Improvements in Shaft-couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1804
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shaft-couplings.
I, PETER AUGUSTUS RANSOM, of Hyde Road Engineering Works, West
Gorton, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to shaft-couplings of the kind or class commonly known as
"Sellars". or double-cone vice couplings, and has for its object to provide a coupling
of this kind which will permit of using a much smaller inclination or taper of the
coned surfaces than has heretofore been possible. With couplings as heretofore
made the taper of the cones was necessarily very considerable otherwise the cones
could not be separated after having been once put together. With my improved
coupling such difficulty is not experienced even when the cones are made with
considerably less taper than has heretofore been possible, and owing to the reduced
taper the grip on the shaft is much greater than heretofore, and hence my improved
coupling is very efficient.
According to my invention I provide, in lieu of the through bolts heretofore
used for drawing the cones together, set screws of a peculiar kind, that is to say,
each set screw has forged on it or otherwise secured thereto a collar at or about
the middle of its length. Said collar when in place lies between the inner ends
of the two cones. The bolt holes in one of the cones are open at the side so that
the set screws can be dropped into the bolt holes from the sides and then the cone
and set screws can be passed together into the shell of the coupling which latter
prevents the set screws from dropping out. The distance between the head of each
set screw and the collar is slightly greater than the length of the cone thus affording
a little clearance. I may place a loose washer on each bolt before forging or securing
the collar thereon, or I may form a washer shaped piece solid with the head of
the bolt.
The other cone is made with screw-threaded holes to receive the screw-threaded
ends of the set screws and when inserted in position it is drawn up tight by turning
the set screws.
I prefer to enlarge the ends of the screw-threaded holes for a short distance inward
to allow the ends of the set screws to slide in some distance and receive a bearing
before engaging the screw-threaded part.
I make my improved couplings preferably with considerably less taper than
heretofore whereby a much more powerful grip is ensured than possible with
couplings having a larger taper.
To unloose the coupling, all that is necessary to do is to unscrew the set screws
thereby bringing the collars aforesaid against the inner end of one of the cones
which latter then serves as the fulcrum. The continued turning of the set screws
forces the cones apart. It is thus obvious that as much power is available for
separating the cones as for drawing them together.
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COME LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shaft-couplings.
İ, PETER AUGUSTUS RANSOM, of Hyde Road Engineering Works, Wes
Gorton, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature o
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 relates to shaft-couplings of the kind or class commonly known as
"Sellars" or double-cone vice couplings, and has for its object to provide a coupling
of this kind which will permit of using a much smaller inclination or taper of the
coned surfaces than has heretofore been possible. In couplings as heretofore made
the cones possessed necessarily a very considerable taper, otherwise they could not
be separated except with great difficulty after being once put together into the
containing sleeve.
With my improved coupling such difficulty is not experienced even when the cones
are made with cousiderably less taper than has heretofore been possible. Moreover
owing to the reduced taper, the grip on the shafts is much greater than heretofore,
and hence my improved coupling is very efficient.
According to my invention I provide improved bolts or set screws which are so
constructed and arranged with reference to the cones that when rotated in one
direction they serve to draw the cones together and tighten the same in the sleeve
and when rotated in the opposite direction they separate the cones and force them
out of the sleeve.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to more
particularly describe the same and the manner of carrying it into practice with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my improved coupling applied to the
adjacent ends of two shafts.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow
Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a section on the line X, X of Figure 1.
A and B are the two cones; C is a sleeve tapered internally from each end to
the middle of same to correspond with the taper of the cones, and into which
the two cones are received. D, D are bolts or set screws for drawing the
cones together and for separating the same when required as will be hereinafter
explained.
The cones A and B are preferably deeply fluted along their length as shown at E,
and are split on one side as indicated at F to allow them to tighten on the shafts G, H
when they are drawn into the sleeve C by the set screws.
Instead of ordinary bolts such as have been heretofore used for tightening the cones,
I provide bolts or set screws DD each of which has forged on it or otherwise secured
to it a collar D¹ at or about the middle of its length. Such collar when in position
lies in the space between the inner ends of the cones.
By reason of the collars D', it is not possible to pass the set screws D through
an ordinary bolt hole, and hence the bolt holes B' in the cone B are open at
the outer side thus forming slots into which the set screws can be dropped
before the cone is inserted in the sleeve. The cone B and the set screws therein
can be passed together into the outer shell C of the coupling, which sleeve or shell
then prevents the sets screws from dropping out. The distance between the head
of each set screw and the collar D' is slightly greater than the length of the cone B
thus affording a slight clearance between the collar and the inner end of the said
cone B.
I may place one or more loose washers D' on each bolt before forging or
securing the collar thereon, or I may form a washer shaped piece solid with the
head of the bolt.

page_text: The other cone A is made with screw-threaded holes A¹ to receive and engage
with the screw-threaded ends of the set screws.
I preferably enlarge, as shown at A³, the outer ends of the screw-threaded holes A²
in the cone A for a short distance inward so as to allow the ends of the set screws
to slide in some distance and receive a bearing before engaging the screw-threaded
parts.
The coupling is slackened by unscrewing the set screws which first brings the
beforementioned collars D¹ on the bolts against the inner end of the cone B, and then
by the continued turning forces the cones apart.
It will be seen that there is as much power available for separating the cones as
for drawing them together and thus the difficulty usually experienced in separating
the cones or other couplings is overconie.
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. In a double-cone shaft-coupling, the combination, with the cones, of set screws
for tightening and slackening the same, each set screw having an intermediate collar
for engaging the small end of one of the cones when turned backward for slackening
the same, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
2. A double-cone shaft-coupling constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of Julv 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.