The Timken Company

Gerald P Fox

Bruce C Burner

Thomas J Rybkoski

Brian Werner

Randy P Kruse

James Maloof

Hans Landin

Xiaolan Ai

Gary L Doll

Stephen E Brister

David G Toth

Samuel R Williams

Russell F Folger

Eric Jallat

Christopher S Marks

John H Rhodes

Michael D Allega

Jaroslav Suchanek

Rudolph C Karich

Milos Malec

Ryan J Anderson

John R Dieterle

Michael D Simmons

Douglas Lucas

Jeffrey Scott L Calvin

An epicyclic gear system includes sun and ring gears (), planet pinions () arrayed (a, b) between these gears, and a carrier () to which planet pinions are coupled through flexpins (). The pinions are located between carrier walls () with flexpins for the respective arrays cantilevered from opposite walls. The carrier is subjected to externally applied torque which transfers through the system. The load path (p) for one array is shorter than that (p) for the other array, which disparity causes carrier distortion with flexpins on one wall angularly displaced from flexpins on the other wall. The system compensates for this by one wall having areas () of weakness where the flexpins cantilever from it. This enables the pinions of the two arrays to better mesh under a load and share torque transfer more evenly.

Epicyclic gear system having two arrays of pinions mounted on flexpins with compensation for carrier distortion

A bearing cage assembly () comprises a plurality of discrete bridge elements () disposed between adjacent rolling elements () and coupled between first and second axially spaced cage support wire rings () which are appropriately tensioned. Spacers () are disposed between adjacent bridge elements and engage the bridge elements in a piloted engagement. The bridge elements maintain a separation between rolling elements, retain the rolling elements within the bearing assembly, and function as a lubrication reservoir for grease lubricated bearings. Profiled surfaces on the bridge elements position the bearing cage assembly on at least one axial end of the rolling elements.

Segmented bearing retainer

A compact modular assembly of a geared power train () and generator () suitable for use in a wind turbine application to maximize a step-up ratio between an input and output within a limited radial space. The power train is configured as a hybricyclic split-compound planetary gearing system with a grounded closed carrier flex pin system in a high torque stage (A), and an open carrier flex pin system in a low torque stage (B), having a step up ratio of approximately 30:1. To facilitate modular assembly and disassembly of the power train and generator, each component is mounted independently to opposite sides of a common support structure () anchored to a bedplate ().

Modular assembly for an integrated flex pin drive with generator

A bearing cage assembly comprising of a plurality of discrete bridge elements coupled between first and second cage support wire rings having selected tensions, and conforming to the surfaces of associated rolling elements. The discrete bridge elements maintain rolling element in separation, provide rolling element retention within the bearing assembly, and function as a lubrication reservoir for grease lubricated bearings. The discrete bridge elements may be disposed between adjacent rolling elements, or may be configured to pass through axial bores of hollow rolling elements.

An epicyclic gear system (A) includes a sun gear (), a ring gear () located around the sun gear () and planet pinions () located between the sun and ring gears (). The planet pinions () rotate on a carrier () that includes flexpins () that are cantilevered from a wall () of the carrier () and sleeves () that are attached to the remote ends of the flexpins () and extend back over the flexpins () to create a double cantilever. Bearings () support the planet pinions () on the sleeves () so that the planet pinions () rotate about the flexpins (). The double cantilever enables the flexpins () to flex such that the axes (Y) of the planet pinions () remain parallel to the common axis (X) of the sun and ring gears (). Each sleeve () h an integrated bearing race () and a bearing seat () that carries a separate bearing race (). The sleeve () is easily detached from its flexpin () and the separate race () is easily removed from the sleeve () to disassemble the bearing () and remove the planet pinion ().

Epicyclic gear system with semi-integrated flexpin assemblies

A planetary gear system (P) includes a sun gear (), a ring gear () a carrier () located between the sun and ring gears (), and planet pinions () organized in two arrays and supported on flexpin assemblies () in the carrier (). All of the gearing is helical, with the sun and ring gears () having their teeth arranged in at double helix angles (herringbone) and the planet gears () at single helix angles. The pinions () of the one array engage the teeth of one angle on the sun and ring gears () and the pinions () of the other array engage the teeth of the other angle on the sun and ring gears (). Torque transfers through the carrier () through two torque paths (a, b)&#x2014;one to the flexpin assemblies () for one array and the other to the flexpin assemblies () of the other array&#x2014;and the paths (a) is stiffer than the path (b). Owing to the helical cut of the teeth the planet pinions () of the two arrays exert oppositely directed axial forces (A) on the sun gear (). The sun gear () is free to shift axially or float with respect to the planet pinions () of the two arrays, so the axial forces (A) imparted to the sun gear, while opposite, are equal. Hence, the tangential forces (T), which transfer the torque, are likewise equal, notwithstanding the difference in flexibility of the two torque paths (a, b). Even though the carrier () may undergo different deflections at the flexpin assemblies () for the two arrays of planet pinions (), the planet pinions () of the two arrays transfer torques of equal magnitude.

Two-array planetary gear system with flexpins and helical gearing

A geared power train () for use in a wind turbine application to maximize a step-up ratio within a radial space that is defined by the planetary gearing system ring gear size. The geared power train () is configured as a split-compound planetary gearing system with a closed-carrier flex-pin planetary system in a high-torque stage (Stage) for receiving driving torque via an input shaft (IN) from a wind turbine, and an open-carrier flex-pin planetary system in a low-torque stage (Stage) coupled to the high-torque stage (Stage) for delivering the driving torque to an electrical generator via an output shaft (OUT).

Power train for wind turbine

A flexpin assembly (B) for an epicyclic gear system (A) includes a flexpin () that at one end is cantilevered from a carrier end wall () and a sleeve () that surrounds the flexpin and is cantilevered from the flexpin at the other end of the flexpin. In addition, the assembly has an antifriction bearing () for supporting a planet pinion () around the sleeve. The flexpin has a base () that is configured to be anchored to a carrier wall, a head () to which the sleeve is attached, and a shank () located between the base and head. The sleeve has a mounting segment () that is connected to the head of the flexpin without a weld. Both may have tapered surfaces secured in contact by a plate () clamped against the mounting portion with screws () that thread into the head, thus enabling the sleeve to be detached from the pin. The head may have a cylindrical surface () over which the mounting segment of the sleeve fits with an interference fit exists. The bearing may have rolling elements () that surround raceways () on the sleeve and a rib ring () that confines the rolling elements axially, but can be detached. The flexpin assembly is easily disassembled to facilitate servicing of the gear system.

Epicyclic gear system with flexpins

An epicyclic gear system (A) includes helical sun and ring gears () and helical planet pinions () located between and engaged with the sun and ring gears. The gear system also includes a carrier () having an end wall () and flexpins () cantilevered from the end wall and extended into the planet pinions. Each flexpin at its end remote from the end wall carries a sleeve () that extends back over the flexpin where it is spaced from the flexpin. The planet pinion for the flexpin rotates around the sleeve on a bearing (). The arrangement is such that the flexpin will flex adjacent to the carrier end wall circumferentially along the pitch circle of the carrier in one direction and circumferentially in the opposite direction adjacent to attachment of the sleeve. But the helical gear imparts a couple to the planet pinion that seeks to tilt the sleeve radially toward or away from the main axis of the system. A deflection inhibitor (I) lies between each flexpin and the sleeve surrounding it to prevent the radial deflection.

Epicyclic gear system with flexpins and helical gearing

A bearing system (A) that supports a shaft () in a housing () includes two single row tapered roller bearings () mounted in opposition. One of the bearings () compensates for thermal variations that would otherwise produce excessive preload in the system. It has a conventional cup () in the housing and tapered rollers () arranged in a single row along the raceway () of the cup. It also has a compensating assembly () on the shaft, and it includes a ribless cone () having a raceway () around which the rollers are organized, an axially displaceable rib ring () for positioning the rollers, a spring () for urging the rib ring against a stop surface () on the cone, and a compensating ring () formed from a material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion for displacing the rib ring against the force exerted by the spring when the temperature of the compensating assembly exceeds a prescribed set point temperature so as to reduce preload in the bearing system.

Tapered roller bearing with displaceable rib

An epicyclic gear system (A) includes a sun gear (), a ring gear () located around the sun gear, planet gears () organized in two arrays between the sun and ring gears, and a carrier () having walls () located beyond the planet gears and flexpins () that project from the walls into the planet gears. Each flexpin includes an inner pin () provided with a flangethat is secured to the wall from which the inner pin projects, thus cantilevering the inner pin from the wall, and a sleeve () that is cantilevered from the opposite end of the inner pin and extends back over the inner pin, thus providing a double cantilever. Between the sleeve of the flexpin and the planet gear for that flexpin is a double row tapered roller bearing (). The planet gears on the one array may be offset angularly with respect to the planet gears of the other array.

A friction drive () having a plurality of planet assemblies (A,B,C) pivotally mounted to a carrier (), a sun shaft () rotatably mounted with the carrier () and having a first raceway (), and an outer ring member () having a second raceway () concentric to the first raceway () and having a ring shaft (). The plurality of planet assemblies (A,B,C) frictionally engaged with the first raceway () and the second raceway () for transferring power between the sun shaft () and the outer ring member ().

Three shaft friction drive unit

A spherical outer diameter tapered roller bearing pillow block system () for supporting the rotating main shaft of a wind turbine. The bearing system is configured with a unitized construction and factory set preload bearing settings to facilitate installation and setup. A spherical outer diameter surface () is formed on the outer race () of a tapered roller bearing assembly disposed about the rotating main shaft of the wind turbine. The bearing assembly is secured to a stationary support structure of the wind turbine through a pillow block housing assembly () providing a matching spherical housing seat () to form a ball and socket interface between the tapered roller bearing assembly () and the pillow block housing assembly (). The ball and socket interface accommodates static and dynamic misalignments between the wind turbine main shaft and the supporting structure, while the bearing assembly () accommodates radial and axial loads.

Pillow block housing with tapered roller bearings

A locating bearing assembly () is provided that optimizes load distribution between bearing rows and for all rolling elements within the rows in either positive or negative torque conditions, by combining a single row tapered roller bearing with an angular contact ball bearing. The outer race () for the ball bearing is preloaded by a spring element () to prevent the balls () from floating freely between the ball bearing's inner and outer raceways (). This will insure that the balls () are always sufficiently loaded to roll along a single axis which is off set from the radial direction. The use of the single row tapered bearing and the preloaded angular contact ball bearing provides for a locating bearing assembly ('LBA') in which the ball bearing supports only reversing axial loads. All radial loads are borne by the tapered roller bearing and transmitted to the bearing assembly housing ().

Locating bearing assembly for wind turbine gearbox shaft

A bearing assembly (A-H) enables one member () to rotate relative to another member () about an axis (X). It includes a bearing () having an inner race () on one of the members, an outer race () in the other member, and rolling elements () between raceways on the two races. A seal () excludes contaminants from the interior of the bearing, and it includes a wear ring () carried by an extension () on the outer race beyond the raceway of that race, a contacting wear ring () carried by the member on which the inner race is located or else by a can () that is fitted to the inner race. The seal also includes backing elements () for supporting the wear rings on that which carries them, and in most instances the backing elements exert a biasing force on the wear rings to maintain them in contact, so that they establish a dynamic fluid barrier. The backing elements may include O-rings (), polymer connecting segments () or springs () and a membrane ().

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Massillon, OH, United States of America

Gerald P Fox