Differential housing and structure
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a new and improved construction of a differential, particularly of the differential housing and its component parts. It will be particularly illustrated with reference to its application to the transaxle assembly of a riding mower. However, such an application is not to be construed as limiting, since such is obviously not the case. 
     Prior art differentials have followed the pattern of being comprised, in the main, of heavy and expensively fabricated parts and a multitude of connectors, retainers and seals. The complexity and number of parts and their assembly have led to increasingly higher initial costs and more demanding inspection and maintenance procedures. 
     The improvements of the present invention, by contrast, enable a lightweight yet rugged construction for a differential which minimizes its costs and the number of its parts, maximizes its durability and minimizes its maintenance requirements. 
     Prior art patents specifically pertinent to the features of construction deemed novel to the present invention are not known. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention are made of sheet material and feature a differential housing comprised of a tube segment and capping end plates which are simple stampings. The differential gears which position within the housing are conventional except that they are cast of powdered metal and their mount does not require keys or other fasteners. The shaft which mounts the transfer gears extends transversely through and bridges the tube segment at its longitudinal center and is retained in place by an upset of each of its respective outwardly projected ends. 
     Each capping end plate is formed with an outwardly projected cup-like formation at its center nesting a bearing for a differential shaft which projects through an aperture in the plate centered in the outer extremity of its cup-like formation. Portions of this projection are offset to serve as retainers for the contained bearing. 
     The end plates are connected by through bolts and applied nuts to seal the respective open ends of the tube segment and serve to mount a drive gear in connection with the differential housing, to one end thereof. The stress and damage resistant configuration of the housing is enhanced in one embodiment thereof by the welding of longitudinally extending platelike stampings to opposed inner wall surface portions of the tube segment which are formed as channel elements having a shallow U-shape in cross section. A preferred embodiment of the housing is formed of two identical generally U-shaped stampings the projected extremities of the arm portions of which are positioned in an adjacent overlapped relation. By reason of an offset in one arm thereof, in bringing the U-shaped stampings together they inherently form a structure defining a generally rectangular tube segment. 
     It is a primary object of the invention to provide a differential embodying features of improvement in its component parts which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate, more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications and unlikely to malfunction. 
     Another object is to provide a housing for a differential which is formed of lightweight sheet material yet rugged in its construction and highly resistant to damage or distortion in use. 
     A further object is to provide a unique differential housing comprised of a tube segment capped to either open end by a stamped plate the center of which is formed as an outwardly directed cup-shaped projection nesting a bearing in line with an aperture in its projected extremity which accommodates the projection therethrough and a bearing rotation therein of a differential shaft. 
     An additional object is to provide a differential the drive gears and bearings of which are made of powdered metal and retained to their housing without the need for keys or other separate fasteners. 
     Another object is to provide a differential housing the peripheral wall of which is a strip of sheet material formed into a generally rectangular tube segment capped and reinforced by plate-like stampings which lend the housing composite considerable strength to resist distortion and/or damage under load. 
     Another object is to form a differential housing the peripheral wall of which is economically comprised of two generally identical U-shaped stampings which are welded together. 
     A further object is to provide a differential and component parts thereof possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the means and mode of use herein described. 
     With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents. 
    
    
     Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a differential in accordance with the invention in horizontal cross section and in a transaxle assembly; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view to further illustrate details of the differential of FIG. 1 as applied to the transaxle assembly, the differential being shown in a vertical elevation thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the inner face of one of the two identical end plates forming part of the differential housing; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the end plate of FIG. 3 broken away in part and illustrating the embodiment therein of a sleeve-type bearing for a differential shaft comprising one axle portion of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view illustrating the manner in which a drive gear of the differential is connected to its shaft without the need for separate keys or fasteners; and 
     FIG. 7 shows a preferred modification of the differential housing illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. 
    
    
     Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views. 
     In its illustrated embodiment the invention features are disclosed in a differential forming part of a transaxle assembly of a riding mower. In the transaxle assembly the differential 10 provides an operative connection between the spaced inner ends of axle portions 12 and 14 the remote ends of which respectively mount the mower drive wheels 16 and 18. 
     The differential shown in FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings comprises a shell-like housing the peripheral wall of which is defined by a tube segment 20 which has a generally rectangular cross section. The ends of the housing are provided by identical stampings having a general rectangular configuration, applied as caps 22 to the respective open ends of the tube segment 20. 
     The tube segment 20 is formed as a continuous wall structure by taking a single rectangular segment of sheet steel and bending the same into a rectangular configuration, in the process of which the remote ends of the strip are abutted and welded together. In the case illustrated the line of welding is established in a centered longitudinally extending relation to what may be considered the upper wall portion 24 of the tube segment 20. 
     Welded to, longitudinally of and coextensive in length with the inner surface of the upper wall portion 24 is the base of a channel shaped stamping 26 the cross section of which has the shape of a shallow &#34;U&#34;, the short legs of which project perpendicularly of the upper wall portion 24 and in the direction of the bottom wall portion 28 of the tube segment 20. The lateral extent of the element 26 provides that the legs thereof respectively position in closely spaced parallel relation to the inner wall surfaces of the sides 30 of the tube segment 20. An identical stamping 26 is similarly fixed and positioned on the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 28 to have the short leg portions thereof project inwardly so as to be respectively in planes commonly occupied by the respective legs of the upper element 26. The presence of stampings 26 enhances the stress and damage resistant configuration of the housing. 
     Centered between the vertical and longitudinal limits of the tube segment 20 is a pivot shaft 34. The respective ends of the shaft 34 extend through transversely aligned apertures centered in the side wall portions 30 of the tube segment 20. In the application thereof, the pivot shaft 34 mounts for free rotation thereon, between the side walls 30, a pair of conically configured transfer gears 36 and 37. When in place, the remote extremities of the shaft 34 respectively project slightly outward of the respective side wall portions 30 and these outwardly projected ends are then upset and thereby expanded to produce thereon peripheral flange-like projections 32. In the process the projections 32 are each forced into a connected sealing engagement with the adjacent outer wall surface portion of the tube segment 20. A seal is thereby provided for each of the apertures through which the shaft 34 projects. 
     Each of the stampings 22 is a housing end plate formed from a rectangular segment of sheet steel cut to have a rectangular notch in each of its corners. Each end plate 22 is provided with a central aperture 38 and the central area thereof immediately about and including the central aperture is offset to provide it with a cup-like, outwardly and axially directed projection 40. The configuration of the projection 40 is that of a conically tapered shell which is truncated at its convergent projected apex and has an annular, radial skirt 42 at its base. The skirt 42 is also slightly offset from the base plane of that portion of the plate 22 which rims and forms the reference plane of the offset. The outer peripheral edge of the plate 22 has a skirt-like rectangular flange 44 the formation of which is facilitated by the corner notches in the base segment of sheet steel from which the end plate is formed. The flange 44 projects in a direction opposite the previously described offset. 
     Nesting in and immediately contained by the projection 40 of each end plate 22 is a sleeve type bearing 46 the major extent of the outer peripheral surface of which has a conical taper complementary to that of the inner surface of the projection. The bearing 46 is molded of powdered metal and the axial length of its conically tapered portion is such that its convergent extremity projects through and beyond the truncated apex of the projection 40. The innermost or base end of that portion of the sleeve 46 the outer configuration of which is conical is axially extended by a cylindrical tubular projection 47 the outer diameter of which is less than that of the base of the conically configured portion of the sleeve and the inner diameter of which is uniformly maintained the length of the sleeve. The configuration of the sleeve, thus formed, provides an annular shoulder 48 on the base end of that portion of the sleeve the outer surface of which is conically shaped which lies immediately of the skirt 42 and in surrounding relation to the base end of the projection 47. 
     When a sleeve 46 is nested in the offset of each end plate 22, force is applied to the innermost face of the skirt 42 to offset portions of the plate material and produce projections thereof to overlap the outer peripheral portion of shoulder 48. The overlapping projections so formed resemble a circularly spaced series of lugs 50 which fix the bearing 46 so as to be embodied in and to form a part of the end plate 22, fixed against axial movement with reference thereto. 
     Each end plate 22 has a series of four rectangularly spaced apertures 52 for accommodating connecting bolts 54. 
     In assembly thereof each of the axle portions 12 and 14 has its inner end projected through the central aperture 38 of one of the end plates 22, whereupon there is applied to its inner extremity, which includes diametrically opposite flats on its periphery, a differential gear 56 which has been molded of powdered metal. The aperture in the gear 56 which accommodates the flattened end of the shaft (12 or 14) has a complementary shape for a press fit thereon, following which portions of so connected parts are offset to produce an interlocked relation therebetween in a manner believed obvious. The respective gears 56 are then placed in mesh with the transfer gears 36 and 37 at opposite sides thereof, by application through the respective ends of the tube segment 20, whereupon the end plates 22 which bear on the respective axle portions 12 and 14 through the medium of the sleeves are slid into capping relation to the respective open ends of the tube segment. The plates 22 are interconnected by bolts 54 which extend through the tube segment 20 and aligned apertures in the end plates to have the heads thereof abut the outer surface of one end plate and nuts 60 threaded on the projected extremities thereof clamp to the remote outer surface of the other end plate. On turning up the nuts 60, the plates 22 are clamped in a sealing, covering, relation to the opposite ends of tube segment 20, the latter of which is end loaded to provide a differential housing of extremely rugged yet lightweight construction. 
     Beyond the nuts 60 the projected ends of the bolts 54 are shown to project through apertures in and to mount an annular sprocket 62 which positions immediately about the projected end of the shell-like conical projection 40 of the adjacent end plate 22. Nuts 64 are applied to clamp the sprocket 62 to nuts 60 and in driving relation to the differential housing. 
     From the foregoing it will be seen that the differential housing may be economically fabricated to have itself a shell-like configuration the walls of which are of inexpensive sheet material yet afforded with a design and configuration to give it great strength to resist torsional and other stresses in use. The end plate construction is also unique in its plate formed configuration and embodiment therein of a bearing facilitating assembly and maintenance procedures as well as giving the differential a better operating function and extended life. Take particular note of the fact that the only elements of the differential constituting fasteners are the bolts and nuts used to connect the housing end plates. 
     The invention has been illustrated only by way of example and it will be seen the features of its housing may be embodied utilizing other than sheet steel and that such is comprehended within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
     Details of the drive mechanism for the differential are not herein described since the same is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 of the drawings shows a tube segment 200 which may be substituted for the tube segment 20. The tube segment 200 is comprised of two identical U-shaped stampings 230. Each stamping 230 includes parallel arms 224 and 226 which project perpendicular to a centrally apertured base. The arm 224 has its outer end portion 225 offset slightly in the direction of the arm 226. The degree of this offset permits the two stampings 230 to have their open ends position in a relatively aligned facing relation so as to provide that the arm portion 226 of each stamping rides over the outer surface of the adjacent end portion 225 of the arm 224 of the other stamping. The so-overlapped arm portions of the stampings 230 are welded together. This welded overlapped relation of the two parts forming the tube segment 200 is simple to achieve and provides a unitized structure which is essentially continuous at its outer surface, in a circumferential sense. As thus economically provided the preferred embodiment of a peripheral wall structure for the differential housing of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 is not only easy to fabricate but affords an optimally strengthened housing. In utilizing the structure of FIG. 7 one does not require the channel-shaped elements 26. The central apertures in the base portions of the U-shaped elements 230 accommodate the transfer shaft 34 in a manner similar to that previously described with reference to FIG. 5 of the drawings. 
     As indicated previously, an embodiment of the invention utilizing the tube segment of FIG. 7 will differ from the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 only with respect to the details of the construction of the tube segment per se. 
     From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages. 
     While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims. 
     While reference is herein made to a particular orientation of the differential, it is to be understood that this is solely for purposes of description, since the same is obviously not so limited or fixed as to its requirements.