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US 7,244,186 B2Granted
Flexible couplings
OwnerAnthony L. Hauckinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible coupling including a first hub having an inner face, a flexible insert having a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes, a retainer ring having an interior which engages the exterior lobes of the flexible insert, and a second hub having an exterior surface contoured to engage the interior lobes of the flexible insert.
Claims54
A coupling apparatus comprising:
- a first hub having an inner face;
- a flexible insert having a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes;
- a retainer removably attachable to said first hub and having an interior shaped and dimensioned to snugly and slidably come into driving engagement with said plurality of exterior lobes as said retainer and insert move into an overlapping relation with one another along a central axis common to said retainer and said insert;
- and
- a second hub having a portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to snugly receive and mate with said plurality of interior lobes.
2 more elements
The coupling apparatus comprising:
- a first hub for mounting to a first shaft and having an inner face;
- a flexible solid plastic insert component, which as a free standing component, has a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes formed thereon, said insert component further having first and second faces disposed a selected axial width apart;
- a second hub for mounting to a second shaft and having an exterior portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to engage the interior lobes of said insert component;
- a retainer component removably attachable to said first hub and having an interior shaped and dimensioned to slidably receive and engage the exterior lobes of said insert;
- and
- a central opening in said retainer component sized such that said second hub is passable therethrough to a position wherein said exterior portion of said second hub engages said interior lobes and said interior portion of said retainer component engages said exterior lobes.
3 more elements
A coupling apparatus comprising:
- a first hub having an inner face;
- a flexible insert having a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes;
- a retainer removably attachable to said first hub and having an interior lobe receiving portion shaped and dimensioned to snugly and receive said plurality of exterior lobes;
- and
- a second hub having a lobe receiving portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to snugly receive and mate with said plurality of interior lobes;
- said first hub, second hub, retainer and insert being alignable with respect to one another along a common horizontal axis, said second hub being moveable along said axis such that said lobe receiving portion enters the interior of said flexible insert and comes into engagement with said interior lobes;
- said retainer being movable along said axis such that said flexible insert enters the interior of said retainer and said exterior lobes come into engagement with said interior lobe receiving portion of said retainer;
- said retainer thereafter coming into abutment with said inner face of said first hub.
5 more elements
The coupling apparatus comprising:
- a first hub for mounting to a first shaft and having an inner face;
- a flexible solid plastic insert component, which as a free standing component, has a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes formed thereon, said insert component further having first and second faces disposed a selected axial width apart;
- a second hub for mounting to a second shaft and having an exterior portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage the interior lobes of said insert component;
- and
- a retainer component removably attachable to said first hub and having an interior shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage the exterior lobes of said insert;
- said first hub, second hub, retainer and insert being alignable with respect to one another along a common horizontal axis, said second hub being moveable along said axis such that said lobe receiving portion enters the interior of said flexible insert and comes into engagement with said interior lobes;
- said retainer being movable along said axis such that said flexible insert enters the interior of said retainer and said exterior lobes come into engagement with the interior lobe receiving portion of said retainer;
- said retainer thereafter coming into abutment with said inner face of said first hub.
5 more elements
A four component coupling apparatus comprising;
- a first component comprising a first hub for mounting to a first shaft and having an inner face;
- a second component comprising a flexible solid plastic insert component, which as a free standing component, has a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes formed thereon, said insert component further having first and second faces disposed a selected axial width apart;
- a third component comprising a second hub for mounting to a second shaft and having an exterior lobe receiving portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to engage the interior lobes of said insert component;
- and
- a fourth component comprising a retainer component adapted to removably attach to said first hub and having a central opening including an interior lobe receiving portion shaped and dimensioned to slidably receive and engage the exterior lobes of said insert and to prevent said insert from passing through a first side of said retainer component, said retainer component having an axial width greater than that of said insert;
- and
- said first hub, second hub, retainer and insert being alignable with respect to one another along a common horizontal axis, said second hub being moveable along said axis such that said lobe receiving portion enters the interior of said flexible insert and comes into engagement with said interior lobes;
- said retainer component being movable along said horizontal axis such that said flexible insert enters the interior of said retainer component and said exterior lobes come into engagement with the interior lobe receiving portion of said retainer component;
- a second side of said retainer component thereafter coming into abutment with said inner face of said first hub;
- each of said plurality of exterior lobes of said insert including a solid semicircular portion;
- and
- each of said plurality of interior lobes of said insert including a solid semicircular portion.
9 more elements
The coupling apparatus comprising:
- a first hub for mounting to a first shaft and having an inner face;
- a flexible solid plastic insert component, which as a free standing component, has a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes formed thereon, said insert component further having first and second faces disposed a selected axial width apart;
- a retainer component removably attachable to said first hub and having an interior shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage the exterior lobes of said insert, said retainer component having a first open face through which said insert slidingly passes along an axis in a first direction into a position wherein the interior of said retainer component engages said exterior lobes, said retainer component having a second face and a surface portion which prevents said insert from passing through said second face;
- and
- a second hub for mounting to a second shaft and having first and second segments, the first segment being shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage the interior lobes of said insert and to cause said second segment to abut said insert at a point which prevents said second hub from passing through said insert to a point where said second hub comes into contact with the inner face of said first hub.
2 more elements
A coupling apparatus consisting of four components comprising;
- a first component comprising a first hub for mounting to a first shaft and having an inner face;
- a second component comprising a flexible solid plastic insert component, which as a free standing component, has a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes formed thereon, said insert component further having first and second faces disposed a selected axial width apart;
- a third component comprising a second hub for mounting to a second shaft and having an exterior lobe receiving portion thereof shaped and dimensioned to engage the interior lobes of said insert component;
- and
- a fourth component comprising a retainer component adapted to removably attach to said first hub and having a central opening including an interior lobe receiving portion shaped and dimensioned to slidably receive and engage the exterior lobes of said insert and to prevent said insert from passing through a first side of said retainer component, said retainer component having an axial width greater than that of said insert;
- and
- said first hub, second hub, retainer and insert being alignable with respect to one another along a common horizontal axis, said second hub being moveable along said axis such that said lobe receiving portion enters the interior of said flexible insert and comes into engagement with said interior lobes;
- said retainer component being movable along said horizontal axis such that said flexible insert enters the interior of said retainer component and said exterior lobes come into engagement with the interior lobe receiving portion of said retainer component;
- a second side of said retainer component thereafter coming into abutment with said inner face of said first hub.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.