Advanced Energy Concepts '81, Ltd.

Newage Industries, Inc.

James E Shaffer

Robert Distin

Robert G Distin, Jr

An epicyclic speed reducing mechanism employs, as torque transmitting elements, a series of rolling elements which are constrained to travel along a substantially trochoidal path defined by means of complementary or conjugate surface regions formed on the driving and driven members. The invention is applicable to single or multiple stage speed reducers, and may be of the counterweighted or counterbalanced variety, the latter including a constant velocity coupling operating between an orbiting and rotating element and a further element. In the disclosed embodiments, the rolling elements may be either balls or rollers, and the surface regions may be conjugate epitrochoidal and hypotrochoidal grooves.

Speed reducing gearing mechanism employing trochoidally formed gear

A torque transmitting gearing system of the nutating type is equipped with a nutating idler member which is in torque transmiting engagement with both a stator and an output gear. Torque transmission between the respective elements is achieved via respective series of rolling, torque transmitting elements in the form of tapered rollers. The rollers are maintained in substantially continuous contact with both their respective driving and driven raceway surfaces, which are formed with trochoidal curvature. Within a given pair of coacting gear surfaces, one surface will be formed with epitrochoidal curvature, and the other with hypotrochoidal curvature.

Nutating drive mechanisms having roller driving elements

A nutating gear reduction mechanism employs two series of rolling elements in the form of balls as the means of torque transmission. In this manner, gear teeth are eliminated and replaced with conjugate pairs of trochoidally cut grooves, with the rolling elements operating between the grooves formed in a wobble member, on the one hand, and a stator and an output member, on the other hand. Either single or multiple stage speed reduction may be achieved, the single stage version being obtained by replacing one set of conjugate trochoidal races with oval races coupling the wobble member and either the stator or the output member in a constant velocity fashion.

Nutating drive mechanisms having spherical ball driving elements

A speed reducing transmission includes roller driving elements operating to transmit torque between opposed trochoidally formed surfaces. The device may have one or multiple reduction stages and may be either counterbalanced or counterweighted to achieve dynamic balance. The opposed surfaces are provided as conjugate epitrochoidal and hypotrochoidal gear elements, while the rollers are simple cylinders maintained suitably spaced by means of roller cages or retainers.

Epicyclic transmission having free rolling roller driving elements

The invention relates to gears and gear trains, and more particularly to epicyclic gear trains of low cost and improved efficiency. A novel driving means in the form of an eccentric crank/counterweight is provided, and the structural relationships between the several gears are such that the need for conventional bearings is completely obviated. The gear train is of modular construction, being split diametrically into matched halves. Thus, the gear ratio of the overall gear box may be quickly and easily varied by merely replacing one of the matched halves with another. A novel tooth construction for use with epicyclic gearing is also disclosed, wherein a large pressure angle allows circular arc profile involute teeth to be utilized.

Epicycloidal gearing

The invention relates to gears and gear trains, and more particularly to epicyclic gear trains of low cost and improved efficiency, and to gear teeth for use therewith. A novel driving means in the form of an eccentric crank/counterweight is provided, and the structural relationships between the several gears are such that the need for conventional bearings is completely obviated. The gear train is of modular construction, being split diametrically into matched halves. Thus, the gear ratio of the overall gear box may be quickly and easily varied by merely replacing one of the matched halves with another. The novel tooth construction for use with such epicyclic gearing employs a large pressure angle which allows circular arc profile involute teeth to be utilized.

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

James E Shaffer