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US 4,086,991 AGranted
Thermally actuated disconnect coupling
AssigneeSundstrand Corporation
InventorGerald L. Swadley
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSundstrand Corporation
InventorGerald L. Swadley
Estimating the term…
A thermally actuated disconnect coupling includes a coupling shaft normally connected between a drive member and a driven member to transmit torque from the drive member to the driven member. Within the driven member, a fusible element such as a eutectic pellet supports the coupling shaft against axial movement during normal in-service use of the coupling. Providing the connection between the coupling shaft and the drive member are axially straight splines formed both on the coupling shaft and the drive member. At the other end of the coupling shaft, helical splines formed on the coupling shaft and the driven member provide means whereby torque is transmitted through the coupling shaft to driven member. The axial length of the helical splines is greater than the axial length of the straight splines. When the pellet is melted, such as by overheating, an axially directed component of the force transmitted by the helical splines propels the coupling shaft away from the drive member thereby disconnecting the drive and driven members.
In a thermally actuated disconnect coupling including a coupling shaft normally connected between drive and driven members to transmit torque from one of said members to the other, and an element for supporting said shaft against axial movement during normal in-service use of said coupling and being formed of a material adapted to give way generally at a preselected temperature to allow said shaft to move axially thereby disconnecting said drive and driven members, the improvement in said coupling comprising normally mating helical splines formed on said coupling shaft and one of said members to transmit the torque from said drive member to said driven member, said splines being helically slanted in a direction so as to urge said coupling shaft toward said element when torque is being transmitted by said coupling shaft in the normal direction of rotation of said shaft.
A thermally actuated disconnect coupling for use normally to transmit a driving torque between a drive member and a driven member, said coupling including a coupling shaft having opposite end sections integrally formed with each other so said shaft is continuous from one end to the other, means for connecting one of said end sections to one of said members normally to transmit torque between said one member and said shaft while permitting axial movement of said shaft relative to said one member when disconnecting the driven member from the drive member, normally mating helical splines formed on the other one of said members and the other one of said end sections of said shaft, means for supporting said shaft normally against axial movement so torque may be transmitted by said splines from said shaft to said other one of said members, said means including a fusible element adapted to melt and thereby release said shaft for axial movement under the urging of an axial force introduced in the coupling by said mating helical splines whereby said shaft is propelled in an axial direction to disconnect said drive and driven members from each other.
A thermally actuated disconnect coupling for use normally to transmit a driving torque between a drive member and a driven member, said coupling including a coupling shaft having opposite end sections integrally formed with each other so said shaft is continuous from one end to the other, means for connecting one of said end sections to one of said members normally to transmit torque between said one member and said shaft while permitting axial movement of said shaft relative to said one member when disconnecting the driven member from the drive member, normally mating helical splines formed on the other one of said members and the other one of said end sections of said shaft, means for supporting said shaft normally against axial movement so torque may be transmitted by said splines from said shaft to said other one of said members, said means including a fusible element adapted to melt and thereby release said shaft for axial movement under the urging of an axial force introduced in the coupling by said mating helical splines whereby said shaft is propelled in an axial direction to disconnect said drive and driven members from each other said opposite end sections of said shaft being inner and outer end sections, respectively, said mating helical splines being formed on said inner end section and said driven member and said means for connecting one of said end sections to one of said members comprising normally mating splines formed on said outer end section and said drive member, said splines having an axially directed length less than the axially directed length of said helical splines.
A thermally actuated disconnect coupling for use normally to transmit a driving torque between a drive member and a driven member, said coupling including a coupling shaft having inner and outer end sections integrally formed with each other so said shaft is continuous from one end thereof to the other, normally mating, axially straight splines formed on drive member and said outer end section for transmitting torque between said drive member and said shaft, normally mating helical splines formed on said driven member and said inner end section of said shaft, said helical splines having an axially directed length longer than the axially directed length of said straight splines, a fusible element normally disposed between the inner end of said shaft and said driven member for supporting said shaft against axial movement relative to said members so torque may be transmitted by said helical splines between said shaft and said driven member, said fusible element being adapted to melt when said driven member overheats thereby releasing axial support of said shaft so that said shaft is thrust axially in a direction to disconnect the outer end of said shaft from said drive member during in-service use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.