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US 9,809,291 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for rotating a shaft
OwnerEric Gallowayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Turning gear apparatus (10) for rotating a shaft (11) comprises a rotary drive arrangement (12) and a transmission system including a pivot arm (20). The rotary drive arrangement (12) is fixed, for example to a vessel hull (14), and the pivot arm (20) is pivotable between a first, shaft-disengaged, position and a second, shaft-engaged position where the rotary drive arrangement (12) is operably coupled to the shaft (11), thereby permitting control over rotation of the shaft (11) by the rotary drive arrangement (12).
Claims18
Turning gear apparatus for rotating a shaft, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotary drive arrangement adapted to be fixed to a vessel hull;
- a transmission system coupled to the rotary drive arrangement, the transmission system comprising a pivot arm adapted to be pivoted about a pivot axis to engage the transmission system with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement, a first driven member coupled to and adapted for rotation by the rotary drive arrangement, and a second driven member adapted to be driven by the first driven member;
- and
- an actuator for pivoting said pivot arm about said pivot axis between a first position and a second position, and vice versa,
- wherein said pivot arm is disposed about said pivot axis, said pivot axis being co-linear with a drive shaft axis of said rotary drive arrangement,
- wherein a first part of said pivot arm is disposed on one side of said drive shaft axis and a second part of said pivot arm is disposed on an opposing side of the drive shaft axis from said first part of said pivot arm,
- wherein said actuator is physically coupled to said first part of said pivot arm and the second driven member is disposed on said second part of said pivot arm,
- wherein the actuator is coupled to a lower portion of the pivot arm and configurable to pivot the pivot arm so that a driven member rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the pivot arm engages with the shaft to permit rotation or the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement.
5 more elements
A method of rotating a shaft, the method comprising:
- providing a turning gear apparatus comprising:
- a rotary drive arrangement adapted to be fixed to a vessel hull;
- a transmission system coupled to the rotary drive arrangement, the transmission system comprising a pivot arm adapted to be pivoted about a pivot axis to engage the transmission system with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement, a first driven member coupled to and adapted for rotation by the rotary drive arrangement, and a second driven member adapted to be driven by the first driven member;
- and an actuator for pivoting said pivot arm about said pivot axis between a first, disengaged, position and a second, shaft-engaging, position, and vice versa, wherein said pivot arm is disposed about said pivot axis, said pivot axis being co-linear with a drive shaft axis of said rotary drive arrangement, wherein a first part of said pivot arm is disposed on one side of said drive shaft axis and a second part of said pivot arm is disposed on an opposing side of the drive shaft axis from said first part of said pivot arm, wherein said actuator is physically coupled to said first part of said pivot arm and the second driven member is disposed on said second part of said pivot arm, wherein the actuator is coupled to a lower portion of the pivot arm so that a driven member rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the pivot arm engages with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement;
- pivoting said pivot arm between said first, disengaged, position and said second, shaft engaging, position using said actuator;
- and
- operating said rotary drive arrangement to permit rotation of the shaft via the transmission system.
4 more elements
Turning gear apparatus for rotating a shaft, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotary drive arrangement adapted to be fixed to a vessel hull;
- a transmission system coupled to the rotary drive arrangement, the transmission system comprising a pivot arm adapted to be pivoted about a pivot axis to engage the transmission system with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement, a first driven member coupled to and adapted for rotation by the rotary drive arrangement, and a second driven member adapted to be driven by the first driven member;
- an actuator for pivoting said pivot arm about said pivot axis between a first position and a second position, and vice versa;
- and
- a control system for controlling engagement between engagement between the apparatus and the shaft to be rotated, the control system comprising speed sensors adapted to facilitate synchronisation of the apparatus and the shaft,
- wherein said pivot arm is disposed about said pivot axis, said pivot axis being co-linear with a drive shaft axis of said rotary drive arrangement,
- wherein a first part of said pivot arm is disposed on one side or said drive shaft axis and a second part of said pivot arm is disposed on an opposing side of the drive shaft axis from said first part of said pivot arm,
- and wherein said actuator is physically coupled to said first part of said pivot arm and the second driven member is disposed on said second part of said pivot arm a control system for controlling engagement between the apparatus and the shaft to be rotated, the control system comprising speed sensors adapted to facilitate synchronization of the apparatus and the shaft.
5 more elements
A method of rotating a shaft, the method comprising:
- providing a turning gear apparatus comprising:
- a rotary drive arrangement adapted to be fixed to a vessel hull;
- a transmission system coupled to the rotary drive arrangement, the transmission system comprising a pivot arm adapted to be pivoted about a pivot axis to engage the transmission system with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft by the rotary drive arrangement, a first driven member coupled to and adapted for rotation by the rotary drive arrangement, and a second driven member adapted to be driven by the first driven member;
- and
- an actuator for pivoting said pivot arm about said pivot axis between a first, disengaged, position and a second, shaft-engaging, position, and vice versa,
- wherein said pivot arm is disposed about said pivot axis, said pivot axis being co-linear with a drive shaft axis of said rotary drive arrangement,
- wherein a first part of said pivot arm is disposed on one side of said drive shaft axis and a second part of said pivot arm is disposed on an opposing side of the drive shaft axis from said first part of said pivot arm,
- and wherein said actuator is physically coupled to said first part of said pivot arm and the second driven member is disposed on said second part of said pivot arm;
- and
- a control system for controlling engagement between the apparatus and the shaft to be rotated, the control system comprising speed sensors adapted to facilitate synchronisation of the apparatus and the shaft;
- pivoting said pivot arm between said first, disengaged, position and said second, shaft engaging, position using said actuator;
- and
- operating said rotary drive arrangement to permit rotation of the shaft via the transmission system.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.