AN IMPROVEMENT IN SHAFT COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS LEONARD ELLIS of North British Iron Works, Coatbridge in the
County of Lanark, North Britain do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SHAFT COUPLINGS" to be as follows:-
This Invention which relates to an improvement in shaft couplings is a further
development of a part of the Invention for which Letters Patent N° 4938 dated the
17th day of October A.D. 1883, have been applied for by myself, the said Thomas
Leonard Ellis and Charles Leonard.
According to the present improvements in place of the wedges described in the
Provisional Specification filed with the application for the aforesaid Letters Patent
I use a long ring split on one side so as to make it elastic.-The said ring is
cylindrical at the interior so as to fit close upon the shaft to be coupled when it is
compressed thereon.-The outside of the said ring is curved and so shaped that a
narrow portion of its surface having the largest diameter shall bear upon the inner
curved surface of the coupling box; the rest of the outer surface of the said ring
being by virtue of its shape not in contact with the interior of the said box.―This
said ring is of such a length that its outer part projects beyond the end of the
coupling box so that it can be forced inwards by screwing up the box nut whose
interior or cap portion bears upon the said ring.
It is to be understood that the improved ring herein before described is used one
at each end of a coupling.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Petitioner's Agents,
115, St Vincent Street, Glasgow.

page_text: I, THOMAS LEONARD ELLIS, of North British Iron Works Coatbridge, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SHAFT COUPLINGS and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This Invention which relates to an improvement in Shaft Couplings is a further
developement of a part of the Invention for which Letters Patent N° 4938 dated
the 17th day of October A.D. 1883 were granted Jointly to myself the said Thomas
Leonard Ellis, and Charles Leonard.
According to the present improvements in place of the wedges described in the
complete Specification filed in pursuance of a provision in the aforesaid Letters
Patent, I use a long ring split on one side so as to make it elastic.-The said ring
is cylindrical at the interior so, as, to, fit close upon the shaft to be coupled when it
is compressed thereon. The outside of the said ring is curved and so shaped that
a narrow portion of its surface having the largest diameter shall bear upon the
inner curved surface of the coupling box; the rest of the outer surface of the said,
ring being by virtue of its shape not in contact with the interior of the said box,
although that portion of the said ring may be formed cylindrical and in contact
therewith, but not necessarily so. This said ring is of such a length that its outer
part projects beyond the end of the coupling box so that it can be forced inwards
by screwing up the box nut whose interior or cap portion bears upon the said ring.
It is to be understood that the improved ring herein before described is used one
at each end of a coupling.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
'
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. (Sheet 1.) is a longitudinal section through a shaft coupling constructed
according to and constuting my present Invention.
Figure 2, (Sheet 2.), is an end elevation of the same.
Figures 3, and 4, represent in side and end elevation respectively, the. elastic ring
of my said coupling.
Figures 5, and 6, represent respectively in longitudinal section and end elevation
my said coupling with the outer portion of the elastic ring made parallel as
hereinafter described.
My improved coupling consists of-the hollow circular box a, each half of whose
interior is bored out to the contour represented on the accompanying Drawings or
approximately so, that is to say narrowing by a curve towards the centre thereof,
the centre being the narrowest portion thereof.-For a sufficient distance at each
end, the outside of the box 'a, has the screw thread b, cut upon it, and hollow or
box nuts c, are provided, one of which nuts c, is screwed on each end of the box a.
Upon the accompanying Drawings, one of the nuts c, is represented as having been
removed from the screwed end of the box a, whilst the other nut c, is shewn
screwed on its opposite end.-Within the hollow space of the box a, the long
rings d, are provided.-These rings d, as represented in front and end elevation
respectively at Figures 3, and 4, are split on one side so as to make them elastic,
and at their interiors they are bored out cylindrically so as to fit close upon the

page_text: shafts e, and f, which are to be coupled when the said rings d, are compressed
thereon. The outsides of the rings d are curved and shaped as represented at
Figures 1, and 3, so that a narrow portion of their surface, having the largest
diameter, shall bear upon the inner curved surface of the coupling box a, the rest
of the outer surface of the said rings d, being by virtue of their shape, not in contact
with the interior of the said box a. These rings d, are of such length that their
outer parts project beyond the ends of the coupling box a, so that they can be
forced inwards by screwing up the box nuts c, whose interior or recessed portions
bear upon the said rings d. For screwing up these nuts c, the holes g, are formed
therein, so that projections provided upon a spanner or wrench may fit into such
holes, a portion of a spanner or wrench suitable for the purpose is represented at h,
Figure 2.
The openings i, are formed through the sides of the box a, so as to enable the
relative positions of the two shafts e, and f, being easily ascertained.
The coupling represented at Figures 5 and 6, is one in all respects essentially the
same as that herein before described and shewn by the preceding figures 1 to 4
inclusive, the only difference being that the outer portion of the ring d, is shewn
cylindrical in place of curved as at Figures 1, 3, and 4.
By means of the improved coupling hereinbefore described, shafts of different
diameters, as represented at Figure 1, or shafts of the same diameter as represented
at Figure 5, may be connected together, or Shafts of widely different diameter may
be connected together by using rings d, of different bores, and it is further to be
understood that the bores in each end of the coupling box a, are not necessarily of
the same diameter but may be of different diameters in which case the external
diameter of the rings d, is varied accordingly.
The couplings herein before described, it is to be understood, may be used for
coupling rotating or fixed shafts, or rods such as ties or strutts, and in either case
whether such shafts or rods are solid or hollow, that is to say tubular.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
Shaft couplings consisting of the hollow circular box a, having interior surfaces
curved, and at its ends the outside screw threads b, the box nuts c, and wholly or
partly curved split rings d, whose extremities project beyond the box portion a, so
as to be tightened by the internal flanges of the box nuts c, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed Drawings,
Dated this twenty second day of October 1884.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents.