Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling accommodates drive between members having... – Torque transmitted via intermeshing teeth on drive and...
Patent
1987-04-23
1989-04-25
Stodola, Daniel P.
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling accommodates drive between members having...
Torque transmitted via intermeshing teeth on drive and...
F16D 318
Patent
active
048244180
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF APPLICATION
This invention relates to articulated joints, particularly of the type for coupling shafts that pivot with respect to each another.
PRIOR ART
In known articulated or hinged joints, a first drive element at the end of a first rotary shaft pivotably engages a second drive element at the end of a second rotary shaft in a manner that allows the shafts to pivot with repsect to each other through a given angle. Such articulated joints are known as cardan or universal joints.
In the past, such joints were excessively complex, required large amounts of space, could not easily be encapsulated, or could not readily accommodate both high and low drive powers.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to improve joints of this type.
Another object of this invention is to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages.
According to the invention an articulated joint of the aforementioned type is constructed in such a way that it is formed from simple elements, has a limited space requirement, can be easily encapsulated and can be readily used for large and small drive powers.
According to the invention this problem is solved in that the first drive element is roughly shaped like a hollow cylinder having on the inner surface axis-parallel, uniformly circumferentially distributed, alternately convex and concave depressions and elevations which pass into one another and that the second drive element is roughly spherical and on its surface has alternating depressions and elevations, which in the longitudinal direction run approximately in accordance with a plane containing the axis of the second shaft and which in the circumferential direction and in particular in the equatorial plane of the spherical second drive element have a configuration roughly complimentary to the inner surface of the first drive element.
In the case of such an articulated joint, the two shafts can be pivoted from a position in which the axes are aligned by a given amount in a random direction.
In the construction according to the invention, the first drive element is provided on its inside and the second, spherical drive element on its outside with in each case one wavy line profile which, considered in the axle direction, comprises groove-like depressions and web-like elevations. Much in the same way as the teeth and gaps of a toothed drive, these grooves and webs engage with one another in certain regions of the spherical surface, so that the desired drive takes place. It is of no significance which drive element is rotated by the driving shaft and which drive element drives the outgoing shaft.
Such a force transfer, in which both drive elements are cylindrical, is known in connection with screw tools from German Pat. No. 17 28 574 and is commercially available under the trademark TORX. The cylindrical construction of both drive elements ensures that sloping or inclining of the tool is not possible, the axis of the screw and the associated tool (wrench) being aligned with one another.
According to the invention an articulated joint is obtained in which the axes of the two shafts can be pivoted with respect to one another by a certain amount. On pivoting or tilting the axes of the two shafts intersect roughly in the centre of the spherically constructed part of the second drive element. If this spherical part is compared with the globe, the drive element axis coinciding with the earth's axis, the groove-like depressions or web-like elevations run roughly in accordance with degrees of longitude on the globe, whilst the inner face of the first drive element engages roughly corresponding to a circumferential line of the globe, which intersects the equator.
Preferably, the drive elements have in each case six depressions between six elevations.
According to a construction of the invention the transitions between the depressions and elevations are gradual, so that everything is rounded and sharp edges are avoided. Preferably the median plane (plane of symmetry) of each depression or elevation contains th
REFERENCES:
patent: 1274254 (1918-07-01), Fleek
patent: 2951396 (1960-09-01), Kooistra
patent: 2984995 (1961-05-01), Kalen
patent: 3427825 (1969-02-01), John et al.
patent: 3635048 (1972-01-01), Monti
patent: 3940946 (1976-03-01), Andersen
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