Improvements in Shaft Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shaft Couplings.
I CHARLES WHITFIELD of Anglezarlse, Kettering, in the County of
Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention for Improvements in Shaft Couplings has for its object to provide
a coupling of simple construction which may be readily applied and adjusted to the
shafts it connects and which while rigidly joining them, shall not be liable to
destroy the true alignment of their axes; and consists essentially of a cleft bush
or sleeve which embraces the ends of the shafts to be connected and which is
formed with two conical surfaces converging outwardly on which are mounted two
boxes or cylinders connected together by bolts and nuts so that as the said boxes
are drawn together they slide along the conical parts of the bush or sleeve and
thereby contract its diameter and cause it to firmly grip the shafts. The ends of
the tightening bolts are preferably screwed with threads of the same hand but
of different pitch which engage with corresponding nuts fitting in suitable recesses
in the coned boxes to prevent them from turning. It will thus be seen that the
rotation of a tightening bolt causes one screwed end to advance through its nut
while the other end recedes through its nut, this differential action causing a great
force to be imparted to the boxes on the application of a comparatively small
turning force to the bolt.
In order to enable the brush or sleeve to better accommodate itself to the shafts
on the application of a tightening force it is partly divided into a number of
segments by external longitudinal grooves and slots which leave the metal
continuous on the inner surface for a short distance at the centre only.
Dated this 19th day of August 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shaft Couplings.
I, CHARLES WHITFIELD, of Anglezarlse, Kettering, in the County of
Northampton, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention for Improvements in Shaft Couplings has for its object to
provide a coupling of simple construction which may be readily applied and
adjusted to the shafts it connects and which while rigidly joining them shall not be
liable to destroy the true alignment of their axes; and consists essentially of a
cleft bush or sleeve which embraces the ends of the shafts to be connected and
which is formed with two conical surfaces converging outwardly on which are
mounted two boxes or cylinders connected together by double ended bolts and nuts
so that as the said boxes are drawn together they slide along the conical part of the
bush or sleeve and thereby contract its diameter and cause it to firmly grip the
shafts.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:
:-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a shaft coupling constructed
according to this invention.
Fig. 2 represents the same partly in end elevation and partly in cross section od
the plane A-B. Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal elevation of the conical bush for gripping the
shafts to be connected, and
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same.
The two shafts a to be coupled together are connected by a bush or sleeve formed
with two external conical surfaces converging outwardly and on which are
mounted two clutch boxes or cylinders c provided with corresponding conical
surfaces. The said bush is cleft or divided through its whole length at one part of
its circumference by a slot d and through a part of its length at other points in its
circumference by slots e extending from its extremities to within a short distance
of its centre, grooves f being also cut through the central part to reduce the
thickness of the connecting metal g. By these means the bush is rendered more
flexible and more readily accommodates itself to slight variations in the diameters
of the shafts.
The clutch boxes or cylinders care connected together by double ended tightening
bolts whose threads are of the same hand but of different pitch and work in
nuts i fitting in recesses in the coned boxes or cylinders c to prevent them from
turning. It will thus be seen that the rotation of a tightening bolt causes one:
screwed end to advance through its nut more rapidly than the other end through its
nut, this differential action causing a great force to be imparted to the boxes on the
application of a comparatively small turning force to the bolt.
Instead of tightening bolts having screw threads of different pitch at the two
ends I may employ bolts with right and left handed screw threads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A shaft coupling comprising a double coned split bush in combination with
coned clutch boxes operated by double ended tightening bolts substantially as
described.
2. In a shaft coupling, a bush cleft or divided through its entire length at one
part of its circumference, and through a part of its length at other points in its
circumference by slots extending from its extremities to within a short distance of
its centre and having grooves through its central part substantially as described and
for the purpose set forth.
3. The arrangement and construction of shaft couplings substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of Mo 1894
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents..