Patent ID: 11933227
Assignee: UNISON INDUSTRIES, LLC
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 15:
16. An air starter comprising:
a housing defining an interior having a primary inlet and a primary outlet to define a primary air flow path from the primary inlet to the primary outlet;
a gear box located in the interior and including a gear train and a sun gear shaft wherein the gear train is rotatably coupled the sun gear shaft;
a turbine located in the interior and including a rotor, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, and a drive shaft extending from the rotor wherein the drive shaft includes at least one sleeve receiving at least a portion of the sun gear shaft;
a spline connection rotatably coupling the drive shaft and the sun gear shaft;
a forward pilot guide comprising a first forward pilot element provided on the drive shaft and a second forward pilot element provided on the sun gear shaft, wherein the first forward pilot element axially overlaps, at least in part, the second forward pilot element; and
a rear pilot guide, axially spaced from the forward pilot guide, and comprising a first rear pilot element provided on the drive shaft and a second rear pilot element provided on the sun gear shaft, wherein the first rear pilot element axially overlaps, at least in part, the second rear pilot element.