Hydrostatic transaxle
AssigneeHydro-Gear Limited Partnership
InventorThomas J. Langenfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A differential assembly for driving a pair of axle shafts includes a drive gear located in a housing and having at least one pair of symmetrically disposed slots formed therein. A pair of differential bushings are located in the housing on opposite sides of the drive gear. A pair of differential carriers extend through the drive gear, each carrier having its end portions engaged to notches formed in the differential bushings. The differential carriers further include a center key engaging the slots in the drive gear, whereby the carriers and bushings rotate with the drive gear. The interaction of the bushings with the carriers retains the carriers in engagement with the drive gear.
Claims20
A differential assembly for driving a pair of axle shafts disposed in a housing, the differential assembly comprising:
- a drive gear comprising a center opening and a first pair of symmetrically disposed slots formed in the center opening, each slot being open to the center opening;
- first and second differential bushings disposed in the housing on opposite sides of the drive gear, each differential bushing comprising a pair of notches formed on an external surface thereof;
- a first differential carrier extending through the drive gear and comprising a first end portion engaged to one of the pair of notches in the first differential bushing, a second end portion engaged to one of the pair of notches in the second differential bushing, and a center key located between the first end portion and second end portion, the center key engaging one of the first pair of symmetrically disposed slots in the drive gear;
- and
- a second differential carrier extending through the drive gear and comprising a first end portion engaged to the other of the pair of notches in the first differential bushing, a second end portion engaged to the other of the pair of notches in the second differential bushing, and a center key located between the first end portion and second end portion, the center key engaging the other of the first pair of symmetrically disposed slots in the drive gear.
A differential assembly for driving a pair of axle shafts disposed in a housing, the differential assembly comprising:
- a drive gear comprising a first pair of symmetrically disposed slots formed therein;
- first and second differential bushings disposed in the housing on opposite sides of the drive gear, each differential bushing comprising a pair of notches formed therein;
- a first differential carrier extending through the drive gear and comprising a first end portion engaged to one of the pair of notches in the first differential bushing, a second end portion engaged to one of the pair of notches in the second differential bushing, and a center key located between the first end portion and second end portion, the center key engaging one of the first pair of symmetrically disposed slots in the drive gear;
- and
- a second differential carrier extending through the drive gear and comprising a first end portion engaged to the other of the pair of notches in the first differential bushing, a second end portion engaged to the other of the pair of notches in the second differential bushing, and a center key located between the first end portion and second end portion, the center key engaging the other of the first pair of symmetrically disposed slots in the drive gear,
- wherein each differential carrier comprises a first side portion and a second side portion, and the center key of each differential carrier comprises a first slot formed on the first side portion and a second slot formed on the second side portion.
A differential assembly for driving a pair of axle shafts disposed in a housing, the differential assembly comprising:
- a drive gear;
- first and second differential carriers, each differential carrier engaged to and extending through the drive gear, whereby both differential carriers rotate with the drive gear;
- a first differential bushing supported on one of the pair of axle shafts and comprising a first side adjacent a first housing support surface and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the first differential bushing is maintained in location on the one axle shaft in part by contact between its first side and the first housing support surface, and the first differential bushing is engaged to both of the differential carriers to cause the first differential bushing to rotate with the drive gear;
- a second differential bushing supported on the other axle shaft and comprising a first side adjacent a second housing support surface and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the second differential bushing is maintained in location on the other axle shaft in part by contact between its first side and the second housing support surface, and the second differential bushing is engaged to both of the differential carriers to cause the second differential bushing to rotate with the drive gear;
- and
- a plurality of bevel gears disposed within an interior opening of the drive gear and between the two differential bushings.
A differential assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive gear disposed in the housing and comprising a center opening;
- a pair of differential bushings disposed in the housing on opposite sides of the drive gear;
- and
- a pair of differential carriers extending through the center opening and driven by the drive gear, each of the pair of differential carriers separately engaged to both differential bushings to cause the differential bushings to be rotatable with the drive gear, wherein the interaction of the pair of differential bushings with the pair of differential carriers retains the differential carriers in engagement with the drive gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.