Roller gear drive preloading device

Claim 2

In combination a gear system comprising: a sun gear means, an intermediate gear means, a ring gear means, means for positioning said intermediate gear means in driving relationship with said sun gear means and in meshing relationship with said ring gear means, said positioning means including an antifriction bearing rotatably mounting said intermediate gear means and having an inner race mounted on a member rotatable about an axis eccentric to the axis of rotation of said intermediate gear means so that the axis of rotation of the intermediate gear means moves to compensate for changes in the temperature environment and loading conditions to prevent jamming of said gear means of the system.

Claim 3

In a gear system according to claim 1, wherein said positioning means is a rotatable spider means and said member is a pin having an eccentric portion, said pin being rotatably supported in said spider by an antifriction bearing.

Claim 4

In a gear system according to claim 1, wherein the center of rotation of the member is radially offset from the center of rotation of said intermediate gear means towards said sun gear at an angle to the tangent of contact between said intermediate gear means and said ring gear which is greater than resultant force vector of the gear system acting on the intermediate gear so that the center of the intermediate gear pivots about the center of the member to maintain the desired contact between the gears.

Claim 5

A gear system according to claim 1 wherein said member comprises a sleeve supporting the inner race of said friction bearing of said intermediate gear means, said sleeve being eccentrically mounted by frictionless bearing means on a pin attached to a fixed stationary support.

Claim 6

A gear system comprising a sun gear means, a ring gear means, a first set of intermediate gear means in meshing contact with said sun gear means, and a second set of intermediate gear means disposed outward of said first set and being in meshing relationship with said ring gear means, means positioning the intermediate gears of said second set in equal angular spacing with said ring gear means, each of said intermediate gears of said second set being in mesh relationship with a pair of the intermediate gears of the first set so that the intermediate gears of said second set hold the gears of said first set in the desired angular position with respect to said sun gear means, said positioning means including a member for each of the intermediate gears of said second set upon which the respective gear is mounted for rotation, said member being rotatable about an axis eccentric to the axis of rotation of its respective intermediate gear so that the center of rotation of the intermediate gear of the second set moves about the axis of said member to compensate for loading forces and temperature conditions of said gear system to prevent jamming of the meshing gears.

Claim 7

A gear system comprising a sun gear means, a ring gear means, a first set of intermediate gear means in meshing contact with said sun gear means, and a second set of intermediate gear means disposed outward of said first set and being in meshing relationship with said ring gear means, means positioning the intermediate gears of said second set in equal angular spacing with said ring gear means, each of said intermediate gears of said second set being in mesh relationship with a pair of the intermediate gears of the first set so that the intermediate gears of said second set hold the gears of said first set in the desired angular position with respect to said sun gear means, said positioning means including a member for each of the intermediate gears of said second set upon which the respective gear is mounted for rotation, said member being rotatable about an axis eccentric to the axis of rotation of its respective intermediate gear so that the center of rotation of the intermediate gear of the second set moves about the axis of said member to compensate for loading forces and temperature conditions of said gear system to prevent jamming of the meshing gears.

Claim 8

A gear system according to claim 5 wherein said member comprises a pin and a sleeve, said sleeve being supported for rotation on said pin and having an outer surface for receiving a frictionless bearing of the intermediate gear means which is eccentric to the axis of said pin so that said sleeve rotates about said pin as said intermediate gear means compensates for the loads and temperature conditions of the system.

Claim 9

A gear system according to claim 6 wherein the center of said pin is disposed inwardly Toward the sun gear from the center of rotation of said intermediate gear of said second set, at an angle to a tangential line of contact between said intermediate gear and said ring gear which is greater than the angle of a resulting force vector of the system applied to said intermediate gear means.

Claim 10

A gear system according to claim 5, wherein said sun gear means, said intermediate gears of said first an second sets are roller gears having gear teeth and a roller surface of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of said gear teeth, said gears being disposed in meshing relationship with the roller surfaces of the first set of intermediate gears in rolling engagement with the roller surfaces of said sun gear and with the roller surfaces of said second set of intermediate gears.

Claim 11

In a gear system according to claim 5, wherein said first set of intermediate gear means are step gears having open portions of different diameters and roller surfaces of a diameter corresponding to the pitch diameter of each of said gear portions, wherein said sun gear means has roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the sun gear means, and wherein said second set of intermediate gears have a gear portion and a roller surface of a diameter corresponding to the pitch diameter of said gear portion, said first set of intermediate gears having rolling contact with the roller portions of said sun gear and having the roller surfaces of a smaller diameter in contact with the rolling surfaces of said second set of intermediate gears.

Claim 12

A gear system according to claim 5, wherein said sun gear and said first and second sets of intermediate gears are roller gear means having roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the mean diameter of said gear teeth, each of said roller gear means having a pair or radially extending surfaces, said sun gear being in meshing relationship with said first set of intermediate gear means with said roller surfaces in contact therewith and said radially extending surface in sliding engagement therewith to prevent axial movement therebetween and said first and second set of intermediate gear means being in engagement with said roller surfaces being in rolling contact and said radially extending surfaces in sliding engagement to prevent relative movement in the axial direction of rotation between said first and second set of intermediate gear means.

Claim 13

In combination a gear system comprising sun gear means and a ring gear means, said sun gear means having a roller surface with a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, a first set of intermediate gear means angularly spaced about said sun gear means and having roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, said first set of intermediate gear means being in meshed relationship with said sun gear means with said roller surfaces being in rolling engagement therewith, a second set of intermediate gear means having roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, and means for positioning the second set of intermediate gear means in mesh relationship with the ring gear means and in engagement with the first set of intermediate gear means, each of said first set of intermediate gear means being in mesh relationship with at least two of the intermediate gear means of the second set, said mesh relationship including rolling contact between the roller surfaces of the respective gears, said means for positioning including eccentric bearing means for each of the intermediate gear means of the second set so that the center of rotation of each of the intermediate gear means of the second set is pivotable around the eccentric bearing means enabling radial movement of the intermediate gear means of the second set to compensate for load and temperature conditions of the gear system.

Claim 14

In combination a gear system comprising sun gear means and a ring gear means, said sun gear means having a roller surface with a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, a first set of intermediate gear means angularly spaced about said sun gear means and having roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, said first set of intermediate gear means being in meshed relationship with said sun gear means with said roller surfaces being in rolling engagement therewith, a second set of intermediate gear means having roller surfaces of a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the gear teeth thereon, and means for positioning the second set of intermediate gear means in mesh relationship with the ring gear means and in engagement with the first set of intermediate gear means, each of said first set of intermediate gear means being in mesh relationship with at least two of the intermediate gear means of the second set, said mesh relationship including rolling contact between the roller surfaces of the respective gears, said means for positioning including eccentric bearing means for each of the intermediate gear means of the second set so that the center of rotation of each of the intermediate gear means of the second set is pivotable around the eccentric bearing means enabling radial movement of the intermediate gear means of the second set to compensate for load and temperature conditions of the gear system.

Claim 15

In a gear system including at least a pair of meshing gear means, each having teeth thereon in meshing relationship, each of said gear Means including a cylindrical roller surface having a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the teeth thereon, said roller surfaces being in rolling contact with each other as the gear means are in meshing relationship, the improvement comprising each of said meshing gear means having a pair of annular surfaces extending radially from said pitch diameter of said gear means, said pairs of annular surfaces coacting together to maintain the axial alignment between said meshing gear means.

Claim 16

In a gear system including at least a pair of meshing gear means, each having teeth thereon in meshing relationship, each of said gear Means including a cylindrical roller surface having a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the teeth thereon, said roller surfaces being in rolling contact with each other as the gear means are in meshing relationship, the improvement comprising each of said meshing gear means having a pair of annular surfaces extending radially from said pitch diameter of said gear means, said pairs of annular surfaces coacting together to maintain the axial alignment between said meshing gear means.