epicyclic

English

Etymology

From epicycle +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

epicyclic (not comparable)

  1. Of or relating to epicycles.
  2. Of a gearbox, having two gears mounted so that the center of one gear revolves around the center of the other.
    • 1958 April, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 275:
      Power is derived from a British United Traction Limited "A"-type 150-h.p. six-cylinder horizontal diesel engine; this drives through a fluid flywheel, and thence through a free wheel unit to a four-speed epicyclic gearbox.
    • 1960 September, “Inter-city diesel units for the Hull-Liverpool service of the N.E.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 561:
      The gearbox is of the self-changing compound epicyclic SE.4 type, with Sinclair fluid coupling, having a maximum torque of 750 lb./ft.

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