Mechanical locking differential

1. A mechanical locking differential comprising:

a housing secured to a ring gear for receiving torque from an input bevel gear, the housing having at least one radially extending recess defined therein;

a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides, the driving ring being rotationally driven about its axis by the housing, the driving ring having at least one radially extending recess defined in a periphery of the driving ring;

active components on either side of the driving ring and within the housing to transmit torque to two outputs rotating about the axis, such that the outputs can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring;

wherein the driving ring is secured in place relative to the housing by at least one radially directed shaft pin extending through the at least one radially extending recess of the housing and into the radially extending recess of the periphery of the driving ring, such that the shaft pin mates with both the housing and the driving ring with an interference fit to positively connect the driving ring to the housing, preventing any potential for slippage between the driving ring and the housing.

2. A mechanical locking differential comprising:

a housing secured to a ring gear for receiving torque from an input bevel gear;

a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides, the driving ring being rotationally driven about its axis by the housing;

active components on either side of the driving ring and within the housing to transmit torque to two outputs rotating about the axis, such that the outputs can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring;

wherein the driving ring is secured in place relative to the housing by at least one radially directed shaft pin extending through the housing and into a periphery of the driving ring, wherein the shaft pin is hollow and cylindrical.

3. The mechanical locking differential of claim 2 , wherein an inner diameter of the shaft pin is threaded.

4. A mechanical locking differential comprising:

a housing secured to a ring gear for receiving torque from an input bevel gear;

a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides, the driving ring being rotationally driven about its axis by the housing;

active components on either side of the driving ring and within the housing to transmit torque to two outputs rotating about the axis, such that the outputs can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring;

wherein the driving ring is secured in place relative to the housing by at least one radially directed shaft pin extending through the housing and into a periphery of the driving ring, wherein the shaft pin is secured in place from axial backing out by two rivets.

5. The mechanical locking differential of claim 1 , wherein the driving ring is in line with the input bevel gear.

6. The mechanical locking differential of claim 4 , wherein the shaft pin is received in a recess in the periphery of the driving ring.

7. The mechanical locking differential of claim 4 , wherein the shaft pin mates with both the housing and the driving ring with an interference fit.

8. A mechanical locking differential comprising:

a housing secured to a ring gear for receiving torque from an input bevel gear;

a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides, the driving ring being rotationally driven about its axis by the housing;

active components on either side of the driving ring and within the housing to transmit torque to two outputs rotating about the axis, such that the outputs can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring;

wherein the driving ring is secured in place relative to the housing by at least one radially directed shaft pin extending through the housing and into a periphery of the driving ring, wherein the housing comprises a stepped inner diameter to set an axial position of the driving ring.

9. The mechanical locking differential of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a shell around the active components.

10. A method of assembling a mechanical locking differential, comprising:

placing one of right or left active components into a housing, the housing being adapted to receive torque from an input bevel gear for rotation about a transverse axis, the housing having at least one radially extending recess defined therein;

placing a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides into the housing, the driving ring having at least one radially extending recess defined in a periphery of the driving ring;

placing the other of right or left active components into the housing, such that when assembled outputs of the differential can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring; and

securing the driving ring in place relative to the housing by driving at least one shaft pin radially through the at least one radially extending recess of the housing and into the at least one radially extending recess in the periphery of the driving ring, such that the shaft pin mates with both the housing and the driving ring with an interference fit to positively connect the driving ring to the housing, preventing any potential for slippage between the driving ring and the housing.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

bolting a drive ring gear to the housing.

12. The method of claim 11 using a plurality of shaft pins, wherein the drive ring gear defines a position of an input bevel gear with respect to the housing, and wherein the shaft pins are in line with the input bevel gear during rotation of the housing about the transverse axis.

13. A method of assembling a mechanical locking differential, comprising:

placing one of right or left active components into a housing, the housing being adapted to receive torque from an input bevel gear for rotation about a transverse axis;

placing a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides into the housing;

placing the other of right or left active components into the housing, such that when assembled outputs of the differential can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring;

securing the driving ring in place relative to the housing by driving at least one shaft pin radially through the housing and into a periphery of the driving ring; and

riveting two rivets to prevent the shaft pin from backing out during use of the differential.

14. A method of assembling a mechanical locking differential, comprising:

placing one of right or left active components into a housing, the housing being adapted to receive torque from an input bevel gear for rotation about a transverse axis;

placing a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides into the housing, wherein the act of placing the driving ring into the housing causes the driving ring to abut a stepped inner diameter of the housing;

placing the other of right or left active components into the housing, such that when assembled outputs of the differential can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring; and

securing the driving ring in place relative to the housing by driving at least one shaft pin radially through the housing and into a periphery of the driving ring.

15. A method of disassembling a mechanical locking differential, comprising:

placing a hollow spacer into contact with a housing of the differential over a shaft pin, the shaft pin extending radially through the housing and into a periphery of a driving ring, a driving ring having a plurality of drive teeth on each of two sides within the housing, such that when assembled outputs of the differential can either be locked relative to the driving ring or be unlocked relative to the driving ring, the shaft pin being hollow with interior threads;

threading a removal bolt into threaded engagement with the interior threads of the shaft pin; and

further torquing the removal bolt so it pulls the shaft pin out of the periphery of the driving ring.