Back to results
US 5,518,466 AGranted
Jam-tolerant rotary actuator
AssigneeCurtiss Wright Flight Systems Inc.
InventorRobert K. Tiedeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A jam-tolerant rotary actuator 70 through the incorporation of shear lugs 84,92 formed on an inner input sun gear member 82 and on an inner movable output ring gear member 90 which correspond to recesses 88,96 formed in an outer input sun gear member 86 and in an outer movable output ring gear member 94, respectively, where, upon application of a maximum torque to either the inner input sun gear member 82 or the outer movable output ring gear member 94, the shear lugs 84,92 will shear thereby allowing the inner input sun gear member 82 to be movable independent of the outer input sun gear member 86 or the outer movable output ring gear member 94 to be movable independent of the inner movable output ring gear member 90, respectively.
Claims21
A jam-tolerant rotary actuator comprising:
- an inner cylindrical sun gear member having at least one shear lug formed thereon;
- an outer cylindrical sun gear member surrounding said inner sun gear member, said outer sun gear member having at least one recess formed therein corresponding to said at least one inner sun gear member shear lug for accepting the same, said outer sun gear member having external gear teeth formed therein;
- a plurality of cylindrical spindle gears arranged around said outer sun gear member, each of said plurality of spindle gears having external gear teeth formed therein, said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears meshing with said external gear teeth of said outer sun gear member;
- an inner cylindrical movable ring gear member surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, said inner movable ring gear member having at least one shear lug formed thereon, said inner movable ring gear member having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of said inner movable ring gear member meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears;
- an outer cylindrical movable ring gear member surrounding said inner movable ring gear member, said outer movable ring gear member having at least one recess formed therein corresponding to said at least one inner movable ring gear member shear lug for accepting the same;
- and
- at least one cylindrical fixed ring gear surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, each said fixed ring gear having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of each said fixed ring gear meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears.
4 more elements
A jam-tolerant rotary actuator comprising:
- an inner cylindrical sun gear member having at least one shear lug formed thereon;
- an outer cylindrical sun gear member surrounding said inner sun gear member, said outer sun gear member having at least one recess formed therein corresponding to said at least one inner sun gear member shear lug for accepting the same, said outer sun gear member having external gear teeth formed therein;
- a plurality of cylindrical spindle gears arranged around said outer sun gear member, each of said plurality of spindle gears having external gear teeth formed therein, said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears meshing with said external gear teeth of said outer sun gear member;
- a cylindrical movable ring gear surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, said movable ring gear having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of said movable ring gear meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears;
- and
- at least one cylindrical fixed ring gear surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, each said fixed ring gear having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of each said fixed ring gear meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears.
3 more elements
A jam-tolerant rotary actuator comprising:
- a cylindrical sun gear having external gear teeth formed therein;
- a plurality of cylindrical spindle gears arranged around said sun gear, each of said plurality of spindle gears having external gear teeth formed therein, said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears meshing with said external gear teeth of said sun gear;
- an inner cylindrical movable ring gear member surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, said inner movable ring gear member having at least one shear lug formed thereon, said inner movable ring gear member having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of said inner movable ring gear member meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears;
- an outer cylindrical movable ring gear member surrounding said inner movable ring gear member, said outer movable ring gear member having at least one recess formed therein corresponding to said at least one inner movable ring gear member shear lug for accepting the same;
- and
- at least one cylindrical fixed ring gear surrounding said plurality of spindle gears, each said fixed ring gear having internal gear teeth formed therein, said internal gear teeth of each said fixed ring gear meshing with said external gear teeth of said plurality of spindle gears.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.