US3589471A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Spline lubrication from reservoir
Assignee: Rolls Royce PLC
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Filing: 1969-03-07
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Granted: 1971-06-29
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Expires: 1989-03-07
Abstract
Abstract A lubricated drive system for an accessory of a gas turbine engine which includes means for intermittently lubricating a splined interconnection between two shafts as well as means for lubricating a bearing for the shafts. Lubricant is supplied to an annular reservoir within one shaft, and this reservoir is kept full by centrifugal force when the shaft is rotating. During this period of rotation at a predetermined minimum speed, the excess lubricant supplied to the reservoir is discharged therefrom onto the bearing for the shaft or shafts, and when rotation of the shaft reduces below the minimum value or stops, the predetermined amount of lubricant within the annular reservoir spills therefrom onto a splined interconnection between the shafts so that it can centrifuge into the splines when rotation of the shafts begins.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert G Edge
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:38
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C33/00; F16C33/30; F16C33/66; F16C33/6637; F16C33/6659; F01; F01D; F01D25/00; F01D25/18; F16C33/664; F16C33/6651; F16C33/6677; F16N; F16N9/00; F16N9/02; F16C19/00; F16C19/02; F16C19/04; F16C19/06; F16C2360/00; F16C2360/23
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
A lubricated drive system for an accessory of a gas turbine engine comprising: a hollow drive shaft extending from the engine and having splines on one end thereof; bearing means rotatably supporting said drive shaft; a second shaft extending from the accessory and having splines on one end thereof drivingly interconnected with the splines of said hollow drive shaft; an annular reservoir provided internally of said hollow drive shaft and arranged to be continuously supplied with lubricant; outlet means providing communication between said bearing means and said reservoir, said outlet means being positioned with respect to said reservoir so that when speed of rotation of said drive shaft is equal or greater than a predetermined value, a predetermined quantity of lubricant is retained in said reservoir by centrifugal force and excess lubricant in said reservoir flows through said outlet means and lubricates said bearing means; and means providing communication between said reservoir and the drivingly interconnected splines of said drive shaft and said second shaft and arranged to permit the predetermined quantity of lubricant in said reservoir to spill therefrom to said drivingly interconnected splines when speed of rotation of said drive shaft falls below said predetermined value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
A lubricated drive system for an accessory of a gas turbine engine comprising: a hollow drive shaft extending from the engine and having splines on one end thereof; bearing means rotatably supporting said drive shaft; a second shaft extending from the accessory and having splines on one end thereof drivingly interconnected with the splines of said hollow drive shaft; an annular reservoir provided internally of said hollow drive shaft and arranged to be continuously supplied with lubricant; outlet means providing communication between said bearing means and said reservoir, said outlet means being positioned with respect to said reservoir so that when speed of rotation of said drive shaft is equal or greater than a predetermined value, a predetermined quantity of lubricant is retained in said reservoir by centrifugal force and excess lubricant in said reservoir flows through said outlet means and lubricates said bearing means; and means providing communication between said reservoir and the drivingly interconnected splines of said drive shaft and said second shaft and arranged to permit the predetermined quantity of lubricant in said reservoir to spill therefrom to said drivingly interconnected splines when speed of rotation of said drive shaft falls below said predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
A lubricated drive system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow drive shaft is provided with a circumferentially extending recess in its internal surface which defines said reservoir, said recess being positioned between axially separated portions having different radii, and in which said outlet means comprises at least one substantially radially extending duct extending between the one portion of the internal surface of said drive shaft having the larger radius and the external surface of the drive shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
A lubricated drive system as claimed in claim 2 in which said outlet means further includes an annular chamber provided on the external surface of said drive shaft and at least one further duct communicating with the chamber on the external surface of said drive shaft and extending radially outwardly, said one further duct communicating with the annular chamber on the external surface of said drive shaft at a position substantially diametrically opposed to a position in which said first-mentioned duct communicates whereby lubricant is substantially prevented from flowing to said bearing means when speed of rotation of said drive shaft falls below said predetermined value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
111 words
A lubricated drive system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means providing communication between said reservoir and the drivingly interconnected splines includes an annular weir member provided on the portion of the internal surface of said drive shaft having the larger radius, said annular weir member being positioned on the side of said first-mentioned duct remote from said reservoir and between the said first-mentioned duct and said drivingly interconnected splines, said annular weir member having an intersurface of a greater radius than the portion of the internal surface of said drive member having the smaller radius to thereby permit lubricant to spill from the reservoir to the drivingly interconnected splines.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
A lubricated drive system as claimed in claim 1 in which said hollow drive shaft is open and in which the splines on one end thereof are on the internal surface of said drive shaft, and wherein said second shaft has its splines provided on its external surface and which projects into the open end of said drive shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A lubricated drive system as claimed in claim 5 including an annular sealing membEr between the internal surface of the open end of said drive shaft and the external surface of said second shaft on a side of the splines remote from said reservoir.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-28 | 1974-12-28 | 1975-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-28 | 1978-12-28 | 1979-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-28 | 1982-12-28 | 1983-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |