Oil capture scoop

• US 4,468,066 A
• Filed: 05/02/1983
• Issued: 08/28/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Kildea, Robert J., Alcorta, Jorge A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/490,700
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 308/187, 308/189 R, 308/207 R, 384/394, 384/398, 384/392, 277/59
• US Class Current: 384/462
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/26 with a single row of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/55 with intermediate floating or independently-driven rings rotating at reduced speed or with other differential ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6677 from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner ring

Abstract

A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart oil scoops are designed to capture oil being slung from an inner shaft across an annulus to an outer shaft which rotates in a direction opposite to the inner shaft. The scoops rotate with and are a part of the outer shaft assembly. The scoops, in one embodiment, are defined by opposed spaced apart wall surfaces oriented substantially parallel to the relative velocity vector of the jets of oil as they travel outwardly from the inner shaft across the annulus. Splashing of the oil as it is picked up by the scoops is minimized by this invention.

Claims

1. A shaft assembly comprising:

first hollow shaft means rotatable about an axis and having an inner surface and an outwardly facing surface;

second shaft means adapted to rotate about said axis in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of said first shaft means and including a shaft portion surrounding said first shaft means, said shaft portion having a radially inwardly facing surface spaced radially outwardly from said outwardly facing surface defining an axially extending annulus therebetween, said shaft portion including wall means defining a plurality of circumferentially and closely spaced apart recesses in said inwardly facing surface, each of said recesses including a radially inwardly facing bottom wall surface, radially extending, axially spaced apart, opposed side wall surfaces, and first and second scoop surfaces adjoining said side wall surfaces, said first scoop surface facing radially inwardly and said second scoop surface facing radially outwardly, said first scoop surface being spaced circumferentially from said second scoop surface in the direction of rotation of said outer shaft means, said first scoop surface of each recess and said second scoop surface of the recess adjacent thereto substantially intersecting along a line parallel to said axis defining a wedge;

said inner shaft means having a plurality of oil passageways extending from said inner surface to said outwardly facing surface, said oil passageways having outlets in the same axial plane as said recesses for directing oil from said oil passageways, across said second annulus, into said recesses; and

means defining second passageways through said second shaft means in fluid communication with said recesses for carrying oil from said recesses through said second shaft means.

2. The shaft assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first scoop surface is flat, and, in a cross section perpendicular to said axis, said first scoop surface forms an angle with a radial line passing through said intersection line of said first and second scoop surfaces, which angle is at least 90°

and is selected to be substantially equal to or greater than the angle of the velocity vector of the oil from said passageway outlets under normal engine operating conditions.

3. The shaft assembly according to claim 2 wherein said second scoop surface is flat and parallel to said first scoop surface.

4. A shaft assembly comprising:

first shaft means rotatable about an axis and including hollow inner shaft means and an outer shaft portion spaced radially outwardly from said inner shaft means, said inner shaft means having an inner surface and an outwardly facing surface;

second shaft means rotatable about said axis in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of said first shaft means and including means defining a shaft end portion disposed radially between said inner shaft means and outer shaft portion of said first shaft means and having a radially inwardly facing surface spaced radially outwardly from said inner shaft means defining an axially extending annulus therebetween, including wall means defining a plurality of circumferentially and closely spaced apart recesses in said inwardly facing surface, each of said recesses including a radially inwardly facing bottom wall surface, radially extending, axially spaced apart, opposed side wall surfaces, and first and second scoop surfaces adjoining said side wall surfaces, said first scoop surface being flat and facing radially inwardly and said second scoop surface facing radially outwardly, said first scoop surface being spaced circumferentially from said second scoop surface in the direction of rotation of said outer shaft means, said first scoop surface of each recess and said second scoop surface of the recess adjacent thereto substantially intersecting along a line parallel to said axis defining a wedge, wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to said axis, said first scoop surface forms an angle with a radial line passing through said intersection line of said first and second scoop surfaces, which angle is at least 90° and

is selected to be substantially equal to or greater than the angle of the velocity vector of the oil from said passageway outlets under normal engine operating conditions;

first bearing means disposed between said second shaft means end portion and said first shaft means outer shaft portion, said bearing means comprising inner race means, outer race means, and rolling elements disposed between said inner and outer race means, said outer race means being attached to and fixed relative to said first shaft means outer shaft portion, said inner race means being attached to and fixed relative to said second shaft means end portion;

said inner shaft means having a plurality of oil passageways extending from said inner surface to said outwardly facing surface, said oil passageways having outlets in the same axial plane as said recesses for directing oil from said oil passageways, across said second annulus, into said recesses; and

means defining second passageways in said second shaft means in fluid communication with said recesses for carrying oil from said recesses, through said second shaft means, to said first bearing means inner race means.