Actuator provided with a gear box, position indicator for a gear box, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190682-B2
Application number	US-201314895092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

An actuator system and method (10) includes a blow out preventer (11), a hydraulic motor (12), a gear box (13) intermediate hydraulic motor (12) and blow out preventer (11), and a position indicator (14). Gear box (13) has an input (19), an output (20), and a gear set (23). Gear set (23) is biased by a spring (33) acting on a piston (31) to a default high range gear ratio when blow out preventer (11) is open, to provide maximum closure/lock speed. Gear set (23) is moved by a hydraulic command signal acting on piston (31) to a low range gear ratio when blow out preventer (11) is closed/locked, to provide maximum torque to move blow out preventer (11) toward its open position. Position indicator (14) shows the actual position of blow out preventer (11) independent of the number of turns of input (19) to move the blow out preventer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator system comprising:
a driven rotary device;
a primary driver; and
a gear box intermediate the primary driver and the driven rotary device,
the driven rotary device having a driven rotary device input, the primary driver having a primary driver output,
the gear box having a gear box input connected to the primary driver output and having a gear box output connected to the driven rotary device input, the gear box having a gear set intermediate the gear box input and the gear box output, the gear set having a high range gear ratio for transmitting a relatively higher speed and relatively lower torque from the gear box input to the gear box output, the gear set having a low range gear ratio substantially lower than the high range gear ratio for transmitting a relatively lower speed and relatively higher torque from the gear box input to the gear box output,
a shift mechanism having a first configuration engaging the high range gear ratio and disengaging the low range gear ratio, the shift mechanism having a second configuration engaging the low range gear ratio and disengaging the high range gear ratio, the shift mechanism being biased to the first configuration as a default position, and the shift mechanism moving from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a command signal, and further including any one of the following additional structures:
(1) (a) the gear set includes a countershaft assembly, the shift mechanism includes a clutch, and the clutch disengages the countershaft assembly in the first configuration and engages the countershaft assembly in the second configuration, (b) the gear box input includes an external input drive gear, the gear box output includes an external output drive gear, and the clutch includes an internal gear, the internal gear engages the external input drive gear in both the first and second configurations, the internal gear engages the external output drive gear in the first configuration, and the internal gear disengages the external output drive gear in the second configuration, and (c) including an external countershaft drive gear that drivingly engages the countershaft assembly under all conditions, and the internal gear engages the external countershaft drive gear in the second configuration and disengages the external countershaft drive gear in the first configuration; or
(2) the gear set includes a planetary gear set having a sun gear, a planet gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear, the shift mechanism includes a clutch, the clutch drivingly engages the ring gear to the gear box input when the shift mechanism is in the first configuration and drivingly disengages the ring gear from the gear box input when the shift mechanism is in the second configuration; or
(3) the actuator system includes a position indicator, the position indicator including an indicator input, an indicator output, an indicator gear reducer, an indicator attached to the indicator output, and the indicator input being drivingly connected to the driven rotary device input; or
(4) the driven rotary device is a well bore blow out preventer; or
(5) the primary driver is a bi-directional hydraulic motor, whereby the gear box input is rotated multiple rotations in either direction.

2. The actuator system set forth in claim 1 , including a mechanical spring biasing the shift mechanism to the first configuration as a default position.

3. The actuator system set forth in claim 2 , wherein the shift mechanism includes a hydraulic piston to move the shift mechanism against the bias of the spring from the first configuration to the second configuration, and the hydraulic piston is actuated by a pilot hydraulic command signal from outside the gear box.

4. The actuator system set forth in claim 1 , wherein (a) the additional structure is the gear set that includes a countershaft assembly, the shift mechanism includes a clutch, and the clutch disengages the countershaft assembly in the first configuration and engages the countershaft assembly in the second configuration and wherein (b) the gear box input includes an external input drive gear, the gear box output includes an external output drive gear, and the clutch includes an internal gear, the internal gear engages the external input drive gear in both the first and second configurations, the internal gear engages the external output drive gear in the first configuration, and the internal gear disengages the external output drive gear in the second configuration, and (c) further including an external countershaft drive gear that drivingly engages the countershaft assembly under all conditions, and the internal gear engages the external countershaft drive gear in the second configuration and disengages the external countershaft drive gear in the first configuration.

5. The actuator system set forth in claim 4 , wherein the external input drive gear is intermediate the external output drive gear and the countershaft drive gear, the countershaft drive gear is rotatably carried on the gear box input, and the countershaft assembly includes a first countershaft gear drivingly engaging the countershaft drive gear under all conditions and a second countershaft drive gear drivingly engaging the output under all conditions.

6. The actuator system set forth in claim 4 , including a position indicator, the position indicator including an indicator input, an indicator output, an indicator gear reducer, an indicator attached to the indicator output, and the indicator input is driving connected to the countershaft assembly.

7. The actuator system set forth in claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is the gear set that includes a planetary gear set having a sun gear, a planet gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear, the shift mechanism includes a clutch, the clutch drivingly engages the ring gear to the gear box input when the shift mechanism is in the first configuration and drivingly disengages the ring gear from the gear box input when the shift mechanism is in the second configuration.

8. The actuator system set forth in claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is a position indicator, the position indicator including an indicator input, an indicator output, an indicator gear reducer, an indicator attached to the indicator output, and the indicator input being drivingly connected to the driven rotary device input.

9. The actuator system set forth in claim 8 , wherein the indicator input is driving connected to the driven rotary device input through the gear box gear set.

10. The actuator system set forth in claim 8 , wherein the indicator gear reducer includes first and second planetary gear sets in series, each of the planetary gear sets includes a sun gear, a planet gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear.

11. The actuator system set forth in claim 10 , wherein the sun gears of the position indicator planetary gear sets are coaxial, the indicator input is connected to the sun gear of the first planetary gear set, the planet carrier of the first planetary gear set is connected to the sun gear of the second planetary gear set, the indicator output is connected to the second planetary gear set planet carrier, and the ring gears of each planetary gear set are stationary.

12. The actuator system set forth in claim 8 wherein the indicator gear reducer is between the indicator input and the indicator output.

13. The actuator system set forth in claim 12 , wherein the indicator gear reducer includes first and second planetary gear sets in series, each of the planetary gear sets includes a sun gear, a planet gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring g

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Paisley Daniel
• Fishburn Bruce

Classifications

• F16H61/2807 Primary

  using electric control signals for shift actuators, e.g. electro-hydraulic control therefor  (F16H61/30, F16H61/32 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16H61/30

  Hydraulic {or pneumatic} motors {or related fluid control means} therefor · CPC title

• F16H3/091

  including a single countershaft · CPC title

• F16H1/46

  Systems consisting of a plurality of gear trains each with orbital gears, {i.e. systems having three or more central gears} · CPC title

• F16H3/48

  with single orbital gears or pairs of rigidly-connected orbital gears · CPC title