sun-and-planet gear

E594625

The sun-and-planet gear is a mechanical gearing system used in early steam engines to convert reciprocating motion into rotary motion, enabling continuous rotation without a traditional crank.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf mechanical gearing system
mechanism
steam engine component
advantage avoids use of a crank
provides continuous rotation from a beam engine
alternativeTo crank mechanism
application beam engines
rotative steam engines
associatedWith James Watt NERFINISHED
Matthew Boulton NERFINISHED
belongsTo epicyclic gear train family
category historical engineering mechanism
power transmission device
converts reciprocating motion to rotary motion
designGoal circumvent crank patents
developedFor steam engine power transmission
effect increases rotational speed relative to beam motion
enables continuous rotation
eraOfUse early 19th century
late 18th century
field history of technology
mechanical engineering
gearType external gear system
hasComponent driven shaft
driving shaft
gear arm
planet gear
sun gear
hasConfiguration planet gear mounted on a rotating arm
sun gear fixed to output shaft
hasMotionPath planet gear orbits sun gear
historicalUse Boulton and Watt steam engines NERFINISHED
kinematicRole changes direction of motion
converts oscillatory motion to unidirectional rotation
transmits torque
mechanicalPrinciple epicyclic gearing
motionTypeInput reciprocating motion
motionTypeOutput rotary motion
operatesBy planet gear revolving around sun gear
replacedBy crankshaft mechanism
requires meshing gear teeth
usedFor driving machinery from steam engines
usedIn early steam engines

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

William Murdoch notableInvention sun-and-planet gear