Shaft coupling
First Claim
1. In an apparatus having first and second rigidly interconnected assemblies, each of which includes a respective rotatable shaft, and bearing means supporting said shafts, the improvement comprising force transmitting coupling means operatively arranged for rigidly but releasably interconnecting adjacent ends of said shafts to transmit torque therebetween, said bearing means comprising two bearings supporting one of said shafts at two axially spaced apart positions, said bearing means including a further bearing mounted to support the other of said shafts only at the end thereof away from said coupling means, wherein one of said shafts is hollow with a non-circular inner surface portion toward one end of the hollow shaft, and the other of said shafts has a correspondingly non-circular outer surface portion adapted for engaging the non-circular inner surface portion of said hollow shaft to positively interlock said shafts for rotation and torque transmission when the shafts are coupled, said hollow shaft further having an inner thrust threading (20) toward the other end of the hollow shaft for separating the coupling means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present shaft coupling is intended for releasably linking two or more vices to each other in a torque transmitting manner. The devices may, for example, be turbines each of which has a shaft. Two bearing mounts are provided for one of the shafts, but only one bearing mount is provided for the other shaft at its end remote from the coupling. The coupling between the two shafts is formed by inserting a non-circular end portion of one shaft in a corresponding non-circular aperture in the end of the other shaft. An axially extending bolt firmly clamps the two shafts together in the axial direction. One or both of the shafts may be hollow. The non-circular profiles of the shafts may be splined, or have a polygonal profile, and the polygonal profile may be tapered. A polygonal profile as used herein may be one with only three sides.
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Citations
7 Claims
- 1. In an apparatus having first and second rigidly interconnected assemblies, each of which includes a respective rotatable shaft, and bearing means supporting said shafts, the improvement comprising force transmitting coupling means operatively arranged for rigidly but releasably interconnecting adjacent ends of said shafts to transmit torque therebetween, said bearing means comprising two bearings supporting one of said shafts at two axially spaced apart positions, said bearing means including a further bearing mounted to support the other of said shafts only at the end thereof away from said coupling means, wherein one of said shafts is hollow with a non-circular inner surface portion toward one end of the hollow shaft, and the other of said shafts has a correspondingly non-circular outer surface portion adapted for engaging the non-circular inner surface portion of said hollow shaft to positively interlock said shafts for rotation and torque transmission when the shafts are coupled, said hollow shaft further having an inner thrust threading (20) toward the other end of the hollow shaft for separating the coupling means.
Specification