Patent ID: 8578806

Claim:
A parallel gear unit ( 20 ) for a gearbox ( 30 ) for a wind turbine, the parallel gear unit ( 20 ) comprising: a low speed shaft ( 21 ); and a high speed shaft ( 22 ), each of the low speed shaft and the high speed shaft comprising a gear ( 23 , 25 ) with helical teeth, the gears ( 23 , 25 ) being adapted for meshing with each other, wherein the low speed shaft ( 21 ) is rotatably supported by roller bearings ( 24 a ) and the high speed shaft ( 22 ) is rotatably supported by sliding bearings ( 24 b ), wherein the parallel gear unit ( 20 ) is configured as a gearbox ( 30 ) for a wind turbine with the low speed shaft ( 21 ) configured for connection to a wind turbine rotor and the high speed shaft ( 22 ) configured as an output shaft for connection to a generator of the wind turbine, wherein the gearbox ( 30 ) provides only a single gear ratio, and wherein the parallel gear unit ( 20 ) furthermore comprises a thrust collar ( 26 ) on at least one of the shafts ( 21 , 22 , 36 ) and in direct contact with the gear ( 23 or 25 ) on the neighbouring shaft.