USRE5939E - Improvement in flexible shafts - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--Sheet'h N. STW.

- Flexible Shafts. -A 910.54939.V u Raissuedlune 30,1874.

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2 Sheets--Sheet 2. N. STUW.

Fi'exible Shafts. NO.5,939. Reissuedlune30,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE;

NELSON STOW, OF BINGHAMTON, NEWv YORK, ASSIGNOR TOl SAMUEL S. WHITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBLE SHAFTS.

' Specification forming pari of Letters Patent No. 130,253, dated August 6, 1872; reissue No 5.939, dated June30, 1874 application filed June '2, 1874.

l hamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Shafts, of which the following is a specification:

` My invention relates to that class of flexible shafts constructed of coiled or twisted wire, which are used to communicate power from a driven shaft or pulley to a tool or instrument.

either `fixed or capable of being moved freely 1n any direction without interfering with the movement of the tool. The first part of my invention relates to a casing or sheath, within which a flexible shaft rotates. Its object is to provide journal-bearings in which 'the shaft 1- may revolve,-a hand-piece or cover by which the shaft may be held and guided, and a casing to envelopy the shaft without interfering with its flexibility or free rotation; to which ends my improvement consists, first, in a ilexiblenon-rotating tubular casing or sheath, provided with bearings at its ends, in which casing `a fiexible wire shaft may rotate; second, 1n combining a pulley journal-bearing, a nonrotatiug flexible tubular casing or sheath, se-

cured to said bearings at one end, and free to' be placed in any direction relatively to the shaft of the driving-powerat the other, and a bearing for a flexible shaft at said free end.

My invention further consists; third, in combmlng a iiexible tubular non-rotating casing or sheath with a rotating flexible wire shaftv inclosed therein 5 fourth, in combining a pulley, Journal-bearing, a iiexble tubular. nonrotating casing, secured thereto at one end, and free at the other, a e'xible wire shaft revolving in bearings in said casing, and an implement or appliance attached to the wire shaft; fifth, in combining a exible casing with an inclosed wire shaft, movable endwise therein to compensate the differential ilexure of the shaft and casing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view, in perspective, of so'much of an apparatus in which my improvement is embodied as is necessary to illustrate the invention herein claimed, the free'end of the casing and wire shaft being shown as bept at a right angle with the shaft of the driving-pulley, and

"ible wire shaft turns.

a portion of the flexible casing removed. Fig. 2 represents a view of a portion of the wire shaft, showing its central cord and spiral cnvelope. Fig. 3 represents a view, on an enlarged scale, of the pulley-shaft, with a portion of the sheath and ilexible shaft in section. Fig. 4: represents the hand-piece. Fig. 5 repre sents a transverse section through the sheath and shaft.

The casing is composed of an envelope, A, of leather or other flexible material, covering a body, B, made of spirally-coiled wire. The Wire shaft'is made by twisting together several strands of steel wire, which insures its strength and elasticity, thus forming a central cord, D, which is inclosed in alayer or envelope, C,'of wire, wound at the same pitch, and with its spirals running in the same direction as those of the central cord, which gives additional strength to the wire shaft without diminishing its flexibility. This wire shaft is connected with a drivingpulley, E, turning in bearings in a suitable frame. of moving freely endwise in its bearings, for a purpose` hereinafter explained. The wire shaft is secured to the pulley-shaft. A socket, F, attached to the bearing-block a, and prolonged in the axial plane of `the pulleyshaft, has one end of theexible casing attached to it, and also .forms a case or bearing for the wire shaft. The free end of the sheath or casing A is provided with a socket-bearing, H, in which a journal, G, on thefree end of the flex- 'lhe end of this journal is provided with a collar, b, for connections,

when the communicated motion is to be continued in one direction. When used for consecutive changes of direction the Acollar may Ibe dispensed with, and an appliance attached endwise in the casing, as'the latter bends on a v circle of larger radius than the other. The

This is capablev (See Fig. 4.)

free, end of the shaft and ycasing are connected in ysuch a way as' to permit-slight end play. To allow of the end play of the other end of the ilexible shaft the shaft of the pulley E is allowed to move endwise in its bearings, as hereinbefore stated. rlhis movement also prevents the springing or trembling of the shaft. ,The casing not only supports the shaft,wl1ile allowing it to be moved freely in ally directions, but prevents entanglement with, or the winding of, articles upon the shaft.

I do not claim an articulated rigid shaft, or an articulated rigid casin g, as these are old 5 but What I do claim as of my own invention is- 1. A tubular flexible non-rotating casing or sheath, provided with bearings at each end, adapted for the reception of a ilexible Wire y shaft, as set forth.

2. -The combination of a pulley journal-bearing or socket-piece, a tubular exible non-rot'atin casing or sheath, secured at one end to .said 'caring or socket-piece, and free to be placed in any direction relatively to the shaft of the driving-power, and a socket-bearing for avfiexible shaft at its free end, substantially as set forth.

3. The flexible tubular nonrotating casing or sheath,'combined with .a rotating ilexible wire shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a pulley journal-bearing or socket, a eXible tubular non-rotating casing, secured thereto at one end, and free at -the other, a flexible wire shaft revolving in bearings in said casing, and a collar or-other instrument attached thereto, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a driving-pulley movablev endwise yin its bearings, a wire shaft passing through said pulley, and a tubular ilexible non-rotating casing or sheath, connected at one end with the journal-bearing of the pulley, and provided at the other with a bearing for the wire shaft, these members being constructed to operate` in combination, substantially as set forth, whereby the dilerental e'xure of the casing and Wire shaft is compensated.

' NELSON STOW.

Witnesses:

ltoB'r. E. PATTIson, JAMES BATEMAN, Jr.

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