaging spring to expand to provide an increasing engaging force and at the low height edge portion the cam follower allows the return spring to expand and compresses the engaging spring to provide an increased return force;
• and
• moving the rotating member axially in response to the increased engaging force and the increased return force respectively such that said rotating member moves axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly is disengaged form the second rotatable assembly.

A power transmitting assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are mounted on a fixed support and a lock for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison with respect to the support, the power transmitting assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the first drive member,
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the second drive member, the second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member,
• means including a rotatable cam for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly disengages from the second rotatable assembly;
• and
• a non rotatable electromagnetic means attached to the fixed support for nonrotation with respect to the first drive member and the second drive member for retarding rotation of the cam to activate the moving means.

A power transmitting assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are mounted on a fixed support and a lock for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison with respect to the support, the power transmitting assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the first drive member,
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the second drive member, the second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member,
• means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly disengages from the second rotatable assembly;
• and
• a non rotatable electromagnetic means attached to the fixed support for nonrotation with respect to the first drive member and the second drive member for activating the moving means, the moving means comprising;
• a cam assembly rotatable about said second rotatable assembly including a contoured outer rim having at least one V-shape notch to form a low height edge portion and a high height edge portion;
• a return spring for yieldably biasing the rotating member toward said second position;
• and
• an axially movable cam follower rotatable with the second rotatable assembly and responsive to the contoured outer rim of the cam assembly;
• whereby the electromagnetic means activates the moving means by locking the cam assembly against rotation to cause the cam follower to move axially as the cam follower rotates between said low height edge portion and high height edge portion and compresses the return spring enabling axial movement of the rotating member to the first position.

A power transmitting assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are mounted on a fixed support and a lock for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison with respect to the support, the power transmitting assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the first drive member,
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the second drive member, the second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member,
• means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly disengages from the second rotatable assembly,
• a non rotatable electromagnetic means attached to the fixed support for nonrotation with respect to the first drive member and the second drive member for activating the moving means, and
• means for determining the position of the rotating member for controlling the electromagnetic means in response to the position of the rotating member.

A differential assembly having a first drive member and a second drive member that are mounted in a housing and a lock for locking the first drive member and the second drive member together so that the drive members rotate in unison in the housing, the differential assembly comprising:

• a first rotatable assembly in communication with the first drive member,
• a second rotatable assembly in communication with the second drive member, the second rotatable assembly including an axially movable rotating member,
• means for moving the rotating member axially between a first position, wherein the first rotatable assembly operatively engages the second rotatable assembly, and a second position, wherein the first rotatable assembly disengages from the second rotatable assembly,
• a non rotatable electromagnetic means attached to the housing for nonrotation with respect to the first drive member and the second drive member for activating the moving means, and
• a means for determining the position of the rotating member for controlling the electromagnetic means in response to the position of the rotating member.