GB1594333A - Universal joints - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN UNIVERSAL JOINTS (71) We, BRIGHTSHAFT MANUFACTUR ING LIMITED, a British Company of 47 St.

John's Wood, High Street, London NW8 7NJ, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention is concerned with universal joints for the transmission of power between driving and driven members rotatable about axes which may be inclined to one another at a variable angle. It is particularly concerned with joints of this kind in which power is transmitted between the members by at least one arm projecting from one of said members and engaging in a recess in a housing formng the other member and in which the arm projects from a solid of revolution on the first member, the surface of which contacts a cylindrical internal surface of the other of said members.

The invention consists in, a joint of the kind referred to comprising a shaft having a spherical end, this spherical end being formed with a radial recess extending to the centre thereof transverse to the axis of the shaft, an arm extending beyond the surface of the sphere mounted in said recess on a pivot fixed at the centre of the sphere with its axis transverse to the axis of the recess and to the axis of the shaft and a member or housing surrounding this spherical end and having an internal cylindrical surface from which extends a recess into which the arm engages, the surface of the spherical end being in contact with this cylindrical surface.

The radial recess in the spherical end may be conical tapering inwardly from the outer surface of the sphere to the centre thereof or may be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the shaft. The projecting end of the arm may be enlarged or may carry a roller to engage the surfaces of the recess in the housing. Preferably two arms are provided extending in diametrically opposite directions from the centre of the sphere.

By this arrangement, the two members are maintained in alignment as their axes are inclined relatively to one another through a large angle and the spherical end slides along the internal surface of the housing.

Other parts of the invention are embodied in the preferred forms which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the joint; and Figure 2 is a view in the direction of the arrow II of Figure 1.

In this form, a shaft 1 is formed with a spherical end 2 which may be cut off at the extreme end as shown. The sphere 2 is formed with a diametral bore 3 transverse to the axis of the shaft 1. This bore is in the shape of a double conical frustrum tapering outwardly from the centre of the sphere to the surface thereof.

A pivot 4 extends across the bore 3 at the centre of the sphere with its axis transverse to the axis of the bore and to the axis of the shaft 1. On this pivot 4 is mounted for pivotal movement an arm 5 extending at each end beyond the surface of the sphere where it is formed with bearing surfaces on which rollers 6 are mounted. The arm 5 is cylindrical and forms the bearing surfaces for the rollers 6.

Surrounding the spherical end 2 is a housing 7 having an internal cylindrical surface 8 with which the surface of the sphere is in contact. Recesses 9 are formed in this cylindrical surface in which the rollers 6 engage to form a driving connection.

A flexible housing 10 is provided between one end of the housing 7 and the shaft 1 to form a seal against ingress of dirt. The other end of the housing is connected to a hollow shaft 11 the end of which is closed by a plate 12. The housing 7 may be formed in two parts connected by bolts 13.

Either of the members 1 or 11 may be the driven member and the other the driving member. The recesses in the housing may be cushioned for example by being lined with rubber or the like or by the provision of spring blades.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details of the preferred form described by way of example which can be modified without departure from the scope of the accompanying claims.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A joint of the kind referred to comprising a shaft having a spherical end, this spherical end being formed with a radial recess extending to the centre thereof transverse to the axis of the shaft, an arm extending beyond the surface of the sphere mounted in said recess on a pivot fixed at the centre of the sphere with its axis transverse to the axis of the recess and to the axis of the shaft and a member or housing surrounding this spherical end and having an internal cylindrical surface from which extends a recess into which the arm engages, the surface of the spherical end being in contact with this cylindrical surface.

2. A joint as claimed in Claim 1, in which the radial recess in the spherical end is conical, tapering inwardly from the outer surface of the sphere to the centre thereof.

3. A joint as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the projecting end of the arm carries a roller to engage the surfaces of the recess in the housing.

4. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding Claims having two arms extending in diametrically opposite directions from the centre of the sphere.

5. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, having a flexible housing connecting the shaft and one end of the housing to form a seal therebetween, the other end of the housing being closed.

6. A joint of the kind referred to substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. be modified without departure from the scope of the accompanying claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A joint of the kind referred to comprising a shaft having a spherical end, this spherical end being formed with a radial recess extending to the centre thereof transverse to the axis of the shaft, an arm extending beyond the surface of the sphere mounted in said recess on a pivot fixed at the centre of the sphere with its axis transverse to the axis of the recess and to the axis of the shaft and a member or housing surrounding this spherical end and having an internal cylindrical surface from which extends a recess into which the arm engages, the surface of the spherical end being in contact with this cylindrical surface.

2. A joint as claimed in Claim 1, in which the radial recess in the spherical end is conical, tapering inwardly from the outer surface of the sphere to the centre thereof.

3. A joint as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the projecting end of the arm carries a roller to engage the surfaces of the recess in the housing.

4. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding Claims having two arms extending in diametrically opposite directions from the centre of the sphere.

5. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, having a flexible housing connecting the shaft and one end of the housing to form a seal therebetween, the other end of the housing being closed.

6. A joint of the kind referred to substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.