Gas turbine engine lubrication means

Claim 1

A GAS TURBINE ENGINE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A CYLINDRICAL ENGINE CASING ENCLOSING THEREIN IN AXIAL SPACED SERIAL FLOW RELATIONSHIP A COMPRESSOR, A COMBUSTOR, AND A TURBINE, (B) A HOLLOW AXIALLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICAL SHAFT CONNECTING SAID COMPRESSOR AND SAID TURBINE, (C) FIRST AND SECOND BEARING ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT AT THE COMPRESSOR AND TURBINE ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID ENGINE, (D) INNER AND OUTER STATIONARY TUBES COAXIALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING THE ENTIRE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID SHAFT, (E) SAID STATIONARY TUBES DEFINING COAXIAL INNER AND OUTER PASSAGEWAYS, (F) A LUBRICANT RESERVOIR AT THE COMPRESSOR END OF SAID SHAFT, (G) FIRST PUMPING MEANS CONNECTING SAID RESERVOIR AND SAID OUTER PASSAGEWAY FOR SUPPLYING LUBRICANT TO SAID OUTER PASSAGEWAY, (H) SECOND PUMPING MEANS CONNECTING SAID INNER PASSAGEWAY AND SAID RESERVOIR FOR RETURNING LUBRICANT TO SAID RESERVOIR, (I) SAID OUTER TUBE AND SAID SHAFT HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SETS OF OPENINGS THEREIN AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH AND RADIALLY INWARD OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BEARING, (J) A FIRST SUMP ADJACENT THE COMPRESSOR END OF SAID SHAFT FOR RECEIVING LUBRICANT FROM SAID FIRST BEARING, (K) FIRST FLUID PASSAGE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST SUMP, (L) THIRD PUMPING MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST FLUID PASSAGE MEANS AND SAID RESERVOIR FOR RETURNING LUBRICANT THERETO, (M) A SECOND SUMP ADJACENT THE TURBINE END OF SAID SHAFT FOR RECEIVING LUBRICANT FROM SAID SECOND BEARING, (N) AND SECOND FLUID PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECOND SUMP AND SAID INNER PASSAGEWAY AT THE TURBINE END OF SAID SHAFT, (O) WHEREBY LUBRICANT SUPPLIED TO SAID OUTER PASSAGEWAY FLOWS THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND SETS OF OPENINGS TO LUBRICANT SAID BEARINGS AND WHEREBY LUBRICANT SUPPLIED TO SAID SECOND BEARING RETURNS TO SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID INNER PASSAGEWAY.