Mechanism to selectively fix or free planetary carrier of epicyclic gearbox
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Company
InventorStephen David Louis Snider
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and mechanisms to selectively fix or free a planetary carrier of a epicyclic gearbox, thereby allowing dual modal operation of the gearbox and facilitating selective operation of a device, such as a winch, having capacity to safely and efficiently operate in a high load heavy lifting utility mode and a low load light lifting personnel mode.
Claims20
A method for selectively fixing or freeing a planetary carrier of an epicyclic gearbox of a dual capacity winch, the method comprising:
- providing a dual capacity winch having a single epicyclic gearbox coupled to a drum of the winch, wherein the drum of the winch is supported by at least one stationary winch upright;
- providing a first motor configured to drive a sun gear of the epicyclic gearbox so that the operation of the gear box, when the sun gear is driven, results in substantial torque multiplication;
- providing a second motor configured to drive a planetary carrier of the epicyclic gearbox, so that the resulting gear ratio is significantly lower than when the sun gear is driven;
- providing a brake to selectively prevent movement of the sun gear;
- and
- providing a locking mechanism configured to engage and drive the planetary carrier of the epicyclic gearbox, wherein the locking mechanism includes a movable portion configured to:
- selectively engage and lock with a shaft fixedly coupled with the planetary carrier while remaining locked against rotation by fasteners connected to at least one stationary winch upright, when the sun gear is driven;
- and
- to selectively disengage and unlock from the shaft fixedly coupled with the planetary carrier, when the planetary carrier of the epicyclic gearbox is driven.
A method of selectively driving different stages of an epicyclic gearbox of a dual capacity winch having high load and low load operation modes, the method comprising:
- selecting a high load operation mode of a dual capacity winch and utilizing a first motor
- to drive a gear of an epicyclic gearbox to turn a drum of the winch, wherein a locking mechanism is coupled to a planetary carrier of the epicyclic gearbox and is selectively engaged by axial positioning of a movable locking plate which is axially slidably connected with a winch upright of the winch, thereby preventing rotational movement of the planetary carrier, when then high load operation mode is selected;
- selecting a low load operation mode of the dual capacity winch and utilizing a second motor to drive the planetary carrier of the epicyclic gearbox to turn the drum of the winch with a much lower gear ratio than the high load operation, wherein the locking mechanism remains coupled to the planetary carrier but is selectively disengaged by axial positioning of the movable locking plate from the winch upright, thereby permitting rotational movement of the planetary carrier, when the low load operation mode is selected;
- and
- preventing rotational movement of the gear, when the low load operation mode is selected.
A locking mechanism to selectively fix or free a planetary carrier of an epicyclic gearbox, to selectively drive different stages of the epicyclic gearbox, the mechanism comprising:
- a shaft, configured to be driven by a first motor, wherein the shaft is coupled to a planetary carrier of an epicyclic gearbox, the shaft having engagement features;
- a locking component, having shaft engagement features configured to movably engage the engagement features of the shaft;
- and
- an actuator, the actuator configured to move the locking component between:
- a first position, wherein the shaft locking features of the locking component are in physical engagement with the locking features of the shaft shaft, so that the shaft is not free to spin and be driven by the first motor, but a gear of the epicyclic gearbox is free to be driven by a second motor;
- and
- a second position, wherein the shaft engagement features of the locking component are disengaged from the engagement features of the shaft, so that the shaft is free to spin and be driven by the first motor
- wherein in both the first and second positions, the locking component is locked against rotation by fasteners connected to at least one stationary winch upright.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.