AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR SHAFTS AND STEAM OR WATER PIPES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES JAMIESON of Lower Wincobank near Sheffield in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED
COUPLING FOR SHAFTS AND STEAM OR WATER PIPES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction, application, and use of an improved
adjustable spherical coupling for shafts of machinery or engines and for steam or
water pipes.
The spherical coupling is formed of two hemi-spherical enlargements on the ends
to be connected working upon a concentric sphere received in hemi-spherical cavities
therein and embraced and held together by a coupling box fitting on their external
spherical surface, the driving or rotary motion of the shaft being transmitted by
teeth or projections made on the enlargements engaging with or gearing into each
other.
This improved coupling is applicable to all kinds of line or similar shafting and
it can be arranged to work at 15 degrees (or more if required) to the line of the
driving shaft and thus complete a circle with or in lengths.
The advantages to be derived from the application and use of this coupling to
and with screw shafts in steam vessels, are:-that the torsional strain is reduced
and the adaptability in allowing the shaft ends to run out of line with one another
owing to wear or other causes. The coupling is also very suitable to be applied to
and used with steam or water pipes when in continuous lengths, and particularly
where the pipes have to be laid on or in uneven ground or places.
Dated this 2nd day of Ten 188s

page_text: I JAMES JAMIESON of Lower Wincobank near Sheffield, in the County of
York Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
COUPLING FOR SHAFTS, AND STEAM OR WATER PIPES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement that is to say :—
My invention relates to the Construction application, and use of an improved
adjustable spherical (or partly spherical) Coupling, for shafts of Engines and other
machinery, such as propeller shafts in Steam Vessels, and similar shafts.
The object of my invention so far as regards shafts is to reduce the torsional
strain to which the shafts of steam vessels are so liable, and thereby to enable such
shafts to be made of smaller diameter than is usual, reducing both the weight, and
the liability to fracture.
In its application to the joints of pipes it will be found of great advantage
where piping is laid in uneven places, or in made ground that is liable to sink.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I shall refer to the annexed
sheet of drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
all the figures.
Fig. 1. represents the semi-spherical ends of the shafts, partly in section.
Fig. 2. represents the coupling plates.
Fig. 3. the complete coupling in section.
Fig 4. the complete coupling.
Fig 5. the pipe coupling in section.
Fig 6. Split coupling plate.
In the application of my invention to a shaft, as illustrated in Fig 1, 2, 3, 4,
I make the ends of the two shafts B, B, semi-spherical at A, each semi-spherical
being cupped at F to receive a ball E, thus forming a ball and socket joint.
The driving or rotating motion is transmitted from one shaft to the other, by
means of clutch teeth or projections. C, formed on the face of each shaft, that is,
on the base of each semisphere, each set of teeth engaging in the corresponding
recesses C¹ as in an ordinary clutch motion.
The semi spheres are held securely in their relative position, by means of the two
coupling plates D, D, which are hollowed to correspond with and fit over the ends
of the shafts, and are held together by bolts and nuts as shown in Fig, 4, or by
other equivalent means.
In applying my invention to a pipe jointe, I make one end semi spherical, shown
on the pipe H and preferably having an annular groove K, for the reception of a
packing ring of any suitable material, such as india rubber. The end of the next
pipe I, I make convex to correspond with and fit upon the pipe H the parts being
held in close contact by means of a split coupling plate J, divided at L, and secured
to the flange of the pipe H, by bolts and nuts or similar means.
It will be evident that the shafts of screw propellers fitted with my improved
coupling will adapt themselves to the straining of a ships bottom, without increase
of friction, or loss of power, and will run equally well, whether the shafts are in
line or not.

page_text: 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,
The improved Coupling for Shafts, and steam
or waterpipes herein-before