Patent GB-1083459-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to rotary coupling devices employing separable toothed members
Inventor: COLLIER DEREK
IPC: F16D11/10
Filed: 1963-02-04
Abstract: 1,083,459. Positive clutches; controlling clutch - brake combinations; positive detent brakes. FAIREY ENGINEERING Ltd. May 4, 1964 [Feb. 4, 1963], No. 4532/63. Headings F2C, F2E and F2L. A rotary coupling, viz. a clutch or a brake, of the type having toothed members which can be engaged &c. with each other, the teeth having chamfered main lead-in surfaces, is provided on one of its toothed members with one or more auxiliary lead-in members arranged to come into axially resilient engagement with the chamfered lead-in surfaces on the other toothed member. This, if on initial engagement of the toothed members their teeth are axially aligned, so as to jam on their tips, the auxiliary lead-in member(s) turn the toothed members and permit engagement. If on initial engagement the auxiliary lead-in members jam, the angular alignment of the parts is such that the toothed members can readily slide into engagement with each other, releasing the auxiliary lead-in member(s). Positive clutches.-A driving shaft 12, Figs. 1, 1A, is axially slidable to engage internal rings of axial teeth 47 alternatively with rings of teeth on two driven members. Sliding the shaft 12 downwards of the two Figures engages the lower ring of teeth 47 with a ring of teeth 48 on an output sleeve 50. To facilitate the sliding into mesh of the clutch teeth 47, 48, the lead-in edges of the teeth 47 are chamfered on one side only, and the lead-in edges of the teeth 48 are chamfered on both sides. In order to prevent the tips of the teeth 47, 48 from jamming upon each other when exactly aligned, pointed pegs 70 aligned with the teeth 48 and carried by a plate 66 fast upon the output sleeve 50 are provided for engagement in cammed holes 65, formed in a ring 61 and aligned with the teeth 47. The ring 61 is is keyed for axial movement upon the ring of clutch teeth 47, and biased downwards to the position shown by springs 62. If the clutch teeth 47, 48 are so aligned prior to engagement that their tips would jam, the pegs 70 enter the holes 65 and turn the driving shaft 12 slightly relatively to the output sleeve 50, to permit normal clutch engagement. If the tips of the pegs 70 jam upon the spaces between adjacent holes 65, the springs 62 yield and the ring 61 is slidden upwards upon the driving shaft 12, the chamfered lead-in edges of the clutch teeth 47, 48 turning the driving shaft relatively to the driven sleeve 50 until the pegs can slide into their holes. The upper ring of clutch teeth 47 can be slidden into engagement with clutch teeth 92, Fig. 3, on a second output member 90; pegs 96 are similarly provided for engagement in holes 65 in an upper clutch ring 60 keyed for axial sliding upon the driving shaft, to prevent tip jamming of the clutch teeth. Positive detent brakes.-When the driving shaft 12 is so positioned that the teeth 47 in the upper ring 45 are disengaged from the teeth 92 of the second output member 90, teeth 123, Fig. 2, on an axially slidable but non-rotary brake sleeve 114, are engaged in teeth 125 in a bevel gear 86 secured to the second output member, Fig. 4, which is accordingly held stationary. The brake sleeve 114 is in dogged engagement 117 with a sleeve 113, 110 keyed at 111A for axial movement in a fixed plate 111, and is biased downwards by a spring 112 to the engaged position, a collar 115 upon a central pin 97 secured in the sleeve 110 holding the parts together. To prevent accidental angular misalignment of the dog-connected sleeves 113, 114 during use, spring-biased pins 119 slidable in the former engage holes 118 in the latter. On upward movement of the driving shaft 12 to engage the clutch teeth 45, 92, a knob 41 on the shaft end engages the end of the pin 97 and starts to slide the brake assembly 114 &c. upwards. Latch arms 102 pivoted on a loose bush 99 at the end of the pin 97 are cammed apart against the bias of leaf springs 104 by the entry of the knob 41 between them, which they grip, and are then forced inwardly by their movement axially of the output member 90. Continuing upward movement of the driving shaft 12 slides the teeth 123 on the brake sleeve 114 out of engagement with the teeth 125 in the bevel gear 86, and engages the clutch teeth 45, 92. To re-engage the brake following disengagement of the clutch, the driving shaft 12 is slidden downwardly, the knob 41 coacting with the latch arms 102 and the spring 112 to move the brake sleeve 114 in the same direction. The leading edges of teeth 124, Fig. 5, on the brake sleeve, are chamfered on one side only, while the leading edges of the teeth 125 in the bevel gear 86 are chamfered on both sides. Two diametrically-opposite spring-biased plungers 130 (see also Fig. 2), having tips chamfered on both sides are provided in the brake sleeve 114 and project beyond its end, replacing two of the brake sleeve teeth 124, for engagement with the bevel gear teeth 125. If the tips of the teeth 124, 125 are so aligned when the brake sleeve 114 moves towards the bevel gear that their tips would join and prevent engagement, the plungers 130 slide between the teeth 125 and give a slight relative rotation to the parts, in order that the teeth 124, 125 may mesh. If, however, the tips of the plungers 130 join on the teeth 125, as shown in Fig. 5, then the springs biasing the plungers yield and the teeth 124, 125 slide into mesh, giving a slight relative rotation to the parts and freeing the plungers. Clutch-brake control.-The shaft 12 is slidden axially by energization of an hydraulic servo 33 acting through links 40 &c. and a thrust bearing 44. Driving arrangement.-An electric motor drives through a universal joint and reduction gearing, Fig. 7, to bevel gears 29, 28 within the latter of which the shaft 12 is freely splined. Engagement of the clutch teeth 48, 54 by downward movement of the shaft 12 transmits drive to an indexing plate within a nuclear reactor fueling device, the plate then rotating to a desired position in which one of several bevel gears 86 is aligned with the driving shaft 12. Each bevel gear 86 meshes a bevel gear 85 driving a worm 82 meshed by a worm wheel, Fig. 7, on the winding drum of a winch. Each winch performs a feeling or like operation in the reactor. Engagement of the clutch teeth 45 with the desired set of teeth 92 disengages the associated brake, as described, and allows the electric motor to perform the fueling operation.