Drive train assembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors

Abstract

A drive train assembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors includes a sprag clutch, an engine coupling subassembly, a transmission coupling subassembly, and a drive shaft mechanically interconnected at the ends thereof to the engine and transmission coupling subassemblies, respectively. The drive train assembly is design optimized to maximize the functional capability of the sprag clutch, the engine coupling subassembly including an external crown spline coupling, internal spline coupling combination that is mounted in combination with the sprag clutch so that loads transmitted through the external crown spline coupling react through the center of the sprag clutch. Further, the drive train assembly is design optimized to maximize allowable axial, angular, and/or parallel misalignments between the engine and the rotor assembly as a result of the mechanical interconnection of the drive shaft to the external crown spline coupling, internal spline coupling combination of the engine coupling subassembly and to the external crown spline coupling, gear spline coupling combination of the transmission coupling subassembly. The drive shaft is configured as a torque tube having inside and outside diameters sized to provide torsionally soft drive shaft such that the drive shaft functions as a torsional spring to isolate spline coupling teeth, the sprag clutch, transmission gearing, and the rotor assembly from vibratory torque generated by the engine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.