Abstract An input shaft is rotatably mounted within a tubular casing and has an eccentric double-gear pinion rotatably mounted thereon. When input shaft rotates, one of the pinion gears rolls epicyclicly around an internal spur gear fixedly attached to inner side of the casing and the other pinion gear rolls epicyclicly around an internal spur gear fixed to one end of an output shaft which supports one end of the input shaft and which is itself journalled within the casing for rotation about the axis of said input shaft. A lever arm is connected to the output shaft and extends through an aperture in the side wall of the casing. Meshed pairs of the pinion gears and spur gears have different numbers of teeth, and cause output shaft to rotate at much lower speed than input shaft.
In an aircraft wherein a plurality of vanes are pivoted to and spaced circumferentially about a wall structure, means for rotating said vanes comprising: a plurality of drive mechanisms mounted on said wall structure and respectively located adjacent said vanes, each of said mechanisms comprising a tubular casing open at both ends, a first internal spur gear fixedly extending around the inner surface of said casing at one end thereof, a tubular output shaft disposed within and journalled to said casing in coaxial relation with said first spur gear, said output shaft extending under the aperture in said casing and terminating at a point between said aperture and said first spur gear, a second internal spur gear fixedly disposed on said output shaft at the end thereof adjacent said first spur gear, said second spur gear being coaxial with said output shaft, an input shaft rotatably mounted within said output shaft and extending between the openings in the ends of said casing and aligned therewith, a pinion mounted on said input shaft for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel with the longitudinal axis of said input shaft, said pinion being formed with first and second gears which respectively mesh with and roll epicyclicly around said first and second spur gears when said input shaft rotates, the number of teeth in said first and second pinion gears being respectively different from the number of teeth in said first and second spur gears, and a lever arm fixedly connected at one end to said output shaft and extending laterally therefrom through the aperture in said casing: drive means connected to the input shaft of one of said mechanisms and operable to selectively rotate the same in opposite directions; means respectively interconnecting the input shafts of adjacent pairs of said mechanisms, whereby when said drive means rotates the input shaft of said one mechanism the input shafts of the other mechanisms are also rotated; and a plurality of links respectively pivoted at one end to the free ends of the lever arms of said mechanisms and pivoted at the other end to said vanes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
353 words
In an aircraft wherein a plurality of vanes are pivoted to and spaced circumferentially about a wall structure, means for rotating said vanes comprising: a plurality of drive mechanisms mounted on said wall structure and respectively located adjacent said vanes, each of said mechanisms comprising a tubular casing open at both ends, a first internal spur gear fixedly extending around the inner surface of said casing at one end thereof, a tubular output shaft disposed within and journalled to said casing in coaxial relation with said first spur gear, said output shaft extending under the aperture in said casing and terminating at a point between said aperture and said first spur gear, a second internal spur gear fixedly disposed on said output shaft at the end thereof adjacent said first spur gear, said second spur gear being coaxial with said output shaft, an input shaft rotatably mounted within said output shaft and extending between the openings in the ends of said casing and aligned therewith, a pinion mounted on said input shaft for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel with the longitudinal axis of said input shaft, said pinion being formed with first and second gears which respectively mesh with and roll epicyclicly around said first and second spur gears when said input shaft rotates, the number of teeth in said first and second pinion gears being respectively different from the number of teeth in said first and second spur gears, and a lever arm fixedly connected at one end to said output shaft and extending laterally therefrom through the aperture in said casing: drive means connected to the input shaft of one of said mechanisms and operable to selectively rotate the same in opposite directions; means respectively interconnecting the input shafts of adjacent pairs of said mechanisms, whereby when said drive means rotates the input shaft of said one mechanism the input shafts of the other mechanisms are also rotated; and a plurality of links respectively pivoted at one end to the free ends of the lever arms of said mechanisms and pivoted at the other end to said vanes.