Improvements in Universal Joints for Milling and other Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 9th June, 1899-Accepted. 6th Sent
1800
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Universal Joints for Milling and other Machines.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LOCK, Manager and Secretary of The Linotype Company.
Limited, of No. 188, Fleet Street, in the City of London, and CHARLES WALTER
PASHLEY, of The Linotype Works, Broadheath, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in universal joints for milling
and other machines. It is especially adapted to transmit motion between two
shafts whose axes stand in the same plane and at a varying angle with each
other. Its advantages are easy to manufacture, easily adjustable to take up wear,
it always runs true and does not carry any projections on its outer surface.
The end of the driver is thickened, cupped axially and coned internally by
a coned ring let into the end face, or otherwise. The end of the driven shaft
carries a sphere fast on it and enclosing it. This sphere fits up to the coned ring
which serves as a bearing surface for the end of the driven shaft. The bearing
surface for the opposite side of the sphere is a second coned ring. The sphere and
two bearing surfaces are held together by a cap which has a central hole in its
closed end large enough to pass the driven shaft and to allow of its maximum
angular motion. The cap is held to the driver by a locking ring which engages
behind the thickened end thereof and with the open end of the cap, preferably
by means of a screw thread on both end and cap.
The motion of the driver is communicated to the driven shaft. through the
sphere above mentioned, by the following means. Pairs of grooves are distri-
buted between the outer surface of the thickened end of the driver and the inner
surface of the cap, which surfaces are parallel for the purpose, and each pair
receives a key. The inner end of each key-the end farthest from the driver-
engages with an arcual groove cut in the sphere in the direction of the axis of the
driven shaft. It is preferred that this groove should be annular, that there
should be a ball in it and that the end of the key should be forked to engage the
projecting portion of the ball. Each ball has three bearing surfaces, the annular
groove in the sphere, the forked end of the key and an extension of the second
coned ring above mentioned.
The outer end of each key is fitted with a screw stud adjustable lengthwise in
the key and having its head bearing against the inner face of the locking ring
as an abutment, so as to be capable of taking up wear in the line of that key.
The sides of the cap are concentric with and may be also parallel with the
axis of the driver. The ends of it may be at any convenient angle with its axis.
The cap and the locking ring between them furnish the entire outer surface of
the improved joint and are without projections, the joint in that respect being
a concentric swell upon the end of the driver.
Dated this 9th dox of Santamber 1800

page_text: Improvements in Universal Joints for Milling and other Machines.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LOCK, Manager and Secretary of The Linotype Company
Limited, of 188, Fleet Street, in the City of London, and CHARLES WALTER
PASHLEY, of The Linotype Works, Broadheath, in the County of Chester,
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;-
The present invention relates to improvements in universal joints for milling
and other machines. It is specially adapted to transmit motion between two
shafts whose axes work in the same plane and at a varying angle with each
other.
1
Referring to the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith:-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation:
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is an elevation from the right hand side of Figure 1 omitting the
locking ring::
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a key:
Figure 5 is a plan corresponding with Figure 4:
Figure 6 is an inverted plan corresponding with Figures 4 and 5:
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the nose of a key:
Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation shewing the two shafts revolving at an
angle with each other; and
Figure 9 is a side elevation illustrating the two shafts revolving at an angle but
in a different relative position.
The joint end of the driver a is thickened-6 is a cup in such end, and axially
coincident with it; and c is a coned ring let into the cup. 6 with its working face
at an angle with the axis of the shaft a. a is the joint end of the driven shaft.
It carries a sphere e fast on it and enclosing it. This sphere e fits up to the
coned ring c which serves as a bearing surface for the end of the driven shaft d.
The bearing surface for the opposite side of the sphere e is a second coned ring f.
The sphere e and two bearing surfaces are held together by a cap g which has
a central hole in its closed end. large enough to pass the driven shaft d and to
allow of its maximum angular motion. The cap g is held to the driver a by a
locking ring which engages behind the thickened end thereof or cup 6 and with
the open end of the. cap 9, preferably by means of a screw thread k on the opposite
surfaces of both ring and cap g. The locking ring ; serves also to take up
wear between the sphere e and the coned ring c.
The motion of the driver a is communicated to the driven shaft d through the
sphere e above mentioned, by the following means. Pairs of grooves 6' are dis-
tributed between the outer surface of the cup b and the inner surface of the
cap g, which surfaces are parallel for the purpose, and each pair receives a key !.
The inner end of each key -the end farthest from the driver a-engages with
an arcual groove m cut in the sphere e in the direction of the axis of the driven
shaft d. It is preferred that this groove m should surround the sphere excepting
where the latter joins the shaft d, that there should be a ball n in it for each
key and that the end of a key 7 should be forked to engage the projecting
portion of the respective ball n. Each ball n has three bearing surfaces, the
groove m in the sphere e, the forked end of the key and extension ft of the coned
ring above mentioned.
The drawings illustrate two sets of keys and balls n, one set opposite the

page_text: other. This is the preferred number. A greater number may be used if desired.
In any case, the sets of keys and balls should be arranged symmetrically about the
centre of the joint, to distribute the torsional strain equally. The objection to
one set only, is that it is incapable of distributing the strain about the centre of
the joint.
The outer end of each key is fitted with a screw stud o adjustable lengthwise
in the key and having its head bearing against the inner face of the locking ring j
as an abutment, so as to be capable of taking up wear in the line of that key.
The sides of the cap y are concentric with, and may be also parallel with the
axis of, the driver a. The ends of it may be at any convenient angle with its
axis. The cap g and the locking ring j between them furnish the entire outer
surface of the improved joint and are without projections, the joint in that
respect being a concentric swell upon the end of the driver a.
,, are holes in the outer face of the locking ring to receive the teeth of a
suitable wrench.
As
The principal advantage of the present invention is that friction is reduced
to a minimum. The keys, 1, play an important part. They serve to prevent the
cap g turning round, and to keep the balls n, n, in their proper positions.
they are free to slide in their respective ways, the joint can be kept free from
play, and wear can be taken up by turning the locking ring j.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination with the ends of two shafts-a driver and a driven―of cup
on the end of the driver larger in diameter than it and axially coincident there-
with a coned ring inside the cup; a sphere fast on the end of the driven shaft
and fitting up to the said coned ring as to a bearing surface; a cap having a hole
in its closed end large enough to pass the driven shaft and to allow of its maximum
angular motion; a coned ring fitted inside the said cup up to its closed end to
serve as a bearing surface for the side of the sphere opposite to the coned ring
in the cup; balls engaging in the groove in the sphere; as many keys held
between the cup and the cap and engaging the said balls respectively; and a lock-
ing ring holding the open end of the cap to the driver; as set forth.
2. The combination with the ends of two shafts--a driver and a driven-of cup
on the end of the driver larger in diameter than it and axially coincident there-
with a coned ring inside the cup; a sphere fast on the end of the driven shaft
and fitting up to the said coned ring as to a bearing surface; a cap having a hole
in its closed end large enough to pass the driven shaft and to allow of its maximum
angular motion; a coned ring fitted inside the said cup up to its closed end to
serve as a bearing surface for the side of the sphere opposite to the coned ring in
the cup balls engaging in a groove in the sphere; as many keys held between
the cup and the cap and engaging the said balls respectively; and a screw stud
in each key to take up wear between it, the respective ball and the bearing
surfaces of the latter; as set forth.
Dated the 9th day of June 1899.
CHAS. S. WOODROFFE, Fel. Ch. Inst. P.A.,
188, Fleet Street, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.