Shaft supporting apparatus for planetary gear reduction device

Claim 1

In a shaft supporting apparatus for a planetary gear reduction device, said planetary gear reduction device including a housing; a driving shaft having a gear secured thereto rotatably mounted within said housing; a planetary gear assembly disposed within said housing, said planetary gear assembly meshing with the gear secured to said driving shaft; and a driven shaft having a flange secured thereto disposed within said housing, said flange being coupled to said planetary gear assembly for rotation of said driven shaft through said planetary gear assembly when a rotating force is applied to said driving shaft; the improvement comprising: a tapered bearing for supporting said driven shaft, the outside surface of said tapered bearing being secured within a counterbored recess of said housing and the inner bore of said tapered bearing being journaled on said driven shaft, and a thrust bearing disposed between a radially extending wall of said flange and a radially extending interior wall of said housing, and comprising a pair of thrust bearing rings secured to said two walls respectively and extending substantially in a radial direction from the axis of said driven shaft, said driven shaft being supported in the presence of a radial force applied thereto by both said tapered and thrust bearings.