Abstract: Planet carrier of an epicyclic gear system with planetary shafts which are connected fixedly to the planet carrier, onto which planet wheels are mounted rotatably using planetary bearings, the teeth of the planetary wheels being helical or chevron teeth, the planet carrier being of the cage type, and where at least two separate planetary wheels are mounted on each planetary shaft, each wheel of which being supported by at least one double-row tapered roller bearing, the outermost bearing ring of each double-row tapered roller bearing being integrated into the planetary wheel concerned.

Abstract: A gear unit includes a housing, two shafts arranged parallel with one another and each supporting a helically cut toothed gear, and two pairs of bearings supported by or relative to the housing in an arrangement in which each pair of bearings rotatably supports a shaft with the toothed gears of the two shafts being rotatable one relative to the other in mutual engagement. Two bearings of the two shafts lying to a common side of the inter-engaged helical gears are supported by a substantially common wall section of the gear unit housing, one of the two bearings being arranged to transmit to the housing wall section axial forces acting in a direction from the gears to the bearing and the other bearing being arranged to transmit to the wall section axial forces acting in a direction from the other bearing to the gears.

Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between said tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing. A method of assembly is also enclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a roller bearing and seeks to reduce or mitigate the high edge stresses experienced by the bearing elements due to shaft misalignment or distortion under load. The invention provides a roller bearing assembly comprising an outer ring supported in a tubular housing formation associated with a wall of housing, the tubular housing formation extending for at least the axial length of the outer ring wherein the tubular housing formation provides a resistance to radial movement of the outer ring which is greater at one axial end of the outer ring than the other axial end. The low ring of resistance to radial movement may be by selectively profiling the tubular housing formation or rendering it circumferentially discontinuous.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a wind turbine includes a rotor hub, a supporting structure, a planetary gear transmission unit having sun, planet and ring gears and a planet carrier. The ring gear is non-rotatably secured to the supporting structure. A main bearing rotatably supports the rotor hub and planet carrier relative to the ring gear and supporting structure. The drive assembly further includes two substantially independent force transmission paths for transmission of forces reacting with forces exerted by the wind turbine rotor hub. A first of the force transmission paths acts from the rotor hub via the main bearing to the supporting structure primarily for transmission of overhang load forces and bending moment forces and a second of the force transmission paths acts from the rotor hub via the planet carrier primarily for transmission of rotational forces.

Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between the tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shaft bearing assembly and also to an industrial gear unit (30) comprising this bearing assembly. The bearing assembly (34) comprises two taper roller bearings mounted axially spaced apart on the shaft (35) with the bearings orientated in an O arrangement in which the rollers of each bearing increase in diameter in the direction away from the other bearing of the pair. In a gear unit (30) the outer cup of the taper roller bearing may be located by an abutment shoulder (32) formed in the housing (11) whilst the inner cone of the taper roller may be located by a lock nut (40) on a threaded end portion of the shaft (35) or by a circlip (61) disposed in annular groove in the shaft (35).

Abstract: A housing (40) for a gear unit, the housing being formed by a moulding process including casting, pressure casting, injection moulding or like processes. The housing (40) of the invention comprises housing walls and support for bearing elements of a gear shaft, the housing walls (47) and support (45, 46) being formed in a mould wherein the support (45, 46) is connected to a wall (47) of the housing (40) and extends from that wall (47) in a direction in which the housing is removed or demoulded from the mould. Further, a surface of the support may be shaped to provide elements to hold a liquid lubricant and elements to direct that lubricant to and/or from the bearing elements of a gear shaft.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a wind turbine (10) comprises a rotor hub (14), supporting structure such as a turbine nacelle (15), a planetary type gear transmission unit comprising sun, planet (47, 48) and ring gears (49) and a planet carrier (41), said planet carrier comprising a planet bogie plate (43) which supports and locates circumferentially spaced gear bearings (45, 46), said bearings (45, 46) being able, in use, to self adjust in angular position relative to the plate (43) whereby the rotational axes of the bearings (45, 46) may be either perpendicular to the general plane of the bogie plate (43) or depart therefrom.

Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between said tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing. A method of assembly is also enclosed.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a wind turbine includes a rotor hub, a supporting structure, a planetary gear transmission unit having sun, planet and ring gears and a planet carrier. The ring gear is non-rotatably secured to the supporting structure. A main bearing rotatably supports the rotor hub and planet carrier relative to the ring gear and supporting structure. The drive assembly further includes two substantially independent force transmission paths for transmission of forces reacting with forces exerted by the wind turbine rotor hub. A first of the force transmission paths acts from the rotor hub via the main bearing to the supporting structure primarily for transmission of overhang load forces and bending moment forces and a second of the force transmission paths acts from the rotor hub via the planet carrier primarily for transmission of rotational forces.

Abstract: A gear unit comprises a planetary stage having at least one bearing which locates a planet carrier rotatably relative to a ring gear, wherein a bearing ring A is subject to local deformation as the planet carrier rotates relative to the ring gear, and wherein a bearing ring B, which is rotatable synchronously with the planet carrier, is precompensated whereby, in comparison with a non-precompensated bearing ring B, radial squeezing of the rolling members of bearing or load concentrations or local unloading of the rolling members of the bearing is reduced.

Abstract: In a series of gear units with increasing torque, each gear unit comprises two or more stages comprising standardized shaft center distances (c, e) and standardized gear wheels (12, 14) and for any stage of given center distance and gear ratio the same intermediate pinion shaft is used systematically in a non-stepped two stage housing and symmetrically stepped three stage housings.