Drive line apparatus
AssigneeAltair Engineering, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Timmermans, Jean C. Raymond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive line apparatus has a pair of tubular shafts configured to fit telescopically. The outer shaft has internal splines and the inner shaft has outer splines so that the shafts rotate in unison. Each of the outer and inner shaft has one partially closed end for coupling to a universal joint, wherein the joint connected to the partially closed end of the inner shaft is disposed within the inner shaft for further reducing the length of the drive line apparatus.
Claims26
A drive line apparatus for connection between an output portion of a driving member and an input portion of a driven member comprising:
- a first hollow shaft connectible to a first universal joint adjacent one longitudinal end of the first hollow shaft;
- and
- a second hollow shaft assembled with respect to the first hollow shaft, the second shaft connectible to a second universal joint adjacent one longitudinal end of the assembled hollow shafts, wherein at least a portion of one of the hollow shafts is telescopically sheathed within the other hollow shaft, such that the universal joints are connected to the same longitudinal end of the assembled hollow shafts, such that one of the universal joints is positioned within the portion of the one of hollow shaft telescopically sheathed within the other hollow shaft.
A drive line apparatus for connection between an output portion of a driving member and an input portion of a driven member, the drive line apparatus comprising:
- a first hollow shaft having at least one open end;
- a second hollow shaft assembled to be telescopically positioned coaxially within the first hollow shaft, the second hollow shaft having at least one open end, the open ends of each of the first and second hollow shafts being adjacent the same longitudinal end of the assembled hollow shafts;
- means for rotating the assembled hollow shafts in unison with one another;
- and
- means for connecting opposite ends of the assembled hollow shafts to the output portion of the driving member and to the input portion of the driven member, wherein at least a portion of the connecting means is positioned within the assembled telescoping hollow shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.