Patent ID: 6374933
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
A rear suspension for a tracked vehicle, comprising:a differential case; a differential pinion gear for receiving rotational power from a prime mover; a driving gear gearingly coupled to and driven by the differential pinion gear; a differential carrier fixed to the driving gear; at least two pinion gears coupled to the differential carrier to permit relative rotation with respect to the differential carrier; two laterally opposed side gears adapted to rotate about a rotational axis and supported by the differential carrier for relative rotation with respect to the differential carrier and wherein the at least two pinion gears are adapted to drive the two laterally opposed side gears; first and second spur gears rotatable about the rotational axis wherein each of said first and second spur gears is coupled to and driven by a respective one of the two laterally opposed side gears; third and fourth spur gears with respective second and third rotational axes, the third and fourth gears engaged to and driven by the first and second spur gears, respectively, wherein the second and third rotational axes extend across a top portion of the differential case; and first and second splined drive axles each having an inner and an outer end and wherein the first drive axle splines are slidingly supported within and driven by the third spur gear and the second drive axle splines are slidingly supported within and driven by the fourth spur gear; wherein the first and second drive axle splines are of sufficient length and the rotational axes are sufficiently far apart to permit the inner ends of the first and second drive axles to be inserted through the third and fourth spur gears, respectively, and to lie side-by-side without axle-to-axle interference.