Positive drive differential for vehicle including tractors

A positive drive differential which passes drive power directly to one wheel by splining one axle centrally to one side of a differential housing; and which side of the differential housing has no side differential gear. The other axle is splined into the only existing side differential gear and which also is geared to two small end differential gears or planetary gears that are journalled one-hundred and eighty degrees apart in the differential housing. The differential also contains a ring gear that is positively fastened to the differential housing and the differential housing is journalled in the ordinary manner to the axle housing by the means of ball-bearings. Similarly, the side differential gear is journalled to the differential housing by the means of ball-bearings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary object of this invention is to provide a positive drive 
differential that will transmit the power at close to 100% efficiency. If 
this can be done, it will become feasible to use small motors as power 
sources, thereby replacing previously used larger motors, and which 
smaller motors will produce from 50 to 100 miles on a gallon of fuel. 
Thus, one and two cylndered, two-cycle engines could replace the larger, 
previously used engines. It is expected, though, that the smaller engines 
would possibly require modern features such as fuel injection, electronic 
ignition and would use fuel oil as the fuel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The present invention relates to drive differentials and my previous 
application Ser. No. 037,642, filed May 10, 1979, now abandoned. The 
present design is, however, different from my previous application in that 
one axle is now splined positively to the side of the differential housing 
and in that the present mechanism only contains one side differential 
gear, thereby breaking the gear connection connecting the two wheels as in 
the previous mechanism or as in ordinary differentials. Also, the 
mechanism of this application contains a ring gear positively fastened to 
the differential housing as in ordinary differentials. 
Referring to FIG. 1, the present differential is shown in a full 
cross-sectioned view looking at it from the top of the mechanism. In 
particular, FIG. 1 shows the cross-sectional outline of the rear end 
housing (11), the axle housing (13) and (19), and the drive shaft housing 
(10). A cross-section of the large ring gear (12) and how it is an 
integral part of the differential housing (18) is also shown. 
Specifically, the right axle (16) is positively fastened by the means of 
spline (15) to the differential housing (18). Thus, as power is applied 
via the input or drive shaft 9, the pinion gear (7) turns the differential 
housing (18) and which directly turns the right axle (16), since it is 
positively splined thereto. It is to be noted, too, that numeral (6) is 
indicative of a bushing in which the small differential gears (5) turn. 
Referring now to the left side of the present differential, it is to be 
recognized that it generally is of ordinary construction, except that now 
side gear (1) is spaced apart from the differential housing (18) and the 
rear end housing (11) by individual sets of ball-bearings (3); instead of 
using only bearing surfaces turning against adjacent bearing surfaces as 
in most ordinary differentials. Since there is no right side differential 
gear in this design, the gear-tie which normally connects the axles or 
wheels together in the ordinary differentials is broken. Oil dippers 
should also be fastened to the outside of the housing (18) around openings 
(17) so that a sufficient supply of oil will be maintained within the 
differential. In this fashion, oil will continue to be supplied to the 
mechansim as long as the oil dippers reach the oil as the differential 
housing (18) turns thus providing a sufficient supply of lubricant to the 
moving parts. 
By making the above mentioned changes, the construction of the device of my 
previous application is simplified; and by adding only one additional set 
of ball-bearings, the mechanism becomes completely journalled thoughout, 
thereby substantialy reducing friction. Of primary importance though is 
the resulting large difference in size between the differential gears (5) 
and (1) (to be discussed in detail later) and which gears pass the power 
to the left wheel. In conjunction with the above changes, it is also 
believed that by breaking the gear connection between the wheels, as in 
this design, an extremely fine differentiation is achieved, thereby 
eliminating the longer power loss of the ordinary differential. It is 
further believed that the power that is passed through because of the 
large difference in size of the differential gears (and because of the 
previous statement) becomes a fine supportive force to the other wheel 
resulting in a unified, unslipping, positive force that pushes the vehicle 
forward. That is, the friction between the tires and the road when 
cruising on the highway always keep the wheels driving together, and 
therefore the gear-tie that connects the wheels together in the ordinary 
differentials is not needed. Transmissions though are different and this 
gear-tie is needed there, I believe. 
In summary, the present extremely simple design provides the ultimate in 
differentials, whether the need is for traction or for fuel conservation. 
Now getting to how the power is transferred to the side differential gear 
(1) and its axle (4) and directing attention to FIG. 1. The drawing shows 
a large difference in size between the side differential gear (1) and the 
small end differential gears (5), and which for the presently preferred 
embodiment is contemplated to be a ratio of about 14 to 1. Thus, in 
operation as power is applied to the differential housing (18), it is 
caused to turn, and which causes the small differential gears (5) engaged 
therewith to also turn and thereby apply power to the side differential 
gear (1). In response thereto, the large side differential gear (1) and 
its axle (4) turn, but at a speed that depends upon the speed at which the 
differential housing (18) is turning and which dependency is due to the 
fact that the end differential gears (5) can also turn in their bushings 
(6), independent of the side differential gear (1). 
Specifically, as the differential housing (18) turns faster and faster, the 
small differential gears (5) cannot keep up their independent turning and 
thus transfer more and more power to and cause the side differential gear 
(1) to rotate faster and faster. This effect is believed to occur, in 
part, due to the use of a heavy duty non-frictional gear lube and, induced 
friction between the end differential gear (5), their bushings (6) and the 
differential housing (18). 
Stated differently, because of the great difference in size between the 
side differential gear (1) and the small differential gears (5), when the 
housing (18) turns fast due to a large application of power, it is 
impossible for the small end differential gears (5) to change speeds so as 
to keep up and turn at the speed they would otherwise have to, given the 
large gear ratio, and in the small instance, therefore, they in effect 
become locked so as to transfer power to and cause the large side 
differential gear (1) to turn. This locking effect thus depends upon the 
magnitude of the input speed or change in speed at the differential 
housing and which conditions are reflective of speed changes in the 
turning of the end differential gears (5) over a range from free turning 
to locked and over which range power is correspondingly transferred or not 
to the side gear (1). 
Analogously, the effect is very similar to that in a four or five speed 
transmission where you can start off in low gear, but you cannot start off 
in high gear. For the same reason, the differential gears lock, passing 
the power to the other wheel when the power is applied to the differential 
housing (18). 
The present differential, however, still allows the wheels to differentiate 
speeds for turns in the road, etcetera, since in those instances a slower 
application of power results and which allows the small differential gears 
to turn. 
While the present invention has been described with respect to its 
presently preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that various changes 
and modifications might be made thereto. It is, therefore, anticipated 
that the following claims should be interpreted so as to encompass all 
such equivalent embodiments within the spirit and scope therefof.