Torque-limiting shaft coupling assembly

• US 3,141,313 A
• Filed: 01/28/1963
• Issued: 07/21/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert N. Hoffman, Sherman P. Brickett
• Original Assignee: Herbert N. Hoffman, Sherman P. Brickett
• Inventors: Brickett, Sherman P., Hoffman, Herbert N.
• Application Number:
  US04/254,338
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• US Class Current: 464/97
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/72 with axially-spaced attachments to the coupling parts F16D3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19898 Backlash take-up

Claims

1. A TORQUE-LIMITING QUILL SHAFT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING:

(A) A RELATIVELY RIGID HOLLOW QUILL SHAFT, (B) A RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE INNER SHAFT DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITHIN AND SPACED FROM THE QUILL SHAFT, (C) FIRST COUPLING MEANS CONNECTING A FIRST END OF SAID FLEXIBLE SHAFT TO THE ADJACENT FIRST END OF SAID QUILL SHAFT, (D) SECOND COUPLING MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING TORQUE FROM THE SECOND END OF THE FLEXIBLE SHAFT TO THE ADJACENT SECOND END OF THE QUILL SHAFT UPON OCCURRENCE OF A PRESELECTED MAXIMUM TORQUE, THE SECOND COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR COUPLING MEMBERS CONNECTED TO THE QUILL SHAFT AND FLEXIBLE SHAFT RESPECTIVELY AND HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED INTERENGAGING PROJECTIONS DEFINING SUBSTANTIAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL CLEARANCES UNDER NORMAL TORQUE LOADS, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING TAPERED AXIALLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SO THAT AXIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR COUPLING MEMBERS RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER VARIES THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CLEARANCE DEFINED BY SAID PROJECTIONS, AND (E) MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE TAPERED PROJECTIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR COUPLING MEMBERS AXIALLY RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER TO EFFECT VARIATION OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL CLEARANCES.