Abstract: A bidirectional freewheeling clutch assembly (50) and a self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower (10) including same are disclosed. Lawn mower (10) preferably includes a prime mover (18) which can be selectively coupled to a gear box (34). The output shaft (44) of gear box (34) extends to a pair of clutch assemblies (50) which selectively apply torque to a pair of gear driven wheels (16). Each clutch assembly (50) includes as its basic components a key (68) and a friction disk (66). Key (68) has a wedge portion (74) which rocks within an axial first keyway (62), and a tang portion (76) which is received within a tang relief (84) in friction disk (66). When shaft (44) is rotated friction disk (66) frictionally engages the housing (12) of mower (10) and applies a drag force to the tang portion (76) of key (74) to cause it to cock and positively engage a pinion (46) which engages a gear (48) attached to drive wheel (16).

Abstract: A differential drive unit has separate drive shafts extending from a housing. Respective drive plates for each shaft differentially receive rotational power from the housing as such housing rotates. Respective wedges transfer housing rotational power to the respective drive plates, upon engaging inside diameter portions of the housing. Such engagement forces the respective wedges down into contact and frictional engagement with one of the respective drive plates axially inward therefrom. The wedges are carried in circumferential slots defined through the circumference of a cage assembly, which includes an annular member located between the outside diameter of the drive plates and the inside diameter of the housing. Wedges within a given slot include a pair of wedge elements joined together with a spring under compression.

Abstract: A differential drive unit receives a rotational input and provides two rotational outputs therefrom. A rotatable housing has fixedly attached therein a drive member, which includes a drive plate transverse angled slots extending from one side thereof to the other. A plurality of movable drive balls are provided in the slots. Disposed within the housing on either side of the drive plate are driven members having semi-spherical drive member-receivers formed therein. Upon rotation of the housing and its drive plate, the drive balls are thrown outwardly in the angled slots and come into contact with available drive ball receivers adjacent thereto. Such contact transfers the rotational drive force from the drive plate to the driven members. Driven members are in turn connected to respective driven shafts with wheels thereon. One wheel can on occasion be caused to be turned faster than the other, such as during a turn. Such occurrence causes its corresponding driven member to move relative to the drive plate.

Abstract: Apparatus to reduce the force required to move a load along a flat or inclined surface utilizing an assembly of two traction wheels on a common axis whereby one wheel is free to rotate and the other is prevented from rotation and vice versa by the use of a uni-directional control arm system and means for applying a horizontal oscillating force in alternating left and right hand directions in the form of a relatively long handle attached to the axle housing midway between said traction wheels. The wheel assembly is particularly useful for trailers for carrying animals, small boats, recreational vehicles, two-wheeled hand trucks and similar applications.

Abstract: A power transmission system for a four-wheel drive vehicle has, for the front and rear wheels, a driving power transmitting system for transmitting the output of a transmission with a forward overrunning clutch and a reverse overrunning clutch. Either or both of the overrunning clutches are engaged with a sleeve of a selecting device. An outer race of each overrunning clutch has outer toothings on the periphery thereof and the sleeve has inner toothings. Each inner toothing of the selecting device has chamfers on both axial ends thereof, and each outer toothing has a chamfer on an end opposing the inner toothing. Opposed chamfers of the inner and outer toothings have an angle so that a component in a free rotational direction of the outer toothing is produced by the engagement of the chamfer of the inner toothing.

Abstract: There is provided a power transmission unit comprising an input member for receiving a torque input from a ring gear connected to a drive pinion which is connected to a propeller shaft, first and second output members supported by the input member in a freely rotatable manner and engaged with right and left rear wheels, and first and second clutches arranged between the input member and the first and second output members respectively to release the connections between the input member and the first and second output members respectively with the help of the actions of cam devices for releasing clutches when the angular speed of the input member becomes smaller than those of the first and second output members.

Abstract: A free wheel hub clutch device includes a cylindrical body, an inner sleeve, a clutch member, a handle, a cam follower, a first tension spring, a second tension spring, a motor and a control. The control has an electrical charging apparatus and controls the motor which is attached to the free wheel hub clutch device. A sealing member is interposed between a wheel hub and an axle tube. With this construction, it is feasible to change from a two-wheel driving system to a four-wheel driving system and vice versa by manipulating a switch at the driver seat and further to prevent an outflow of grease from a bearing.

Abstract: A power transmission device is provided. The device comprises a casing for receiving a torque input, output members arranged inside the casing, movable members provided movably around the output members respectively, one side face of each of the movable members forming a cam face, clutches adapted for connecting the casing with the output members, and a cam shaft fixed to the casing and located between the movable members, wherein the torque input of the casing is transmitted to the output members through two routes, i.e., through the cam and the movable members, and through the clutches. The power transmission device is further provided with several improved parts such as improved friction faces, resistant members, cam faces, and pin.

Abstract: A driving arrangement for selectively drivable wheels of a motor vehicle has, in or on an adjustable bearing axle, telescopic input shafts connected at one end to a direction-changing gear and at the other end to an input shaft for a spur gearing in a swivel housing. A clutch engaging and disengaging in dependence upon relative rotation between the wheels and the input shaft is connected between the spur gearing and the input shaft. This allows catching up of the wheels, while the driving connection to the other wheels is maintained, as well as engine braking.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for self-propelled racing karts permitting free wheeling rotation of one drive wheel at a rotational speed exceeding that of the other drive wheel.

Abstract: A non-differential drive axle which utilizes a pair of bi-directional overunning clutches. The axle includes a housing within which a gear support is rotatably journalled. An intermediate shaft is connected to a gear support and is rotatably journalled at one end in the housing. The axle includes a pair of output shafts, one of which can be connected to the gear support for conjoint rotation by one of the overrunning clutches. The other output shaft can be connected to the intermediate shaft for conjoint rotation by the other overrunning clutch.

Abstract: A freewheeling adapter for use on a vehicle such as a car or truck which is designed to be mounted on the existing wheel hub of the vehicle is disclosed. The adapter allows the vehicle to be converted to freewheeling thereby permitting the vehicle to easily be towed without damaging the drive train such as the automatic transmission of the vehicle. The adapter as designed eliminates the use of a wrecker truck in towing an automatic transmission vehicle by raising the drive wheels off of the ground during the towing process. The adapter may be designed having a lock-out feature which allows the adapter to be converted from freewheeling to non-freewheeling should it be desired to permanently mount the adapter on a vehicle.

Abstract: A transmission system for vehicles has a coupling (1) with a tubular body (12) provided with internal helical teeth (19,20) at each end. An input shaft (22) is rotatably journalled in the body (12) and is provided with helical splines (25) along its length. A sliding gear (27) has internal gear teeth (26) engaged with the splines (25) and external gear teeth (28) to selectively engage the teeth (19,20) in the body to couple the input shaft (22) and body (12) together. When the body (12) rotates faster than the input shaft (22), the sliding gear (27) moves along the splines (25) to de-couple the body (12) and input shaft (22) until the rotational speed of the two is again equalized. The coupling (11) may be provided between the transfer case and differential of a four wheel drive (4WD) vehicle, in a free-wheeling hub assembly (30) or in a differential assembly (60) for small vehicles.

Abstract: A front wheel assist drive for a vehicle having a rear wheel main drive includes a hydraulic fluid pump. The pump is connected to a hydraulic motor. The motor is connected to an output shaft. An overrunning clutch is interposed between the motor and output shaft for selectively connecting the shaft to the motor when the motor is turning in a first direction. An output shaft is connected to a front wheel for driving the wheel in a first direction via the motor. A control is connected to the motor for preventing the motor from dynamically braking the vehicle when the wheel is driven in a reverse direction through the main drive.

Abstract: An improved differential mechanism of the holdout ring type is disclosed, characterized in that the annular holdout rings are mounted concentrically between the driven clutch members and the associated side gears, respectively, and the device for biasing the driven clutch members toward engagement with the driving spider member arranged therebetween includes a pair of compression springs mounted concentrically between the holdout rings and the side gears.

Abstract: A clutch mechanism for a power transmission system including one drive member and two driven members, in which at least one pair of roller clutch members are interposed between the drive member and two driven members so as to transmit power from the drive member to the driven members independently of each other. The clutch mechanism effectively performs conventional differential and differential-locking functions with a simplified construction.

Abstract: A bi-directional overrunning clutch comprises a drive shaft for transmitting a rotational driving force, a drive clutch member which is rotated with the drive shaft, a driven clutch member in engagement with the drive clutch to receive rotational motion thereof and movable axially to transmit the rotational motion to a hub, and a brake member to impart a desired braking force to rotational movement of the driven clutch member. In a two wheel running mode, the driven clutch member is disengaged from the hub so that the driving force, which is received by a non-driven wheel from the road surface, is limited to the wheel only.

Abstract: An improved differential mechanism of the holdout ring type is disclosed, characterized in that the annular holdout rings are mounted concentrically between the driven clutch members and the associated side gears, respectively, and the springs biasing the driven clutch members toward engagement with the driving spider member arranged therebetween includes a pair of compression springs mounted concentrically between the holdout rings and the side gears, each spring reacting at opposite ends between the associated side gear and annular spring retainer member, respectively. Furthermore, the driven clutch members are each provided with only one set of uniform teeth which cooperate both with driving teeth on the spider member and overrunning clutch-disengaging teeth on the center cam member. Consequently, a compact durable positive differential mechanism is provided that is of relatively simple, inexpensive construction requiring a minimum number of parts.

Abstract: A clutch mechanism for a power transmission system including one drive member and two driven members, in which at least one pair of simple clutch members are interposed between the drive member and two driven members so as to transmit power from the drive member to the driven members independently of each other. The pair of clutch members may comprise a pair of pawls, rollers, or sprags. The clutch mechanism effectively performs conventional differential and differential-locking functions with a simplified construction.

Abstract: A device provides free-wheeling four-wheel towing of an automotive vehicle without damage to its (especially automatic) transmission. It is easily insertable co-axially between the power-driven wheel-mounting structure and the removed and replaced wheel. It comprises a base plate, a shaft on the base plate, a hub rotatable around the shaft, and a second wheel-mounting plate fixed to the hub by short lug-screws. The free-wheeling can be locked-out by substituting long lug-screws for half of the short ones. The long lug-screws enter threaded bores in posts fixed to the base plate to lock-out the free-wheeling, and they are slightly thinner then the short lug-screws to facilitate their placement.

Abstract: A vehicle drive system particularly suited for snow blowers includes a main sprocket rotatably carrying a first and second pawl. Each pawl drivably engages a respective sprocket. The first sprocket is fixably mounted to a first axle means such that rotation of the main sprocket causes the first pawl to drivably engage the first sprocket to rotate the first axle means. A second sprocket is fixably engaged to a second axle means such that rotation of said main sprocket causes a second pawl to drivably engage the second sprocket to cause rotation of the second axle means. Friction means supplies sufficient drag to the pawl such that rotation of main sprocket causes each of the pawls to assume an engaging orientation with their respective sprockets. Each of the pawls can be selectively disengaged from a drive orientation by manually advancing the respective axle means, i.e., when an operator maneuvers the vehicle for turning.

Abstract: A traction device for caravans or trailers which is manually operated and includes a ratchet interconnection between the ground engageable wheel or wheels and a lever arm that is used to provide both a drive and a steering of the ground engageable wheels. In the case of two wheels ground engaging both the drive coupling and the general support is such that the wheels are differentially driveable and rotatable one with respect to the other.

Abstract: A clutch adapted for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle or the like and between concentric driving and driven members having a plurality of axially extending grooves opening radially toward the other member. A plurality of rollers are disposed within the grooves. Torque responsive means moves the rollers radially out of the grooves to one edge thereof and into contact with the driven member, thereby locking the driven member to the driving member whenever the driving member rotates faster or slower than the driven member. Means responsive to the driven member rotation displaces the rollers from one edge of the grooves to a position on the opposite edge of the grooves and into re-engagement with the driven member, thereby locking the driven member to the driving member whenever the driving member attempts to rotate slower than the driven member.

Abstract: An adjustable ratcheting wheel hub comprising a reversing pawl driven wheel hub, an axle containing a plurality of pin receiving apertures, a bearing cover assembly, and a hub tube. The hub tube operationally connects the axle to the pawl driver and contains a pin receiving aperture such that the hub tube slidably engages the axle and is secured to the axle by means of a locking pin through the hub tube and axle. The axle contains a plurality of pin receiving apertures and the width between the wheels is varied by selecting the pin receiving axle aperture that corresponds to the desired width.

Abstract: A stub axle and inner end flange which fits the outer wheel supporting flange on a fixed axle and is apertured peripherally to accept the wheel attaching bolts of said fixed axle flange, a pair of roller bearings mounted on said stub axle, the outer end of said stub axle being splined, an axle-housing hub rotatably supported on said bearings and having an inner flange, the latter having peripheral bolt holes corresponding to those in said stub axle flange and said vehicle fixed axle flange, a set of bolts for securing a drive wheel disc removed from said fixed axle flange to said stub shaft flange and a conventional wheel hub clutching mechanism mounted on the outer end of said axle housing hub, said mechanism being operable manually to optionally lock said splined stub axle to said axle housing and wheel or to disengage said stub axle to permit said housing and wheel to turn freely thereon.

Abstract: A positive drive differential to drive either or both of a pair of co-axially mounted axle-driving hubs, and to permit free overrun of either hub. There are two sets of roller clutch elements between the two hubs and the drive casing, and these are positioned in two cages having inwardly extending radial flanges located proximate each other between the two hubs. A pair of contiguous spring loaded washers, mounted centrally in the differential, press axially outwardly against the cage flanges to cause frictional engagement of the cage flanges with the hubs. This in turn causes the hubs to be further pressed outwardly against the drive casing to cause frictional engagement of the two hubs with the drive casing.