The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 1978
Filed:
Jul. 26, 1976
Geoffrey John Humphrey, Yeovil, GB;
James Edwin Saunders, Sherborne, GB;
Westland Aircraft Limited, Yeovil, GB;
Abstract
This invention discloses oil purifying means suitable for installation in any gear assembly that includes a gear supported in a stationary housing for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface extending radially from the axis. The purifying means includes first means arranged during rotation of the gear, to direct a supply of lubricating oil onto the surface so that the oil is centrifuged outwardly and into second means forming an annular cavity adjacent the peripheral region of the gear. The cavity has an inwardly directed opening providing separate inlet and outlet fluid flow paths arrange so that, during rotation of the gear, lubricating oil is centrifuged through the inlet into the cavity wherein the direction of oil is reversed so that the oil exhausts through the outlet and contaminent particles in the oil are retained in the cavity due to centrifugal force. Thus, the purifying means of the present invention utilizes the energy of the rotating gear, and is automatically operational all the time that the gear is being rotated. Examples of embodiments suitable for both vertical and horizontal installations are disclosed, and the purifying means can be used either independently to provide the sole purification in a particular installation, or in combination with a conventional filter to further reduce the level of contamination. The purifying means can be incorporated in any number of suitable gears in a particular installation.