GB2101709A

GB2101709A - Torsionally resilient couplings

Info

Publication number: GB2101709A
Application number: GB08219214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Ruggen; Dietwald Darenberg
Original assignee: Maschinenfabrik Stromag GmbH
Current assignee: Maschinenfabrik Stromag GmbH
Priority date: 1981-07-07
Filing date: 1982-07-02
Publication date: 1983-01-19
Also published as: IT8222247A0; FR2509398A1; GB2101709B; DE3126644C2; FR2509398B1; DE3126644A1; BR8203922A; AT385099B; IT1190907B; IT8222247A1; ATA247982A

Abstract

A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling is provided with teeth (2,3) at the inner and outer periphery for engagement with corresponding teeth of the coupling halves. There is provided in the region of the roots of the teeth, both at the inner and at the outer periphery of the intermediate ring, a supporting ring (5', 6'). The supporting rings may be connected to one another by reinforcing threads (11). As a result, the loading capacity of the resilient intermediate ring is increased without the resilient characteristics of the teeth themselves being impaired. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to torsionally resilient couplings This invention relates to a resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling, which ring is provided with teeth at the inner and at the outer periphery, for engagement with corresponding teeth ofthe coupling halves and is provided with a sup porting ring in the region of the roots of the teeth of at least one ring of teeth.

Torsionally resilient couplings incorporating rings of this kind are known (DE-OS 27 06 479). In the known types of construction, a supporting ring is provided in the region of the roots of the inner teeth, it being assumed that the greater forces occur on the teeth in the region of the smaller inner periphery.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that in view of the transmittable torques it is extremely advantageous to dispose a supporting ring in the region of the roots of the outer teeth so that supporting rings are provided both in the inner and outer regions to prevent the resilient teeth from being pulled out of their corresponding teeth in the event of large torques. The supporting ring in the outer region of the intermediate ring ensures that the disadvantage of pulling out of the teeth is avoided while retaining the resilient characteristics of the teeth.

A preferred feature of the invention, however, is based not only on the problem, solved by the features outlined above, of preventing the outer teeth from being pulled out with relatively great torques, but also on the problem of increasing the transmittable torques themselves. According to this preferred feature of the invention, this can be realized in that the supporting rings provided at the inner and at the outer periphery of the intermediate member are connected to one another by reinforcing threads.

This construction makes use of the fact, known per se, that the loading capacity of the resilient intermediate member can be increased by the provision of reinforcing threads, as is known, for example, in so-called strap couplings and also in couplings with inserted securing rings which are connected directly to the coupling halves through bolts or clamping rings. The construction according to the preferred feature of the invention has the advantage in comparison with such embodiments, however, that the resilient properties of the material forming the teeth can be fully utilized because the supporting rings themselves do not come into connection with the coupling halves but only exert a supporting function for the teeth.

A particularly advantageous embodiment results if the supporting ring or rings are composed of individual component rings held independently of one another in the intermediate ring and provided, in axially spaced relationship to one another, over the whole axial length of the roots of the teeth. With this embodiment, in which each component ring is completely surrounded by resilient material and may have the same diameter, the advantageous possibility results of a better displacement capacity of the shafts to be coupled, because the supporting rings, being broken up (axially) into component pieces, can better adapt themselves to such a displacement than a wide continuous ring.When component rings are provided in the region of the roots of the outer teeth and component rings are provided in the region of the roots of the inner teeth and each pair of component rings is associated with one another in a radial plane, this embodiment has the advantage that these pairs of rings can be wound round with reinforcing threads so that, in relation to the inner periphery of the intermediate ring or to the diameter of the inner component rings, altogether considerably more reinforcing threads can be introduced than is the case with one inner ring. The number of reinforcing threads to be fitted, if winding of the threads over one another is to be avoided in the inner region, is determined by the diameter of the inner ring.If this inner ring is split up into component pieces, as is provided according to the above mentioned preferred feature of the invention, then correspondingly more reinforcing threads can be disposed and so a greater reinforcement of the transmittable torque can be achieved. All the component rings are arranged to float freely in resilient material and are not in communication with the coupling halves through a metallic contact. The resilient properties of the coupling are therefore retained, as is also the case in the known construction (DE-OS 27 ops 479).

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa view of a segment of a resilient intermediate ring according to one embodiment of the invention, for incorporation in a torsionally resilient coupling, Figure 2 is a section through the intermediate ring of Figure 1 on the line Il-lI, Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 1 through a portion of another embodiment of a resilient intermediate ring according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a section through the embodiment of Figure 3 on the line IV-IV, Figure 5 is the section through a portion of another embodiment of a resilient intermediate ring in accordance with the invention Figure 6 is a cross-section through the embodiment of Figure 5 on the line VI-VI, Figure 7 is a section similar to Figure 6 through an embodiment of an intermediate ring similar to that of Figures 5 and 6 but with four pairs of rings associated with one another and Figure 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the angu lardisplacement possibilities of the embodiment of ring of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1, a sector-like portion of a resilient intermediate ring 1 is shown which is provided both with resilient teeth 2 at its inner periphery and with teeth 3 at the outer This print takes account of replacement documents later filed to enable the application to comply with the formal requirements of the Patents Rules 1982. periphery. This resilient intermediate ring can be pushed axially over the corresponding teeth of an inner and an outer coupling half, as is lenownperse.

The teeth 2 then engage in the corresponding metal teeth of a coupling hub while the teeth 3 in the example shown receive, between them, for example, bolts extending axially which engage in the gaps 4 between each two teeth 3 or in a corresponding metal toothed ring.

In orderto ensure that these resilient teeth 2 and 3 are not pulled out of their associated teeth when torques occur with resulting radial forces, not only is an encircling metal supporting ring 5 provided in the inner region of the intermediate ring 1 but also a supporting ring 6 in the outer region. The two supporting rings are disposed in the region of the roots of the teeth 2 and 3 so that no direct contact occurs between the metal parts of the coupling halves, not illustrated, and the metal supporting rings 5, 6.

Rather are the supporting rings 5, 6 disposed as close as possible to the coupling members but still with such a spacing that the resilient properties of the teeth are retained when torques occur.

Both the supporting ring 5 and the supporting ring 6 are each equipped with reinforcing ribs 7 and 8 which project radially inwards on the supporting ring 5 and radially outwards from the supporting ring on the supporting ring 6 and reach into the central region of the associated teeth 2 and 3 in each case.

Figure 2 shows that the outer supporting ring 6 may be provided with an inward facing encircling reinforcing rib and that the reinforcing ribs 7 and 8 extending axially each extend over the whole width ofthe teeth 2 and 3. Both supporting rings 5 and 6 are vulcanized into the resilient intermediate member 1. There is no mutual connection of these two supporting rings.

Figures 3 and 4 show an embodiment wherein the inner and outer supporting rings 5' and 6' are provided, in the region between two teeth 2 and 3, with recesses 10, 10a which serve to receive reinforcing threads 11, held against torsion, which are each laid in loops round the inner and the outer supporting rings 5' and 6'. This embodiment therefore permits the transmission ofgreatertorques, and in this case the characteristic curve is progressive because, as the angle of torsion increases, the reinforcing threads come more and more into action. The characteristic curve of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is linear.

In Figures 5 and 6 an embodiment is shown wherein the inner and the outer supporting ring are again connected to one another by reinforcing threads 11. In this embodiment, however, the inner supporting ring 5' and the outer supporting ring 6' of Figures 3 and 4 are each split up into two component supporting rings 5a, 5b and 6a, 6b which are dis posed parallel to one another and which are both embedded independently of one another in the resi lient material ofthe intermediate ring 1.As a result of the fact that the component supporting rings 6a, 6b and 5a, Sb, which extend with their width in the axial direction of the intermediate ring 1, are only very narrow, the reinforcing ribs 7 and 8 of the forms of embodiment of Figures 1 and 4 are no longer constructed as ribs extending axially but as a kind of teeth 12 and 13 which each project over a certain region into the resilient material of the teeth 2 and 3.

This embodiment has the advantage that double the number of windings of the reinforcing threads 11 can be introduced into the intermediate ring 1 because double the winding periphery can be made available for the reinforcing threads 11 at the inner component supporting rings 5a, 5b in comparison with a continuous inner supporting ring. With the continuous supporting ring, the same number of reinforcing windings could only be fitted if at least some of the windings were superimposed, which is undesirable both for manufacturing reasons and for reasons of wear in operation.

Figures 7 and 8 show an extension ofthe idea explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Here not only is the inner supporting ring 5 of Figure 1 divided into four component supporting rings 5a to 5d but also the outer supporting ring 6 of Figure 1 is divided into four component supporting rings 6a to 6d. The supporting rings 5a and 6a or 5b and 6b, like the supporting rings 5c, Sc and 5d, 6d each lie in a common radial plane and are each provided with their own wound reinforcing threads 11.This embodiment therefore has the advantage, in the first place, that in comparison with the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, four times the number of reinforcing threads 11 can be accommodated in the resilient intermediate ring 1 and on the other hand that a considerably better adaption of the intermediate ring thus constructed to angular displacements ofthe shaft parts to be coupled is possible.In order to explain this, Figure 8 illustrates that the reinforcing loops 1 la associated with the individual pairs of rings 5a, 6a or the reinforcing loops 1 1d associated with the rings 5d, 6d, on an angular displacement in relation to their initial position shown in Figure 7, acquire a stretched or looser shape which renders it possible for the individual elements to be able to yield considerably more easily, on an angular displacement, than a wider ring as shown for example in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4. As can be seen in Figure 8, the individual loops of reinforcing threads 1 la, 1 it, 1 1c and 1 1d are unevenly stretched, whereas in their initial position as shown in Figure 7 they are evenly stretched. This embodiment therefore also has the great advantage that the resilient intermediate ring of the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8 adapts itself as well as possible to the particu lar situation under loading, even with angular dis placement of the coupling members and therefore also ensures a better seating in the teeth. The resi lient intermediate ring described is therefore suit able for the transmission of high torques without impairment of the resilient properties desired in such couplings.

Claims

1. A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling, said ring being provided with teeth at the inner and at the outer periphery for engagement with corresponding teeth in the coupl ing halves and comprising encircling supporting rings in the regions of the roots of the teeth at the inner and outer peripheries thereof.

2. A ring as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the said supporting rings at the inner and at the outer periphery of the resilient intermediate ring are con necked to one another by reinforcing threads.

3. A ring as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein at the inner and outer peripheries of the said intermediate ring there are provided in each case a plural ityofsaidsupporting rings held independently of one another in the intermediate ring and arranged in axially spaced relation to one another over the whole axial length of the said teeth.

4. A ring as claimed in Claim 3, wherein each independent supporting ring is completely surrounded by resilient material.

5. A ring as claimed in Claim 3 or 4 wherein all the said independent supporting rings at the said inner or the said outer periphery have the same diameter.

6. A ring as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to S, wherein pairs of said supporting rings of which one is arranged in the region of the roots of the outer teeth and the other in the region of the roots of the inner teeth are in each case arranged in a common radial plane and entwined with reinforcing threads.

7. A ring as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein each of said supporting rings is provided with reinforcing ribs which extend into the region of the associated resilient teeth.

8. A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling substantiaily as described herein with reference to Fig. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A resilient intermediate ring for a torsionally resilient coupling substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.