COMMUNICATING ROTARY MOTION BETWEEN AXES INCLINED TO ONE ANOTHER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, DONALD RODERICK CAMERON, Lieutenant Colonel in Her Majestys Royal
Regiment of Artillery at the Military Barracks, Sheerness, in the County of Kent
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for COMMUNICATING ROTARY MOTION
BETWEEN AXES INCLINED TO ONE ANOTHER to be as follows:-
The extremities of shafts (S) or other revolving parts of mechanism are furnished
with piston holes (H) parallel to the axes of rotation and arranged symmetrically
about the axes. Rods (R) to slide in the holes. (H) and bent to the angle at which
the axes of rotation are inclined, have their ends inserted in corresponding holes of
the two axes.
If either axis be now revolved, the other will revolve with it. The
axes are steadied, if desired, by collars (C) rigidly attached to one another or to
standfasts; longitudinal movement of the axes being prevented by projecting
rings (P) attached to the axes (S)-with or without intervening washers; or, the
axes may be steadied by by a double pivot or axle bent as the rods (R) are, and
entering the centre of rotation of both axes (S). A combination of two rectangular
couplings (Fig 5) will communicate rotary motion between terminal axes inclined
to one another at any angle whatever.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I DONALD RODERICK CAMERON Lieutenant Colonel in Her Majesty's Royal
Regiment of Artillery at the Military Barracks Sheerness in the County of Kent
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "A COUPLING TO COMMUNICATE
ROTARY MOTION BETWEEN AXES INCLINED TO ONE ANOTHER" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for
communicating rotary motion between axes with a steady and practically equal
application and distribution of the driving power-According to my Invention the
adjacent parts of machinery or extremities of shafts or the like between which
motion is to be communicated have holes therein which in each shaft or the like
are parallel to the respective axes of rotation of the shafts or the like The holes
in the one shaft or the like are situated relatively to the axis of the shaft or the
like exactly as are the holes in the other shaft or the like relatively to its axis.
In these holes are placed plungers or rods which slide longitudinally therein-
The said plungers or rods are hinged or they are bent angled kneed or jointed to
the angle corresponding to that at which the axes from and to which motion is to
be conveyed are inclined-If either shaft or the like be now rotated the said rods
or plungers will cause the other shaft or the like to revolve with it the rods moving
to or fro' longitudinally in the holes in the two shafts or the like.
Of course it follows that if power be applied directly to the rods so that they be
moved longitudinally the shafts or the like will have a rotatory movement imparted
to them.
Resistance from compression or exhaustion of air in the cylinders may be obviated
by providing channels from the cylinders to the external air or by connecting
the piston holes with one another internally whereby the tendency to compression
of air by the inward stroke of one piston rod is exactly counter balanced by
tendency to expansion of the air by the outward stroke of the opposite rod so that
the movement of the rods causes neither compression nor expansion of the air in
the piston holes-The arrangement described may be employed in connection with
any number of shafts or the like situated at any suitable or required angle to each
other the said shafts. being supported by any suitable bearings or supports.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood I will describe the accom-
panying drawing in which I have shewn at Figure 1 in plan a coupling according
to my Invention as applied to axes at right angles to each other but it is to be
understood that I do not limit myself to this or other particular angle as the
motion may be similarly conveyed from and to axes at other relative inclinations
to each other the rods which act as the coupling being kneed or angled to a similar
inclination or swivel jointed as shown in Figure 6 or hinged or universal jointed
as shewn in Figure 7 so as to adapt themselves to any practicable angle. When
swivel jointed or universal jointed the rods need not be cylindrical but may be
angular in cross section-S. are the shafts or other revolving parts of mechanism

page_text: from and to which the motion is to be conveyed-H are the holes formed in the
adjacent ends of the said shafts or revolving parts. S and R are the angled rods
which are inserted in and capable of movement backwards and forwards along the
said holes-The parts S. are shewn as being mounted in supporting collars C. rigidly
connected to one another or to any suitable support, longitudinal movement of the
axis being prevented by rings P fixed to the parts S or an axle bent like one of
the rods R may be passed centrally through the shafts or parts S. to act as a
support therefor Figure 2 shews one of the rods separately and Figure 3 is a face
view of one of the parts S shewing the holes H therein-Figure 4 shews two of the
couplings applied to one piece of mechanism for it will be understood that the
couplings may be used with more than two shafts or rotating parts to carry on
the rotating motion from one to the other through any desired angle.
Figure 5 illustrates the action of the apparatus when steam or other pressure is
applied to drive the rods directly instead of tangentially by the intervention of a
belt or toothed gearing or crank-The collar A is divided into an inlet passage B
and outlet or exhaust passage C. the said passages communicating by passages h
with the holes H in which the rods R slide-The inlet passage B is so situated
that it is in communication by the passages with the holes of such of the rods as
are moving outwards whilst the holes H of those of the rods moving inwards are
in communication with the exhaust passage C. by means of the passages h As the
shaft or part S revolves the steam or motive agent is alternately admitted to and
exhausts from each of the holes H as will be readily understood by reference to
the drawings A similar arrangement may be used simultaneously to drive the
rods moving inwards the steam passage collar for this purpose being situated at the
opposite end of the stroke of the rods which in this case are fashioned as ordinary
steam pistons; and by reversing the direction of the current of steam-the
direction of rotation will be reversed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim, is
A device coupling or connection for communicating conveying or transmitting
rotary motion between axes at an angle or inclination to each other wherein the
essential feature is the employment of rods or their equivalents angled to correspond
with the angle or hinged or jointed to accommodate themselves to the varying
angles of the axes between which motion is communicated conveyed or transmitted
the said rods or the like being capable of moving longitudinally to accommodate
themselves to the varying distances during rotation of the revolving shafts or parts
with which they are used substantially as herein before described.
T
CT 1005