Patent ID: 7008348

Claim:
A compound planetary gear box for a wind turbine having a turbine blade and an electrical power generator for converting low-speed, high-torque rotary power from the turbine blade to high-speed, low-torque rotary power for electrical power generation, the gear box comprising: a housing; a ring gear substantially fixed relative to said housing at the interior thereof; a planet carrier mounted for rotation about a generally central axis within said ring gear and adapted to be driven at a first end thereof by the turbine blade; a removable end cover detachably secured to said housing adjacent a second end of said planet carrier; a plurality of planet pinions at spaced locations on said planet carrier around said central axis, with the axes of said planet pinions extending generally parallel to said central axis of said planet carrier; first and second bearings for each said planet pinion at first and second ends, respectively, of said planet pinion for engaging and supporting said ends of said planet pinion for rotation relative to said planet carrier; a plurality of gear teeth on each said planet pinion engageable with said ring gear and located between said first and second bearings; a planet gear on each said planet pinion located between said first and second bearings; a sun gear rotatable about said central axis and engageable by said planet gears; and a final stage gear driven by, and detachably mounted to, said sun gear adjacent said second end of the planet carrier; whereby all of the rotary power from the turbine blade is transmitted through said planet pinions, with each pinion being supported for rotation by bearings at both ends thereof.