Device for transmitting torque to a reel or the like

A separable torque transmitting connection between at least substantially coaxial driving and driven rotary members, such as between a shaft and the core of a reel, comprising a substantially round male coupling element coaxial and rigid with one of said driving and driven members, provided with a lateral flat and having a predetermined thickness as considered in a plane including the axis of said coupling element and extending at right angles to the flat;

• and a female coupling element coaxial and rigid with the other of said driving and driven members and defining a socket complementary to said male coupling element and having a lateral opening communicating with said socket and having a width at least matching said thickness so that said male coupling element is insertable into and withdrawable from said socket via said opening on movement of at least one of said coupling elements to an angular position in which the flat is out of register with said opening so that the latter permits the male coupling element to pass therethrough, said male coupling element being rotatable in the socket of said female coupling element and said coupling elements comprising stop means arranged to arrest said male coupling element in a predetermined angular position with reference to said female coupling element, said stop means comprising a first abutment including a projection provided on said female coupling element and a second abutment provided on said male coupling element, said male coupling element having a recess for said projection and a shoulder provided in said recess and constituting said second abutment, said projection and said shoulder being in contact with one another in said predetermined angular position of said male coupling element.

A separable torque transmitting connection between at least substantially coaxial driving and driven rotary members, such as between a shaft and the core of a reel, comprising a substantially round male coupling element coaxial and rigid with one of said driving and driven members, provided with a lateral flat and having a predetermined thickness as considered in a plane including the axis of said coupling element and extending at right angles to the flat, said flat being at least slightly convex as considered in the axial direction of said coupling element and having a center of curvature;

• a female coupling element coaxial and rigid with the other of said driving and driven menbers and defining a socket complementing to said male coupling element and having a lateral opening communicating with said socket and having a width at least matching said thickness so that said male coupling element is insertable into and withdrawable from said socket via said opening on movement of at least one of said coupling elements to an angular position in which said flat is out of register with said opening so that the latter permits the male coupling element to pass therethrough, said coupling elements being movable to angular positions in which said flat extends across said opening;
• and means for releasably holding said coupling elements in such angular positions, said holding means comprising a blocking member having a surface which is at least substantially complementary to said flat, said blocking member being mounted on said female coupling element for pivotal movement about an axis which is normal to the axis of said female coupling element and includes the center of curvature of said flat and said blocking member being pivotable to and from a position in which said surface thereof overlies said flat while said flat extends across said opening.