Landing gear drive system and method

1. A drive system for an aircraft landing gear having a wheel rotatable about a wheel axis, the drive system including:

a driven gear arranged to be attached to the wheel so as to be capable of rotating the wheel about the wheel axis;

a drive train comprising an input gear rotatable by an input shaft, an intermediate gear meshed with the input gear and rotatable by an intermediate shaft, and a support member arranged to support the input shaft and intermediate shaft and arranged to pivot about the input shaft between a neutral configuration in which the drive train is disengaged from the driven gear and a driven configuration in which the drive train is engaged with the driven gear to enable the drive train to rotate the driven gear;

a brake capable of being engaged with the input shaft to prevent rotation of the input shaft relative to the support member and of being disengaged from the input shaft to permit rotation of the input shaft relative to the support member,

wherein the support member is arranged to pivot from the neutral configuration to the driven configuration upon application of a first torque to the input shaft when the brake is engaged with the input shaft.

2. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the brake is arranged to disengage from the input shaft upon application of a second torque to the input shaft, the second torque being higher than the first torque.

3. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the brake comprises a torque limiter arranged to disengage from the input shaft upon application of a second torque higher than a threshold torque to the input shaft, wherein the first torque is lower than the threshold torque.

4. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is arranged to pivot about the input shaft between the neutral configuration, the driven configuration, and a reverse driven configuration in which the drive train is engaged with the driven gear to enable the drive train to rotate the driven gear in a reverse direction.

5. A drive system according to claim 1 , including a pinion gear mounted on the intermediate shaft so as to be rotatable in tandem with the intermediate gear, the pinion gear being arranged to mesh with the driven gear in the driven configuration of the support member.

6. A drive system according to claim 5 , wherein one of the pinion gear and the driven gear comprises a roller gear and the other of the pinion gear and the driven gear comprises a sprocket, the roller gear comprising a series of rollers arranged to form a ring, each roller being rotatable about a roller axis at a fixed distance from an axis of rotation of the drive pinion or driven gear, respectively.

7. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate gear comprises a pinion gear arranged to mesh with the driven gear in the driven configuration of the support member.

8. A drive system according to claim 7 , wherein the pinion gear and the driven gear each comprise a toothed spur gear.

9. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises a housing enclosing the input gear and intermediate gear.

10. An aircraft landing gear comprising a wheel and a drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the driven gear of the drive system is attached to the wheel so that the wheel is arranged to rotate in tandem with the driven gear.

11. A method of operating a drive system of claim 1 , the method including the sequential steps of:

(i) preventing rotation of the input shaft;

(ii) applying a first torque to the input shaft to cause the support member to pivot from the neutral configuration to the driven configuration; and

(iii) enabling rotation of the input shaft to cause the drive train to rotate the driven gear.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein step (iii) comprises applying a second torque to the input shaft in the driven configuration to enable rotation of the input shaft and thereby cause the drive train to rotate the driven gear, the second torque being higher than the first torque.

13. A method according to claim 11 , including the further step of: ceasing to apply torque to the input shaft to cause the support member to pivot from the driven configuration to the neutral configuration.

14. A method according to claim 11 , including the further step of:

applying a third torque to the input shaft in a direction opposite to the first torque to cause the support member to pivot from the neutral configuration to a reverse driven configuration in which the drive train is engaged with the driven gear to enable the drive train to rotate the driven gear in a reverse direction.