High speed shaft mounted drive

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION WITH A PRIME MOVER HAVING AN OUTPUT SHAFT AND A DOUBLE ARTICULATING FLEXIBLE COUPLING MOUNTED AT ONE END UPON SAID OUTPUT SHAFT OF A SPEED REDUCER ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT OF A MACHINE DRIVEN THEREBY, SAID SPEED REDUCER COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING COAXIAL OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE WALLS THEREOF; AN INPUT SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING IN ONE WALL OF SAID HOUSING AND MOUNTING THE OTHER END OF SAID COUPLING; A HIGH SPEED PINION MOUNTED ON SAID INPUT SHAFT WITHIN SAID HOUSING; A SPIDER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OF SIDE FRAMES AND SPANNER MEANS SECURED TO EACH OF SAID SIDE FRAMES AND RETAINING SAID SIDE FRAMES IN FIXED AXIALLY SPACED RELATION, ONE OF SAID SIDE FRAMES BEING SECURED AGAINST ROTATION TO THE OPPOSITE WALL OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID SIDE FRAMES EACH HAVING A CENTRAL AXIAL BORE; A PLURALITY OF INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS JOURNALED IN SAID SPIDER ASSEMBLY IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP AND EQUALLY ANNULARLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS EACH HAVING AN INBOARD PORTION AND AN OUTBOARD PORTION; AN INTERMEDIATE GEAR MOUNTED ON THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF EACH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HIGH SPEED PINION, SAID HIGH SPEED PINION BEING FREE TO FLOAT RADIALLY TO THEREBY DISTRIBUTE BETWEEN THE INTERMEDIATE GEARS THE TORQUE LOAD IMPOSED ON THE HIGH SPEED PINION; AN INTERMEDIATE PINION MOUNTED ON THE INBOARD PORTION OF EACH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS; A LOW SPEED GEAR JOURNALED IN THE CENTRAL BORES OF SAID SIDE FRAMES AND IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE PINIONS, SAID LOW SPEED GEAR HAVING A HOLLOW PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE MACHINE DRIVE SHAFT; AND TORQUE REACTION MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING FOR RETAINING THE SAME AGAINST ROTATION.