Planetary gear drive assembly
US5662545A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 22, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/19623
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A planetary gear drive assembly for a rotary sprinkler includes a drive housing in which a planetary gear train is enclosed. A turbine located beneath one end of the drive housing rotates the gear train through a turbine shaft that extends into the drive housing. An output shaft extends out of the other end of the drive housing for rotating the nozzle assembly of the rotary sprinkler. The drive assembly includes an alignment means for causing the planetary gears in each stage of the gear train to self align the planetary gears relative to an internal ring gear on the drive housing as each stage is slid into the drive housing during assembly. The alignment means comprises a stepped extension on a forward edge of the ring gear that extends around only a portion of the circumference of the ring gear.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.