I can think of no basic reason as to why a narrow driven gear/wide drive gear combo could not be equally satisfactory. BUT longer teeth on the necessarily relatively thin sleeve may be an easier path ...
Greetings Fellow Sleeve Valve Nut!
I dont see any "funny" tooth loading or deflection when driving rotation of an integral Gear Sleeve with a possibly reciprocating Rack or oscillating driv ...
The SciFi book "Steambird" by Hilbert Schlink is interesting and based to a certain extent on some U.S. projects of the '50s. WS-110-A and WS-125 were what became the B-70 and an Atomic powe ...
Spend some time with torch in hand welding up auto body parts and sooner or later you run into something that has already been patched or filled with lead based solder or worse yet brazing rod. Gettin ...