Drive coupling
AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorLawrence A. Bergman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive coupling for interconnecting a pair of rotatable shafts includes a rigid spider that has four coplanar arms. Adjacent arms of the spider are oriented generally perpendicular to each other. A rigid element is disposed between each pair of adjacent arms of the spider. A body of elastomer is secured between each rigid element and each adjacent arm of the spider. One pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements can be connected to one of the rotatable shafts. The other pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements can be connected to the other rotatable shaft. When torque is being transmitted through the coupling, the bodies of elastomer are loaded primarily in compression. Angular misalignment of the shafts is accommodated primarily by shear deflection of the bodies of elastomer.
Claims15
A drive coupling adapted to connect first and second rotatable shafts comprising:
- a. a rigid member that has four coplanar radially extending arms, adjacent arms being oriented perpendicular to each other;
- b. a rigid element disposed between each arm of the four-armed member and the arms perpendicular to said arm;
- and
- c. a body of elastomer disposed between and secured to each rigid element and each adjacent arm of the four-armed member,
- a first pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the first rotatable shaft and a second pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the second rotatable shaft, each body of elastomer being (i) precompressed between a rigid element and an arm of the four-armed member and (ii) less resistant to relative parallel movement between a rigid element to which said body of elastomer is secured and an arm of the four-armed member to which said body of elastomer is secured resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the four-armed member about a point disposed between said rigid element and a diametrically opposed rigid element than to relative movement of said rigid element toward said arm of the four-armed member resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the four-armed member about an axis that passes through said rigid element and through said diametrically opposed rigid element.
A drive coupling adapted to connect first and second rotatable shafts comprising:
- a. a rigid spider that has four coplanar radially extending arms, adjacent arms being oriented perpendicular to each other;
- b. a rigid element disposed and equally spaced between each arm of the spider and the arms perpendicular to said arm;
- and
- c. a body of elastomer disposed between and bonded to each rigid element and each adjacent arm of the spider,
- each rigid element, each spider arm and each body of elastomer being generally wedge-shaped and tapering from an outer circumference of the coupling toward the center of the coupling, a first pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the first rotatable shaft and a second pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the second rotatable shaft, said first pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being connected to said second pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements only through the bodies of elastomer and the arms of the spider, the bodies of elastomer being the only connections between the rigid elements and the spider, each body of elastomer being (i) precompressed between a rigid element and a spider arm and (ii) less resistant to relative parallel movement between a rigid element to which said body of elastomer is bonded and an arm of the spider to which said body of elastomer is bonded resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the spider about a point disposed generally midway between said rigid element and a diametrically opposed rigid element than to relative movement of said rigid element toward said arm of the spider resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the spider about an axis that passes through said rigid element and through said diametrically opposed rigid element.
A drive coupling adapted to connect first and second rotatable shifts comprising:
- a. a rigid member that has four coplanar radially extending arms, adjacent arms being oriented perpendicular to each other;
- b. a rigid element disposed between each arm of the four-armed member and the arms perpendicular to said arm;
- and
- c. a body of elastomer disposed between and secured to each rigid element and each adjacent arm of the four-armed member,
- a first pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the first rotatable shaft and a second pair of diametrically opposed rigid elements being adapted to be connected to the second rotatable shaft, each body of elastomer being less resistant to relative parallel movement between a rigid element to which said body of elastomer is secured and an arm of the four-armed member to which said body of elastomer is secured resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the four-armed member about a point disposed between said rigid element and a diametrically opposed rigid element than to relative movement of said rigid element toward said arm of the four-armed member resulting from rotation of said rigid element relative to said arm of the four-armed member about an axis that passes through said rigid element and through said diametrically opposed rigid element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.