Abstract:
A rotorcraft is provided which includes a rotor hub, a rotatable universal joint which tilts said rotor hub, and a plurality of servo drives which rotate the universal joint. The plurality of servo drives preferably includes four servomotors coupled together in a velocity summing arrangement to produce a single motion output.
Abstract:
A rotary actuator is provided which includes an internal gear, first and second parallel eccentric gears which mesh with said internal gear, a crankshaft equipped with first and second eccentrics which are 180° out-of-phase and which drive said first and second parallel eccentric gears, respectively, a prime mover which drives said crankshaft, first and second crosslinks which prevent the rotation of said first and second parallel eccentric gears, respectively, and first and second sets of splines which engage said first and second parallel eccentric gears, respectively.
Abstract:
An actuator is provided which includes a parallel eccentric gear train, a prime mover having an assembly of piezoelectric elements which drives the gear train and which forms a mechanical amplifier, and a crankshaft which is driven by the parallel eccentric gear train.
Abstract:
A rotary actuator is provided which includes a prime mover including a rotor and a stator; a front-end star compound gear equipped with a first pinion, a first plurality of star gears arrayed concentrically around said first pinion, a first clutch, a first clutch shift motor, an output shaft, and first, second and third gears, wherein said third gear is attached to said output shaft; a back-end star compound gear; and a wheel interface including a principal bearing and a brake disk. The first pinion drives said the clutch. The first clutch shift motor shifts the first clutch between a first position in which the first clutch engages the first gear, and a second position in which the first clutch engages the second gear. When the first clutch engages the first gear, the first gear drives the first plurality of star gears. When the first clutch engages the first gear, the first plurality of star gears drive the third gear, or the first clutch engages the third gear to drive the output shaft directly.
Abstract:
A power tool is provided which includes a housing assembly; a motor assembly disposed in the housing assembly and having an output shaft; a trigger assembly coupled to the housing assembly and configured for use in actuating the motor assembly; a spindle; and a transmission assembly transmitting rotary power between the motor assembly and the spindle. The transmission assembly comprises a star compound gear train.
Abstract:
A multi-speed hub drive wheel is provided which includes a wheel equipped with a hub; a star compound gear train having first and second stages; a motor disposed in the hub which drives the wheel by way of the star compound gear train; and a clutch which switches the hub drive wheel between a first mode of operation in which the motor engages the first stage of the star compound gear train, and a second mode of operation in which the motor engages the second stage of the star compound gear train.
Abstract:
An orthotic device is provided which includes a first structural element; a second structural element which is rotatably attached to the first structural element across a joint; a first rotary actuator which imparts rotational motion to the first structural element relative to the second structural element about a first axis; and a second rotary actuator which imparts rotational motion to the first structural element relative to the second structural element about a second axis. Each of the first and second rotary actuators is selected from the group consisting of parallel eccentric actuators and rotary actuators.
Abstract:
A parallel eccentric electro-mechanical actuator provides motive power and includes an electric prime mover that drives the reducer's pinion gear. This pinion drives minimum three star gears with stationary shaft bearings. Each shaft contains an eccentric which are completely in parallel with each other. These eccentrics can be thought of as parallel/in-phase driven crankshafts. Each eccentric drives the parallel eccentric (PE) gear through a bearing. The PE gear exhibits a circular motion (without rotation) which in itself is unbalanced. The crankshafts have another eccentric which create an opposite inertia force to balance that of the PE gear. The PE gear contains an external toothed gear on its periphery. It meshes with the internal teeth of the output ring gear. The relative motion between the PE gear and the ring gear is that the PE gear rolls inside the ring gear. This relative motion is called hypo-cycloidal motion.
Abstract:
A multi-speed hub drive wheel (MDW) is provided. The MDW includes first and second gears; a clutch shaft having a clutch collar disposed thereon, wherein the clutch shaft drives the clutch collar between a first position in which the clutch collar engages the first gear, a second position in which the clutch collar engages the second gear, and a third position in which the clutch collar maintains the MDW in neutral; a drive shaft having a first spline disposed thereon; a clutch disk equipped with a yoke, wherein the yoke and the clutch disk slidingly engage the first spline; and a clutch motor which drives the clutch shaft.
Abstract:
An orthotic or prosthetic actuator is provided which includes a parallel eccentric gear train which terminates on a first end in a first plate, and which terminates on a second end in a second, rotatable plate which is adjacent to the first plate. The actuator further includes a spring which is disposed between these adjacent plates. The actuator preferably utilizes Oldham coupling, by way of a pair of crosslinks disposed on each side of the motor, to restrain rotation of the dual parallel eccentric gears in the actuator, while permitting their linear oscillation. The crosslinks are preferably equipped with a tongue/spline lubrication system to provide continuous lubrication to the mated and loaded crosslink tongue and groove surfaces.