Anti-rotation for thrust washers in planetary gear system
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsDean A. Norem, Tye L. Klipp, Jeff A. Brown, Bradley A. Delmore, William C. Trommer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bushing for use in a planetary gear system has a cylindrical body portion defining a bore extending along a central axis to be received on a planetary gear shaft. A tab extends axially beyond a nominal body portion of the bushing and is received in a notch in a thrust washer adjacent to the bushing to prevent rotation of the thrust washer. A gear cage and an air turbine starter incorporating the bushing, along with a method of installing the bushing are also disclosed.
Claims16
A gear cage comprising:
- a planet gear to be incorporated into a planetary gear system for rotation about an axis;
- at least one bearing for supporting said planet gear;
- a pair of bushings mounted at opposed axial ends of said gear, each of said bushings being associated with a thrust washer, each of said thrust washers including a notch, and each of said bushings including a tab extending axially from a nominal body of said bushing, and received in said notch of said associated thrust washer to prevent rotation.
An air turbine starter comprising:
- an air inlet for directing air across a turbine rotor, said turbine rotor being driven to rotate by the air, and drive a turbine shaft, said turbine shaft driving a planetary gear system by driving a sun gear;
- a plurality of planet gears to be driven by said sun gear about an axis;
- said plurality of planet gears engaged to drive a ring gear;
- a housing for supporting said planet gears;
- said planet gears including a bearing within an inner peripheral bore, and a planet shaft in each said planet gear supported within said bearing;
- and
- a pair of bushings mounted at opposed axial ends of each said gear, each of said bushings being adjacent a thrust washer, each of said thrust washers including a notch, and each of said bushings including a tab extending axially from a nominal body of said bushing, and received in said notch of said associated thrust washer to prevent rotation.
A method of assembling a gear cage into an air turbine starter comprising the steps of:
- placing a pair of axial spaced bushings about a planet gear shaft, and placing a planet gear between said bushings, thrust washers positioned to have faces abutting said gear, and inserting tabs extending axially beyond nominal body portions of said bushings into notches in the thrust washers to prevent rotation of the thrust washers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.