US2146687A - Driving mechanism - Google Patents

Description

- Feb. :7, 1939. J. E'. REGAN DRIVING MECHANISM original Filed March 8, 1955 I5 Sheets-Sheet l J.` E. REGAN K r2,146,687

' DRIVING MECHANISM original Filed March 8, 1935 v s sheets-sheet 2 Feb.v 7; 1939.

' v J. E. REGAN 2,146,687

DRIVING MECHANI SM y'original Filed March 9, 1935 f s sheets-smet 5 Patented Feb. 1939 12,146,687

UNiTEDsTATEs PATENT OFFICE- DmviNdlfziiANlsM JohnE. Regan, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Lamson Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts original application Maren s, 1935, serial No. 9,993'. Divided and this application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 51,977

4 Claims. (oi. 714-301) This invention forming the subject matter of ing the shaft 31, and separated therefrom by the present application (a divisionrof my copendplain bearings 44, is a floating gear assembly 45. ing application Serial No. 9,993, filed March 8, This assembly comprises an inner U-shaped ex- 1935) relates to a driving mechanism including tern-al ring gear 46 and an opposed outer U- 5 a source of power and a planetary reduction Agear shaped internal ring gear 41. The ring gear 46 5 and to the structure and operation of such gear. is made up of two sections and is provided at The objects of this invention includethe folthe outer edges of its legs with annular rows lowing, to provide a driving mechanism which of teeth forming the tracks 48 and 49. The legs will automatic-ally react to any overloading and of the gear 41 are also provided at the outer will refrain from imparting driving impulse until edges with annular rows of teeth forming the 10 the overload has been relieved; to provide as a tracks 59 and 5| which encircle the tracks 48 part of such mechanism a planetary reduction and 49 respectively. The track 48 of the gear gear by which the driving impulse relative to the 46 has fewer teeth than the rack 49, and is on speed of the source of power may be altered, such a smaller circle, and the rack 56 of the ring gear gear unit being so instructed that the moving bears a similar relation to the rack 5|. In addil5 elements thereof run in a lubricant, and including tion the ring gear 41 floats relativ-e tothe ring a driven shaft and gear elementsrrotatably supgear 46 being provided with a central iange 52 ported by the driven shaft. terminating in a sleeve 53 which enters the space These and other objects will appear from an between the legs of the ring gear 46, and is sepaexamination of the following specification and rated therefrom by plain bearings 54. Spaced 2O of the drawings which form a part thereof and openings 55 are formed in the flange 52 to rein which; v duce Weight and to facilitate the flow of lubri- Fig. 1 is a view in sideelevation of a driving eating oil, as will be pointed out hereinbelow. mechanism embodying this invention; The spur gears 42 of the spider 40 mesh at all Fig. 2 is a pian view thereof; times with the track 49 of the ring gear 46 and 25 Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale with the track 5| of the ring gear 41. of the gear unit which forms a part of the driving Mounted upon the cover plate 56 of the casing mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2; 3| are a plurality of idler pinions 51 (four being Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line here provided), which mesh with the track 48 4-4 of Fig. 3; and of the `ring gear 46 and with the track 59 of 30 Fig. 5 isa view in elevation of the spider which the ring gear. 41 (see Fig. 4). The studs 53 of is one eiement of the gear unit. the pinions 51 are received at on-e end in a ring The driving mechanism comprises a motor 22, 59 which carries a bearingy 6G to receive one end a stepped pulley 23, a belt 24, a stepped pulley of a stud shaft 6| on the other end of which 25, a counter shaft 26, sprocket 21, chain 28, the sprocket 29 is mounted. The shaft 9| enters 35 sprocket 29, and a gear reduction unit 30. The the casing 3i through an opening 62 in the cover unit 39 includes a casing 3| on which is supported plate 56, the openingbeing closed by a cover 63 the yoke 32 which carries the shaft 2.6, on the fastened to the plate 55 and provided with a bearends of which are fixed the pulley 25 and sprocket ing 64 vfor the shaft 6|. Pinned to the shaft 6| 21. The motor 22 andl unit 30 are supported upon is a gear 65 which meshes with a gear 65 rotato a block or plate 33. The motor 22 rests on a bed able about the shaft 31 upon plain bearings 61. 35 pivotally mounted upon the block 33 and is The idler pinions 51 are of suicient. width to yieldably held by a tension device 36, which enmesh simultaneously with the gear 66,`the track gages both the motor casing and the yoke 32, so 48 lof the ringgear 46 andthe track 50 of the that the belt 24 it taut regardless of whichA steps ring gear 41, the teeth of the gear 66 and the .15 of the pulleys are engaged. The tension device 36 track 48 being equal in size, number and dimenyieldably opposes any tendency of the motor bed sion. The drive from the motor 22 to the 35 to rock forwardly toward the pulley and loosen sprocket 29 is. tranmitted through the gears 65 the tautness of the belt. and 66 and the idler pinions 51 to the ring gear Mounted at the center of the casing 3| is a 46 and the ring gear 41 causing them to rotate 50 main shaft 31 supported by the walls of the in the opposite directions. The ring gear 46 and casing on bearings 38 and 39. One end of the ring gear 41 act simultaneously upon the spider shaft 31 projects beyond the casing 3| and on gears 42 through the racks 49 and 5| and rotate it may be iiXed a gear or sprocket or other drivthe spider in th-e well known manner, thereby 5 ing instrumentality. Keyed to the shaft 31 withcausing the rotation of the shaft 31. in the casing and adjacent the bearing 39 is The gear reduction unit thus described is very a spider 40 (see Fig. 5). Projecting from the compact and, with the exception of the sprocket spider 49 are a plurality of studs 4| on which 29, all the gear elements are completely enclosed rotate freely a plurality of spur gears 42. A ring within the casing 3|. These enclosed elements 69 43 receives the ends of the studs 4|. Surroundrun in oil or other lubricant introduced through 60 an inlet closed by a breather plug 68 and drained off through an outlet normally closed by a plug 69. The lubricant reaches the plain bearings 44 on the shaft 31 through a plurality of holes 1i) formed in the sleeves 53 of the ring gear 41 and a plurality of holes 1| through the base of the reverse gear 46. The bearing 64 for the shaft 6I is lubricated through a hole 12 in the cover 63.

The other bearings are, as shown in the drawings, so exposed that the lubricant flows freely thereto.

The spider 40 is keyed to the main shaft 31 and the speed and direction of travel thereof is determined by the relative ratio of the number of teeth in they ring gears 46 and 41. In the unit shown in the drawings the shaft 31 is rotated in a direction opposite to that of the shaft 26. In some other ratios the shaft 31 may be rotated in the same direction as the shaft 26,

The amount of reduction obtained by the use of a unit of this construction can be varied as desired. In the one illustrated a ratio of approximately 175 to 1 is obtained, the gear 65 having fourteen teeth, the gear 66 having twentyeight teeth, each pinion 51 having fourteen teeth, the track 48 having twenty-eight teeth, the track D having fifty-six teeth, the track 139 having thirty teeth, the track 5l having fifty-eight teeth, and each spider gear 42 having fourteen teeth. The desired amount of reduction may be selected without regard to the direction of travel given thereby to the shaft 31 since the motor may be reversed if necessary. However if a definite direction is desired it is possible toselect a combination of gears to select a ratio which will give the desired direction of rotation.

In order to increase or decrease the speed of travel of the shaft 31 the tracks and gears shown may be replaced by other tracks and gears of different pitches, diameters, etc. It will be noted that, since all the revolving members are supported by or around the shaft 31, these changes can be made without disturbing the centers of the racks and gears. Hence complete assemblies of gear units having various ratios may be prepared and kept on hand for use in the housing whenever a change in the speed of the sprocket is desired.

In case the motor 22 should be overloaded, as for example, if any jam or blockage should take place in the driven mechanism, the supply of power thereto will be automatically cut off, the strain on the motor 22 increasing the tendency of the motor bed 35 to rock forwardly so that the tension device 36 will yield and the belt 24 be slackened, allowing the motor to run freely without driving the pulley 25.

I claim:

1. A gear reduction unit comprising a casing, a driven shaft supported centrally of the casing for rotation therein, a drive shaftsupported by said casing parallel to said driven shaft, a gear fixed to said drive shaft, a gear rotatable about said driven shaft and in mesh with said'rst-Inentioned gear, a plurality of pinions carried by said casing and in mesh with said rotatable gear, a floating gear assembly supported by said driven shaft and rotatable independently thereof by said pinions, and a spider keyed to said driven shaft and including a plurality of spur gears driven by said oating gear assembly whereby said drive shaft actuates said driven shaft.

2. A gear reduction unit comprising a casing, a driven shaft supported centrally of the casing for rotation therein, a drive shaft supported by said casing parallel to said driven shaft, a floating gear assembly supported by said driven shaft and rotatable independently thereabout, said gear assembly consisting of an inner U-shaped ring gear having a pair of spaced external gear tracks and an outer U-shaped ring gear having a pair of spaced internal gear tracks in alinement with the tracks of the inner gear, a spider keyed to the driven shaft, and including a plurality of spur gears constantly in mesh with one of said internal gear tracks and the external gear track in alinement therewith, a plurality of idler pinions carried by said casing and constantly in mesh with the other of said internal gear tracks and the external gear track in alinement therewith and means carried by said drive shaft for rotating said pinions in unison and thereby through the gear assembly and spider rotating said driven shaft.

3. A gear reduction unit a driven shaft supported ing for rotation therein, a drive shaft supported by said casing parallel to said driven shaft, a floating gear assembly supported by said driven shaft and rotatable independently thereabout, said gear assembly consisting of an inner U- comprising a casing, centrally of the casshaped ring gear having a pair of spaced external gear tracks, and an outer U-shaped ring gear having a pair of spaced internal gear tracks in alinement with the tracks of the inner gear, a spi-der keyed to the driven shaft, and including a plurality of spur gears constantly in mesh with one of said internal gear tracks and the external gear track in alinement therewith, a plurality of idler pinions carried by said casing and constantly in mesh with the other of said internal gear tracks and the external gear track in alinement therewith, a gear rotatable about the driven shaft and constantly in mesh with said pinions and a gear carried by said drive shaft and in mesh with the gear rotatable about the driven shaft for rotating said pinions in unison and thereby through the gear assembly and spider rotating said driven shaft.

4. A gear reduction unit comprising a casing a driven shaft supported centrally of the casing for rotation therein,

ently thereof, said gear assembly consisting of an inner ring gear having a pair of spaced external gear tracks, one of said tracks being on a larger circle than the other of said tracks, and an outer ring gear having a pair of spaced internal gear tracks in alignment with the tracks of the inner ring gear, the track of the outer ring gear in alignment with that track of the inner ring gear which is on the larger circle being on a larger circle than the other track of the outer ring gear, a spider keyed to the driven shaft and including a plurality of spur gears constantly in mesh with the aligned tracks of the inner and outer ring gears on the larger circles, a plurality of idler pinions carried by the casing constantly in mesh with the other aligned tracks of the inner and outer ring gears, a drive shaft and means actuated by said drive shaft for rotating said pinions, and, through the gear assembly and spider rotating said driven shaft.

JOHN E. REGAN.

a floating gear assembly D supported by said shaft and rotatable independ-

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