The Boeing Company

Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter Company

Gary A Craig

Gregory F Heath

Vijay J Sheth

A clutch assembly comprises an input shaft and an output shaft, co-axially arranged relative to the input shaft. The clutch assembly further comprises an input clutch drum, fixed to the input shaft, and an output clutch drum, translatable relative to the output shaft. The clutch assembly further comprises a clutch pack and a clutch piston that is translatable relative to the output shaft between, inclusively, a frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position and a frictionally engaged clutch-pack position. The clutch assembly additionally comprises a clutch-pack engagement spring. The output clutch drum is translatable between, inclusively, a fully disengaged position and, inclusively, a positively engaged position. When the clutch piston is in the frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position, the internal splines of the output clutch drum are not in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum.

Clutch assembly

A high power, high speed gearbox including a compound face gear planetary gear assembly (FGPGA) is provided. The FGPGA includes a first planetary gear set (PGS) and a second planetary gear set (PGS). The PGSincludes a spur gear connected to an input shaft, a plurality of intermediate pinion gears, a first face gear and a second face gear oriented in a planetary arrangement. The PGSincludes a plurality of gears oriented in a planetary arrangement and operate to turn an output shaft. The PGSfirst and second face gears are configured to engage the spur gear such that the input shaft can have angle of other than 90&#xb0; with respect to the output shaft. By implementing the PGSface gears in a planetary arrangement with the spur gear and the intermediate pinion gears, the rotational direction of the output shaft can be altered by changing a tooth differential between the PGSfirst and second face gears without employing an idler gear in the PGS

Face gear planetary assembly

A conversion access gearset includes a first bevel gear, which is connected to a wing cross shaft leading from the proprotor drive train path to the second turbine engine. A second bevel gear is connected to a main transmission input shaft, which is adapted for driving the proprotor. A bevel pinion receives power from the turbine engine, and drives both the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear. An input pinion is connected between the turbine engine and the bevel pinion, and several idler gears are connected between the input pinion and the bevel pinion. A helical gear is connected between the several idler gears and the bevel pinion. The main transmission input shaft is connected to a main transmission input pinion, which is located on the main transmission input shaft opposite of the second bevel gear. The main transmission input pinion receives torque from the main transmission input shaft, and a torque-splitting device splits the torque received from the main transmission input pinion. A torque recombining system recombines the split torque from the upper face gear and the lower face gear, before routing of the recombined torque to the proprotor.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Gary A Craig