Patent ID: 8776639

Claim:
A gear transmission comprising: a spline helical cut drive shaft having a first end, a second end and an axis; a driven shaft disposed parallel to said spline helical cut drive shaft, said driven shaft having a first end, a second end and an axis, wherein the axis of said driven shaft is parallel to the axis of said spline helical cut drive shaft; at least one set of spur gears, said set of spur gears comprising: a pair of spur drive gears mounted on said spline helical cut drive shaft for rotation by and, when necessary, axial movement on said spline helical cut drive shaft; a pair of spur driven gears mounted on said driven shaft for rotating said driven shaft; said pair of spur drive gears comprising a first spur drive gear half and a second spur drive gear half; said pair of spur driven gears comprising a first spur driven gear half and a second spur driven gear half; said first spur drive gear half engaging said first spur driven gear half for rotating said first spur driven gear half and said second spur drive gear half engaging said second spur driven gear half for rotating said second spur driven gear half; said first spur drive gear half being a first cylindrical member having a first helical cut spline provided on an inner diameter of said first spur drive gear half cylindrical member, with said inner diameter first helical cut spline of said first spur drive gear half cylindrical member engaging an outer diameter of said spline helical cut drive shaft for rotation of said first spur drive gear half by rotation of said spline helical cut drive shaft and for permitting axial movement of said first spur drive gear half on said spline helical cut drive shaft; said second spur drive gear half being a second cylindrical member having a second helical cut spline provided on an inner diameter of said second spur drive gear half cylindrical member, with said inner diameter second helical cut spline of said second spur drive gear half cylindrical member engaging a second helical cut spline provided on an outer diameter of said spline helical cut drive shaft for rotation of said second spur drive gear half by rotation of said spline helical cut drive shaft and for permitting axial movement of said second spur drive gear half on said spline helical cut drive shaft; wherein said helical cut splines are selected whereby said first spur drive gear half and said second spur drive gear half of said set move axially on said spline helical cut drive shaft toward one another on said spline helical cut drive shaft in response to rotation of said spline helical cut drive shaft.