Patent ID: 8636616

Claim:
A drive apparatus for selectively driving a first axle shaft and a second axle shaft, comprising a first clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the first axle shaft and a second clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the second axle shaft, wherein each clutch assembly comprises: a spur gear driven by a pinion gear and a sun gear driven by the spur gear; a planet carrier engaged to one of the axle shafts and comprising a first plurality of stops on an outer surface thereof; a plurality of planet gears rotatably disposed on the planet carrier and engaged to and driven by the sun gear, each of the planet gears running on a gear form on an inner surface of a ring gear; a second plurality of stops on the outer surface of the ring gear; a first engagement means for selectively engaging one of the first plurality of stops to prevent rotation of the ring gear; a second engagement means for selectively engaging one of the second plurality of stops to prevent rotation of the planet carrier and thereby provide a braking force to the one axle shaft to which the planet carrier is engaged; and a control mechanism for selectively controlling the first engagement means and the second engagement means.