THRUST AND PLANETARY GEAR COUPLING FOR A ROTOR OF A DISTRIBUTOR FUEL INJECTION PUMP
Planetary gear mechanisms are useful in distributor fuel injection pumps to couple a distributor rotor with a drive shaft in order to rotate the distributor rotor at a preselected output angular speed which is proportional to and less than a preselected input angular speed of the drive shaft. Previously disclosed planetary gear coupling arrangements are typically rather bulky and merely provide an angular speed reduction function. In contrast, the subject thrust and planetary gear coupling (10) provides a relatively more compact arrangement for angular speed reduction and also includes a stationary dual-thrust plate (352) which controls axial end play of both the drive shaft (38) and the distributor rotor (348). The coupling (10) further includes a relatively inexpensive and easy to assemble planet gear and carrier assembly (424, 428, 432, 436, 440, 444, 448) which during operation rotatively drives the distributor rotor at the same output angular speed and which can also bear against the dual-thrust plate to act as a running thrust member.