Shaft anti-rotation device
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorJacob Peter Mastro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine includes a fan and a first drive shaft connected to the fan. A fan drive gear box connects the first drive shaft to a second drive shaft and is configured to allow the first drive shaft to rotate at a different speed than the second drive shaft. The gas turbine engine also includes a sprag clutch disposed circumferentially around the first shaft and connected to the first drive shaft. The sprag clutch is configured to allow rotation of the first drive shaft and the fan in a first direction while prohibiting rotation of the fan and the first drive shaft in a second direction.
Claims19
A gas turbine engine comprises:
- a fan;
- a first drive shaft connected to the fan;
- a fan drive gear box connecting the first drive shaft to a second drive shaft and configured to allow the first drive shaft to rotate at a different speed than the second drive shaft;
- a sprag clutch disposed circumferentially around the first drive shaft and connected to the first drive shaft, wherein the sprag clutch is configured to allow rotation of the first drive shaft and the fan in a first direction while prohibiting rotation of the fan and the first drive shaft in a second direction.
A gas turbine engine comprises:
- a fan;
- a first drive shaft connected to the fan;
- a fan drive gear box connecting the first drive shaft to a second drive shaft and configured to allow the first drive shaft to rotate at a different speed than the second drive shaft;
- a lubrication pump mechanically connected to the first drive shaft and configured to pump lubricating fluid to the fan drive gear box when the first drive shaft is rotated in a first direction;
- and
- a sprag clutch connected to at least one of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft and configured to allow rotation of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft in the first direction while prohibiting rotation of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft in a second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.