US1219943A - Shaft-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

e. c. HICKS, JR.

SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 020.13.1sxs.

1,21 9,943. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

' 6- Geo ./7/c/r-s Jr.

Witness: A ventor j gaM /a LUSH,

Attorney GEORGE C. HICKS, JR., 013 CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

App1ication filed December 13, 1916. Serial No. 136,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. HICKS, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Connersville, Fayette county, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to shaft-couplings of the articulated class and will be readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which I Figure l is an elevation of a coupling exemplifying my invention, parts appearing in vertical section in the plane of linec of Figs. 2 and 3:

Fig. 2 an elevation of the same, partly in vertical section, in the plane of line a of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3a plan of a pair of the driving pins,

the spring appearing in section in the plane of line b of Figs. 1, 2 and 4: Fig. 4 a vertical section of the drivingpiicils in the plane of line 0 of Figs. 2 and 8: an I Fig. 5 an elevation of a modified form of spring band. A diversity of scales is employed in the drawing.

In the drawing '1,'indicates one of the flanges of a flanged I coupling adapted tobe secured on the end of a shaft:

i series in each of. the flanges, the pins being 2 a similar flange tobe secured to-"thev companion shaft, the contiguous faces of the two flanges being spaced apart, it being understood that these flanges may be simple .flan es as illustrated, or that either or both of t em may form or be embodiedin members secured to shafts, as pulleys, ears, etc. 3, two circumferential series of plns, one

other series:

4, the overlapping ends of the pins, illustrated as being halved so as to present flat surfaces to each other:

5, a spring band or link encircling the overlapping ends of each pair of pins, this band being a spiral spring formed of a flat strip coiled up into a hoop of a size to encompass the overlapping ends of its pair of pins: and

6, a cushion, as, of leather, secured between the contiguous flat faces of each pair of pins.

With the overlapping ends of the pins halved as illustrated, the two ends conjointly form a cylindrical surface for the reception ofthe spring hand. If the pins of one series drive the pins of the other series by pushing contact, cushioned by the leather, then the spring bands are, for the instant, without office, regardless of whether the spring bands fit their pairs of pins snugly or loosely. But if, while one set ofpins is driving the other setby pushing engagement, the driven set seeks to run ahead, as by retardation of the velocity of the driving means the pins v will separate from each other, but such separation Will be elastically resisted by the spring bands whose interiors become elongated as the pins separate. Thespring bands, of course, become less yielding as the pins separate and they should be of such elastic strength as to Withstand any strain that may be put upon them in the proper operation of the coupling. If, now, the pins in advance be the driving pins, then the driving of the other set of pinswill be effected by traction through the medium of the spring bands which yield and elongate as the pins of the pairs separate. In this'case the driving of one shaft by the other is effected through an elastic medium, the leathers softening the effect in backlash, while in the fcase first mentioned, the driving is positive,

except as influenced by the leathers, and angular advance of the driving-member of the coupling is permitted to take place elastically through the medium of the spring bands. Aside from the angular elasticity of the system there is manifestly present a capacity for compensating for any reasonable lack of alinement between the two shafts. The construction is not only highly satisfactory in operation but it is'very simple and economical of production as the spring bands and the overlapping ends of the pins do not necessarily require any finishing or accurate relative sizing.

When the bands are formed as coiled springs, as illustrated in Fig. 4, there is not present an endless tension element. In other words, looking at Fig. 4, there would be no taking the case of spring bands formed of spiral coils, the driving strains tending to elongate the bands are resisted by the frictional contact of the members of the; coils. In other words, the layers of the coils must slip upon each other, and the friction ofthis slipping'brings about a sort of dash-potv action tendingto prevent the bands from elongating under sudden impulsive strains, thus reducing the sharpness of the elastic action.

I claim 1. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series of projections carried by each of the members and extending toward the contiguous face of the other member, the extending ends of the projections of one series overlapping the extending ends of the projections of the other series, and an elastic link encompassing each pair of overlapping projections and adapted to permit the projections of one series to engage with or separate from the projections of the other series, combined substantially as set forth.

2. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series of projections carried by each of the members and extending toward the contiguous face of the other member, the extending ends of the projections of one series overlapping the extending ends of the projections of the other series, a cushion disposed between the overlapping projections of each pair, and an elastic link encompassing each pair of overlapping projections and adapted to permit the projections of band. Such a band will behave norone series to engage with or separate from the projections of the other series, combined substantially as set forth.

3. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a'substantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series each ofthe members and having ends extending toward the contiguous face of the other member, the extending ends 'of one series of pins overlapping the extending ends of the other series, and an elastic link encompassing each pair of overlapping pinends and adapted to permit the pins of one series to engage with or separate from the pin-ends of'the other series, combined substantially as set forth.

4:. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series of cylindrical pins rigidly securedin each of the members and having semi-cylindrical ends extending toward the contiguous face of the other member, the fiat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of one series of pins overlapping the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of the other series, and an elastic link encompassing each pair .of overlapping pin-ends and adapted to permit the pins of one series to engage with or separate from the pin-ends of the other series, combined substantially as set forth.

5. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series of cylindrical pins rigidly secured in each of-the members and having semi-cylindrical ends extending toward the contiguous face of the other member, the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of one series of pins over-lapping the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of the other series, and a coiled spring band encompassing each pair of overlapping pin-ends and adapted to permit the pins of one series to engage with or separate from the pin-ends of the other series, combined substantially as set forth.

GEORGE C. HICKS, JR. Witnesses:

CHAS. RAISIG, C. C. ABBO'I'I.

of pins rigidly secured in.

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