US 4,658,665 A · Gear installation

Abstract

The invention provides a compact gear installation in which all the necessary auxiliary equipment for pressure lubrication is accommodated within a gear housing. Also, damage to the gear caused by insufficient lubrication during run down or start-up of the gear is avoided. Within the housing, an oil pump pumps lubricating oil from a lower cooled oil reservoir via a filter to an upright oil reservoir. Oil flows out of said upper reservoir via two main pipes, which subsequently interconnect, to lubricate the gear. When the gear is switched off the lower of these pipes is sealed off, e.g. by a valve, but a certain volume of oil can still flow through the upper pipe to lubricate the gear as it slows down. When the gear is started up again, the lower pipe is reopened and the residual volume of oil (below the level of the upper pipe) can flow through this pipe to provide initial lubrication for the gear.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A gear installation comprising:

a gear housing;
a gear located within said housing;
drive means located outside said housing for operatively driving said gear;
control means for selectively switching said drive means on and off;
a first oil reservoir located in a lower region of said housing beneath said gear;
a second oil reservoir located in an upper region of said housing above said gear;
a duct connecting said first and second oil reservoirs;
a filter disposed in said duct;
an oil pump disposed in said duct and operative to convey oil from said first oil reservoir through said filter to said second oil reservoir;
first and second main pipes which communicate with said second reservoir at respective high and low levels and subsequently communicate with each other to supply oil to said gear;
and
sealing means responsive to said control means for permitting and obstructing fluid flow through said second main pipe when said drive means is respectively switched on and switched off by said control means.

9 more elements

A gear installation, comprising:

a gear;
means for rotatably supporting said gear;
drive means for rotationally driving said gear;
control means for selectively actuating and deactuating said drive means;
a lower oil reservoir at a location vertically lower than said gear;
an upper oil reservoir at a location vertically higher than said gear;
pump means for supplying oil from said lower oil reservoir to said upper oil reservoir when said drive means is effecting rotation of said gear;
means for supplying oil from said upper reservoir to said gear, including first and second conduits which each communicate with said upper reservoir, said first conduit communicating with said upper reservoir at a location vertically higher than a location at which said second conduit communicates with said upper reservoir;
means for causing oil supplied to said gear to thereafter flow back into said lower reservoir;
and valve means responsive to said control means for obstructing fluid flow through said second conduit when said drive means has been deactuated by said control means.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gear installation

Life of this patent

Gear installation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17