Gears

Claim 2

A gear wheel support of composite construction and comprising a gear wheel support sleeve, an internal abutment pillar fast with the gear wheel support sleeve, a carrier, and an abutment pillar protruding from a face of the carrier, the pillar being secured in abutting relationship and together comprising a flexible spindle co-axial with the sleeve, and carrying the gear wheel support sleeve, this spindle being capable of deflecting elastically, in use of the support, under gear load, there being an annular clearance between the spindle and the sleeve.

Claim 3

A gear wheel support according to claim 1, wherein the pillars abut one another at a point along the spindle formed thereby that is the point of contraflexure of the spindle when, in use of the support, the spindle deflects under gear load.

Claim 4

A gear wheel support according to claim 2 and further comprising a nut and bolt securing the pillars in said abutting relationship, the bolt being co-axial with the pillars.

Claim 5

A gear wheel support according to claim 3, wherein the head of said bolt is positioned on one side of what is the point of contraflexure of the spindle in use of the support, the bolt head being disposed in a recess in the sleeve pillar so as to be close to said point; and wherein the major part of the shank of the bolt, the nut that secures the bolt, and the carrier abutment pillar all lie on the other side of this point, the arrangement being such that in operation the effective centre mass of the support is coincident with said point of contraflexure.

Claim 6

A gear wheel support according to claim 4, wherein the sections of the pillars differ from one another whereby the flexing characteristics of the pillars differ from one another by a predetermined extent.

Claim 7

A gear wheel support according to claim 5, wherein the section of the sleeve is increased at a zone that lies on said other side of said point.

Claim 8

A gear wheel support according to claim 3, wherein the bolt has a land along its shank that is a close tolerance fit in the pillars where they abut one another.

Claim 9

A gear wheel support according to claim 3, wherein the pillars abut one another at mating female and male concentric tapered faces.

Claim 10

A gear wheel support according to claim 3, wherein the pillars abut one another at a close fitting concentric recess and engaging spigot arrangement.

Claim 11

A gear wheel support according to claim 3, wherein the abutting faces of the pillars carry cooperating radial splines, serrations or teeth.

Claim 12

A gear wheel support according to claim 1, wherein the zones of the carrier and the sleeve at which the respective ends of the pillars are secured to the carrier and the sleeve are of diaphragm form so as to be capable of flexing relative to the remainder of the carrier and sleeve, flexure of the zones in use of the support being additive to flexure of the spindle.

Claim 13

A gear wheel support according to claim 11, wherein the flexing characteristics of said zones are such that the flexure which one adds to flexure of the spindle differs from the flexure which the other adds to flexure of the spindle.

Claim 14

A gear wheel support according to claim 12, wherein said zone of the carrier is formed by the base of a circular recess in the carrier.

Claim 15

A gear wheel support according to claim 12, wherein said zone of the carrier is formed by the base of a channel in the carrier.

Claim 16

A gear wheel support according to claim 12, wherein either or both of said zones are stiffened to provide resistance to loads imposed in the radial direction in operation.

Claim 17

A gear wheel support according to claim 1, wherein the support sleeve pillar is integral with the support sleeve; and wherein the carrier pillar is integral with the carrier.

Claim 18

A gear wheel support according to claim 1, wherein the support sleeve pillar is united with the support sleeve by means of a weld effected by electron beam welding; and wherein the carrier pillar is united with the carrier by means of a weld effected by electron beam welding.

Claim 19

A gear train having gear wheels mounted on gear wheel supports, each support being of composite construction and comprising a gear wheel support sleeve, an internal abutment pillar fast with the gear wheel support sleeve, a carrier, and an abutment pillar protruding from a face of the carrier, the pillars being secured in abutting relationship and together comprising a flexible spindle co-axial with the sleeve, and carrying the gear wheel support sleeve, this spindle being capable of deflecting elastically, in use of the support, under gear load, there being an annular clearance between the spindle and the sleeve, and in which the pillars abut one another at a point along the spindle formed thereby that is the point of contraflexure of the spindle when, in use of the support, the spindle deflects under gear load; this point of contraflexure, the abutment faces of the pillars and the effective centre mass of the support being in a common plane transverse of the spindle and that contains the line of action of the gear tooth load.

Claim 20

A gear train having gear wheels mounted on gear wheel supports, each support being of composite construction and comprising a gear wheel support sleeve, an internal abutment pillar fast with the gear wheel support sleeve, a carrier, and an abutment pillar protruding from a face of the carrier, the pillars being secured in abutting relationship and together comprising a flexible spindle co-axial with the sleeve, and carrying the gear wheel support sleeve, this spindle being capable of deflecting elastically, in use of the support, under gear load, there being an annular clearance between the spindle and the sleeve, and in which the pillars abut one another at a point along the spindle formed thereby that is the point of contraflexure of the spindle when, in use of the support, the spindle deflects under gear load; this point of contraflexure, the abutment faces of the pillars and the effective centre mass of the support being in a common plane transverse of the spindle and that contains the line of action of the gear tooth load.