Abstract: A drive system for a tracked vehicle includes an engine carried in an engine housing and a transmission carried in a transmission housing. The axes of rotation of an engine output shaft, a drive transmission input and drive transmission output shaft are parallel to each other. Drivingly interconnecting the engine output shaft and the transmission input is a transfer gear carried in a transfer housing. The transfer housing is rigidly connected to the engine housing and drivingly engages the transmission input through a rotational coupling which permits radial and skew angular offsets between an axis of rotation of the transfer gear output and the axis of rotation of the transmission input to accommodate dimensional variation in the drive system components from ideal specified dimensions without stress.

Abstract: An electric motor drives via differential gear arrangement the track-driving wheels of the tracks of a full-track vehicle. The steering of the full-track vehicle takes place through a further electric motor, through which, depending on the travel direction of the full-track vehicle, a rotational speed can be superimposed on the differential gear arrangement with different rotational speeds. The current supply of the drive motor and of the steering motor occurs via a control and regulating equipment, as a function of adjustments of a drive member and of a steering member, from an electric generator which is driven by a diesel engine.

Abstract: A superposition steering system for a track vehicle includes an infinitely variable steering drive unit integrated with an engine driven mechanical steering input drive to provide a reduction in the amount of power to be transmitted by the variable steering drive to only 20% of the total steering power. The system includes a steering transmission having five epicyclic differential gears and five shift couplings with the differential gears and shift couplings so connected that for shifting from one operating speed to another, in each instance, only one shift coupling is required to be opened and another shift coupling required to be closed. Because of the small number of shift couplings, operating reliability is increased and shifting between various stages can take place quickly to provide high vehicle maneuverability.

Abstract: A gear system includes a housing and an intermediate ring gear movably carried on a support hub coupled to an output shaft. The ring gear is driven by an input pinion gear through a running tooth system and drives the support hub through a coupling tooth system. Misalignment of the gearings due to housing, shaft or support deflections under load are compensated by providing an arcuate axial tooth profile and radial clearance in the coupling tooth system. The coupling tooth system includes lubricant confined between a pair of sealing discs. In an alternate embodiment, the ring gear is carried on spherically configured rings of the support and the ring gear includes mating spherically configured rings with suitable clearance between the spherical surfaces. Engagement between the mating spherical surfaces generates the radial force required for adjustment of the ring gear while maintaining radial tooth clearance within the coupling tooth system.

Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a torque converter interconnecting an engine and a speed change gear and a flow brake is drivingly positioned between the torque converter and the speed change gear. A rotor of the flow brake is driven from a drive train which includes a torque converter turbine and the primary side of the speed change gear. During a braking cycle, the speed change gear is downshifted by one or more steps to increase the rotational speed of the flow brake rotor and generate a high braking moment. Because of high rotor speed, the flow brake is relatively small. The torque converter includes a bypass clutch which is disengaged during braking to permit negative slip in the torque converter and prevent excessive engine speed. The total braking load is distributed over the speed change gear, the flow brake, the torque converter and the engine. In addition, an engine brake and vehicle mechanical friction brakes may be employed.

Abstract: A full-track vehicle has an engine connected via a pair of differentials to a pair of tracks. A steering shaft extending between the differentials is rotatable in one sense for deflection of the vehicle to one side during forward advance and in the other direction for deflection toward the other side. This steering shaft is connected to the planet carrier of a primary planet gear assembly and to the ring gear of an intermediate planetary gear assembly. The sun gears of both of these assemblies are connected to the output side of a reversible variable-speed transmission whose input side is connected directly to the engine. The ring gear of the primary planetary gear assembly is connectable to a brake which may arrest its rotation and the planet carrier of the intermediate planetary gear assembly is connected to the planet carrier of a left-turn planetary gear assembly and the ring gear of a right-turn planetary gear assembly.