AU2009299098B2

AU2009299098B2 - Drive shaft joiner system

Info

Publication number: AU2009299098B2
Application number: AU2009299098A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Carl Norton
Original assignee: Victa Lawncare Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Victa Lawncare Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-02
Filing date: 2009-09-03
Publication date: 2014-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-03
Also published as: CN102165205A; AU2009299098A1; WO2010037159A1; BRPI0920439A2; NZ591953A

Abstract

A drive shaft assembly that is to extend between an internal combustion engine so as to be driven thereby, and a garden tool such as a line trimmer or edge cutter. The assembly (10) includes a pair of shafts (11, 12), with the shaft (12) having a pin (29) and flanges (27) that engage within a socket (16) of the shaft (11).

Description

1 DRIVE SHAFT JOINER SYSTEM Technical Field The present invention relates to drive shaft assemblies and more particularly but not exclusively to drive shaft assemblies employed in powered hand held implements such as garden implements and power tools. Background of the Invention Powered garden implements often include an elongated tubular member at the upper end of which is a motor such as an internal combustion or electric motor, while at the other end is an attachment to perform a particular function such as trimming or cutting. Typically the tubular member includes an upper portion fixed to the motor and a lower portion is fixed to the attachment. Located within the tubular member are shafts that are joined so that power is transmitted therebetween. The construction enables the motor to be used with various types of attachments such as an edge or line trimmer. Each of the shafts is rotatably supported with the tubular member. One drive shaft is drivingly attached to the motor while the other drive shaft is connected to the attachment with the shafts being coupled for the transmission of power. When assembling the above discussed drive shafts, it is frequently difficult to correctly engage the shaft as they are frequently misaligned. Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a drive shaft assembly including: a first shaft with a longitudinal axis and having a first end portion, the first end portion including a socket with a slot transverse of the axis, the socket also including a pair of spaced guide surfaces converging toward said slot and spaced from said axis; and 2 a second shaft with a longitudinal axis that is to be coaxial with respect to the axis of the first shaft, said second shaft having an end part to engage within the socket and including a flange extending transverse of the axis of the second shaft and engagable with said surfaces to be directed into engagement with said slot to provide for the transfer of power between the first and second shafts; and wherein said first shaft is rotatably supported in a first tubular member and said second shaft is rotatably supported in a second tubular member, with the slot in enclosed by the first tubular member and the flanges enclosed by the second tubular member so the tubular members cooperate to enclose the end portions when the first shaft is coupled to the second shaft. Preferably, said surfaces extend angularly about the axis of said first shaft. Preferably, said surfaces are a first pair of surfaces, and the end portion of said first shaft includes a second pair of guide surfaces, the second surfaces converging towards said slot and being spaced from the axis of said first shaft and the first pair of surfaces, with the second pair of surfaces also converging towards said slot. Preferably, said second pair of surfaces extends angularly about the axis of said first shaft and extend from said first pair of surfaces at peaks from which peaks the surfaces of the first pair diverge from the surfaces of the second pair. Preferably, said flange is a first flange extending radially relative to the axis of said second shaft in a predetermined direction, and said second end portion includes a second flange extending radially from the axis of said second shaft in a direction opposite the first flange, with the first flange being engagable with the first pair of guide surfaces and the second flange being engagable with the second pair of guide surfaces with both flanges being engagable within said slot to drivingly couple the first and second shafts. Preferably, said second end portion includes a pin extending from the flanges along the axis of said second shaft, and said first end portion includes a socket passage within which said pin is received to locate said second shaft coaxial with respect of said first shaft. Preferably, said first shaft is rotatably supported in a first tubular member and said second shaft is rotatably supported in a second tubular member, with the tubular members cooperating to enclose the end portions when the first shaft is coupled to the second shaft.

3 Preferably, said pin has a tapered leading part. Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic isometric parts exploded view of a drive assembly; Figure 2 is a schematic parts exploded side elevation of the drive assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the assembly of Figure 3 at a stage toward engagement of the drive assembly; Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the assembly as shown in Figure 3 closer to engagement; Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of the assembly of Figure 3 at full engagement; Figure 6 is a schematic top plan sectioned view of the assembly of Figure 3 sectioned along the line 6-6; Figure 7 is a schematic top plan sectioned view of the assembly of Figure 4 sectioned along the line 7-7; and Figure 8 is a schematic sectioned top plan view of the assembly of Figure 5 sectioned along the line 8-8. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In Figure I there is schematically depicted a drive shaft assembly 10. The drive shaft assembly 10 includes a first shaft 11 and a second shaft 12 that may be part of a garden tool such as a line trimmer or edge cutter. For example, the shaft 11 may extend to an internal combustion so as to be driven thereby, and the shaft 12 may extend to an attachment such as a line trimmer or edge cutting tool. When the shafts 11 and 12 are coupled the engine is drivingly 4 connected to the tool so as to drive the attachment. Typically the shaft 11 would be located in a tubular member 13 having an upper end fixed to the motor, while the shaft 12 would be supported in a second tubular member 14 having a lower end fixed to the attachment. The shafts 11 and 12 are rotatably supported in their respective members 13 and 14. The shaft 11 includes an end portion 15 including a socket 16. The socket 16 includes a pair of flanges 17 and 18 that are spaced from and extend angularly about the longitudinal axis 19 of the shaft 11. The flanges 17 and 18 provide a first pair of guide surfaces 19 and a second pair of guide surfaces 20, with the surfaces 19 converging towards a slot 21, and the surfaces 20 also converging towards the slot 21. The flange 18 has an apex 22 from which one of the surfaces 19 and one of the surfaces 20 diverge angularly about the axis 19, while the flange 17 has an apex 23 from which one of the surfaces 19 and one of the surfaces 20 also angularly diverge about the axis 19. Surrounding the axis 19 are internal guide surfaces 24 that are part of a conical surface having as its longitudinal axis, the axis 19. The surfaces 24 converge towards a passage 25 extending along the axis 19. The slot 21 extends transverse of the axis 19, that is the slot 21 extends generally radially relative to the axis 19, while the passage 25 extends longitudinally of the axis 19. The shaft 12 includes an end portion 26. The end portion 26 includes a pair of flanges 27 that extend generally radially relative to the axis 28 of the shaft 12. That is, the flanges 27 extend generally transverse relative to the axis 28 and are locatable in the slot 21 so that rotary power may be transmitted between the shafts 11 and 12. Extending forward of an axially along the axis 28 is a pin 29 that is receivable within the passage 25. The pin 29 has a tapered loading part 34. When coupling the shaft 12 with the shaft 11, the shaft 12 is moved towards the shaft 11 with the pin 29 engaging the surfaces 24 to direct the pin 29 toward the passage 25. The flanges 27 engage the surfaces 19 and 20 to cause angular movement of the shaft 12 about its axis 19 until the flanges 27 are aligned with the slot 21 and move into engagement therein to drivingly connect the shafts 11 and 12.

5 When the shaft 12 is engaged with the shaft 11 and end part 34 of the member 13 is telescopically received within an end part 30 of the member 14, and a clamp 31 operated to securely clamp the part 34 in the part 30. Typically the clamp 31 would include a pair of flanges 32 between which a bolt 33 passes that is tensioned to cause the part 30 to move into clamping engagement with the part 34.

Claims

1. A drive shaft assembly including: a first shaft with a longitudinal axis and having a first end portion, the first end portion including a socket with a slot transverse of the axis, the socket also including a pair of spaced guide surfaces converging toward said slot and spaced from said axis; and a second shaft with a longitudinal axis that is to be coaxial with respect to the axis of the first shaft, said second shaft having an end part to engage within the socket and including a flange extending transverse of the axis of the second shaft and engagable with said surfaces to be directed into engagement with said slot to provide for the transfer of power between the first and second shafts; and wherein said first shaft is rotatably supported in a first tubular member and said second shaft is rotatably supported in a second tubular member, with the slot in enclosed by the first tubular member and the flanges enclosed by the second tubular member so the tubular members cooperate to enclose the end portions when the first shaft is coupled to the second shaft.

2. The drive shaft of claim 1, wherein said surfaces extend angularly about the axis of said first shaft.

3. The drive shaft of claim 1 or 2, wherein said surfaces are a first pair of surfaces, and the end portion of said first shaft includes a second pair of guide surfaces, the second surfaces converging towards said slot and being spaced from the axis of said first shaft and the first pair of surfaces, with the second pair of surfaces also converging towards said slot.

4. The drive shaft of claim 3, wherein said second pair of surfaces extends angularly about the axis of said first shaft and extend from said first pair of surfaces at peaks from which peaks the surfaces of the first pair diverge from the surfaces of the second pair.

5. The drive shaft of claim 3 or 4, wherein said flange is a first flange extending radially relative to the axis of said second shaft in a predetermined direction, and said second end portion includes a second flange extending radially from the axis of said second shaft in a direction opposite the first flange, with the first flange being engagable with the first pair of guide surfaces and the second flange being engagable with the second pair of guide surfaces with both flanges being engagable within said slot to drivingly couple the first and second shafts. 7

6. The drive shaft of claim 5, wherein said second end portion includes a pin extending from the flanges along the axis of said second shaft, and said first end portion includes a socket passage within which said pin is received to locate said second shaft coaxial with respect of said first shaft.

7. The drive shaft of claim 6, wherein said pin has a tapered leading part.