Improvements in Shaft Couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Shaft Couplings.
I, ADOLF BIRTLER, of 8, Schmidtstrasse, Szászváros, in the Kingdom of
Tungary, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
nd in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
nd ascertained in and by the following statement:―
"
The prevent invention relates to a coupling for shafts, which acts in a similar
nanner to friction clutches, but in which also, by means of mechanism similar
to that employed for operating the frictional parts of the clutch, the coupling
may be locked in its operative position. To this end, there is provided in, the
wall of one of the frictional surfaces of the coupling, a groove wherein are situate
stops, against which take projections on the shaft to be driven, entering the
said groove.
In the accompanying drawing is illustrated a form of construction of the
subject of this invention, in which drawing--
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the coupling;
Figure 2 is an end view;
Figure 3 is a front or side view of the coupling.
Upon the end of the driving shaft is fixed a frictional drum c, the
periphery of which is parallel to the plane of the shaft, & its inner surface
serves as a gripping surface for the friction pieces.
Upon the shaft to be driven (a) is likewise attached a drum c, similar, in
cross section to the drum c, but smaller in diameter. There is also a sleeve d
loosely mounted on the shaft a, and carrying on its end nearest the loose shaft,
a ring y provided with studs, and held in place by two collars, while at its
other end, which projects into the drum, it is provided with four wings or
projections f, diametrically opposite one another. These wings f are provided
with slots e, the longitudinal axis of which makes an acute angle with the, axis
These bowls k serve as fulcra
of the shaft a, and in each slot works a bowl k.
to the rods h of the friction-pieces g, and as the point from which they receive
their motion. The rod his thus efficiently supported and guided, while passing
through corresponding openings in the wall of the drum c, which is mounted
The rods are further guided by a hollow
parallel to the axis of the shaft a.
cylinder w, rivetted by its flanged outer edge to the inside of the drum c. The
rods h, to which the friction pieces are attached, are forked at one end, so as
to span the wings f, and be attached to the bowls k, and thus, when the
sleeve dis pushed along the shaft a, an endway motion of the rod h with the
friction pieces g is caused by the angular direction of the guiding slots e of the
wings relatively to the axis of the shaft a. Upon the sleeve d is a second
sleeve or ferrule l, which is made shorter than the sleeve d, so as to leave
sufficient space between the wings f and the collar of the sleeve d, to allow of
0 the movement of the sleeve 1. The wings m attached to this sleeve are also
provided with slots n, in which work bowls q, and to which are connected levers
or thrust rods p. These thrust rods are likewise guided in the wall of the
drum c¹, and, by suitable adjustment of the sleeve 7, may be made to enter a
In this groover are stops secured
groove in the interior of the drum c.
15 therein by nuts s, against which the free ends of the rods p lie, and thus ensure

page_text: so soon as the shaft to be driven has reached the same speed of rotation (by the
action of the friction pieces g) as the driving shaft b, that the, shaft a shall be
positively driven independently of the friction pieces b. The slots n in the
wings m upon the sleeve l, have their longitudinal axis set at a greater angle
to the longitudinal axis of the shaft a, than the slots e of the wings f upon the
sleeve d, so that the correspondingly longer travel of the presser rods p may be
covered in the same space of time (or quicker) than that of the rods h with the
friction pieces g. With respect to its fulcrum, the sleeve is similarly pro-
vided at one end with two collars, and a ring between them, provided withi
studs, which, operated by a hand-lever j, give to the sleeve a motion in the
direction of its axis. To equalise & impart a firm pressure to the friction
pieces g, when the shafts a and b are coupled together, or release the coupling
while the shafts are running, the sleeve d may be moved by means of the ring y
through a lever z, which rocks about a fixed point w¹. The lever z carries a
threaded sleeve v, in which works a spindle u, operated by a hand wheel t, &
which, when the spindle is rotated, rocks the lever z upon its pivot, and pushes
the sleeve y along with the sleeve d in an axial direction.
To couple the shafts, the friction pieces g are first brought into contact with
the wall of the rotating drum c of the coupling, by turning the hand-wheel t.
When the shaft a has acquired, approximately, the same speed of rotation
as the shaft b, the rods p, by means of the lever j (which has been held in-
operative until now), are caused to enter the groove r, so that the locking
together, and the connecting together, of the two shafts, is securely effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A coupling in which the members (c and c¹), and also the shafts to be
coupled (a and b), are first brought to a uniform speed by friction pieces g, and
then fixed by presser rods (1), the ends of which enter a groove (r) of the
member (c) of the coupling to be driven, and engage with stops in said groove,
so as to cause the locking together of, and thus ensure the connection of, the two
shafts (a and b).
2. A coupling according to Claim 1, characterized by the superposed axially
sliding sleeves (d and ), mounted upon the shaft to be driven (a), on the ends
of each of which are arranged diagonal wings (f and m), said wings having
slots (e and n) at an angle to the axis of the shaft, and pins or pivot bolts (k
and g) working in said slots, for the thrust rods (h) of the friction pieces (g),
or the thrust rods (p).
3. A coupling according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that
the longitudinal axis of the slot (e) for the friction pieces (g), are set at a lesser
angle to the axis of the shaft, than the longitudinal axis of the slot (m), for the
thrust rods (p), so that the greater path of the latter may be traversed in the
same time as that of the friction pieces.
4. A coupling according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the rods (h
and p) in the wall of the drum to be driven (c) are guided and supported
during their movement in the direction of their length.
Dated this 8th day of September 1899.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.