GB820911A - Three-part resilient rotary shaft connection - Google Patents

Abstract

820,911. Shaft couplings. HAPP, H., HARTZ, H., and BARDT, R. April 15, 1957 [April 14, 1956; June 16, 1956], No. 12216/57. Class 80 (2). A clamped resilient shaft coupling between universal joints fast with shafts 1, 13 on a motor vehicle comprises a hollow shaft 2 fast with the shaft 1 and freely supporting the entire axial length of an inner shaft 11 with which the shaft 13 is in splined engagement, a sleeve 10 secured to the inner shaft 11 surrounding the whole assembly and being in driving engagement with the hollow shaft 2 through axially compressed resilient elements 6. A coating of polyamide lies between the shafts 2, 11. The resilient elements consist of rubber or like rings 6, Figs. 2, 3, attached to metal discs 4, 7. The discs 4 have notches 5 which engage axial ribs 3 along the outside of the hollow shaft 2, and the discs 7, which are of greater external diameter, have notches 8 engaging axial ribs 9 inside the sleeve 10. Relatively wide notches 21 for the ribs 3 allow the discs 7 to turn a limited amount on the hollow shaft 2. The whole assembly is compressed axially by lightening a nut 14 upon the sleeve 10, this lightening also compressing vibration damping friction discs 16 on to a flange 15 welded to the hollow shaft 2. Alternatively, the friction rings 16 may be replaced by rings of soft rubber. In a modification, the rubber rings &c. 6 of Figs. 1 . . . 3 are replaced by sleeves of rubber 6, Fig. 4, between coaxial sleeves 17, 18, 20. The inner and outer sleeves are peripherally gapped, as at 19, to receive the ribs 3, 9 on the hollow shaft 2 and the sleeve 10. A number of the resilient units shown in Fig. 4 are used, fitted together end-to-end, and are provided with claws 21 on their middle sleeves 20 which interengage. As a further modification the rubber rings &c. 6 of Figs. 1 . . . 3 are replaced by rubber rings 26, Fig. 6, secured between metal discs 23, 25 of the shape shown. With this arrangement, relative turning movement between each pair of metal discs 23, 25, accompanying shear of the rubber ring 26 when the coupling is under load, causes axial separation of the metal rings, and thus increases the frictional force acting on the rings 15, &c. to dampen vibrations. To increase the amount by which the discs 4, 7, Fig. 3, can be turned relatively to each other, additional metal discs and rubber rings can be inserted between the discs 4, 7. These additional discs do not engage with the ribs 3, 9 on the hollow shaft 2 and the sleeve 10. To obtain a varying spring characteristic for the coupling, the notches 8 of each resilient element are made of different sizes, so that each pair of discs 4, 7, &c. takes up drive in succession with increasing torque transmitted. The thickness of the rubber rings 6, and the nature of the rubber used, may also be varied to alter the spring characteristics.