US1157148A

US1157148A - Flexible shaft.

Info

Publication number: US1157148A
Application number: US86956414A
Authority: US
Inventors: George T Bond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-10-31
Filing date: 1914-10-31
Publication date: 1915-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1932-10-19

Description

Wilt/"wow e. T, BOND.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

APPLICATION FILED 001131. 1914.

1,157,148. Patented 001;. 19, 1915.

' awn 144 01 enonsn '17.. Bonn, or U INGTON; wnsr VIRGINIA.

' FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GE RG'E T. BOND, a] citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexiuniform throughout the length of the shaft,

' any desired length or strength.

and in which there is no frictional contact of any part of the shaft against any other part such as always obtains in spirally wound shafts. V r

I construct the shaft of a flat band, preferably of spring steel, twisted to obtain uniform flexibility throughout. A shaft of this nature is simple in the extreme, more economical to produceand can be made of Other objects and advantages of the iii-- vention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon,'forn1 a part of this specificationpand' in which Figure .1 is an elevation of a shaft constructed in accordance with my present invention, the same being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one end, of the shaft. Fig. 3 isa view atright angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a similar view showing one end of the shaft attached to a spindle or head. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of one end of the shaft. Fig. 7 is a similar view looking at the opposite edge.

7 Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the difierent views.

In constructing my shaft'I take a piece of flat material, preferably spring steel, and, by any suitable machinery or means, twist the same, giving it a uniform twist throughout its length, the" twists 1 i being Specification .ofietters Patent. Application filed Octdbcr 31,

1914. Seria1No.869,564.

ratenteaoet. 19.1915.

generally in the direction ofthe length of L the shaft and the ends extended axially of H the shaft, as seen at 2, to form meansv for.

attaching the shaft in the desired position. The end portions '2;may be formed with substantially square shoulders 3 -or with the rounded portions 4, as seen in Fig. 3, dispensing with the sharp corners' It is to be noted that the cross sectionsof the strip. at

all times have their centers in alinement, the twists being spiral. r

If desired, the end 2 of the shaft, may be affixed to a spindle or head5 by inserting the end of the shaft within a longitudinal kerf or slot in the end of the spindle or head and affixing it therein in any suitable manner. It may sometimes be desirable to round-the corners of the material of the shaft, as seen at 6, in Fig, 5, so as to avoid sharp angles or corners.

The shaft is easily applied or attached to .any driving or driven mechanism; it is so twisted as to insure perfect flexibility throughout its length, which flexibilitymoreover will be uniform. It will also be noted that there is no. frictional contact of any part of the shaft against any other part of such shaft and that" when power is applied to one end it isimmediately transmitted to the other end, 'without loss of power or of time due to a process of winding up, as in the usual wound types of flexible shaft.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. p

A shaft constructed as above described can be used to connect other members whose axes are at an angle to each other instead of in alinement and the shaft is uniformly flexible inall directions throughout its length.

WVhat is claimed as new is V l. A flexible shaft composed of a strip of flexible metal having a multiplicity of spiral twists, crosssections of the strip at all points having their centers in alinement with the edges of the strip extending in j the direction of the length of the shaft, said shaft being uniformly flexible in all directions throughout its length.

2. As an improved articleof manufacture tending throughout its length, cross sections a shaft composed of a flat strip of metal having a multiplicity of spiral twists ex of the strip at all times having their centers in alinement, the edges of the strip extend ing in the direction of the length of the shaft and the material thereof-extending through the, axial center of theshaft, said Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five eents eaeh, iay addressing the Commissioneroi. Intent, Washington, D. 0. 7

Witnesses: V I g I M. L. HUNTINGTON, J. WM. HAGEN. Jr.