Torque-traction Technologies, Inc.

Spicer Technology Inc.

Thomas Nahrwold

Robert William Sullivan

Mark Charles Barnholt

Edward Eugene Stuart

David Joseph Young

Patrick J Ballinger

John E Pressler

Nolan James Knight

In a driven axle assembly () for a motor vehicle that includes a differential housing located substantially in the center of the axle and tubes () extending laterally from the differential, surrounding axle shafts () and opening into a lubricant reservoir () in the differential housing, a system for circulating and cooling axle lubricant includes a cover () for closing and sealing the housing having a first aperture into the housing where a ring gear rotates through the lubricant reservoir. The aperture in the cover opens to a chamber that holds lubricant carried through the aperture by the rotating ring gear. Conduit () connected by a hydraulic fitting to the chamber has its opposite end connected to an oil cooler mounted on the axle tube. Conduit () returns the lubricant to the reservoir in the differential housing. Lubricant flows via a gravity feed through the first conduit into the cooler and back to the housing reservoir via the second conduit, effectively cooling the lubricant without the addition of a pump.

Lubricant cooling system for a motor vehicle axle

A method for determining a thickness of a shim for setting up a predetermined preload of a bearing assembly that rotatably supports a shaft within a housing. The bearing assembly includes front and rear tapered roller bearings. The shim is disposed between a bearing supporting shoulder of the shaft and an inner cone of the rear bearing. The method comprises the steps of: measuring a distance X from an end face of the shaft to the bearing supporting shoulder thereof; measuring a height B of the inner cone; mounting the shaft within the housing; applying a load to the inner cone of the rear bearing corresponding to a predetermined preload; measuring a distance Xfrom the end face of the shaft to the inner cone of the rear bearing; and determining the thickness W of the shim in accordance with the following equation: W=X&#x2212;X&#x2212;B.

Method and apparatus for preloading pinion bearings

A low spring rate multi-convoluted collapsible spacer adapted for use as a bearing preloading element. The collapsible spacer comprises a substantially tubular body compressible in an axial direction thereof from a predetermined free length to a substantially shorter length. The tubular body includes a yielding zone and an elastic zone adjacent to said yielding zone. Each of the yielding and elastic zones has at least one convolution curved in the same radial direction. An average thickness of the body of the spacer in the elastic zone is substantially greater than an average thickness of the body in the yielding zone that provides the collapsible spacer a substantially higher resiliency in the axial direction in the elastic zone than in the yielding zone. As a whole, the collapsible spacer has a relatively low spring rate, thus larger amount of &ldquo;spring back&rdquo;, hence less sensitivity to wear and maladjustment.

Low spring rate multi-convoluted collapsible spacer

An adjustable pinion offset in a differential axle assembly. The offset between a pinion gear and shaft relative to a ring gear in the differential axle assembly is adjustable due to an eccentric mounting of the pinion assembly relative to the differential housing containing the ring gear. The pinion shaft is eccentrically mounted within a bore of the differential housing such that a simple rotation of the pinion assembly about the eccentric pilot mounting adjusts the position of the pinion shaft with respect to the ring gear to adjust pinion offset. Once properly positioned, the pinion assembly is secured to the differential housing to maintain the desired position. This invention substantially reduces the noise associated with gear offset error.

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Ossian, IN, United States of America

Thomas Nahrwold