Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling facilitates relative axial motion between coupled...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-20
2001-06-05
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling facilitates relative axial motion between coupled...
C403S359500, C464S179000, C464S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241616
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to drivelines of the type for connecting a driving member to a driven member. Such drivelines include a shaft which is slid into a sleeve ad allowed to slide axially with respect to one another. This motion is referred to as telescoping and allows the driveline to elongate and shorten while maintaining a fixed radial alignment. Such drivelines are frequently referred to as variable length telescoping drive shaft assemblies and are particularly suitable for driving agricultural machinery from a power source such as power take-off shaft of a farm tractor and the drive shaft of the agricultural machine driven thereby. It is necessary that the length of the assembly be variable and single telescoping drivelines are well known in the art. An example of a single telescoping driveline is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,122 assigned to the present assignee. Some applications, however, require that the driveline be able to extend to a greater length than attainable with a normal telescoping driveline. One example for a driveline of this type is for use on a tilt type mower deck. It is necessary that the deck be able to tilt up 90° from its normal operating position for cleaning. Under such conditions the driveline has to be able to extend to almost twice its normal length when running. When it is extended, there is no requirement in this example for the driveline to rotate or carry any torque but it must stay in phase and not pull apart. Other suitable applications may require that the driveline rotate, transmit torque, stay in phase, and not pull apart when extended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a variable length double telescoping drive shaft assembly having a driven end and a driving end. The assembly includes an elongated drive shaft having a predetermined external cross-sectional configuration and a first elongated sleeve having a predetermined internal cross-sectional configuration complementary to the external configuration of the drive shaft. The first sleeve is dimensioned to slidably receive the drive shaft whereby the external configuration on the drive shaft meshes with the internal cross-sectional configuration of the first sleeve for rotation therewith. The first sleeve also has a predetermined external cross-sectional configuration. The assembly also includes a second elongated sleeve having a predetermined internal cross-sectional configuration complementary to the external configuration on the first sleeve and the second sleeve is dimensioned to slidably receive therein the first sleeve so that the external configuration on the first sleeve meshes with the internal configuration on the second sleeve for rotation therewith. Stop means are provided for preventing the shaft and the sleeves from pulling apart during the telescoping action.
In one form of the invention the elongated drive shaft has an externally splined cross-sectional configuration having a plurality of teeth and the first elongated sleeve has an internally splined cross-sectional configuration having a plurality of teeth, the first sleeve being dimensioned to slidably receive the drive shaft whereby the teeth on the drive shaft mesh with the teeth on the internally splined cross-sectional configuration of the first sleeve. The first sleeve has an externally splined cross-sectional configuration having a plurality of teeth and a second elongated sleeve is provided with an internally splined cross-sectional configuration having a plurality of teeth. The second sleeve is dimensioned to slidably receive therein the first sleeve so that the teeth on the externally splined first sleeve mesh with the teeth on the internally splined second sleeve and stop means are provided for preventing the shaft and the sleeves from pulling apart during telescoping action.
In one form of the invention the shaft has an outer end and an inner end and the inner end is provided with a groove for receiving a snap ring. The internal spline of the first sleeve is undercut from the inner end thereof throughout a predetermined length to form a shoulder adjacent the outer end of the first sleeve. The stop means includes a snap ring positioned within the groove of the shaft for engaging the shoulder on the internal spline of the first sleeve to prevent the shaft from pulling out of the first sleeve and for engaging the internal spline on the first sleeve during telescoping.
Further in accordance with the invention the spline of the shaft is provided with locating structure and the internal spline of the first sleeve is provided with a missing tooth for receiving the locating structure on the spline of the shaft to determine the phase alignment of the shaft with the first sleeve.
In one form of the invention the stop means includes a tack weld between adjacent teeth at the inner end of the first sleeve, a missing tooth area is provided on the internal spline of the second sleeve for receiving the tack weld on the first sleeve and a pail of set screws extend through the exterior of the second sleeve into the missing tooth area into the internal spline, one set screw being positioned adjacent the outer end of the second sleeve and the other set screw being positioned adjacent the inner end of the second sleeve for engaging the tack weld on the first sleeve to capture the tack weld therebetween and thus limit the telescoping movement of the first sleeve within the second sleeve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2116290 (1938-05-01), Spicer
patent: 2695504 (1954-11-01), Magee
patent: 3293884 (1966-12-01), Grob
patent: 4125000 (1978-11-01), Grob
patent: 4136982 (1979-01-01), Sagady
patent: 4357137 (1982-11-01), Brown
patent: 5180043 (1993-01-01), Walker
patent: 5507203 (1996-04-01), Audibert et al.
patent: 5827122 (1998-10-01), Kurian
patent: 6093107 (2000-07-01), Merlo et al.
Browne Lynne H.
Neapco Inc.
Thompson Kenneth
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris
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