Drive unit with self-aligning gearing system
AssigneeCooper Industries, Inc.
InventorsPaul R. Kilmer, David S. Chapin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive unit for a power tool has a motor driven output gear rotatable about an output axis, a rotatable carrier plate, and a plurality of idler gears rotatably mounted on pins affixed to the carrier plate such that the gears engage the periphery of the output gear. The unit includes a drive shaft supported at one end by the carrier plate, and a non-rotatable ring gear floatingly mounted for engagement with the idler gears, whereby rotation of the output gear is coupled to the drive shaft, and hence to the tool bit, through the carrier plate and the carrier plate is urged toward rotational alignment with the axis of the output gear through the action of rotational forces.
Claims11
A motor output drive for a power tool comprising, in combination:
- a motor driven output gear rotatable about an output axis;
- a drive shaft rotatably supported at a first end in a bearing establishing an axis of rotation which is fixed with respect to the case of said power tool;
- idler gear means coupled to said drive shaft at an end opposite said first end, said idler gear means including a carrier plate and a plurality of idler gears which engage said output gear and which are rotatably mounted on pins fixed to said carrier plate at locations on a circle concentric with said output axis;
- non-rotatable ring gear means having teeth positioned on a ring concentric with said output axis and engaging the teeth of said idler gears, whereby said idler gears rotate about their mounting pins in response to rotation of said output gear causing the rotation of said output gear to be transmitted to said drive shaft at a reduced angular velocity;
- and
- suspension means supporting said ring gear means in a radially floating position such that said idler gear means acts in response to centrifugal force to seek a center of rotation aligned with said output axis.
A drive unit for a power tool comprising in combination:
- a motor driven output gear rotatable about an output axis;
- a rotatable carrier plate;
- a plurality of idler gears rotatably mounted on pins affixed to said carrier plate and positioned to engage the periphery of said output gear;
- a drive shaft supported at one end by said carrier plate;
- and
- a non-rotatable ring gear floatingly mounted for engagement with said idler gears in a position approximately concentric with said output axis, whereby rotation of said output gear is coupled to said drive shaft through said carrier plate and said carrier plate is urged by rotational forces into substantial alignment with said output axis.
A drive unit for a power tool comprising in combination:
- a drive motor having an output member supplying drive torque;
- a drive shaft for driving a tool bit;
- clutch means slidably mounted on said drive shaft;
- trigger means operable to move said clutch means away from said tool bit into engagement with said output member to couple drive torque to said drive shaft;
- detent means adjustably mounted on the case of said power tool and including a stop member;
- a stop pawl affixed to said clutch means and engagable with said detent means when said clutch means is moved toward said tool bit;
- means for moving said clutch means toward said tool bit when said trigger is released to remove said drive torque, said movement engaging said stop member and stop pawl to arrest rotation of said drive shaft and tool bit in a predetermined angular position;
- and
- clamping means for releasably clamping said detent means, whereby the position of said detent means can be adjusted to change the stopping point of said drive shaft and tool bit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.