Drive train assembly
US5558174A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/19674
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A drive train assembly for motorized vehicles, for example lift trucks. The rotational movement of the output shaft of a motor, for example an electrical motor, is transmitted to a drive wheel by a single drive shaft having at one end a gear interface assembly consisting of a gear on the end of the output shaft and a gear on an end of the drive shaft, and at the other end of the drive shaft by a second gear interface assembly consisting of a gear on the drive shaft and a gear fixedly mounted on the inside of the rim of the drive wheel. The drive train assembly allows for strong, reliable transfer of rotational torque to the drive wheel in a compact, non-complex arrangement with a minimum number of drive parts, bearings and gears. The drive wheel is independently rotatably supported on a spindle mounted to the chassis of the vehicle and bears a majority of the external load and stresses, relieving the drive train assembly of a substantial amount of such load and stresses. The assembly contributes to other important lift truck design considerations, such as mast placement, counterbalance requirements, and right angle stack.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.