Improvements in Universal Joints and Flexible Shafts
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23th June, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Universal Joints and Flexible Shafts."
1 JOHN WALKER NEWALL of 62 Ogden Street Ardwick in the city of Manchester
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I make the centre of the joint in the form of a ball. I make two cylindrical pieces
similar to one another having cups formed at the centres of their inner ends which fit
upon the ball, the outer portion of their inner ends being formed into teeth. The
centres of the outer ends I form as segments of a sphere, the centre of such sphere
being the centre of the ball that forms the centre of the joint, the outside parts of the
outer ends are used to connect the joint to the adjacent parts of the machine to which
it is to be applied. The joint is held together by means of a bolt passing through its
longitudinal centre, the head of the bolt and the inside of the nut being formed as
cups to work on the spherical seats at the outer ends of the joint. The teeth are of
such a form and length that when all the parts are in place either cylindrical piece
can move to a limited extent so as that their axes can form an angle one with the
other but any rotary movement relatively to one another is prevented by the inter-
locking of the teeth. This joint may either be used singly for transmitting power
between shafts at a small angle one with another or a number of them may be coupled
together to form a flexible shaft. In the latter case a wire rope or a single thin wire
may be put through the centre to hold the joints together instead of using a bolt to
each joint.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Universal Joints and Flexible Shafts.
I, JOHN WALKER NEWALL of 62 Ogden Street in the city of Manchester, 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:
In the accompanying drawings by reference to which this invention will be best
understood,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of two portions of solid shafting united by one form of joint
constructed according to this invention and
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 showing one portion of the shafting deflected
in respect to the other;
Fig. 3 is a view of one of the engaging faces of the joint; and
Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of portions of flexible shafts constructed
according to this invention and
Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing another manner of jointing together solid shafts
according to this invention.
Figs. 7 and 8 are a half elevation and longitudinal section of a modified form of the
joint and
Fig. 9 is a cross section of the same.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 12 and 3 A A are the two parts of the joint
of similar construction and B B are the two portions of shafting to be united by the
said joint. The part A as shown in Fig. 2 is formed with a nipple A2 on which the
hollowed end of the shaft B is preferably shrunk so as to secure it rigidly to the said
011

page_text: nipple which may however be secured to the shaft B by other convenient means such
as a key, screws, rivets or the like, and the shaft B¹ is secured into the socket A³ of
the part A' by its reduced end in any convenient manner. Flanged couplings may
be employed for securing the shafts to the joint, or the shafts themselves may be both
screwed into sockets such as A³ or the couplings may be made solid with the shaft as
in fig. 6.
A figure 3 is the hemispherical or cup shaped recess formed in each of the
parts A A and C is the sphere or ball which as shown in figures 2, 4, 5 and 6 is
received in the spherical chamber formed by the two opposing recesses A*. A are
the teeth formed around the recesses A* as shown in figure 3. D is the bolt which
passes diametrically through the sphere C and the head D¹ of which as shown in
figures 2 and 4 at its under side or side nearest the sphere is formed concave to
correspond with the convexity of the seat A6 which is concentric with the sphere C.
The under side of the nut D which is screwed on the opposite end of the bolt D may
be correspondingly formed concave to enable it to bear evenly upon the convex
seat A no matter to what angle the part Al may be turned in respect to the part A or
a washer may be employed one side of which may be concave to bear on the
contiguous seat A" and the back of which may be flat and a flat nut may then
be used.
The holes A' in the seatings Aare of such size that the bolt D which passes through
them will have freedom of action when the respective parts of the flexible shaft are
being moved from one to another position.
It will be seen that the bolt D holds the two parts of the flexible joint or coupling
securely together their inner ends at their central part being well bedded on the
sphere C and the surrounding toothed parts engaging in the manner shown in
figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.
The teeth A are of such form that either of the parts A A' can be moved to a
limited extent so that its axis will form an angle with the axis of the other part as
shown in figure 2 but any rotary movement of one part independent of the other is
prevented by the interlocking of these teeth A³.
The before described joint may either be used simply for transmitting power between
shafts at a small angle one with another or a number of them may be coupled together
to form a flexible shaft as in figures 4 and 5.
Referring to figure 5 it will be seen that the parts of each joint instead of being
held to each other by separate bolts may be secured against longitudinal displacement
by a wire rope, cord or equivalent E passed through the whole series of points. The
ends of this wire may be secured at the outer or end joints of the series by being
riveted over suitably concave washers or by equivalently shaped screwed nuts or
by other suitable means. Under this construction the wire or wire rope E will
be sufficiently flexible to enable it to adapt itself to any alteration or deviation in
the axial line of the shafting for which the other parts are adapted.
Instead of the bolt D a simple rivet or equivalent may be used or when com-
paratively long shafts are coupled together by means of these joints, the portions
of the joint may be kept in proper position by means of collars on the shafts; or
other equivalent means may be employed for preventing the shafts moving end wise
such for example as the means shown in Fig. 6 where E E' represent bearings
which are provided with recesses E' for receiving the ends of studs upon which
the said bearings are free to pivot and which studs may themselves be supported
on a pivot. The bearings E E bear against the flanges A A¹ and thus prevent the
interlocking faces of the joint from becoming disengaged; indeed so long as the
proper relations between the parts A A' and are maintained it is immaterial what
the exact means employed for that purpose may happen to be.
If desired one of the parts A or A' may have fixed to it or formed in part with it
a central hemispherical projection to fit into the hemispherical recess A of the other
part instead of providing a loose sphere C which fits into a recess A* in each of the
parts as before described.
In Figures 78 and 9 a modification of the joint is shown. In these figures the

page_text: shafts B B, engaging teeth A' and sphere are all employed as before but instead
of connecting the two shafts by a central bolt D an external casing F made in two
parts surrounds the two heads B2 of the shafts and thus holds them together. Annular
recesses may be provided for oil and closed by plugs G, the two parts F being held
together by bolts or screws H and clearance for the shafts being provided at F to
allow of the necessary freedom of movement of the shafts. The two parts of the
casing F may be checked into one another as at F³ if desired.
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
1. In a flexible joint the combination with two interlocking faces of a sphere or
hemispherical projection the centre of which constitutes the axis of any independent
motion of the said faces substantially as herein described.
2. In a flexible joint the combination with two interlocking faces having concave
seatings formed in the faces of a sphere the centre of which constitutes the axis of
any independent motion of the said faces and the various parts being held in
position relatively to one another by any suitable mechanical device substantially as
herein described.
3. In a flexible joint the combination with two parts such as A. A' the opposing
faces of which interlock with each other of a sphere such as C or hemisphere upon
which the said parts pivot when moving independently of each other substantially
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a flexible joint the combination with two interlocking parts such as A A¹
and sphere C or hemisphere of a bolt such as D or its equivalent for holding the
two parts A A' upon the sphere while also permitting them to be moved indepen-
dently of each other substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In a flexible joint the combination with two interlocking parts such as A A¹
of a bolt the head and nut of which are bedded on convex seatings concentric with
the centre of independent motion of the said parts and having openings such as A
to allow for the play of the bolt substantially as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
6. In a flexible shaft the combination with two or more flexible joints such as
described of a central tie such as D or E for securing the parts of the shaft and
joints against longitudinal displacement substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. In a flexible shaft the combination of two ог more flexible joints such as
described the various parts of the shaft being held together against longitudinal
displacement by any suitable mechanical means substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the complete flexible joints
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of June 1890.-
JNO. W. NEWALL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.