HIGH TORQUE FRICTION FIT LOW MOMENT HUB JOINT ASSEMBLY FOR A SHAFT

• US 20190331169A1
• Filed: 04/25/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverhawk Company
• Original Assignee: Riverhawk Company
• Inventors: Whitney, Robert M., Lauzon, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,358,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/027 using hydraulic or pneumatic means B23P19/033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/092 the pair of conical mating surfaces being provided on the coupled hub and shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2001/0906 using a hydraulic fluid to clamp or disconnect, not provided for in F16D1/091
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2250/0061 Joining

Abstract

A hub joint assembly for frictionally connecting a shaft to a connector is provided. The hub joint assembly includes a coupling hub including a collar portion and a flange portion. The collar portion includes a bore having an inner surface that is configured to be positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the shaft. The collar portion further includes an outer surface that may be conical. The flange portion extends from the collar portion and is configured to be coupled with the connector. The hub joint assembly further includes a clamp ring including a bore having an inner surface. The inner surface may be conical and configured to mate with the outer surface of the coupling hub. A passage is defined in the clamp ring and extends from an outer surface of the clamp ring to the inner surface of the clamp ring.

Claims

1. A hub joint assembly for frictionally connecting a shaft to a connector, wherein the shaft includes an outer surface and a longitudinal axis, the hub joint assembly comprising:

a coupling hub including a collar portion and a flange portion, wherein the collar portion includes a bore having an inner surface that is configured to be positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the shaft, wherein the collar portion further includes an outer surface that is conical, and wherein the flange portion extends from the collar portion and is configured to be coupled with the connector; and

a clamp ring including a bore having an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is conical and configured to mate with the outer surface of the coupling hub, wherein the clamp ring further includes an outer surface, wherein a passage is defined in the clamp ring, and wherein the passage extends from the outer surface of the clamp ring to the inner surface of the clamp ring.

2. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flange portion extends perpendicularly from the collar portion.

3. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flange portion is fixedly coupled with the connector.

4. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the collar portion includes a first distal end and a second distal end.

5. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein the flange portion extends radially from the second distal end.

6. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the collar portion includes a first thickness at the first distal end, wherein the collar portion includes a second thickness at the second distal end, and wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

7. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the inner surface of the first distal end of the coupling hub is threaded.

8. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a shaft plug threadably coupled with the first distal end.

9. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the shaft is cylindrical.

10. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the inner surface of the collar portion is cylindrical.

11. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the clamp ring is configured to be positioned within a bore formed in the connector.

12. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an anti-adhesion coating disposed on the inner surface of the clamp ring.

13. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 12, wherein the anti-adhesion coating is a chemical conversion coating.

14. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the conversion coating is formed of manganese phosphate.

15. A hub joint assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner surface of the clamp ring or the outer surface of the coupling hub have one or more distribution grooves formed therein.

16. A method of coupling a shaft to a connector using a hub joint assembly, wherein the shaft includes an outer surface and a longitudinal axis, wherein the hub joint assembly includes a coupling hub and a clamp ring, wherein the coupling hub includes a collar portion and a flange portion, wherein the collar portion includes a bore having an inner surface, wherein the collar portion further includes an outer surface that is conical, wherein the flange portion extends from the collar portion, wherein the clamp ring includes a bore having an inner surface that is conical, wherein the clamp ring further includes an outer surface, and wherein a passage is defined in the clamp ring and extends from the outer surface of the clamp ring to the inner surface of the clamp ring, the method comprising:

a) positioning coupling hub on the shaft so that the inner surface of the collar portion is positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the shaft to provide a final axial position;

b) sliding the clamp ring on the coupling hub so that the conical inner surface of the clamp ring is positioned adjacent to the conical outer surface of the coupling hub at a first relative position to establish a zero interference point;

c) providing a pusher device including a cylinder having a bore defined therein, and a piston slidably positioned within the bore, wherein a pressure chamber is defined between the cylinder and the piston, wherein the cylinder is coupled with the clamp ring, wherein the piston is coupled with at least one of the shaft and the coupling hub;

d) providing a dilation pressure assembly including a passage defined therein, wherein the dilation pressure assembly is associated with the clamp ring so that the passage of the dilation pressure assembly is aligned with the passage defined in the clamp ring;

e) introducing hydraulic fluid through the passage of the dilation pressure assembly and the passage defined in the clamp ring so that the hydraulic fluid is positioned at an interface between the conical inner surface of the clamp ring is positioned adjacent to the conical outer surface of the coupling hub;

f) introducing hydraulic fluid into the pressure chamber of the pusher device to move the cylinder relative to the piston and thereby move the clamp ring relative to the coupling hub to a second relative position, wherein the movement of the clamp ring relative to the coupling hub imposes an interference pressure between the coupling hub and the shaft thereby frictionally coupling the coupling hub to the shaft;

g) identifying a distance between the first relative position and the second relative position, wherein the measured distance is indicative of an interference pressure between the coupling hub and the shaft; and

h) repeating steps e), f) and g) until the identified distance is associated with a predetermined interference pressure to frictionally couple the coupling hub to the shaft.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein repeating steps e), f) and g) causes the identified distance to increase each time step h) is performed.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of coupling the flange portion of the coupling hub to the connector.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the identifying in step g) includes measuring the distance.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of cleaning at least one of the inner surface of the collar portion or the outer surface of the shaft prior to step a).

21. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of cleaning at least one of the conical inner surface of the clamp ring or the conical outer surface of the coupling hub prior to step b).

22. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the hydraulic fluid is introduced independently in steps e) and f).

23. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the clamp ring includes an outer surface, wherein the dilation pressure assembly includes an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface includes at least one cut-out portion defined therein so that the at least one cut-out portion does not contact the outer surface of the clamp ring.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein inner surface of dilation pressure assembly further includes at least one extension member that is in contact with the outer surface of the clamp ring.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the passage of the dilation pressure assembly is defined in the at least one extension member.