Abstract:
A driveline for a mobile vehicle comprises a one-step planetary transmission ( 7 ) in which the outer central wheel ( 10 ) is non-rotatably held, the inner central wheel ( 6 ) forms the output and the planet carrier ( 12 ) forms the output which can be connected with the housing ( 4 ) via a brake ( 14 ). To ensure an easy assembly, the output flange ( 17 ) is supported in the housing ( 4 ) via a first bearing ( 28 ) and the planet carrier ( 12 ) via a second bearing ( 26 ), one pivot ( 24 ) of the planet carrier ( 12 ) is non-rotatably held in one hole of the output flange ( 17 ).

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns a drive line for a mobile vehicle. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Drivelines of the above kind are used for driving vehicle wheels, especially construction machinery like loaders. On one hand, it is important to directly brake the vehicle wheel in order to switch off in the braked state any additional movement of the vehicle wheel due to the toothing play of a ratio step rear mounted on the service brake and, on the other, to protect said brake against clogging. It is also important that the bearings by which the vehicle wheels are supported be configured so that it is possible to attain a sufficient duration even under the heavy vehicle weights of the construction machinery. It is also of importance that maintenance works in the driveline can be carried out without removing the axle from the vehicle. 
   EP 0 979 365 B1 discloses a vehicle transmission with integrated cooled brakes in which the output flange is directly supported in the housing, via wheel bearings, and is non-rotatably connected with the planet carrier via a toothing. On the radially outer area of the planet carrier, inner rotating discs of a multi-disc brake are situated by which the planet carrier can be connected with the non-rotatable housing. It is thus possible to protect the brake against clogging and to brake the output directly. The planet carrier has one pivot which projects into a hole of the output flange, the non-rotatable connection between the output flange and the pivot resulting via engaging gears. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,006 discloses a vehicle transmission for driving the vehicle wheels where the output flange is supported in the housing directly via two wheel bearings and the pivot of the output flange is non-rotatably held in a hole of the planet carrier via engaging gears. On the radially outer area of the planet carrier are the rotating discs of a multi-disc brake by which the planet carrier can be non-rotatably connected with the housing. It is very expensive to disassemble the output flange. 
   EP 1 234 993 A1 discloses a vehicle transmission for driving the vehicle wheels in which the output flange is supported in the planet carrier, via a centering pivot, and the planet carrier is supported in the housing via two wheel bearings. In order to fixedly connect the output flange with the planet carrier, the output flange is screwed with the planet carrier via axially disposed bolts. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,859 B2 discloses a planetary transmission where an output flange is non-rotatably connected with an output shaft, via engaging gears and the output shaft, and the planet carrier are supported in the housing, respectively, by a first bearing and a second bearing and between the radially outer area of the output shaft and a hole in the planet carrier; a centering bushing is situated which centers the planet carrier upon the output shaft. Immediately adjacent to the inner central wheel of the planetary transmission, a washer is situated with a connecting element by which the planet carrier can be axially connected with the output shaft. The disassembly of the output shaft is expensive. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,874 discloses, especially in  FIG. 4 , a driveline for a mobile vehicle in which a multi-disc brake is located between the inner central wheel and the non-rotatable housing and the output flange is fixedly connected with the planet carrier, via engaging gears, and the output flange and the planet carrier are supported in the housing, respectively, via a first bearing and a second bearing and the output flange is connected in an axial direction with the planet carrier, via a nut, situated directly adjacent to the inner central wheel. In this arrangement, the assembly and disassembly of the drive line are difficult, since the planetary transmission has to be disassembled for adjusting the wheel bearings. 
   The problem on which this invention is based is to provide a driveline for mobile vehicles where the output can be braked directly, via a multi-disc brake, where the wheel bearings have sufficient duration and the driveline can be easily disassembled. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the invention, the driveline for mobile vehicles has one output flange which is supported in the housing via a first bearing. The planet carrier is supported in the housing via one second bearing. The first and the second bearings are preferably placed in the same part of the housing. The planet carrier has a pivot pointing in the direction to the output flange and projecting into a hole of the output flange by which pivot the output flange is non-rotatably connected with the planet carrier. It is thus possible to design the output bearings with the optimal dimensions in accordance with requirements whereby the first bearing, for example, has a larger dimension than the second bearing. The inner ring of the second bearing supports itself, on one side, in the planet carrier and, on the other side, in an axial direction of the output flange whereby the inner ring of the second bearing is fixed in an axial direction by the output flange and the planet carrier. By virtue of this arrangement, an easy assembly can be ensured, since a costly adjustment of the wheel bearings is eliminated and a so-called “set-right support” can be used. Likewise, there is the possibility of easily disassembling the output flange, since when tapered rolling bearings are used as wheel bearings disposed in a so-called “O-arrangement”, no great pressing-off forces are needed for the output flange during disassembly. Directly adjacent to the second bearing, the output flange and the pivot of other planet carrier are designed so that the output flange is centered upon the planet carrier in a radial direction. At the end of the pivot of the planet carrier, facing the output flange, the output flange and the pivot are configured so that a second centering of the output flange on the pivot of the planet carrier results. Said centering preferably results via a centering bushing which is between the pivot and the output flange. In one other embodiment, said centering bushing is cup-shaped whereby the output flange can be fixed in axial direction upon the pivot of the planet carrier while the cup-shaped bushing, on one hand, is braced via an axial connecting elements, such as bolts, upon the pivot and, on the other hand, supports itself in an axial direction in the output flange. Since the output flange is centered upon the planet carrier in the axial direction, via two spaced apart centerings, a tipping of the planet carrier in the output flange is effectively prevented whereby the wheel bearings obtain optimal operating conditions. Since the planet carrier is axially fixed in the output flange on the side of the pivot of the planet carrier facing the output flange, which planet carrier is easily accessible in the vehicle from outside, it is possible to disassemble the output flange without removing the axle of the vehicle. In addition, no special tool is at all needed for disassembling the output flange, since commercially available bolts can be used. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a section of one side of the drive axle of the presently claimed invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The single FIGURE shows a section of one side of the drive axle with one axle  1  which can be connected with the vehicle (not shown) and which has a funnel-shaped extension  2  connected with the housing  4  via connecting elements  3 . One input shaft  5  drives an inner central wheel (sun gear)  6  of a planetary transmission  7  and can also be designed integral with the drive shaft. The input shaft is preferably connected with a differential (not shown). It is also possible to connect the input shaft with a prime mover, such as an electromotor or a hydromotor. The inner central wheel  6  is in operative connection with the planetary gear  8 , which planetary gear  8  supports itself on the outer central wheel (ring gear)  9  which is non-rotatably held. The outer central wheel  9  is preferably non-rotatably situated by means of bolts  10  in the funnel-shaped extension  2  or the housing  4 . It is also possible to non-rotatably retain the outer central wheel  9 , via a self-cutting toothing, a so-called “mouse toothing”, in the funnel-shaped extension  2  or the housing  4 . An arrangement of the outer central wheel, as in EP 0 979 465 B1, is also possible. The planetary gear  8  is supported, via the planetary bearing  11 , upon the planet carrier  12 . The inner rotating discs  13 , of the multi-disc brake  14 , are non-rotatably disposed on the radially outer area of the planet carrier  12 , adjacent to the planetary gear  8 . The outer discs  15  are non-rotatably located in the housing  4  or the funnel-shaped extension  2 . While the inner discs  13  rotate, a cooling of the brake  14  occurs, due to the centrifugal acceleration of the lubricant, since the lubricant enters an outer area of the planet carrier  12  by the inner disc  13 , flows through the multi-disc brake and, in the area where the outer discs  15  are non-rotatably held, exits again in an axial direction out of the multi-disc brake  14  being able to flow back via ducts  16 . The multi-disc brake  14  is preferably situated between the planetary gear  8  and the output flange  17 . It is also possible to dispose the multi-disc brake  14  in a direction of the funnel-shaped extension. A piston  18  is located between the multi-disc brake  14  and the output flange  17  which actuates the multi-disc brake  14  in a closing or engagement direction when pressure is applied in the space  19 . During non-actuation, the piston  18  is pressed or returned back by a recoil spring  20 . It is possible here to allow the recoil spring  20  to act upon an automatic resetting device  21  situated in the radially inner area of the piston  18 . In said resetting device, one clamping sleeve  22  is situated in the piston  18  which acts upon a washer  23  which is axially movable within a defined path and the axial path is limited by stops on both sides. Since the automatic resetting device  21  is not fixed in a radial direction, it is also unnecessary to fix the piston  18  in the radial direction. The piston  18  and the resetting device are preferably in the area of the first and second bearings. The planet carrier  12  has one journal  24  in a direction to the output flange  17 , upon whose surface is situated the inner ring  25  of the second bearing  26 . The journal  24  is non-rotatably connected with the output flange  17 , via a non-rotatable connection  27 , such as a toothing or a meander-shaped configuration of the surface, or several bolts. Said non-rotatable connection  27  is located in a hole or through hole of the output flange  17 . Since the non-rotatable connection  27  is situated in the hole of the output flange  17 , its length can be optimally laid out as needed. The output flange  17  is supported in the housing  4  via a first bearing  28 . The inner diameter of the first bearing  28  is preferably larger than in the second bearing  26 . A centering  29  is situated immediately adjacent to the inner ring  25 . The output flange  17  is centered upon the journal  24  via said centering  29 . A bushing  31  is on the end of the journal  24 , remote from the planetary gear  8 , and centers the output flange  17  upon the journal  24 . The output flange  17  is thus centered, via the bushing  31  and the centering  29 , upon the journal  24  whereby the first bearing  28  and the second bearing  26  receive optimal operating conditions, since the output flange  17  cannot tip against the planet carrier  12 . The bushing  31  is cup-shaped and is braced, via connecting elements  32 , in a direction of the journal  24  and the bushing  31  presses the output flange  17  upon the inner ring  25  via its axial surface  33 . Since the inner ring  25  abuts against the planet carrier  12 , on one side, and against the axial surface  34  of the output flange  17  , on the other side, the first bearing  28  and the second bearing  26  can be easily assembled without expensive adjustment works. It is thus possible to use so-called “set-right bearings”. Since the bushing  31  and the connecting elements  32  are easily accessible in the vehicle from outside, the output flange  17  can be disassembled without removing the axle from the vehicle. Since only the first bearing  28  is upon the output flange  17 , the output flange  17  can be disassembled without a great expenditure of force. This is possible because the inner ring  25  remains upon the planet carrier  12 . The bushing  31  can be easily disassembled by a pressing-off screw  35 . For protection of the connecting elements  32  and for easy sealing, the output flange  17  is closed by a lid  36  and a seal  37 . The output flange  17  is sealed relative to the housing  4 , via a radial shaft seal ring  38 , a so-called “cassette seal”. In order to protect the seal  38  from pollution, the output flange  17  and the housing  4  are configured so that a labyrinth  39  is created. 
   Reference Numerals 
   
       
         1  axle pipe 
         2  funnel-shaped extension 
         3  connecting elements 
         4  housing 
         5  input shaft 
         6  inner central wheel 
         7  planetary transmission 
         8  planetary gear 
         9  outer central wheel 
         10  bolt 
         11  bearing 
         12  planet carrier 
         13  inner discs 
         14  multi-disc brake 
         15  outer discs 
         16  ducts 
         17  output flange 
         18  piston 
         19  space 
         20  recoil spring 
         21  automatic resetting device 
         22  clamping sleeve 
         23  washer 
         24  journal 
         25  inner ring 
         26  second bearing 
         27  non-turnable connection 
         28  first bearing 
         29  centering 
         30  end 
         31  bushing 
         32  connecting element 
         33  axial surface 
         34  axial surface 
         35  pressing-off screw 
         36  lid 
         37  seal 
         38  seal 
         39  labyrinth