Torque-traction Technologies, Inc.

William Glen Jensen

Michael J Catalano

A peripheral flange formed on a differential case for mounting a ring gear and the peripheral flange is provided with a plurality of cast-in bolt holes for bolting up the ring gear to the differential case using the lost foam casting process for making the differential case. A method of making a gear case eliminates the process of machining of the bolt holes in the differential case casting, thus reducing cost of manufacturing the differential case.

Full mold casting process and device for a differential case with cast-in bolt holes

A differential assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a differential case rotatably supported in an axle housing and forming an inner cavity housing a differential gear mechanism. The differential gear mechanism includes at least one pinion mate gear rotatably supported by a pinion shaft extending through radial bores in the differential case. The pinion mate gear has a back face adapted to cooperate with a complementary pinion seat surface through a thrust washer disposed therebetween. The differential case further includes at least one lubrication passage formed within the differential case adjacent to the radial bore receiving the pinion shaft. The lubrication passage provides fluid communication path for the lubricating oil from an oil reservoir in an axle housing to a space between the pinion seat surface of the differential case and the thrust washer of the pinion mate gear.

Differential case with lubrication passages

A full mold casting process in which a complete, positive model made of a thermally decomposable material is placed in a molding box and filled with sand; the sand is hardened by shaking. Casting metal is poured on the thermally decomposable model and the model is decomposed by the casting heat. In order to fill up the cavities of the model and mold moldings with crucial cavities, reliably with the molding sand, the model is provided with pass-through apertures. By introducing the flow-through holes into the casting model, preferably through the flange and button sides, all cavities of the casting model are completely filled with sand and the latter is compressed against the model. The rising of the sand in the model cavity is facilitated by the fact that the filling level of the molding sand is kept nearly constant near the model cavity to be filled until the cavity is completely filled.

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Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

William Glen Jensen