Patent Publication Number: US-2022213956-A1

Title: Planet carrier for a mechanical gearbox of an aircraft turbomachine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to FR 2100060, filed Jan. 5, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of the mechanical gearboxes for turbomachines, in particular for aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The prior art comprises in particular the documents WO-A1-2010/092263, FR-A1-2 987 416, FR-A1-3 008 462, FR-A1-3 008 463, FR-A1-3 041 054, FR-A1-3 065 773, FR-A1-3 073 915, FR-A1-3 084 428 and FR-A1-3 092 889. 
     The role of a mechanical gearbox is to modify the speed and torque ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft of a mechanical system. 
     The new generations of double-flow turbomachines, in particular those with a high dilution ratio, comprise a mechanical gearbox to drive the shaft of a fan. The usual purpose of the gearbox is to convert the speed rotation referred to as high speed of the shaft of a power turbine into a slower speed of rotation for the shaft driving the fan. 
     Such a gearbox comprises a central pinion, referred to as sun gear, a ring gear and pinions referred to as planet gears, which are engaged between the sun gear and the ring gear. The planet gears are held by a frame referred to as planet carrier. The sun gear, the ring gear and the planet carrier are planetary gears because their axes of revolution coincide with the longitudinal axis X of the turbomachine. The planet gears each have a different axis of revolution equally distributed on the same operating diameter around the axis of the planetary gears. These axes are parallel to the longitudinal axis X. 
     There are several gearbox architectures. In the prior art of the double-flow turbomachines, the gearboxes are of the planetary or epicyclic type. In other similar applications, there are architectures referred to as differential or “compound”. 
     In a planetary gearbox, the planet carrier is stationary, and the ring gear is the output shaft of the device which rotates in the opposite direction of the sun gear. 
     In an epicyclic gearbox, the ring gear is stationary, and the planet carrier is the output shaft of the device which rotates in the same direction as the sun gear. 
     On a compound gearbox, no element is attached in rotation. The ring gear rotates in the opposite direction of the sun gear and the planet carrier. 
     The gearboxes can consist of one or more gear stages. This meshing is ensured in different ways such as by contact, friction or magnetic field. 
     The gearboxes require an oil supply to lubricate and cool the gears, splines, rollers and bearings. If the planet carrier is rotating, the oil at the level of the planet gear bearings or gears must be applied in a rotating field. It is therefore necessary to transfer the oil from the reservoir located on a stator portion to the rotating planet carrier which carries oil sprinklers. This transfer is commonly done by means of an OTB (Oil Transfer Bearing). 
     However, once in the rotating field, the oil is no longer under pressure. At high speeds, it is difficult to reach all the areas to be lubricated with oil because of the centrifugal effect. It is therefore essential to move the sprinklers as close as possible to these areas. Another problem is the complexity of assembling these sprinklers. 
     The document CN-B-107781402 proposes a planet carrier comprising a multitude of machined passages that supplies sprinklers and whose ends are sealed with watertight caps. However, the number of passages and caps is relatively large and there is a significant risk of damage to the planet carrier when machining the passages, and of leakage from the passages due to incorrect assembly of the caps. 
     The disclosed subject matter provides an improvement to this technology that allows to solve some or all of the problems of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     The present disclosure relates to a planet carrier for a mechanical gearbox for a turbomachine, in particular for an aircraft, this planet carrier comprising: 
     a one-piece cage that extends about an axis X of rotation defining an internal housing configured to receive a sun gear and planet gears of the gearbox, and 
     a lubrication system comprising: 
     at least one bore formed in the cage and extending parallel to the axis X over more than 30% of a maximum axial dimension of the cage, and 
     for said or each bore, at least two sprinklers fitted to the cage, each of these sprinklers being mounted in a recess of the cage and comprising: 
     at least one oil spray orifice, and 
     an internal passage for fluidly communicating said at least one orifice with said bore. 
     characterised in that the lubrication system comprises, for said or each bore, said at least two sprinklers comprise a longitudinal sprinkler which extends in a direction parallel to the axis X and which is mounted in a recess which is directly connected to a longitudinal end of the bore. 
     The disclosed subject matter thus provides an improved lubrication system for gearbox planet carriers, which essentially comprises an axial bore connected to a plurality of sprinklers fitted and connected as close as possible and preferably directly to this axial bore. The axial bore can be made simply by machining the planet carrier. The bore extends over a significant portion of the axial dimension of the cage, i.e., it is not a simple orifice in a wall for example. The housing recesses for the sprinklers can also be made by machining. The sprinklers are then pressed into these recesses, either shrunk or held in place by a screw. 
     The lubrication system may comprise a plurality of axial bores distributed around the aforementioned axis. The number of bores is, for example, a function of the number of planet gears of the gearbox, and is, for example, equal to the number of planet gears of the gearbox. 
     The disclosed subject matter is compatible with the oil supply of non-centrifugal rollers, gears, splines, etc. It is also suitable for an oil supply via OTB. 
     The planet carrier according to the present disclosure may comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone from each other, or in combination with each other: 
     the lubrication system comprises, for said or each bore, at least one transverse sprinkler which extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis X and which is mounted in a recess which is directly connected to the bore; 
     the recess for mounting the transverse sprinkler is located at a longitudinal end of said bore; 
     the transverse sprinkler comprises a lateral orifice for fluidly communicating said bore with the passage of this transverse sprinkler; 
     the recess for mounting the transverse sprinkler opens into said bore spaced from the longitudinal ends of said bore; 
     at least one of said sprinklers is generally tubular in shape and comprises a peripheral annular groove for receiving an O-ring seal; 
     at least one of the sprinklers comprises an external cylindrical centring surface configured to cooperate directly with a complementary internal cylindrical surface of said cage; 
     at least one of the sprinklers comprises two or three external cylindrical centring surfaces, spaced apart from each other; 
     at least one of the sprinklers comprises an indexing flat and/or an annular collar on its external cylindrical surface or on one of its external cylindrical surfaces; 
     at least one of the sprinklers comprises two or three or more spray orifices, which are aligned one behind the other and are formed in an external boss of the sprinkler; 
     at least one of the sprinklers comprises a single spray orifice which extends directly into the extension of the internal passage of that sprinkler; 
     the planet carrier comprises:
         a longitudinal sprinkler connected directly to a longitudinal end of said bore,   a transverse sprinkler connected directly to an opposite longitudinal end of said bore, and   one, two or more additional transverse sprinklers connected to said bore, spaced from the longitudinal ends of said bore.       

     The disclosure further relates to a mechanical gearbox equipped with a planet carrier as described above. 
     The disclosure also relates to a turbomachine, in particular for aircraft, comprising a mechanical gearbox equipped with a planet carrier as described above. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this present disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic axial sectional view of a turbomachine according to aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial axial sectional view of a mechanical gearbox; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial schematic perspective view of a mechanical gearbox; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial schematic view in axial section of a planet carrier for an aircraft turbomachine mechanical gearbox; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a sprinkler for a planet carrier; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of a sprinkler for a planet carrier according to the aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is another partial schematic axial section view of the planet carrier of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of a sprinkler for a planet carrier according to aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 10  is a partial schematic view in perspective and axial section of a mechanical gearbox according to aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter. 
       FIG. 1  describes a turbomachine  1  which conventionally comprises a fan S, a low-pressure compressor la, a high-pressure compressor lb, an annular combustion chamber  1   c,  a high-pressure turbine  1   d,  a low-pressure turbine le and an exhaust nozzle lh. The high-pressure compressor  1   b  and the high-pressure turbine  1   d  are connected by a high-pressure shaft  2  and together they form a high-pressure (HP) body. The low-pressure compressor la and the low-pressure turbine le are connected by a low-pressure shaft  3  and together they form a low-pressure (LP) body. 
     The fan S is driven by a fan shaft  4  which is driven by the LP shaft  3  by means of a gearbox  6 . This gearbox  6  is generally of the planetary or epicyclic type. 
     The following description relates to a gearbox of the epicyclic type, in which the planet carrier and the sun gear are rotatable, the ring gear of the gearbox being stationary in the frame of reference of the engine. 
     The gearbox  6  is positioned in the upstream portion of the turbomachine. A stationary structure comprising schematically, here, an upstream portion  5   a  and a downstream portion  5   b  which makes up the engine casing or stator  5  is arranged so as to form an enclosure E surrounding the gearbox  6 . This enclosure E is closed upstream by seals at the level of a bearing allowing the passage of the fan shaft  4 , and downstream by seals at the level of the passage of the LP shaft  3 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the gearbox  6  comprises a ring gear  14  which is attached by means of a ring gear carrier (not shown) to the stator  5  with flexible means arranged to allow it to follow the possible movements of the fan shaft  4 , in certain degraded operating cases for example. In a planetary architecture, the ring gear carrier is composed of a more or less flexible portion which drives the ring gear and of a portion maintained by roller bearings or bearings and on which the fan is mounted. 
     The gearbox  6  is meshed on the one hand to the LP shaft  3  by means of splines  7  which drive a planetary or sun gear  11  pinion, and on the other hand to the fan shaft  4  which is attached to a planet carrier  13 . Classically, the sun gear  11 , whose axis of rotation X coincides with that of the turbomachine  1 , drives a series of planet gear pinions referred to as planet gears  12 , which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the gearbox  6 . The number of planet gears  12  is generally defined as between three and seven. 
     The planet gears  12  also rotate around the axis X of the turbomachine except in the case of a planetary where they rotate only around their axes of revolution, by meshing with the internal toothings of the ring gear  14 . 
     Each of the planet gears  12  rotates freely about a planet gear axis/bearing  16  connected to the planet carrier  13 , by means of a bearing which may be plain, as shown in  FIG. 2 , or a rolling-element bearing (ball or roller bearings). 
     The rotation of the planet gears  12  about their planet gear axis  16 , due to the cooperation of their pinions with the toothing of the ring gear  14 , causes the rotation of the planet carrier  13  about the axis X, and consequently that of the fan shaft  4  linked to it, at a speed of rotation which is lower than that of the LP shaft  3 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the delivery of the oil to the gearbox  6  and its path through the it. Arrows show in  FIG. 2  the delivery followed by the oil from, in this example, a buffer reservoir  18  linked to the stator  5  of the turbomachine, to the pinions and bearings to be lubricated. 
     The buffer reservoir  18  is positioned next to the gearbox  6 , at the top portion so that the oil can flow towards the centre of the gearbox by gravity. This reservoir  18  is supplied by a delivery pipeline  20  from the main reservoir of the engine (not shown). The oil flows from the buffer reservoir  18  to open into an injector  22 , the calibrated end of which is constricted to form a sprinkler. 
     The oil emerges from the sprinkler as a jet  24 , which is formed by the pressure produced jointly by the pressure of the supply pump and the weight of the oil column located above it. This jet  24  is oriented with a radial component directed towards the outside of the engine and ends up in a cylindrical cup  26  with a radial cross-section shaped like a U, the opening of the U is oriented in the direction of the axis X. While the injector  22  is stationary, the cup  26  is rotatable about the axis X and has a U-shaped portion opposite the sprinkler at all times. The cup  26  forms an oil retaining cavity, this oil being rotated by the cup  26  into the bottom of which it is compressed under the action of the centrifugal force. 
     From the bottom of the cup  26 , a series of pipelines for supplying oil to the various members of the gearbox  6  to be lubricated. These pipelines are essentially of two types. A first series of pipelines  28 , which are evenly distributed around the periphery of the gearbox  6  and equal in number to that of the planet gears  16 , extend from the bottom of the cup  26  and penetrate into an internal cavity of each planet gear  16 , which is closed by the planet carrier  13 . A second series of pipelines  30 , which are also evenly distributed around the periphery of the gearbox, extend from the bottom of the cup  26  into the space located between two consecutive planet gears  13 . 
     The oil flowing through the first pipelines  28  enters the internal cavity of each planet gear shaft and then, due to centrifugal force, passes into guiding channels  32 , which pass through these shafts in a radial direction. These channels  32  open at the periphery of the planet gear axes, at the level of their bearings supporting the planet gears  16  and thus ensure the lubrication of these bearings. 
     The second pipelines  30  run from the bottom of the cup  26  between the planet gears  16  and generally divide into several channels (not shown) which deliver the oil to the gears formed by the planet gears  16 , the sun gear  11  and the ring gear  14 . 
     All the bearings and gears of the gearbox  10  are thus lubricated by the oil which comes from the sprinkler  22  and is collected by the cup  26  located in front of it. 
     In another technology not shown, the oil supply of the lubrication system of the gearbox  6  is achieved by means of an OTB which allows the oil to be transferred from a stationary reference frame to a rotating reference frame without the need for injectors or sprinklers. 
       FIGS. 3 to 10  illustrate an embodiment of a planet carrier  113  and a gearbox  106  according to the present disclosure. 
     The elements of the gearbox  106  and the planet carrier  113  described above are referred to by the same references below, increased by one hundred. The foregoing description applies to the gearbox  106  and the planet carrier  113  to the extent that it does not conflict with or contradict the following. 
     The planet carrier  113  of the gearbox  106  partially shown in  FIG. 3  is one-piece and comprises a cage  113   a  formed in one piece with a tubular barrel  113   b  for driving the fan shaft  4 . In other words, this technology is preferred over the technology in which the planet carrier  113  comprises the assembly of a cage with a cage carrier. 
     The cage  113   a  of the planet carrier  113  comprises two substantially radial annular walls  113   c  which are connected together at their external periphery by bridges  113   d.    
     The cage  113   a  defines an internal housing configured to receive the sun gear  111  and the planet gears  116 . One of the walls  113   c  is connected to the barrel  113   b  and the other of the walls  113   c  comprises orifices for mounting the sun gear  111  and the planet gears  116 . 
     The bridges  113   d  define circumferential spaces between them that are partially occupied by the toothings of the planet gears  116 . 
     As discussed above with respect to  FIG. 2 , the function of the lubrication system of the gearbox  106  is generally to supply oil to the bearings of the planet gears  116  and the gears of the gearbox  106 . 
     In the illustrated example, the oil supply to the planet gears  116  is provided by an impeller  134  which is fitted and secured to the wall  113   c  opposite the barrel  113   b,  being centred on the axis X. 
     The disclosed subject matter may relate to the oil lubrication of the gears of the gearbox  106  and/or the lubrication of the bearings of the planet gears  116 , which is achieved by sprinklers. 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial axial cross-sectional view of a planet carrier  113  according to the present disclosure, the cross-sectional plane passing through one of the aforementioned bridges  113 d. 
     According to aspects of the present disclosure, the cage  113   a  of the planet carrier  113  comprises at least one bore  140  that extends parallel to the axis X and oil sprinklers  142  that are fitted on the cage  113   a  and fluidly connected to the bore  140 . 
     The bore  140  has a longitudinal extent L 1  of more than 30%, and preferably more than 50%, of a maximum axial dimension Lmax of the cage  113   a.  This bore  140  may be formed by machining, and for example by drilling, from one of the walls  113   c  of the cage. In the example shown, the bore  140  is formed through a recess  144  in the wall  113   c  connected to the barrel  113   b.    
       FIG. 4  shows two sprinklers  142   a,    142   b  fitted on the cage  113   a.    
     The sprinkler  142   a  is a transverse sprinkler in that it extends in a transverse or perpendicular direction with respect to the axis X and thus with respect to the bore  140 . The sprinkler  142   a  is housed in a transverse recess  146 a which is located at a longitudinal end of the bore  140  and proximate to the wall  113   c  opposite the barrel  113   b.    
     The recess  146 a is formed from the external periphery of the cage  113   a  and thus one of the bridges  113   d.  The recess  146   a  comprises two coaxial cylindrical surfaces  146   aa,    146   ab  of different diameters, the first surface  146   aa  of larger diameter opening to the external periphery of the cage  113   a  and the second surface  146   ab  of smaller diameter extending from the surface  146   aa  radially inwardly and having, for example, a radial extent R 1  of more than 30%, and preferably more than 50%, of a maximum radial dimension Rmax of the cage  113   a.    
     As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the bore  140  opens into the recess  146 a on its surface  146   ab.  This surface  146   ab  is interrupted here and comprises a radially external portion  146   ab   1  and a radially internal portion  146   ab   2  separated from each other by an annular gorge formed in the wall  113   c  and opening in the axial direction. The portion  146   ab   2  is thus formed in a cylindrical rim  148  of the wall  113   c  extending about the axis X. 
     This rim  148  is preferably directly connected to the fan shaft  4  visible in  FIG. 1  so that the torque transmitted by the gearbox  6  to the fan shaft  4  passes through this rim  148 . The aforementioned annular gorge allows the transmission forces of the torque to be distributed in the planet carrier  113 . 
     The sprinkler  142   a  is best seen in  FIG. 7  and is generally tubular in shape and comprises an annular collar  150  at one longitudinal end. The sprinkler  142   a  is intended to be engaged in the recess  146 a radially from the outside, until its collar  150  rests on the cylindrical shoulder connecting the surfaces  146   aa,    146   ab  of the recess  146 . 
     Preferably, a cap (not shown) is fitted to the collar  150  and into the surface  142   aa  to retain the sprinkler in a radially outward direction and to seal the radially external end of the sprinkler  142   a.    
     The sprinkler  142   a  comprises at least one oil spray orifice and an internal passage  152  for fluidly communicating this orifice with the bore  140 . To this end, the sprinkler  142   a  comprises a transverse orifice  154  that is formed opposite the outlet of the bore. To ensure the alignment of the orifice  154  and the bore  140 , the sprinkler  142   a,  and in particular its collar  150 , may comprise a means for indexing with a complementary means of the cage (these means being intended to cooperate together by form-fit, for example). 
     The sprinkler  142   a  comprises external cylindrical centring surfaces  156  intended to cooperate with the surface  146   ab  of the recess  146   a.  Each of these surfaces  156  comprises a peripheral annular groove  158  for receiving an O-ring seal (not shown). Two of the surfaces  156  are located on either side of the orifice  154 , respectively, to ensure that the fluidic connection between the bore  140  and the sprinkler  142   a  is sealed. Another of the surfaces  156  is located in the portion  146   ab   2  and ensures the centring of the sprinkler  142   a  in this area. 
     The clearances between the sprinkler  142   a  and the surfaces  146   aa,    146   ab,  in particular between the adjacent surfaces  146 , allow to avoid subjecting the sprinkler  142   a  to stresses during the transmission of the aforementioned torque which could lead to deformations of the planet carrier  113  and in particular of its rim  148 . 
     The sprinkler  142   a  may comprise one or more oil spray orifices, for example at its radially internal end. These orifices may be oriented and configured to lubricate the coupling between the splines of the sun gear  111  and the LP shaft. Alternatively, and as shown in  FIG. 10 , the sprinkler  142   a  could be used to supply oil to an internal cavity of a planet gear  116 . This same figure allows to show that this cavity may be supplied by more than one sprinkler  142   a  of the aforementioned type, the sprinkler  142   a  preferably being angularly distributed about the axis Y of rotation of the planet gear  116 . This distribution is preferably regular so that the planet carrier  113  is axi-symmetrical from a point of view of the position of the sprinklers but also ideally from a point of view of their mass distribution. In the illustrated case, only the orientation of the oil spray orifices at the ends of the sprinklers  142  may differ from one sprinkler to another, so as to lubricate different areas (e.g.,  3 ) of the internal cavity. 
     The sprinkler  142   b  is a longitudinal or axial sprinkler in that it extends parallel to the axis X and is in particular aligned with the bore  140 . The sprinkler  142   b  is housed in the aforementioned recess  144 . 
     The sprinkler  142   b,  best seen in  FIG. 5 , is generally tubular in shape and comprises sections of varying diameters. The sprinkler  142   b  is intended to be engaged in the recess  144  in the axial direction, until one of its longitudinal ends is in axial abutment against a bearing surface  162  of the cage on which the end of the bore  140  opposite the sprinkler  142   a  opens. 
     In this area, the cage  113   a  could comprise a female housing for engaging the longitudinal end of the sprinkler  142   b.  The sealing would then be provided by an O-ring housed in a peripheral annular groove  158  in that end of the sprinkler, as shown in the drawings. 
     The opposite end of this sprinkler  142   b  comprises a larger diameter section that comprises an external cylindrical surface  156  for centring in the recess  144 . The sprinkler  142 b, and in particular the surface  156  thereof, may comprise a means for indexing with a complementary means of the cage. In the illustrated example, the surface  156  comprises a flat  164  thus intended to cooperate by shape connection with a complementary flat of the recess  144 . 
     The larger diameter section of the sprinkler  142   b  may be configured to receive an oil inlet connection member by male-female fitting. 
     The sprinkler  142   b  comprises a plurality of oil spray orifices  166  and an internal passage  152  for fluidly communicating these orifices  166  with the bore  140 . The passage  152  extends over the entire axial dimension of the sprinkler  142   b  and opens at both axial ends thereof. The orifices  166  are aligned one behind the other and are formed in an external boss  168  of the sprinkler  142   b.  The boss  168  allows to extend the longitudinal dimension of the orifices  166  and improves the guidance of the oil to increase the accuracy of the oil jet output. The indexing by means of the flat  164  allows the orifices  166  to be oriented in a selected direction, for example, toward the gears between the toothings of a planet gear  116  and the sun gear  111  or between the toothings of a planet gear  116  and the ring gear  114 . 
     In the event that the planet carrier  113  comprises a plurality of sprinklers  142   b,  these sprinklers  142   b  would be equally distributed about the axes Y of the planet gears or the axis X of the gearbox  106 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the sprinkler  142   b  in which its larger diameter section is replaced by an external annular collar  150  which is located between two external cylindrical surfaces  156 . Each of these surfaces comprises an annular groove  158  for housing an O-ring seal (not shown). 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the bore  140  may be connected to further recesses  160 ,  160 ′. These recesses  160 ′ may be configured and in particular sized to form oil spray orifices directly in the gearbox  106 . Alternatively, the recesses  160  may be sized to accommodate additional sprinklers  142 c, such as those shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     The bore  140  may be connected to a plurality of recesses  160  spaced from its longitudinal ends, the recesses  160  preferably having an orientation transverse with respect to the bore  140  and to the axis X. In the example shown in  FIG. 8 , the recesses  160  extend in a same plane passing through the axis of the bore  140  and each recess  160  comprises an internal cylindrical surface for mounting and centring a sprinkler  142 c. 
     Each sprinkler  142   c  is thus a transverse sprinkler in that it extends perpendicular to the axis X. 
     The sprinkler  142   c  is generally tubular in shape and comprises an external annular collar  150  for bearing on a surface of the bridge  113   d  into which the recess  160  opens. 
     The sprinkler  142   c  is intended to be engaged in the recess  160  until its collar  150  rests on this surface. 
     The sprinkler  142   c  comprises an external cylindrical centring surface  156  comprising a peripheral annular groove  158  for housing an O-ring seal (not shown) which cooperates with the internal surface of the recess  160 . 
     The sprinkler  142   c  comprises a single oil spray orifice  166  and an internal passage  152  for fluidly communicating the orifice  166  with the bore  140 . Here, the orifice  166  is formed at one end of the sprinkler  142   b  and the passage  152  and is thus aligned with the passage  152 . It is not necessary to provide an indexing system for this type of sprinkler  142   c.    
     This type of sprinklers  142   c  could be used to project oil to the gears between the toothings of a planet gear  116  and the sun gear  111  or between the toothings of a planet gear  116  and the ring gear  114 . 
     In an embodiment not shown, at least one portion of the housing recesses of the sprinklers  142  could be inclined with a degree of inclination (other than 90°) relative to the bore  140 .