Drive assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10281024-B1
Application number	US-201615369113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Aug 10, 2009
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A drive assembly is disclosed, with a variable speed transmission in a housing. A pair of clutch assemblies are engaged to a transmission output shaft, and engaged to and selectively driving a pair of axle shafts. A power take off includes a power take off output shaft and a clutch/brake mechanism. A first and a second output gears are driven by the transmission output shaft and disposed on a first and second jack shafts, respectively. A first intermediate gear is disposed on a third jack shaft and driven by the first output gear, and a second intermediate gear is disposed on a fourth jack shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive apparatus, comprising:
a variable speed transmission disposed in a housing and having a transmission input shaft and driving a transmission output shaft;
a first output gear driven by the transmission output shaft and disposed on a first jack shaft and a second output gear driven by the transmission output shaft and disposed on a second jack shaft;
a first intermediate gear disposed on a third jack shaft, wherein the first intermediate gear is driven by the first output gear;
a second intermediate gear disposed on a fourth jack shaft, wherein the second intermediate gear is driven by the second output gear; and
a first output axle extending out of the housing and driven by the first intermediate gear and a second output axle extending out of the housing and driven by the second intermediate gear.

2. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first jack shaft and the second jack shaft are both parallel to the transmission output shaft.

3. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first axle spur gear fixed on the first output axle and engaged to and driven by the first intermediate gear, and a second axle spur gear fixed on the second output axle and engaged to and driven by the second intermediate gear.

4. The drive apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a first input spur gear driven by the transmission output shaft and selectively engaged to the first output gear, and a second input spur gear driven by the transmission output shaft and selectively engaged to the second output gear.

5. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first jack shaft and the second jack shaft are both parallel to the transmission output shaft and the third jack shaft and the fourth jack shaft are perpendicular to the transmission output shaft.

6. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the variable speed transmission is a hydraulic transmission comprising a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, and the transmission output shaft is a motor shaft engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor.

7. The drive apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first jack shaft and the second jack shaft are both parallel to the motor shaft.

8. The drive apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the transmission input shaft is a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the hydraulic pump.

9. The drive apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a center section, wherein both the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor are disposed on and hydraulically connected through the center section.

10. The drive apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the pump input shaft and the motor shaft are coaxial.

11. The drive apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a first axle spur gear fixed on the first output axle and engaged to and driven by the first intermediate gear, and a second axle spur gear fixed on the second output axle and engaged to and driven by the second intermediate gear.

12. The drive apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a first input spur gear driven by the motor shaft and selectively engaged to the first output gear, and a second input spur gear driven by the motor shaft and selectively engaged to the second output gear.

13. The drive apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first jack shaft and the second jack shaft are both parallel to the motor shaft and the third jack shaft and the fourth jack shaft are perpendicular to the motor shaft.

14. The drive apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power take off comprising a power take off output shaft and a clutch/brake mechanism, the clutch/brake mechanism comprising:
a cage engaged to a clutch input hub;
a brake stator engaged to the housing;
a carrier selectively engageable with the cage and alternately selectively engageable with the brake stator;
an output hub engaged to the carrier; and
an actuation fork rotatably disposed in the housing and selectively engageable with the carrier.

15. The drive apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a power take off spring disposed about a proximate end of the power take off output shaft and engaged to the carrier on a first face thereof, wherein the power take off spring biases the carrier toward engagement with the brake stator.

16. The drive apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a clutch plate stack disposed in the cage, wherein the clutch plate stack comprises a first set of clutch plates having a first plurality of teeth forms extending from an interior periphery thereof and engaged to the carrier, and a second set of clutch plates having a second plurality of teeth forms extending from an exterior periphery thereof, and engaged to and driven by the cage, wherein the first set of clutch plates are alternately disposed between the second set of clutch plates.

17. The drive apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a brake rotor disposed on the carrier, wherein the brake rotor frictionally engages the brake stator when the carrier is selectively engaged to the brake stator.

18. The drive apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the clutch input hub is disposed on the transmission input shaft.

19. The drive apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the variable speed transmission comprises a hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump, and the transmission input shaft is a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the hydraulic pump, and the transmission output shaft is a motor shaft engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor.

20. The drive apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
a power take off spring disposed about a proximate end of the power take off output shaft and engaged to the carrier on a first face thereof, wherein the power take off spring biases the carrier toward engagement with the brake stator;
a clutch plate stack disposed in the cage, wherein the clutch plate stack comprises a first set of clutch plates having a first plurality of teeth forms extending from an interior periphery thereof and engaged to the carrier, and a second set of clutch plates having a second plurality of teeth forms extending from an exterior periphery thereof, and engaged to and driven by the cage, wherein the first set of clutch plates are alternately disposed between the second set of clutch plates; and
a brake rotor disposed on the carrier, wherein the brake rotor frictionally engages the brake stator when the carrier is selectively engaged to the brake stator.

21. The drive apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a first clutch assembly comprising the first output gear and the first intermediate gear, and a second clutch assembly comprising the second output gear and the second intermediate gear, wherein the first clutch assembly is engaged to and selectively drives the first output axle, and the second clutch assembly is engaged to and selectively drives the second output axle.

Assignees

• Hydro Gear Lp

Inventors

• Bennett Michael L

Classifications

• B60K25/06

  from the transmission power take-off · CPC title

• F16H47/02

  the fluid gearing being of the volumetric type · CPC title

• Y10T74/19242

  Combined gear and clutch · CPC title

• F16H2057/02052

  Axle units; Transfer casings for four wheel drive · CPC title

• B60K2025/065

  the transmission being fluidic, e.g. hydraulic · CPC title