Transmissions for opposed-piston engines with two crankshafts
A transmission for an opposed-piston engine with two crankshafts includes a crankshaft gear train that combines the torque inputs from the two crankshafts and a gear arrangement coupled to the gear train that is operable to obtain various speed ratios for an output torque drive.
1. A transmission for an opposed-piston engine with two spaced-apart crankshafts, comprising:
a gear train that links the two crankshafts together;
a rotatable power take-off shaft; and,
a gear arrangement acting between the gear train and the power take-off shaft that is operable to provide a plurality of speed ratios with which to drive the power take-off shaft, the gear arrangement comprising a set of transmission gears disposed in parallel with the gear train,
in which the gear train comprises:
input gears, each input gear mounted to an end of a respective crankshaft;
an output gear coupled to the power take-off shaft; and
at least one idler gear mounted for rotation between one of the input gears and the output gear,
and further in which the set of transmission gears comprises:
transmission input gears, each transmission input gear mounted to an end of a respective crankshaft, adjacent an input gear of the gear train;
a transmission output gear coupled to the power take-off shaft, adjacent the output gear of the gear train; and
at least one transmission idler gear fixed to the at least one idler gear of the gear train for rotation therewith.
2. The transmission of claim 1 , in which the gear arrangement comprises a reverse gear arrangement.
3. An opposed-piston engine with two crankshafts coupled to the transmission of claim 1 .
4. A system, comprising:
an opposed-piston engine;
the transmission of claim 1 ; and
a lubrication system operable to deliver lubricant to the opposed-piston engine and the transmission.
5. The system of claim 4 , in which the lubrication system is operable to deliver the same lubricant to the opposed-piston engine and the transmission.
6. The system of claim 4 , in which the lubrication system is operable to deliver a first lubricant to the opposed-piston engine and a second lubricant to the transmission.