Planetary gear transmission systems or components – Plural power paths to planetary gearing – Plural planetary units
Patent
1988-10-31
1991-03-05
Diehl, Dwight
Planetary gear transmission systems or components
Plural power paths to planetary gearing
Plural planetary units
74665N, F16H 3706
Patent
active
049974149
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a torque equalizing unit which enables the two drive shafts connected to the mechanism to drive the counter-rotating propellers by supplying them with the same torque while at the same time adapting their rotational speed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Propeller are currently used to ensure propulsion and lift on machines themselves and in generators to convert the power output of a fluid into electrical energy.
The use of counter-rotating propellers has the advantage that they develop only a minimal reverse torque reaction on their supporting structure or frame, which is not the case for monopropeller machines.
The differences between two coaxial propellers are due to the fact that the kinematic fluid characteristics change for the downstream propeller with each passage of the upstream propeller. Until now, possible solutions for reducing the difference in torque between the two propeller wheel hubs were as follows:
Such stopgap measures, employed separately or jointly, only serve to displace the problem of wheel hub torque to the engine itself by resorting to empirical solutions and complex mechanisms.
French Patent No. 1,497,099 describes (in its second part) a mechanism designed to automatically ensure balanced torque on counter-rotating propellers through the adaptation/application of a differential composed of one input and two output shafts, such as the type applied to automobile axles. In other words, it is composed of a conventional differential with conical pinons, of which one of the output shafts is inversed and co-axially aligned to the other shaft through a series of conical pinons wherein the fixation of the intermediate pinion is indispensable to the counter-rotative function of the second output shaft.
French Patent Application No. 2,406,565 describes the same mechanism, which comprises an input shaft perpendicular to the axis of the counter-rotating hub, and wherein the inversing transmission gears are either internal or external.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention covered by the following description provides basis constituents which ensure its operation as a counter-rotating reduction gear unit, and integrates the equalizing mechanism of the torque; this second effect is obtained through the linkage of two functional elements which are similar to the reduction gear assemblies: either the internal or external planetary units or the planet pinion cage.
More precisely, this invention concerns a torque equalizer for counter-rotating shafts of a type which incorporates two reduction gear assemblies: planetary coaxial gear trains composed of counter-rotating input shafts, with external planet gear wheels, planet pinions, planet pinion cages and counter-rotating output shafts. The invention is characterized by the fact that is external planet gear wheels are interlocked during rotation, thereby ensuring balanced torque on the output shafts connected to the planet pinion cages, the output shafts being linked to the internal planet gear unit.
In one embodiment, it is the planet pinion cages which are inter-locked during rotation, thus ensuring balanced torque on the counter-rotating output shafts connected to the external planet gear unit, the counter-rotating input shafts being linked to the internal plane gear unit.
In a second embodiment, it is the internal planet gear wheels which are interlocked during rotation, thereby ensuring balanced torque on the output shafts connected to the external planet gear unit, the input shafts being linked to the planet pinion cages.
Other variations on the same principle of torque equalizing on two parallel reduction units involve a system whereby the torques of the external planet gear wheels of the planet pinion cages and of the internal planet gear wheels, are constrained to rotate consecutively in the same direction through the use of a flexible linkage, such as a drive belt or a transmission chain.
It is an advantage if the couplings between the internal planet gear wheels or the external planet
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patent: 2522443 (1950-09-01), Gaubatz et al.
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patent: 2700311 (1955-01-01), Bade
patent: 3252355 (1966-05-01), Hewko
patent: 3454098 (1969-07-01), Hillander et al.
patent: 3507113 (1970-04-01), Herrmann et al.
patent: 4016777 (1977-04-01), Ryzhkov et al.
patent: 4132131 (1979-01-01), DeBruyne
Camara Alpha
Reynaud Philippe
Diehl Dwight
Massey Ryan
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