Controllable gear testing system
AssigneeGEI Systems, Inc.
InventorYevsey Gutman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear testing machine for evaluating the performance of a set of gears including a base support platform that mounts a pinion for movement in at least two mutually perpendicular axes, and permits fixing the pinion in place. The gear is then mounted relative to the pinion through controllable actuators attached to the frame so that the gear support can be positioned at a desired location relative to the pinion spindle axis to compensate for errors in mounting and to provide for very accurate mounting in accordance with specified parameters. The position of the gear carriage can be changed during a testing sequence when the gears are being run to observe changes in parameters on the gears.
Claims31
An apparatus for testing and adjusting a position of a first gear with respect to a second gear relative to three substantially orthogonal axes, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame rotatably supporting the first gear;
- a carriage rotatably supporting the second gear about a central axis of the second gear;
- actuator means connected to the frame for supporting the carriage relative to the first gear, the actuator means moving the carriage so that the second gear is linearly displaced along the three substantially orthogonal axes and is rotationally displaced about at least one of the axes;
- and
- sensing means to determine relative displacement of the second gear with respect to the first gear.
A method for testing the running of a gear set comprising a first gear and a second gear relative to three substantially orthogonal axes, the method comprising:
- providing a frame for rotatably supporting the first gear, a carriage for rotatably supporting the second gear for rotation about a central axis of the second gear, actuator means connected to the frame for supporting the carriage relative to the first gear, and sensing means to determine relative displacement of the second gear with respect to the first gear;
- adjusting the first gear relative to the frame to allow the first gear to rotatably mesh with the second gear;
- and
- operating the actuator means as the gear set is rotated to displace the second gear linearly along the three substantially orthogonal axes and to displace the second gear rotationally about at least one of the orthogonal axes to adjust the gear mesh between the first gear and the second gear.
A method of testing a set of gears including a pinion and a gear that are positioned for rotation about separate axes at a known included angle relative to each other and comprising the steps of:
- fixing a pinion spindle for rotation about an axis to drive the pinion about said axis, and having the pinion spindle fixed relative to a frame;
- providing a gear support carriage for supporting the gear for rotation about a gear spindle axis relative to the frame, said supporting includes supporting the gear for movement in at least four degrees of freedom comprising linear displacement in a line parallel to the spindle pinion axis;
- linear displacement in a line perpendicular to the spindle pinion axis;
- rotational displacement about the spindle pinion axis;
- and rotational displacement about an axis perpendicular to the spindle pinion axis;
- and sensing means to determine relative displacement of the second gear with respect to the first gear;
- and
- establishing the gear support carriage at nominal settings relative to the pinion and adjusting the gear support carriage for compensation for errors in the controlled degrees of freedom and utilizing servocontrolled actuators for making such adjustment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.