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US 4,392,635 AGranted
Rotary power coupling and planetary gear winch
AssigneeRule Industries, Inc.
InventorsDan C. Muessel, Nubar Hagopian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a rotary power coupling comprising rotatable spaced-apart driving and driven members and a torque-transmitting coupling plate interposed therebetween. The coupling of the invention is of particular use in those applications wherein it is of value to isolate power train components and/or assemblies from certain operational strains imposed upon the power user. In a planetary gear winch assembly the coupling of the invention is located in the power train between the output of the final planetary gear speed reduction stage and the winch drum.
Claims20
A rotary mechanical coupling comprising:
- a rotatable driving member adapted for connection to a sources of rotary mechanical power, said member being rotatable on a plane substantially normal to the axis of rotation of said source and comprising a pair of flat, radial driving surfaces lying on a diameter of said axis of rotation;
- a rotatable driven member adapted for connection to a rotary power user, said driven member being spaced substantially coaxially from and substantially parallel to said driving member and comprising a pair of flat radial driven surfaces lying on a diameter of the axis of rotation thereof, said diameter being displaced by about 90.degree. from the diameter defined by said driving surfaces of said driving member;
- a coupling plate interposed between said driving and driven members, said coupling plate comprising a pair each of flat driven and driving surfaces corresponding to and in torque-transmitting, flush bearing contact with each of said pairs of flat radial driving and driven surfaces, respectively of said rotatable driving and driven members;
- one or the other of the pair of flat radial driving surfaces of the driving member or the corresponding pair of flat driven surfaces of said coupling plate and one or the other of the pair of flat radial driven surfaces of said driven member or the corresponding pair of flat driving surfaces of said coupling plate each extending centrally at least somewhat beyond the bearing surface in flush contact therewith, thereby to allow sliding eccentric displacement of the coupling plate relative to the axes of rotation of said driving and driven members.
1 more element
A planetary gear winch comprising
- a prime mover,
- a planetary gear train having at least one planetary gear speed reduction stage, said prime mover being coaxially connected to the rotary power input of said gear train,
- a winch drum, and
- a rotary mechanical coupling between said gear train and said winch drum, said coupling comprising:
- a rotatable driving member connected to the rotary power output of said gear train, said member being rotatable on a plane substantially normal to the axis of rotation of said output and comprising a pair of flat, radial driving surfaces lying on a diameter of said axis of rotation;
- a rotatable driven member connected to said winch drum, said driven member being spaced substantially coaxially from and substantially parallel to said driving member and comprising a pair of flat radial driven surfaces lying on a diameter of the axis of rotation thereof, said diameter being displaced by about 90.degree. from the diameter defined by said driving surfaces of said driving member;
- a coupling plate interposed between said driving and driven members, said coupling plate comprising a pair each of flat driven and driving surfaces corresponding to and in torque-transmitting, flush bearing contact with each of said pairs of flat radial driving and driven surfaces, respectively, of said rotatable driving and driven members;
- one or the other of the pair of flat radial driving surfaces of the driving member or the corresponding pair of flat driven surfaces of said coupling plate and one or the other of the pair of flat radial driven surfaces of said driven member or the corresponding pair of flat driving surfaces of said coupling plate each extending centrally at least somewhat beyond the bearing surface in flush contact therewith, thereby to allow sliding eccentric displacement of the coupling plate relative to the axis of rotation of said driving and driven members and to thereby accommodate eccentric displacement of the axis of rotation of said winch drum relative to that of said rotary power output.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.