Abstract: A modular, self-driven vehicle wheel assembly including a drive motor carried by the wheel assembly. The assembly includes a hub, a wheel rotatably mounted on the hub, and a planetary speed-reducing unit mounted on the hub and drivingly connected with the wheel. The drive motor is a shunt wound DC motor that is coaxially mounted adjacent to the wheel and within a chamber formed in the hub. The motor is drivingly connected with the planetary speed-reducing unit to transmit motor torque to rotate the wheel in either a forward direction or a reverse direction. A brake assembly is carried adjacent to the motor for selectively applying a braking force to brake the motor armature when the wheel is to remain in a stationary condition.

Abstract: A two-stage speed reducer including a planocentric gear arrangement which has a rotatable output ring gear and a planet gear mounted within the ring gear for orbital movement. The teeth on the ring gear and the planet gear are tapered to permit axial adjustment of the planet gear with respect to the ring gear and thereby eliminate backlash between the two. Adjustment means is provided to permit axial adjustment of the planet gear with respect to the ring gear. After a period of use of the speed reducer, the planet gear may be readjusted axially relative to the ring gear to compensate for backlash created between the teeth of the planet gear and ring gear due to wear.

Abstract: A gear speed reducer having an input shaft formed with a worm which meshs with a worm gear mounted on an output shaft disposed a fixed distance from and at right angles with respect to the input shaft. The worm is provided with an involute thread that progressively becomes thinner from one end to the other end of the worm. An adjustable cartridge rotatably mounts one end of the shaft and the cartridge is adjustably mounted to permit axial adjustment of the shaft to bring a new section of the thread of the worm into engagement with the worm gear to eliminate backlash therebetween. The adjustment is quickly and easily performed without having to remove the reducer from service.

Abstract: Bi-direction spring clutch apparatus for a reducing worm gear drive is disclosed. The bi-directional spring clutch apparatus includes a worm gear drive comprised of a worm and an output shaft rotatably mounted in a housing. A worm gear is rotatably mounted coaxially about the output shaft so that its teeth mesh with the threads of the worm. The worm gear includes two coaxial extensions which are also rotatably mounted coaxially about the output shaft but which are rotatably fixed relative to the worm gear. Located adjacent to each of the coaxial extensions of the worm gear are two torque transfer bushings. These are of the same outside diameter as the coaxial extensions, but are rotatably fixed relative to the output shaft. Stretched over each of the torque transfer bushing/coaxial extension pairs is a wound spring, each of the same hand of winding, and each having sufficient revolutions to result in self-locking of the torque transfer bushing/coaxial extension pairs.