Patent ID: 7644482

Claim:
A method for replacing components of an epicyclic gear mechanism, the epicyclic gear mechanism comprising: aa) a main axis; ab) a housing divided by at least two parting planes into at least three housing sections aligned along a main axis, the housing sections comprising a drive side section, a center section, and a power take-off side section, the housing being separatable in the parting planes; ac) a pinion cage mounted to rotate in the drive side section about the main axis and comprising at least one planet bolt extending along a planet axis fixed relative to the pinion cage and running parallel to the main axis; ad) an internal geared wheel fixed to the housing and disposed in the center section coaxially to the main axis; ae) a sun wheel mounted to rotate on the power take-off side section; af) at least one planet wheel mounted to rotate on the planet bolt and meshing with the internal geared wheel in a first gear tooth engagement and with the sun wheel in a second gear tooth engagement; ag) wherein the drive side section is mounted in a machine frame; said method comprising the following steps: ba) separating the housing in the parting plane between the center section and the power take-off side section; bb) moving apart the center section and the power take-off side section so that the second gear tooth engagement between the planet wheel and the sun wheel is released; bc) removing the sun wheel from the housing; bd) displacing the planet wheel so that the first gear tooth engagement between the planet wheel and the internal geared wheel is released; be) joining the center section and the power take-off side section together; bf) separating the housing in the parting plane between the drive side section and the center section; bg) moving apart the drive side section and the center section; bh) removing the planet wheel; bi) inserting a replacement planet wheel, offset parallel to the planet axis; bj) joining the drive side section and the center section together; bk) separating the housing in the parting plane between the power take-off side section and the center section; bl) moving apart the power take-off side section and the center section; bm) restoring the first gear tooth engagement between the internal geared wheel and the replacement planet wheel by displacing the replacement planet wheel coaxially to the planet axis; bn) inserting a replacement sun wheel in the housing; and bo) joining the center section and the power take-off side section together so that the second gear tooth engagement between the replacement planet wheel and the replacement sun wheel is restored.