Two speed gear box

A wheel hub assembly comprising:

• a wheel hub;
• a spindle adapted to rotatably support the wheel hub;
• an inboard planetary gear assembly comprising:
• a sun gear adapted for connection to a drive axle;
• a plurality of planetary gears disposed around the sun gear;
• a ring gear engaging the planetary gears;
• a planetary gear carrier interconnecting the planetary gears;
• and
• an inboard clutch adapted to couple the sun gear of the inboard planetary gear assembly to the planetary gear carrier of the inboard planetary gear assembly;
• an outboard planetary gear assembly comprising:
• a sun gear adapted for connection to the planetary gear carrier of the inboard planetary gear assembly;
• a plurality of planetary gears disposed around the sun gear;
• a ring gear joined to the wheel hub and engaging the planetary gears;
• a planetary gear carrier interconnecting the plurality of planetary gears and joined to the spindle;
• and
• an outboard clutch adapted to couple the ring gear of the inboard planetary assembly to the planetary gear carrier of the outboard planetary gear assembly;
• wherein, selectively engaging and disengaging each of the inboard clutch and outboard clutch provides a plurality of operating modes, the operating modes comprising:
• a brake mode defined by engaging the inboard clutch engaging the outboard clutch;
• a neutral mode defined by disengaging the inboard clutch and disengaging the outboard clutch mode;
• a first speed mode defined by engaging the inboard clutch and disengaging the outboard clutch;
• and
• a second speed mode defined by disengaging the inboard clutch and engaging the outboard clutch.

A hub assembly for use with a torque source comprising:

• an axle operatively connected to the torque source;
• a spindle:
• a hub;
• first coupling means comprising:
• a first mode;
• a second mode:
• and
• means for shifting from the first mode to the second mode;
• second coupling means for coupling the first coupling means to the hub, the second coupling means comprising:
• a first mode;
• a second mode;
• and
• means for shifting from the first mode to the second mode;
• wherein the first mode and the second mode of the first coupling means and the first mode and the second mode of the second coupling means cooperate to provide a plurality of geared outputs for the hub relative to the torque input;
• and
• wherein the plurality of geared outputs for the hub comprise:
• a brake mode defined by the first means for gearing operating at the first mode of the first means for gearing and the means for coupling operating at the first mode of the means for coupling;
• a neutral mode defined by the first means for gearing operating at the second mode of the first means for gearing and the means for coupling operating at the first mode of the means for coupling;
• a high speed mode defined by first means for gearing operating at the first mode of the first means for gearing and the means for coupling operating at the second mode of the means for coupling;
• and
• a low speed mode defined by first means for gearing operating at the second mode of the first means for gearing and the means for coupling operating at the first mode of the means for coupling.