Reactionlless differential rotary driver having optimized output torques

A reactionless differential rotary drive mechanism comprising:

• a housing;
• differential drive means including an input shaft supported from said housing and adapted to be rotatably driven relative thereto, and first and second output gears concentric to said input shaft and rotatable in mutually opposite directions, said second output gear being a ring gear having both internal and external teeth and said first output gear being an external tooth gear;
• a central output shaft rotatably supported from said housing in laterally offset relation to said input shaft;
• a circumferential output shaft rotatably supported from said housing in concentric relation to said central output shaft;
• said central output shaft having an input gear driven by said external teeth of said second output gear;
• and
• said circumferential output shaft having an input gear driven by said first output gear.

A reactionless differential rotary drive mechanism comprising:

• a housing;
• differential drive means including an input shaft supported from said housing and adapted to be rotatably driven relative thereto, and first and second output gears concentric to said input shaft and rotatable in mutually opposite directions, said second output gear being a ring gear having both internal and external teeth and said first output gear being an external tooth gear;
• a central output shaft disposed in laterally offset relation to said input shaft, having associated bearing means rotatably supporting said central output shaft from said housing;
• a circumferential output shaft rotatably supported from said central output shaft in concentric relation thereto;
• said central output shaft having an input gear driven by said external teeth of said second output gear;
• said circumferential output shaft having an input gear driven by said first output gear;
• and
• said bearing means including a one-way clutch so that said circumferential output shaft cannot overpower said central output shaft and cause it to rotate in the wrong direction.

A differential rotary drive mechanism comprising:

• a primary driver having a rotor;
• differential drive means including an input shaft driven by said rotor and first and second output gears concentric to each other and rotatable in mutually opposite directions, said second output gear being a ring gear having both internal and external teeth and said first output gear being an external tooth gear;
• an output assembly including coaxial central and circumferential counter rotating output shafts having respective input gears;
• and
• rigid housing means rotatably supporting both said differential drive means and said output shafts in such relationship that the axis of rotation of said output shafts is laterally offset relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and said external teeth of said second output ring gear drive said input gear of said central output shaft and said first output gear drives said input gear of said circumferential output shaft.

A differential rotary drive mechanism comprising:

• a primary driver having a rotor;
• differential drive means including an input shaft driven by said rotor and first and second output gears concentric to each other and rotatable in mutually opposite directions, said second output gear being a ring gear having both internal and external teeth and said first output gear being an external tooth gear;
• an output assembly including coaxial central and circumferential counter rotating output shafts having respective input gears;
• bearing means rotatably supporting said central output shaft from said housing;
• rigid housing means rotatably supporting both said differential drive means and said output shafts in such relationship that the axis of rotation of said output shafts is laterally offset relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and said external teeth of said second output ring gear drive said input gear of said central output shaft and said first output gear drives said input gear of said circumferential output shaft;
• and
• wherein said bearing means includes a one-way clutch so that said circumferential output shaft cannot overpower said central output shaft and cause it to rotate in the same direction.

A reactionless differential rotary drive machine for tightening a nut onto a bolt, comprising:

• a rigid housing;
• a rotor rotatably supported from said housing and adapted to be rotatably driven relative to said housing;
• a central output shaft for removably engaging the bolt;
• a circumferential output shaft concentric to said central output shaft for removably engaging the nut;
• said housing rotatably supporting both said central output shaft and said circumferential output shaft in laterally offset relation to the axis of said rotor;
• differential gear means of the planetary type rotatably supported by said housing, said rotor being drivingly coupled to said differential gear means, and said differential gear means having an external tooth output gear and an output ring gear having both internal and external teeth;
• and
• a spur gear on said central output shaft coupled to said external teeth of said output ring gear, and a spur gear on said circumferential output shaft coupled to said external tooth output gear, for rotatably driving said two shafts concurrently but in opposite rotational sense.

A powered nut-runner for securing threaded fasteners of the type in which both the threaded end of a bolt and an interfitting nut are provided with wrench engagement means, which consists of a housing, a primary driver having a stator and a rotor, means supporting the rotor for rotation relative to the housing, a differential mechanism having an input driven from the rotor and two separate outputs, and coaxial inner and outer output shafts carrying respective wrenches, characterized by means for preventing an externally manifested reaction torque of the housing, said reaction torque prevention means comprising:

• the outputs of the differential mechanism being coaxial and including an output ring gear having both internal and external teeth and an external tooth output gear;
• the housing including a rigid lateral extension;
• means rotatably supporting both of the output shafts from said housing extension in laterally offset relation to the rotor;
• and
• said external teeth of said output ring gear drivingly engaging said inner output shaft, and said external tooth output gear drivingly engaging said outer output shaft.

A hand-held differential rotary driver consisting of a housing, a primary driver having a rotor supported by the housing, a differential gear mechanism supported from the housing and having an input shaft rotatably driven by the rotor and having two separate outputs, and coaxial, counter-rotating output shafts driven by the differential gear mechanism, which differential driver is adapted to protect the hand and arm of the operator from experiencing from experiencing reaction torque, characterized by:

• said differential gear mechanism having first and second output gearings, said first output gearing being an external tooth gear and said second output gearing being a ring gear having internal and external teeth;
• the housing having a lateral extension portion which extends laterally from the rotor;
• said coaxial output shafts including a central shaft and a circumferential shaft, each having its own drive gearing;
• means supporting said coaxial output shafts from said lateral extension portion of the housing in laterally offset relation to the rotor;
• and
• the external teeth of said second output gearing of said differential gear mechanism being drivingly coupled to the drive gearing of said central output shaft, and said first output gearing of said differential gear mechanism being drivingly coupled to the drive gearing of said circumferential output shaft.

A reactionless differential rotary drive mechanism comprising:

• a housing;
• differential drive means including an input shaft rotatably supported from said housing, and first and second output gears concentric to said input shaft and rotatable in mutually opposite directions, said second output gear being a ring gear having both internal and external teeth and said first output gear being an external tooth gear;
• a central output shaft and a concentric outer output shaft disposed in laterally offset relation to said input shaft, said output shafts being rotatably supported from said housing;
• said central output shaft having an input gear driven by said external teeth of said second output gear, and said outer output shaft having an input gear driven by said first output gear;
• said outer output shaft providing a greater output torque than said central output shaft;
• and
• bearing means providing rotatable support for said central output shaft and including a one-way clutch so that said central output shaft is prevented from rotating with said outer output shaft.