Spring spacer coupling

A system for coupling a drive shaft to a driven shaft, the system comprising:

• a driver;
• a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is rotationally driven by the driver;
• a drive hub, wherein the drive hub is connected to the drive shaft;
• a driven hub,
• a driven shaft, wherein the driven shaft is connected to the driven hub;
• and
• a spring spacer coupling, wherein the spring spacer coupling includes:
• a spacer column, wherein the spacer column has a first end, a second end, and a central axis;
• a drive hub contoured end connected to the first end of the spacer column, a portion of the drive hub contoured end projects radially out from the first end of the spacer column with a first contoured side and a first flat side, the drive hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to the central axis of the spacer column, and the drive hub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load;
• a spacer drive hub flange connected to a radial outside edge of the drive hub contoured end and configured to couple with the drive hub;
• a driven hub contoured end connected to the second end of the spacer column, a portion of the driven hub contoured end projects radially out from the second end of the spacer column with a second contoured side and a second flat side, the driven hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to the spacer column, and the driven hub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load;
• and
• a spacer driven hub flange connected to a radial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end and configured to couple to the driven hub.

A method to attach a spring spacer coupling to a drive shaft and a driven shaft, the method comprising:

• attaching a spacer drive hub flange of the spring spacer coupling to a drive hub with drive hub bolts, wherein the drive hub is attached to the drive shaft, the spacer drive hub flange of the spring spacer is connected to a radial outside edge of a drive hub contoured end, the drive hub contoured end is connected to a first end of a spacer column, a driven hub contoured end is connected to a second end of the spacer column, and a spacer driven hub flange is connected to a radial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end, and
• attaching the spacer driven hub flange of the spring spacer coupling to a driven hub with driven hub bolts, wherein the driven hub is attached to the driven shaft;
• wherein a portion of the drive hub contoured end projects radially out from the first end of the spacer column with a first contoured side and a first flat side, the drive hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to a central axis of the spacer column, and the drive hub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load and a portion of the driven hub contoured end projects radially out from the second end of the spacer column with a second contoured side and a second flat side, the driven hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to the central axis of the spacer column, and the driven hub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load.