US783160A - Universal coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 783,160. PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

- H. G. WARREN.

UNIVERSAL COUPLING. APPLIOATIUN FILED NOV. 22, 1904.

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PATENT @EETEE.

UNIVERSAL COUPLING- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,160, dated February 21, 1905,

Application filed November 22 1904. Serial No. 233,814.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for uniting shafts so that one shaft maybe driven from another at any desired angle and the speed of the driving and driven shafts will remain constant no matter what may be the angular relation of said shafts with respect to each other.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the principle involved is that of two spheres one movable within the other, sections of the arc of one sphere being formed on the inner side of a divided ring or shell and sections of the like arc of the other sphere consisting of curved surfaces on projections carried by the shafts, the sides of the longitudinally-curved projections being flattened and fitting in grooves or slots of the shell or ring toconstitute a positive drive.

Primarily the object of the invention is the provision of a universal joint or coupling involving the principle above stated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a divided shell or ring having pockets with flat sides and curved bases and in connection with said ring shafts, each having a pair of longitudinally-curved projections at its end, said projections being fitted in the pockets and each having a longitudinally-curved outer surface struck on an arc the axis of which is the same as that of the are on which the curved base of the pocket is formed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of shafts, each having a pair of longi tudinally-curved projections at its end and a shell or ring having pockets for the reception of said projections, said pockets being located in pairs at right angles to each other and each having flat sides and a curved base to conform to the shape of the projections.

Other objects of the invention'will be here inafter stated.

'dicates a stub-shaft bored to receive the shaft proper and provided at its inner end with a pair of longitudinally-curved projections 6, each projection having a pocket 7 for the reception of a plug of felt or other absorbent material containing lubricant. To afford lightness, the end of the shaft is bored or drilled at 8, although this feature may be omitted, if desired. Each projection 6 has a longitudinally and transversely-curved outer surface 9, constituting the section of a sphere, and flat sides 9. for the purposes hereinafter stated. Indicated by 10 is another stub-shaft, and this is provided with projections 10, each having a longitudinally and transversely curved periphery 11, also constituting the section of a sphere, and flat sides 11". Each of said arms or projections 10' is bored at 12 to form pockets for lubricating plugs, (not shown,) and the head of the shaft 10 is provided with a series of pockets 13 to accomplish the same result as the pockets 8.

Indicated by lt is a ring or shell composed of two sections 14 and 14 united by screws 15 or other suitable devices. Each section is provided with a series of semipockets 16 16 arranged at right angles to each other, which when the sections are united form full pockets 16, having flat side walls 17 and longitudinally and transversely curved bases 18, each curved base constituting the section of a sphere.

It will be observed that every point on the longitudinally-curved surfaces 9 and 11 of the arms or projections 6 and 10 is radial to the axis of the circle on which said curved surfaces are formed and that every point of each' transversely-curved periphery is also l each other provision is made for the spherical radial to the axis of the circle on which the arc is formed, so that each arm or projection has a spherical peripheral surface for purposes to be hereinafter explained. In like manner the longitudinally and transversely curved base of each pocket for the reception of the arms is formed on the same lines as the peripheries of the arms and therefore also constitutes the section of asphere. It will therefore be seen that. the coupling involves the principle of one sphere rolling or rocking within in another sphere and-that when power is applied to one section it will necessarily be received on the same lines by the other section, and notwithstanding the angle to which one shaft may be turned it will always be driven at the same velocity as the shaft to which the power is applied. As will be observed, the heads 19 of each shaft are flattened to the same lines as the sides of the arm or projections, and the end of each arm is curved at 20 and grooved at 21 to provide the necessary clearance when the arms of one shaft move toward the head of the other shaft. These grooves also serve to lighten the arms at points thereof where the necessary strength or rigidity will not be affected. As each arm exactly conforms to the shape of the pocket in the sectional ring, it has a full hearing or driving surface not only on the sides of the pocket. but also on the longitudinally and transversely curved base thereof, thereby affording greater strength as well as ease of movement of the coupling when power is applied to the driving-shaft. Furthermore, all tendency of the rupture of the wall of the pocketunder great strain is avoided by applying the power equally to all surfaces thereof instead of but to separated points on the surfaces thereof, as in prior constructions with which I am familiar. In other words, each pocket is filled by an arm or projection, and the bearingspoints are continuous along the sides and the longitudinall y and transversely curved surfaces of both the arm and projection, sufficient clearance of being of course left to enable the proper working of the parts.

Each section of the ring 14 is depressed at 22 between the pockets, thus leaving space for the screw-heads and forming longitudinally-curved strengtheningribs 23, uniting each pocket.

In Fig. 3 a protecting-covering 24: is shown, composed of sections 25 and 26, the hubs of which are entered by the stub-shafts, and a uniting-section 27; but this covering may be omitted, if desired.

By constructing the coupling in the manner described ease and perfection of movement of the various parts are achieved, and as the heads of the shafts are in planes at right angles to rocking or rolling movement of one part on the other in the manner set forth.

Changes may be made in details of the joint without departure from the invention, which is not limited to the exact construction shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A universal coupling comprising shafts, each having a pair of arms provided with partispherical peripheries and flat sides, and a ring having pockets formed with flat sides and parti-spherical bases for the reception of said arms.

2. A universal coupling comprising shafts provided with flattened heads located at right angles to each other, each head having a pair of arms with parti-spherical peripheries, and a ring having pockets with parti-spherical bases for the reception of said arms.

3. A universal coupling comprising shafts provided with heads, each head having an arm longitudinally and transversely curved on its periphery, and a sectional ring having pockets conforming at their bases to the shape of the peripheral surfaces of said arms.

4. A universal coupling comprising shafts, each having a head provided with arms having flattened sides, and longitudinally and transversely curved peripheries, and a sectional ring having pockets, each pocket having flat side walls and longitudinally and transversely curved base-walls, and means for uniting the sections of the ring.

5. In a universal coupling the combination,

with shafts having flattened heads and arms projecting from said heads, each arm having flat sides and a parti-spherical periphery, and the heads being located at right angles to each other, of a sectional ring provided with pockets conforming to the shape of the working surfaces of the arms, and means for uniting the'sections of the ring.

6. In a universal coupling,the combination, with a ring having pockets provided with flat sides and parti-spherical bases, of a shaft having arms with flat sides and parti-spherical peripheries inserted in a pair of said pockets; and a second shaft having arms and provided with fiat sides and parti-spherical peripheries fitted in the other pair of sockets.

7. The combination, with a ring having a series of pockets, each pocket provided with flat sides and a longitudinally-curved base, of shafts each having arms provided with flat sides and longitudinally-curved peripheries to conform to the walls of the sockets.

8. The combination, with a ring composed of united sections, each section containing semipockets, and the external walls of each pocket being connected when the rings are united by a rib, of shafts having arms inserted in the sockets.

9. In a universal eoupling,the combination, with a sectional ring having pockets provided With flat sides and transversely and longitudinally curved bases, of shafts, each having at its end a flattened head provided With arms having each a transversely and longitudinally curved periphery, said heads being disposed at an angle to each other, and the arms fitting I the pockets of the ring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature in presence of-two Witnesses.

HERBERT C. WARREN.

Witnesses:

F. E. ANDERSON, C. B. ANDERSON.

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