Improvements in and connected with Flexible Shafts.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Flexible Shafts.
I, HEINRICH DÖRING of the Firm "Berliner Dampfkessel-Fabrik von Döring
& Rückert "Boiler Makers of Charlottenburger Ufer 12a, Charlottenburg in the
German Empire 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 relates to flexible shafts used for driving or transmitting power
to drilling or agricultural machines and for similar purposes and consists in au
improved arrangement and construction of the same.
The improvements consist in forming the flexible shaft of an oval link chain
with stays preferably in every alternate link and connected at the ends to the
driving and driven shaft, the chain being surrounded by a flexible sheathing
tube.
On the drawing appended hereunto the improved flexible shaft is shown partly
in outside view and partly in section.
The ends of two shafts a whose axes form an angle or one end of a shaft and of
a drill spindle or other tool holder are formed with axial recosses b into which the
end links cof an oval link or equivalent not twisted chain are inserted as shown,
The end links care fixed to the shaft ends by means of cottars d passing
diametrically through the shaft ends and tapered so as to draw up the second
links tightly into the cups recessed in the shaft ends for their reception.
The links h, lying in the same plane have stays or distance pieces k, k inserted
into them which fit the intermediate links i, i so that the longitudinal distance of
these links is kept invariable without interfering with the flexibility of the chain.
If desired such stays k may be inserted into each link, but I prefer to place them
only into every alternate link.
The shaft ends carry bushes e or sleeves into which short tubes y are inserted,
to which a flexible tube of some stilish material is attached. This tube serves
to provent the chain from bending out laterally or to guide the same, and is con-
veniently formed of two bauds of metal, preferably of iron or steel, wound
helically as shown on the drawing with opposite inclinations. On the drawing
the shaft end a on the left side is supposed to be the driving shaft fitted with a
pulleys, while that on the right side represents the driven shaft or spindle.
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
olaim is :-
:-
1. The manufacture and use of a flexible shaft for transmitting power forme.
of an oval link or equivalent chain with stays or distance pieces in each or in
every alternate link fixed at the ends to the driving and driven shaft respectively
and sheathed in a flexible tube substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
2. The combination with a flexible shaft formed of chain links of a sheathing
tube made of belically wound bands of metal substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the drawings

page_text: 3. The construction and attachment of flexible shafts for transmitting power
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 13th day of October 1894.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.