Improvements in Universal Joints.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1897--Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Universal Joints.
I, LEVI SARGENT GARDNER, of New Orleans in the State of Louisiana, United
States of America, but now temporarily residing at 47 Wilson Street, Finsbury in
the County of London, 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 :—
My invention has for its object the production of a universal joint for use in any
machine where such devices are applicable, which will be simple and strong in
construction, easy of operation, and durable. It consists in a combination of devices
hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawing
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section showing a variation.
Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.
In carrying out the invention A represents any suitable sockets adapted to receive
the ends of the shafts to be connected by the joint. These may of course be any
suitable size or shape as desired. On each socket is a sleeve B. The end of each
socket is concave as shown at C Figure 4. D is a ball, the convex surface of
which fits the concave surface in the end of each socket A. E E are what I will
term straps. They are U shaped pieces, substantially square in cross section as
shown in Figure 3 and engaged to the sockets in any suitable way. In Figures 1
and 4 I have shown them secured to the sockets A each by a sleeve B which is
screw threaded at its interior to engage with a screw thread formed on the exterior
of the sockets A and straps E E¹ which latter fit in grooves in the sleeves, while
in Figure 2, I have shown them keyed to the sockets cach by a pin b¹. The
closed ends of these straps rest in circumferential grooves in the face of the
ball D. The strap E is in a plane at right angles to the plane of the strap E¹ as
shown in Figures 2 and 3. It will be seen by the above description that the joint
is universal. That is to say, when the two shafts are thrown to an angle with each
other and one is revolved, the other will also be revolved, each shaft being held to
the ball by its particular strap and consequently the ball acting as a connecting link
between the two shafts to take up both the tensile and thrusting strains between
the shafts and also acting to maintain the straps in their relative positions at right
angles to each other so that the revolution of one shaft will be communicated to
the other shaft.
It is obvious that numerous details of my above described construction might be
altered or dispensed with without departing from the spirit of the invention. For
instance, the sleeve B might be dispensed with; the ends c of the socket and
sleeves might be shortened so that the shafts instead of being limited to an angle
of 30 degrees with each other might be thrown to an angle of 60 degrees more or
less with each other; and the shape of the straps in cross section might be varied
and numerous other details be changed.
By my construction as above set forth I am enabled to greatly reduce the size of
the parts and consequently the size of the joint for a given capacity of transmission ;

page_text: owing also to the compactness of the joint and the ability of the ball to transmit end
thrusts as well as the rotary motion the joints can be used in many machines where
other joints would be impracticable, such for instance as propeller shafts, multiple
drills, and even in an ordinary line of shafting.
Again my construction is of material advantage since the paris even when worn
can be readily replaced by new ones without replacing the entire joint. Again in
the use of my joint, it is the straps which wear and not the ball itself, consequently
even though the straps are worn somewhat the ball maintains the two shafts in
proper alignment or relation to each other, owing to the concave ends of the shaft
fitting the convex surface of the ball, and by reason of the shafts being thus held
in proper relations to each other, the parts do not become heated and the joints
twisted off. Again and perhaps one of the most important advantages is that it is
substantially dust proof and chip proof, its life and efficiency being thereby greatly
lengthened and increased.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what mannerthe same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements in universal joints substantially as herein before described
and shown in the drawings.
2. A universal joint consisting of the combination with the two adjacent ends
of the shaft each of said ends having a concave surface, of a ball between said
concave shaft and each shaft held to the ball by a U shaped strap passing around
the ball and detachably engaged to the end of the shaft, each strap being in a plane
at right angles to the other, substantially as described.
3. A universal joint consisting of the combination with the two adjacent ends
of the shafts, each of said ends having a concave surface, of a ball between said
shaft ends fitting the concave surface of each, each shaft held to the ball by
a U shaped strap passing around the ball and countersunk therein, the open end
of said U shaped strap being engaged to the shaft and each strap being in a plane
at right angles to the other, substantially as described.
Dated the 21st day of May 1897.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for Applicant.