Avco Corporation

Clive Waddington

Normand L Lagasse

George T Milo

Charles Kuintzle, Jr

Roger Taupier

Donald Blake

John G Van Kamerik

An automatic self compensating flow control lubrication system for continuously supplying the requisite amount of lubricant to at least one component of a drive system. One or more operating parameters, such as scavenge temperature, are continuously monitored and the information provided to a computer. The computer operates the first stage solenoid valve of a two stage valve assembly which provides such an amount of lubricant to the component as is necessary to maintain a predetermined value of the operating parameter. Scavenge temperature is one such operating parameter.

Self compensating flow control lubrication system

An integrated emergency lubrication system for lubricating the bearings of a gas turbine engine in the event that the normal lubrication system for the engine fails for any reason. The emergency system includes an accumulator for storing oil, derived from the normal lubrication system, that is released in a controlled manner, mixed with air and supplied, as a mist to lubricate the engine's bearings for several minutes after the normal lubrication system fails. Energy for operating the emergency lubrication system is derived from high pressure compressed air admitted from the compressor section of the engine when the oil pressure of the normal lubrication falls, a portion of the compressed air being pressure-regulated and combined with oil from the accumulator to form an air/oil mist that is sprayed over the bearings to be lubricated. A flow control valve is provided to control the flow of the oil from the accumulator under the influence of high pressure compressed air, for admixture with the regulated air to form the mist. Thus the oil flow rate remains substantially constant independently of the upstream and downstream air pressures and the oil temperatures.

Integrated emergency lubrication system having single feed line to

A self-aligning bearing assembly for use with a frame and a shaft. The assembly comprises bearings such that the shaft can move relative to the frame and a spring and a friction surface for repositionably mounting the bearings relative to the frame. The spring and friction surface for repositionably mounting the bearings can frictionally hold the bearings in a first position relative to the frame and can allow the bearings to move to a second position relative to the frame and be frictionally held in the second position when repositioned thereto without affecting the critical speed of the shaft system.

Bearing assembly

An integrated emergency lubrication system is provided to lubricate the bearings of a gas turbine engine in the event that the normal lubrication system for the engine fails for any reason. The emergency system includes an accumulator for storing oil, derived from the normal lubrication system, that is released in a controlled manner to lubricate the engine's bearings for several minutes after the normal lubrication system fails. During that time, the operator of the engine has an opportunity to cope with the situation. Energy for operating the emergency lubrication system is derived from compressed air bled form the compressor section of the engine, the compressed air also being combined with oil from the accumulator to form an air/oil mist that is sprayed over the bearings to be lubricated. A plurality of valves provided to control the flow of the oil and the air and to regulate the pressure of the air, all valves and associated elements being integrated in an assembly that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, highly reliable, and easily maintained. The configuration also minimizes vulnerability to extraneous forces and has the further benefit of not being attitude sensitive, rendering it particularly useful in aircraft employing gas turbine engines.

Integrated emergency lubrication system

An integrated power system for use with a gas turbine engine is provided for driving and steering a tracked vehicle under the control of the vehicle's operator. The system includes a multispeed transmission for transmitting power from a free power turbine, included in the gas turbine engine, to combining planetary gear systems driving the vehicle, elements of the combining planetary gear systems also being driven by a variable displacement hydraulic steering motor. The transmission is connected to a direct displacement pump for supplying fluid under pressure to the steering motor and to an accumulator which stores and releases energy to the pump to reduce shock to the system as the speed ratio of the transmission is changed in response to the speed of the free power turbine. A control system, responsive to the vehicle's operator, determines operation of the hydraulic steering motor to effect steering as well as controlling the power output of the gas turbine engine. The control system, in response to the vehicle's operator, also controls pivot steering as well as movement of the vehicle in forward or reverse directions. An overrunning clutch interconnects the free power turbine to the gas producer whenever the turbine tries to exceed the speed of the gas producer.

Integrated power system

A lubrication system including a regulating valve and a bellows is provided for controlling the flow of lubricant from a source of lubricant under pressure to the gearbox and sump of an aircraft gas turbine engine as a function of the altitude at which the engine is operating. An override valve by-passes the regulating valve and cuts off flow of lubricant to the sump while assuming control of lubricant flowing from the source to the gearbox when a detent valve, operatively associated with the bellows, detects that either the regulating valve or the bellows is inoperative and permits the override valve to become operative.

Lubrication system

Apparatus is disclosed for automatically purging oil from the jets supplying lubricant to bearings and seals in a turbine engine after shutdown. To accomplish this task, pressurized air is tapped from the air plenum just downstream of the engine compressor stage. The pressurized air is stored in a small tank using an air check valve in the incoming line so that the air tank is charged to the highest pressure achieved by the engine compressor during its operation. The outlet of the air tank is connected to the oil jets used for lubricating the engine bearings and seals. A snap action valve is inserted in the air supply line to activate and deactivate airflow out of the tank. The snap action valve is designed to be switched 'off' whenever there is positive oil pressure in the lubricating supply line of the turbine engine. After engine shutdown, lubricant flow drops, reducing oil pressure to zero. This event initiates the start of a delay interval after which the snap action valve is activated to its 'on' state allowing the contents of the air tank to be blown through the oil jets, effectively clearing them of oil.

Air purge system for gas turbine engine

A stepless variable stroke drive particularly suitable for a bicycle transmission has a crank driven input element comprising a carrier housing journaled for rotation on a spindle. Mounted within the carrier, journaled on individual axles, radially spaced to the spindle, are four planet gears which engage an output sun gear. Recessed into one side of each planet gear is a concentric channel whose outer circumference is constructed with ratchet teeth and whose inner circumference journals a crank ring having pawls for engaging the ratchet teeth. The ring also has a follower which engages a cylindrical cam channel fixed on and adjustable to various eccentricities relative to the spindle. As the carrier housing rotates, the crank ring follower engages the cam channel causing the crank rings to angularly oscillate at an amplitude proportional to the cam channel eccentricity. Sequential intermittent engagement of the crank ring pawls with the planet gear ratchet teeth during a portion of each carrier revolution drives the sun gear at a constant speed which is a multiple of the input speed dependent on the cam eccentricity. In another embodiment, the crank ring is eliminated and the planet gears each have a follower for engaging the eccentric cam channel. The carrier housing has slots for the planet gear axles which allow the planet gear to sequentially move to engage and disengage the sun gear for a selected portion of each planet gear's oscillation to accomplish a speed increase, decrease or reversal. Alternate manual and automatic controls are provided for both embodiments to adjust the cam channel eccentricity.

Stepless, variable stroke drive having a non-rotating cam

A vehicular drive system is presented which couples an infinitely variable automatic transmission to a constant speed electric motor. The drive system utilizes a battery powered DC motor having a no-load to full-load speed variation of less than 10 percent. The motor drives the input shaft of the transmission. The output of the transmission is coupled to drive the vehicle axle. Adjustment of the eccentricity of a cam plate within the transmission controls the speed and torque ratio between input and output shafts of the transmission. Eccentricity is varied as a function of tension on a spring in opposition to the forces developed on the cam plate by the transmitted torque. Spring tension is controlled by the pressure applied to an operator actuated accelerator pedal. The more the accelerator pedal is depressed, the greater will be vehicle acceleration and/or the steeper the hill that can be climbed.

Electric vehicle with waddington drive

Stepless variable stroke drive having a non-rotating cam

An improved Waddington drive, employed here as a bicycle wheel hub, provides an automatically shifting transmission driven by an operator's foot pedal crank. A number of planet gears journaled for rotation in the hub engage and revolve around a fixed sungear on a mounting shaft thereby carrying and rotating the hub with them. The planet gears are connected through one-way clutches to cranks whose arms follow a cylindrical cam, the eccentricity of which is variable as a function of speed and torque. The cam is pivotally mounted from the rotating input shaft and its eccentricity is controlled by the reaction force between the cam and its followers, the centrifugal force on the cam, and a restoring force developed by a cantilever spring urging the cam to return to an initial eccentricity selectable to match the operator's capabilities. The centrifugal control force is developed by a flyweight integral with the cam and by a counterweight serving to dynamically balance the input shaft.

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Stratford, CT, United States of America

Clive Waddington