An axle assembly with a housing, a shaft received in the housing, a shaft bearing supporting the shaft for rotation relative to the housing about a shaft axis, a differential assembly, an annular band and a secondary retainer. The shaft bearing has an inner race, which is received on and directly engaged to the shaft, and an outer race that is received on and directly engaged to the axle housing. The differential assembly has an output member that is non-rotatably coupled to the shaft. The annular band is fixedly coupled to the shaft at a location along the axle shaft axis between the inner race and the output member. The secondary retainer is disposed along the axle shaft axis between the annular band and the output member and is configured to limit movement of the annular band along the axle shaft axis in a direction toward the output member.

An internal gear configuring a reduction gear is supported and fixed to a rotation side flange provided on an axially outer end portion of a hub, and the hub is rotationally driven based on a driving force input through the internal gear. Accordingly, since a drive shaft for rotationally driving the hub is not necessarily connected to a center hole of the hub, an electric generator and a wireless communication device can be disposed in an accommodating space having a large space provided on an axially inner side of the hub.

A drive device for driving and rotating a wheel includes an axle shaft, a hub to which rotation of the axle shaft is conveyed, a plurality of fasteners for securing the wheel to the hub, a wet brake, a housing, an oil seal, and a cover. The wet brake is configured to restrain the rotation of the axle shaft. The housing accommodates the axle shaft and the wet brake. The oil seal is disposed between the housing and a part of the hub that is disposed inward of the fasteners in a radial direction of the hub. The cover has an annular shape. The cover is disposed in a space formed between the hub and the housing, and is secured to the housing. The cover is configured to cover the plurality of fasteners.

A disconnecting axle assembly with a planetary differential assembly and a coupling that selectively couples a planet carrier of the planetary differential assembly to an axle shaft.

A bogie axle system having a slew bearing assembly that pivotally couples a chain housing to an axle housing. The slew bearing assembly includes a plurality of bearing elements that are received in a bearing groove of a spindle and that are disposed between the spindle and an outer race.

An axle assembly for a low floor vehicle is described herein. The axle assembly includes an axle housing and a drive unit for driving a wheel assembly. The axle housing including a first gearbox, a second gearbox and a cradle assembly coupling the first gear box to the second gear box. The axle assembly includes first and second hub assemblies that form a first axis of rotation. The first gearbox includes an electric motor that is coupled to a transmission used to rotate an output shaft. The first gearbox also includes a differential mounted for rotation with the transmission and a first drop box mounted for rotation with the differential. The axle assembly also includes a portal axle mounted for rotation with the first drop box and extends from the first gearbox to the second gearbox wherein the portal axle forms a second axis of rotation that is offset from the first axis of rotation of the hub assemblies. The second gearbox includes a second drop box mounted for rotation with the portal axle and is adapted to drive the second hub assembly.

Brake mechanisms (33) that apply braking to rotations of left and right rotational shafts (25) each include a projecting part (40) that faces a partition wall (15A) of a brake case (15) and projects radially inward from an inner diameter side of a piston (37), an engaging member (41) that is arranged in the inner diameter side of the piston (37) in a state of being movably engaged with the projecting part (40) by a predetermined dimension in the left-right direction, and a pin member (42) that is provided between the partition wall (15A) of the brake case (15) and the engaging member (41). A frictional resistance between the pin member (42) and the partition wall (15A) is set to a value smaller than a pressing force of the piston (37) at the braking. The projecting part (40) is provided with an engaging member insertion groove (40A) that the pin member (42) penetrates in the left-right direction, and the engaging member (41) is movably engaged with the projecting part (40) in the left-right direction.

An axle assembly having a planetary gear set and an internal brake assembly. The brake assembly may have a piston that may be disposed between a disc pack and the planetary gear set. Rotation of a sun gear of the planetary gear set may be inhibited when the piston urges the disc pack against a flange of an axle housing.

An axle assembly having a ballast insert assembly and a method of control. The ballast insert assembly may have an inflatable bladder that may be disposed in a cavity. The volume of lubricant in the cavity may be greater when the inflatable bladder is deflated than when the inflatable bladder is inflated.

A universal wheel driving system includes a sun gear provided to receive power from a power source, a ring gear provided so that a rotation axis thereof is moved relative to a rotation axis of the sun gear and a wheel is concentrically connected to the ring gear, at least one gear train engaged to the sun gear and the ring gear and configured to allow relative motion between the rotation axes of the sun gear and the ring gear and to form a continuous power transmission state therebetween, a carrier constantly supporting a position of a rotation axis of a final pinion of the at least one gear train with respect to a position of the rotation axis of the ring gear, and a suspension portion configured to support the carrier to be movable upward and downward with respect to a vehicle body.