Braided composite shaft with yoke member
AssigneePressure Technology, Inc.
InventorsAnthony J. Smiley, Michael H. Higgins, Frank G. Scholley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A braided fiber reinforced composite shaft with yoke member of a universal joint (8) having a tubular portion (10) integrally connected with the yoke portion (12). The yoke portion (12) has a pair of opposed axially extending arms (20) which extend beyond the tubular portion (10). The yoke arms (20) contain diametrically opposed holes (22) centrally located and near the end of each arm (20). A portion of the braided fiber reinforcement extends continuously around the tubular portion (10), into the axially extending arms, around the respective holes (22) and back around the tubular portion (10).
Claims10
A unitary one-piece composite shaft constructed of matrix material reinforced with fibers includes a tubular portion integrally formed with a yoke portion, the yoke portion having a pair of opposed axially extending arms formed at least one end of said shaft the arms extending beyond said tubular portion and defining a pair of diametrically opposed holes, one hole formed in each of said axially extending arms, at least some of the fibers continuously extending:
- around said tubular portion in a helical direction, into an axially extending arm, around a hole in said axially extending arm to form an incomplete loop thereabout, and back into and around said tubular portion in the same helical direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.