Patent ID: 8202195

Claim:
A pinion gear subassembly for a planet carrier assembly with a planet carrier member; wherein the planet carrier member is configured for rotatably supporting pinion gears at predetermined spaced locations thereon, comprising: a first and a second pinion gear arranged with generally parallel axes of rotation; a first and a second washer, each of the washers having two openings spaced to generally align with two of the predetermined spaced locations of the planet carrier member; wherein the first and the second washer are positioned on opposing sides of the first and second pinion gears, with the axes of rotation of the first and second pinion gears generally centered at the respective spaced openings of the first and second washers; four rotatable washers each positioned between a respective one of the first and second washers and a respective one of the sides of a respective one of the pinion gears and rotatable relative to the planet carrier member; wherein each of the rotatable washers has an opening generally aligned with one of the openings of the respective one of the first and second washers; wherein the first and second washers are nonrotatable relative to the planet carrier member; wherein the pinion gears have axial openings therethrough; a first and a second plug each extending through a respective one of the axial openings, through the respective openings of a respective two of the rotatable washers, and through a respective one of the openings of each of the first and second washers to hold the pinion gear subassembly together as a unit separate from the planet carrier member; wherein the planet carrier member has circumferential openings; and wherein the pinion gear subassembly held together as a unit by the plugs is configured to fit through the circumferential openings, with teeth of the first and the second pinion gears extending through the circumferential openings when the respective openings of the washers are aligned with the two of the predetermined spaced locations of the planet carrier member.