US501731A - Power-transmitting flexible shaft - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. AK.PRIES'1. POWER TRANSMITTING' FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

No. 501,731. Patented Jul-5718, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PrvrEN'T OEDEICE.

.IosEPIIIL PRIEST., or NAsIIUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

POWER-TRANSMITTING FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Iatent No. 501,731, dated July 18, 1893. Application iiled March 20, 1893. Serial No. 466,905. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH K. PRIEST, a citi zen of the United States, residing atNashua, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmitting Flexible Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a power transmitting shaft having a flexible cable-like section, or connecting portion intermediate two rigid portions of such shaft, and its object is to produce a power transmitting shaft having a iiexible cable-like connection free from some serious objections to the flexible sections heretofore devised. One objection is thelia bility of the iiexible4 section or connecting portion to break after a short period of use except when making obtuse angles and doing light work; and another objection is that of a strong tendency of the chain of the flexible section or connecting portion to kink on the inside of its outside inclosing coil or casing, which tendency increases with the in-A creased power required,-and as this kinking produces great friction between the chain and outer case, it is very important to avoid the same. tendency to'kink is greater than in othersand where there is the least tendency to kink the utility is the greatest.

My invention consists in a novel construction of the flexible section and of the rigid portions of the shaft to which it is applied, whereby kinking of the chain is prevented, and other benefits secured, as will be fully seen from the following specification, claims and accompanying drawings, in which" latter Figure l is aside elevation of Inyimproved power transmitting shaft with flexible Vsection or connecting portion as it appears when straight. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, in part, as it appears when it is bent into a curved form.. Fig. 3 is a section of one of the ends of the shaft to which the chain of the flexible section is connected, this end portion being shown in elevation in Fig. 1 but removed in Fig. Fig. 4 is a perspective .of the plates a.

In some known constructions thisA view of one of the links of the improved chain,

and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of one of the end hooking links and two of the links of the vplates a receiving between their perforated ends the perforated ends'of the plates a. The perforated ends of the plates a are constructed at right angles to one another, and

the pivots or rivets are passed vertically through the eyes of the', plates of .one link and horizontally through the eyes of the plates of another link, and so on throughout the chain, and therefore the plates a ofene link areso arranged with respect to those of another link that theyalternately lie horiz/ ,tally and vertically, and thus are adapted respectively for receiving the perforated ends to kink, and at the same time the friction does not increase with an addition of power. This improved chain is applied within a Vflexible hollow coil D, which is secured at one of its ends by a set screw c in an extension b of a rigid tubular wedging sleeve E, said sleeve lbeing wedged upon a tubular rigid portion F of the shaft in which a rigid, revolving, screw threaded spindle (if is fitted. rIhe other end of the coil is also secured by a set screw din another tubular sleeve H, which sleeve is adjustable, being confined by aset screw f upon a tubular adjustable portion F of the shaft, in which arevolving rigid spindle I is fitted. The spindle G is formed with collars g which keep it from moving longitudinally in the tubular portion F, and the sleeve spindle Iis provided with a collar g andvalso with an adjustable stop collar g2, the latter being secured on the spindle by a set screw h. The spindles are formed at one of their ends with bifurcated portions through which hooking pins m m are passed; and upon these pins the hooks C C at the ends of the chain are hooked as shown.

It is plain from the foregoing description, that the spindles and the chain are kept in The hooks C C are formed IOO proper lineI relatively, and that the chain and spindles have every freedom to ymake. theirnecessary movements with the rigid and exible portions of the shaft, and thatthe chain links are free to turn on their pivots or rivets either Verticallyor horizontally, and in doing so there is no tendency to kink or bind with undue friction. y l

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A power transmitting shaft of the type described, having a flexible cable-like intermediate connecting portion between itsrigid portions, said connecting` portion comprising between its hooking ends, two series of links constructed respectively of pairs of ilat hinging plates arranged alternately iur-horizontal. and' vertical planes, and .otherl pairs of;hing ing plates each plate of a pair of the latter,

being formed with both a horizontal andra,

vots whichpass through the. plates thejoints y.

set alternately in horizontal and vertical planes, and other pairs of plates a a', each :plate of a pair-of thelatter being formed with both a horizontal and vertical hinging end, and the several pairs of plates being united by-pivots. running alternately at y right angles tooneanother, of4 hooks C, C', wire inclosing coil'D, tubular rigidparts F, H confining screws d andf, and spindles G and I, substantially as described.`

In testimony whereofnI hereunto affix-my signatureV .in .presence .of rtwo, witnesses?- JOSEPHy Ki.; PRIEST'.-

\ Witnesses:

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