Gear Noise Reduction in Opposed-Piston Engines
AssigneeAchates Power, Inc.
InventorsJohn J. Koszewnik, Balazs V. Palfai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A quiet-running, multi-layer gear assembly includes a stiff center member sandwiched between a pair of outer members. At least one of the outer members is compliant; preferably, both are. The stiff center member has an outer peripheral surface with gear teeth. Each of the outer members has an outer peripheral surface with gear teeth disposed in a respective directed axial thrust pattern. The center and outer members are joined on a central hub with their outer peripheral surfaces aligned so as to form a gear assembly.
Claims18
A gear assembly, comprising:
- a center member of stiff material and including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon;
- a pair of outer members, each outer member including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon, at least one of the outer members being made of a compliant material;
- and,
- a hub;
- in which the outer members are secured together on the hub with the center member disposed therebetween.
An opposed-piston engine, comprising an engine housing and a gear train mounted on the engine housing, in which the gear train includes a plurality of gears for coupling a pair of crankshafts to an output drive, wherein, each of the gears includes:
- a center member of stiff material and including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon;
- a pair of outer members of compliant material, each outer member including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon;
- and,
- a hub;
- in which the outer members are secured together on the hub with the center member disposed therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.