CA1168473A - Adjustable power transmitting device - Google Patents

Abstract

ADJUSTABLE POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An adjustable power transmitting device compris-ing a rotary input shaft mounted for rotation about a first axis and an output shaft mounted for rotation about a second axis. The output shaft is also mounted for pivotal movement about at least two non parallel axes so that the position of the output shaft can be adjusted about both of these axes. The input shaft is drivingly coupled to the output shaft so that the input shaft can rotate the output shaft in all positions of the output shaft about the two non-parallel axes.

Description

~ BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION

2 ~ ~

3 At times, it is necessary or desirable to use a

4 hand-held motor driven drill to drill a hole in a relatively ~ inaccessible location. The conventional hand-held motor 6 driven drill does not provide for adjusting the angle of the 7 drill bit relative to the body of ~he drill and so the work-~ man must maintain the drill body in an orientation which is 9 established by the axis of the hole to be drilled. This can ~ prevent use of the drill or make use of the drill much more 11 cumbersome because the structure which makes the drilled 12 region relatively inaccessible may prevent or impede move-,,, ~ ment of the drill body in a way to allow the hole to be 14 properly drilled.
Adjustable hand-driven drills are known and are 16 shown in Zigenheim U.S. Patent No. 1,759,726, Clawson U.S.
17 Patent No. 2,310,759 and Shaler U.S. Patent No. 2,546,655.
18 Each of these patents shows a drill in which the chuc~ for 19 holding the drill bit can be adiusted about one axis. Each of these constructions is subject to several disadvantages, 21 including being hand driven and being incapable of being 22 adjusted about more than one axis.

24 SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION

~6 This invention provides an adjustable power trans-27 mitting device for rotary motion which is adjustable about 28 at least -two non-parallel adjustment axes. Although the 29 power transmitting device is particularly adapted for use i `

1 with a hand-held, motor driven drill, it can be utilized 2 for other power tools, such as wrenches. The invention 3 also incorporates a drive train which is particularly advantageous in driving a rotary output member which is adjustable about one or more pivot or adjustment axes.
6 In addition, the present invention incorporates features 7 which allow the rotary output shaft to be pivoted about 8 one or more adjustment axes without significant loss of g lubricant.
0 With respect to the multiple axis adjustment 1~ feature, the adjustable power transmitting device may in-12 clude a rotary input shaft mounted for rotation about a 13 first rotational axis and a rotary output shaft mounted 14 for rotation about a second rotational axis. The rotary output shaft is also mounted for pivotal movement about at 16 least two non-parallel adiustment axes so that the posi-17 tion of the output shaft can be adjusted. Means is pro-18 vided for fixing the output shaft in any one of a plurality 19 of positions about the adjustment axes.
The input shaft is drivingly coupled to the output 21 shaft so that the input shaft can rotate the output shaft 22 in all positions of the output shaft about the two adjust-23 ment axes. Preferably, a first of the adjustment axes is 24 substantially parallel to the first rotational axis, and the 2~ second of the adjustment axes is substantially transverse 26 to the first adjustment axis.
27 In order to drivingly couple the input and output 28 shafts, an input gear is coupled to the input-shaft, an out-29 put gear is coupled to the output shaft, and an intermediate gear drivingly engages the input gear and the output gear.

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This arrangement of gears allows the output shaft to be ¦ 2 pivoted about a first adjustment axis which may, for example, 3 be coincident with the axis of rotation of the intermeaiate 4 gear. By utilizing bevel gears, good contact among the 6 teeth of the several gears is maintained throughout the 6 full range of adjustmen~ positions of the output shaft.
If desired, a second intermediate gear can be pro-8 vided ~or drivingly engaging the input gear and the output 9 gear. ~ne advantage of utilizing a second intermediate lO gear is that the position of the output shaft about the ll first adjustment axis is fixed by this combination of gears.
12 Conversely, to change the position of the output shaft about 13 the first adjustment axis, it is necessary to disengage one 14 of the intermediate gears from the input and output gears.
15 This can advantageously be accomplished by using releasable 16 means for holding the second intermediate gear in driving l~ engagement with the input and output gears and biasing means E 18 for urging the second intermediate gear out of driving en-l9 gagement with the input and output gears. Accordingly, 20 upon release of the releasable means, the biasing means 21 automatically disengages the intermediate gear from the in-22 put and output gears.
23 Preferably, a housing is provided for housing at 24 least portions of the input and output shafts and the gears.
25 The housing protects these components and can serve as a 26 containing means for grease or other lubricant. Also, by 27 mounti~g the output shaft on the housing and mounting the 28 housing for pivotal movement about a second adjustment axis, 29 the output shaft is correspondingly mounted for pivotal 30 movement about the second adjustment axis.

1 In order to accommodate movement of the output 2 shaft about the first adjustm~nt axis, the housing includes 3 opening means in the form of an elongated slot through whish the output shaft can project. If the housing is to contain

5 a lubricant, such as grease, the present invention provides

6 for substantially closing the opening in all positions of

7 the output shaft about the first aajustment axis. For ex-~ ample, this can advantageously be accomplished by using a 9 collapsible curtain on one side of the output shaft and a lO second curtain on the other side of the output shaft. The ll two curtains cooperate in all positions of the output shaft 12 about the first adjustment axis for closing the opening 13 means.
14 Tool mounting means, such as a chuck for mounting 15 a drill bit or other tool holder, can be suitably mounted 16 on the output shaft for rotation with the output shaft. The 17 ad~ustable power transmitting device Cc~l be integrally in-18 corporated into the body of a motor-driven drill or other l9 motor-driven tool or it can be provided as a separate entity 20 and adapted for retrofit onto the motor-driven tool.
21 When the adjustable power transmitting device is 22 incorporated integrally into a motor-driven tool, it ad-23 vantageously includes a compact and efficient gear-reduction 2~ mechanism. The gear-reduction mechanism may include a first pinion for receiving rotary input motion-from the 2~ motor, a second pinion driven by the first pinion, and a 27 ring gear driven by the second pinion and coupled to the 28 input s~aft.
29 The invention, together with further features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference 1 to the following description taken in connection with the ac-2 companying illustrative drawings which are somewhat schematic.

` 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

6 Fig. 1 is a ~ragmentary perspective view of a drill q constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention

8 with por~ions of the chuck broken away to expose the output

9 shaft.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the con-11 struction shown in Fig. 1.
12 Fig. 3 is a view taken generally along line 3-3 o~
13 Fig. 1.
14 Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to 15 Fig. 3 with parts omitted and illustrating the curtains for 16 progressively opening and closing the slot which accommodates 17 angular movement of the output shaft.
18 Fig. 5 is an isometric view lllustrating one way in ~9 which the power transmitting device of this invention can be 20 retrofit onto an existing power tool.

24 Fig. 1 shows a drill 11 which generally includes a 25 drill body 13, an adjustable power transmitting device 15 and 26 a chuck 17 for holding a drill bit 19. The drill body 13 may 27 be a conventional hand-held motor-driven drill which includes 28 a motor 21 for driving a shaft 23 in rotation. The shaft 23 29 is mounted by a sealed bearing 24 carried by a plate or wall 26 of the drill body 13.

1 The adjustable power transmitting device 15 mounts 2 the chuck 17 for pivotal movement about -two mutually perpen-3 dicular pivot or adjustment axes 25 and 27. The device 15 4 also transmits rotary motion from the shaft 23 to the chuc~
17 so that the drill bit 19 can be rotated. This power 6 transmitting function can occur in all angular positions r~ of the chuck 17 about the adiustment axes 25 and 27~.
8 With reference to Fig. 2, the device 15 includes 9 a rounded or curved housing 29, which may be constructed of two hal~ shells, mounted on the drill body 13 as described 11 hereinbelow. The device 15 includes an input shaft 31 ro-12 tatably mounted on the housing 29 for rotational movement 13 about a first rotational axis which coincides with the lon-14 gitudinal axis of the input shaft 31 by a ball bearing 33, the shaft 23 and a bearing 32. The shaf.t 23 drives the in 16 put shaft 31 through a gear reduction unit which comprises 17 a first pinion 35 keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft 23, 18 a second pinion 37 suitably rotatably mounted on the plate 19 26 of the drill body 13 by a bearing and shaft assembly 39 and driven by the first pinion 35, and a ring gear 41 driven 21 b~ the second pinion and coupled to, or integral with, the . 22 input shaft 31. The gear reduction unit also includes a gear 23 housing 42 mounted on the wall 26 and housing the pinions 35 24 and 37 ana the ring gear 41.
An output shaft 43 is rotatably mo~mted on a car-26 rier 45 in any suitable manner, such as by a ball bearing 47 2q and a needle bearing 49. The carrier 45 is in turn mounted 28 on the housing 29 by spaced opposed flanges 51 and 53 for slid-29 able movement in opening means in the form of a slot 55 in the housing 29.
31 The input shaft 31 drives the output shaft 43 via 32 an input bevel gear 57 keyed or o-therwise secured to the input shaft 31, an output bevel gear 59 suitablv mounted on the out-2 put shaft 43, and opposed intermediate bevel gears 61 an~ 63.
3 The intermediate gears 61 and 63 drivingly engage the input 4 gear 57 and the output gear 59. In the embodiment illustrat-e~, the intermediate gears 61 and 63 are mounted on a mounting 6 shaft 65 which is pivotally mounted on the opposite sides o the housing 29. The mounting sha~t 65 extends through the in-. 8 termediate gears 61 and 63, and needle bearin~s 67 and 69 mount . 9 the gears 61 and 63 for rotation, respectively, on the sha~t 65.
Releasable means in the form of set screws 71 and 73 11 bears against thrust bearings 75 to normall~ hold the interme-12 diate gears 61 and 63 in driving engagement with the gears 57 13 and 59 and against thrust bearings 76. A coil compression 14 spring 77 acts between one of ~he thrust bearings 76 and the . 15 bearing 69 to resiliently urge the intermediate gear 63 out of 16 driving engagement with the gears 57 and 59. Accordingly, 1~ upon loosening of the set screw 73, the spring 77 automatically 18 disengages the intermediate gear 63 from the gears 57 and 59.
19 The output shaft 43 has an inner end portion 83 which projects through the output gear 59 and is received 21 within a bearing 84 mounted in a blind bore 85 in the mount-22 ing shaft 65. The mounting shaft 65 is mounted for pivotal 23 movement about the adjustment axis 25 by coaxial blind 24 bores in the set screws 71 and 73. The adjustment axis 2~
coincides with the longitudinal axis of the mounting shaft 26 65. The adjustment axis 25, in the embodiment illustrated, 2~ is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the input 28 shaft 31. By releasing the set screw 73 to disengage 29 the intermediate gear 63 from the gears 57 and Sg, the output shaft 43 can be pivoted about the adjustment axis 31 25 to a desired angular position. In the embodiment 3~

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1 illustrated, the output shaft 43 can be adjusted through 90 2 degrees from a position in which the output shaft 43 is co-3 axial with the input shaft 31. Of course, the slot 55 is 4 configured to accommodate this pivotal movement of the out-5. put shaft 43O
6 The interior of the housing 29 can be filled with 7 a suitable lubricant, such as grease. Seals 86 prevent leakage of lubricant out of the housing 29 along the input 9 shaft 31 and the output shaft 43, respectively. To prevent loss of the lubricant through the slot 55, it is desirable 11 to close the slot 55 as much as possible for all angular po-12 sitions of the output shaft 43 about the adjustment axis 25.
13 In the embodiment illustrated, this is accomplished by a 14 collapsable eurtain 87 (Figs. 3 and 4) and a curtain 89 whieh are normally slidably retained in pockets 91 and 93, 16 respectively. The eollapsable eurtain 87 ineludes curtain 17 segments 95 and 97 having engageable interloeking shoulders 18 98. One end of the curtain segment 95 is coupled to the 19 carrier 45. The leading edge of the curtain 89 is coupled to the opposite end of the earrier ~5. As the output shaft 21 43 and the earrier 45 are pivoted clockwise as viewed in Fig.
22 4 about the adjustment axis 25, the curtain segment 95 slides 23 over the eurtain segment 97, and the curtain 89 is pulled out 24 of the pocket 93 to eover the portions of the slot 55 to the . 25 left of the output shaft 43. If elockwise pivotal movement 26 of the output shaft 43 continues, the upper end of the eur-27 tain segment 97 engages the earrier 45 and is pushed there~
28 b~ further into the pocket 91 as required to aceommodate this 29 pivotal movement of the output shaft. On ~he return pivotal movement of the output shaft 43, the steps described above are reversed, with the curtain 89 being pushed back into its pocket 93 to accommodate such motion of the output shaft and 3 with the curtain segments 95 and 97 being pulled out of the 4 pocket 93 and expanding as permitted by the engageable shoulders 98 to cover the portion of the slot S5 to the 6 right of the output shaft 43 as viewed in Fig. 4.
7 If pivotal movement of the output shaft 43 about 1 8 the adjustment axis 27 is desired, this can advantageously 9 be provided by mounting of the housing 29 on the drill body 0 13 for rotational movement. Although this can be accomplish~
~1 ed in different ways, in the embodiment illustrated, a plu-12 rality of guide segments 99 (only one being illustrated) is 13 mounted on the drill body 13 for cooperation with a flange 14 101 on the housing to permit this relative motion. In the embodiment illustrated, the adjustment axis 27 is colncident 16 with the axis of rotation of the input shaft 31.
17 The position of the output shaft 43 about the axis 18 25 and the position of the housing 29 about the adjustment ~9 axis 27 can be fixed in various different ways. For exam-ple, the flange 101 (Fig. 1) may have notches 103 arranged 21 in a pattern along the periphery of the flange. The angular 22 position of the housing 29 and hence the output shaft 43 can 23 be fixed by one or more locking elements 105 mounted on the 24 gear housing 42. For example, each of the locking elements 2~ 105 may be in the form of a pin, threaded fastener or spring 26 biased detent which can be resiliently retracted within the 27 gear housing 42. In any event, the locking element 105 can 28 be effectively removed from the notch 103 to allow the hous-29 ing 29 to be rotated about the adjustment axis 27 to the de-sired angular position and, thereafter, the locking element 1 105 can be appropriately reinserted into the confronting 2 notch 103.
3 In the embodiment illustrated, the carrier 45 and 4 hence the output shaft 43 can be incrementally pivoted about the adjustment axis 25~ The region of the housing 29 which 6 is swept by the carrier 45 is preferably spherical. The carrier 45 can be ~ixed in any one of a number o~ locations by spring biased detents 107 o~ conventional construction 9 which are carried b~ the carrier 45 and which may be received within recesses 109 o~ the housing 29. The recesses 109 pref-~1 erably do not completely penetrate the housing as this would 12 provide a potential opening for lubricant to leak out of the 13 housing.
14 Fig. 5 shows a drill lla which is identical to the drill 11 in all respects no~ shown or described herein. The 16 primary differences between the drill 11 and the drill lla 17 is that the latter has the adjustable power transmitting de-18 vice 15a retrofit on an existing drill 13a and the power 19 transmitting de~ice 15a does not include the gear xeduction 2~ mechanism, i.e.~ the pinions 35 and 37 and the gear 41.
21 Portions of the drill lla corresponding to portions of the 22 drill 11 are designated by corresponding reference numerals 23 followed by the letter "a."
24 In the embodiment illustrated, the retrofit is æs structurally accomplished by mounting rods 111 which are 26 attached to the drill body 13a and to a base plate 113 of 27 the device 15a. The drill body 13a includes the usual ro-~8 tatable chuck 115. Rotary input is provided to the device 29 15a by inserting the shaft 23 (Fig. 2) into the chuck 115.
The housing 29a can be pivoted about the adjust-31 ment axis 27a relative to the base plate 113 as permitted 32 b~ the guide segments 99a and the locking elements 105a

-10--I

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1 (only one bein~ shown in Fig. 5). Although the locking ele~
2 ments 105a can be identical to the locking elements 105 des-3 cribed hereinabove, as illustrated in Fig. 5, each of the locking elements ineludes a toggle latch which can be se-cured in place within an associated one of the notehes 103a.
6 Adiustment of the chuck 17a about the adjustment axis 25a 7~ ean be accomplished with the construction of FigO 5 in the 8 same manner deseribed above with reference to Figs. 1-40 9 Although an exemplarv embodiment of the invention 0 has been shown and described, many ehanges, modifications

11 and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill

12 in the art without neeessarily departing from the spirit and

13 scope of this invention.

.~ 1~ '

Claims (17)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE
IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An adjustable power transmitting device for rotary motion comprising:
a rotary input shaft;
means for mounting the input shaft for rotation about a first rotational axis;
a rotary output shaft having an outer end;
means for mounting the output shaft for rotation about a second rotational axis;
second means for mounting the output shaft for pivotal movement about at least two non-parallel adjustment axes to permit the output shaft to be adjusted about said adjustment axes so that said outer end can describe a segment of a sphere;
means for fixing said output shaft in any one of a plurality of positions about said adjustment axes in which said outer end lies in said segment of a sphere;
means for drivingly coupling the input shaft to the output shaft whereby the input shaft can rotate the output shaft in all of said positions of the output shaft about the adjustment axes;
said coupling means includes an input gear coupled to said input shaft, an output gear coupled to said output shaft and intermediate gear means drivingly engaging said input gear and said output gear, and means for mounting said intermediate gear means for rotation; and said input gear engaging the intermediate gear means on one side of said second adjustment axis and said output gear engaging the intermediate gear means on the other side of the second adjustment axis at least when said input and output shafts extend generally in the same direction and said second adjustment axis being generally transverse to the first rotational axis.

2. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 1 including tool mouting means on said outer end of said output shaft.

3. An adjustble power transmitting device as defined in Claim 1 wherein a first of said adjustment axes is substantially parallel to said first rotational axis and a second of said adjustment axes is substantially transverse to said first adjustment axis.

4. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 3 including a housing at least partially containing said output shaft and said coupling means, said second means includes means for mounting said output shaft on said housing for pivotal movement about said second adjustment axis relative to said housing and means for mounting said housing for pivotal movement about the first adjustment axis to thereby mount the output shaft for pivotal movement about said first adjustment axis.

5. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said intermediate gear means is a first intermediate gear and said coupling means includes a second intermediate gear drivingly engaging said input gear and said output gear, means for mounting said second intermediate gear for rotation, a first of said adjustment axes being perpendicular to said first rotational axis, and said two intermediate gears holding the output shaft against pivotal movement about said first adjustment axis.

6. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 5 including means for releasably holding said second intermediate gear in driving engagement with said input gear and said output gear and means for biasing said second intermediate gear out of driving engagement with said input gear and said output gear whereby upon release of the releasable means said biasing means automatically disengages said intermediate gear from said input gear and said output gear.

7. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 1 including a housing at least partially containing said shafts, said gears and said gear means, said second mounting means includes a mounting shaft carried by said housing and extending through said intermediate gear means, said mounting shaft mounting said output shaft for pivotal movement about a first of said adjustment axes relative to said housing, and said second mounting means includes means for mounting said housing for pivotal movement about a second of said adjustment axes to thereby mount the output shaft for pivotal movement about said second adjustment axis.

8. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 3 wherein said input gear engages the intermediate gear means on one side of said second adjustment axis and said output gear engaging the intermediate gear means on the other side of the second adjustment axis at least when said input and output shafts extend generally in the same direction.

9. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said second adjustment axis is partially transverse to the first rotational axis and said intermediate gear means is mounted for rotation generally about said second adjustment axis.

10. An adjustable power transmitting device for use with a motor driven tool comprising:
a housing;
a rotary input shaft;
means for mounting the input shaft for rotation about a first axis with at least a portion of the input shaft being within said housing;
a rotary output shaft;
first means for mounting the output shaft for rotation about a second axis with one portion of the output shaft being within said housing and an outer portion of the output shaft being outside of said housing;

tool mounting means on said outer portion of said output shaft;
an input gear mounted on and driven by said input shaft;
an output gear mounted on said output shaft;
an intermediate gear mounted for rotation with-in said housing for drivingly engaging said input gear and said output gear;
said output shaft having an inner end portion within said housing projecting through said output gear;
means within said housing and cooperating with said inner end portion of said output shaft for mounting the output shaft for pivotal movement relative to the-housing about a first pivot axis;
said housing having opening means therein for accommodating said output shaft as it pivots about said first pivot axis; and means for fixing said output shaft in any one of a plurality of positions about said first pivot axis.

11. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 10 wherein said intermediate gear is a first intermediate gear and including a second inter-mediate gear mounted for rotation within said housing and drivingly engageable with the input gear and the output gear.

12. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for mounting said output shaft for movement about the first pivot axis includes a mounting shaft mounted on said housing, said intermediate gear being mounted for rotation on said mount-ing shaft, said mounting shaft mounts said second inter-mediate gear for rotation, releasable means for normally holding said second intermediate gear in driving engagement with said input gear and said output gear and resilient means for urging said second intermediate gear out of driving engagement with said input gear and said output gear.

13. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 10 wherein said housing is adapted to re-tain a lubricant, said opening means includes an elongated slot in said housing and means for substantially closing said opening means in all positions of said output shaft about said pivot axis.

14. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 13 wherein said closing means includes a collapsible curtain on one side of said output shaft and a second curtain on the other said of said output shaft.

15. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 10 wherein said tool mounting means in-cludes a chuck carried by said output shaft and adapted to mount a drill bit.

16. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 10 wherein said housing is arcuate at least adjacent said opening means.

17. An adjustable power transmitting device as defined in claim 10 including means for mounting said housing on the motor driven tool.