GB630824A - A new or improved drive coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

630,824. Universal joints. METALASTIK, Ltd., and HIRST, A. J. Oct. 2, 1947, Nos. 26557/47, 1793/48 and 22103/48. [Class 80 (ii)] Comprises flexible couplings with substantially radial rigid drive-transmitting links having rubberbushed end connections to axial pegs or sleeves. The links may serve to connect driving and driven members directly together, or each to a floating intermediate member. As shown applied to couple a marine engine to reduction gearing or a propellor, rubber bushes 15, Fig. 2, are bonded directly between the pins 14 of three welded-up links 13 and the interior of forged housings 16 bolted to a driving flywheel 10 and to the cut-away flange 19, Fig. 1, of the input coupling sleeve 11 of a gearbox or like transmission member. According to the first Provisional Specification, six links are used and the bushes are bonded to sleeves fitting the pins and housings respectively. Alternatively, the bushes may be bonded between outer sleeves secured to the links and inner sleeves secured to pegs on the flywheel and flange. In the form shown in Fig. 5, as used to couple generators to diesel engines, solid forged links 22 are connected .in this way, the links being slightly inclined to the radial position in the absence of torque so as to pass therethrough on initial loading and give a high initial flexibility. To ensure that the stiffness of such a coupling is at a minimum when the links are radial, the lengths of the links can be such that they are in compression in this position. To facilitate dismantling; the flange pegs may comprise bolts 31 engaging a retainer cap 33 held from rotation relative to a main hexagon-headed sleeve 29 by a projection 34 thereon, a locking tab washer 36 being provided. In a form suitable for use between the engines and gearboxes of heavy rail or road vehicles such as mining locomotives or, according to the third Provisional Specification, road rollers, particularly those with two or three cylinder four-stroke diesel engines, driving and driven two-armed spiders 40, Fig. 6, at right angles, are each connected to a floating coupler 48 (which may be as shown or in the form of a ring or a pair of parallel rings lying outside the spiders) by a pair of diametrically opposed links 42. In forms of coupling where the links are always in tension, part-cylindrical bushes on the outer sides of the outer pins and the inner sides of the inner pins can replace the complete bushes. The load capacity of the bushes may be increased by using one or more intermediate metal sleeves therein. Instead of bonded rubber bushes, non-bonded but precompressed bushes or plain rubber sleeves compressed axially may be employed.