Coupling system for reducing fatigue and dynamic amplification of loads in objects

A coupling system for a chain drive comprising:

• an energy transfer system comprising:
• at least two sprockets, the at least two sprockets comprising a first sprocket and a second sprocket;
• and
• a chain coupling the first sprocket and the second sprocket to permit energy to be transferred from the first sprocket to the second sprocket;
• and
• a load mitigation system coupled to the chain, the load mitigation system comprising:
• a first idler sprocket coupled to the chain;
• a second idler sprocket coupled to the chain and positioned on an opposite side of the chain from the first idler sprocket;
• a first damping mechanism coupled to the first idler sprocket and a second damping mechanism coupled to the second idler sprocket, wherein the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism each comprise at least one spring;
• and
• wherein the load mitigation system is configured to apply a pre-load condition to the chain and absorb external sources of energy applied to the chain that are less than the pre-load condition, wherein the pre-load condition applies a force to the chain greater than a force needed to hold the chain on the first sprocket and the second sprocket, and wherein the at least one spring incorporated into each of the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism compresses and expands to provide for linear movement of the first idler sprocket and the second idler sprocket to mitigate the external source of energy applied to the chain in order to limit a load applied to the first sprocket when the external source of energy is greater than the pre-load condition.

A method for reducing fatigue and dynamic amplification of loads in an object, the method comprising:

• coupling a load mitigation system to a third energy transfer device connecting a first energy transfer device and a second energy transfer device, the first energy transfer device configured to be coupled to a power supply, the second energy transfer device configured to be coupled to the object;
• pre-loading the load mitigation system to provide a predetermined force on the first third energy transfer device with a pre-load system, the pre-load system comprising a first idler mechanism and a second idler mechanism;
• preventing, with the pre-load system, a transfer of external forces to the first energy transfer device via the third energy transfer device due to a counter-acting external force on the object when the counter-acting external force on the object is less than the predetermined force;
• and
• mitigating, with a damping system, the counter-acting external force to limit a load applied to the first energy transfer device when the counter-acting external force on the object is greater than the predetermined force, the damping system comprising at least one spring incorporated into each of the first idler mechanism and the second idler mechanism, wherein the at least one spring incorporated into each of the first idler mechanism and the second idler mechanism compresses and expands to provide for linear movement of the first idler mechanism and the second idler mechanism to mitigate the counter-acting external force.