IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR SHAFTS, RODS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue
& Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR SHAFTS, RODS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES.”—A communication from abroad by Sinclair Stuart,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th December 1874.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR SHAFTS, RODS, AND OTHER
ARTICLES," (a communication to me from abroad by Sinclair Stuart, of

page_text: flange the coupling may also be used to connect two lengths or sections
of shafts.
The Invention also consists in a divided clamp or coupling arranged to
surround the contiguous ends of the broken shaft or article, and in
which each section of the clamp is formed with a series of shoulders for
use in combination with a corresponding series of depressions or grooves
in the shaft or article to be united, the whole being arranged and com-
bined to resist both torsional and longitudinal strain and to rotate in
common when applied to a shaft.
This modification of the Invention also consists in said coupling
scctions constructed with shoulders at the point of union between the
two sections of the coupling, and with a recess or cavity in them, in com-
bination with a shaft having shoulders and shouldered grooves forming
lateral projections on the shaft, and so that the sections when brought
together clamp such projections between them. Said coupling may
also be provided with an cnd flange to unite one length or section of
shafting with another.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the John Garrett Tongue in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 8th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Garrett Tongue, Her
special licence that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Garrett
Tongue, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR SHAFTS, RODS, AND OTHER
ARTICLES," a communication to me from abroad by Sinclair Stuart, of
the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Garrett
Tongue, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, 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 :-
This Invention relates to improvements in couplings for uniting
sections or lengths of shafting, or repairing broken shafts, rods, or con-
nections, repairing the iron masts of vessels, and for such other purposes
as require the use of couplings; but it is especially applicable for coupling
the broken ends or portions of the shafts of screw propellers when
fractured at sea, and it will here be described more particularly with
reference to such use.
The object of the Invention is to provide in an easy and convenient
or rapid and most secure manner for the connection of the broken
'shaft or article, with protection both against torsional and longitudinal
strain.
The Invention admits of various modifications, which may either be
applied separately and singly or in duplicate, or which may be combined
with one another or with an ordinary shaft coupling.
The first part of the Invention consists in a divided clamp or coupling
arranged to surround the contiguous ends of the broken shaft or article,
and composed of two or more sections, each of which has a lateral pro-
jecting flange and a cavity, for the free fit of the ends of the broken
shaft or article; also a series of transverse openings, which are made to

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal view in part of the shaft of a screw pro-
peller or other shaft with a coupling applied, constructed in accordance
with the first part of the Invention; Figure 2 is a similar view of the
same, with one half of the clamp removed; Figure 3 is a transverse
section thereof on the line x, x, looking in direction of the arrow y;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal view, similar in most respects to Figure 2, but
showing the improved coupling applied, not only to repair or unite the
broken portions of a shaft or shaft section but also as a substitute half
coupling for uniting two shaft sections together.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of a modified construction of the
clamp, the half of which latter only is shown.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the shaft on the line z, z; Figure 7
is a transverse section through the shaft and coupling on the same
line; Figure 8 is a central longitudinal view of such shaft and
coupling.
.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing
A represents a shaft which has been broken, as indicated by the irregular
line ; B is the clamp or coupling, which consists of two sections or
halves secured together by bolts c. Said clamp may be of cylindrical or
approximate form with lateral flanges 8, 8, to facilitate the securing of
the halves together. Through both halves of the clamp a number of
holes are bored, and in these holes are fitted a number of pins C. When
a shaft becomes broken, as indicated by the irregular line b, the two
broken ends are arranged together, and the clamp or coupling B is placed
in position surrounding the shaft and secured thereon over the fracture
by means of the bolts c. By this means the two parts of the shaft are
securely held together, and any burr or bend or othor irregularity which
may exist at the broken ends of the shaft is received by an enlarged
cavity & formed in the central portion of the inner side of each half of
the clamp. Said clamp has holes f. drilled throught it, and corresponding
holes or recesses g of the same size are then drilled in the shaft by drills
applied through the holes f, and fastening pins O inserted in the holes
or openings and driven tightly into the recesses g so as to hold the
clamp and the shaft securely together. The pins C may then be cut off
close to the outer surface of the clamp and caulked so as to prevent the
possibility of displacement. In this way the two parts of the shaft are
securely held together, and by the engagements of the fastening pins and

page_text: holes all displacement of the parts is prevented, either from lateral or
longitudinal strain. In addition to the side flanges & through which the
bolts e pass the clamp is provided with an end flange G having bolt
holes h, whereby the improved coupling may not only be applied to
repair or unite the broken portions of a shaft or shaft section but also as
a half coupling for uniting two shaft sections or lengths together. This
is shown in Figure 4 of the Drawing, in which the same coupling B,
but not showing the cavity d, is represented applied to the broken shaft
or section A, and as secured by means of bolts i to a half coupling B¹
for connecting two shaft lengths or sections A, A', together, the bolts i
passing through the flange G and through a corresponding flange G¹ on
the half coupling B¹. This latter coupling or half coupling B¹ may be
such as is ordinarily used for connecting shafts, or it may be a duplicate
of the coupling B, described with reference to Figurés 1, 2, 3, and 4, or
of any other repairing coupling.
Referring in the next instance to Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, of the Drawing,
the clamp or coupling B which serves to clamp and unite the shaft A
broken at 6 consists, as in the case of the modification herein previously
described, of sections or halves secured together by bolts c passing
through said flanges 8. Said clamp may be of cylindrical or approxi-
mate form with siad flanges & to facilitate the securing of the halves
or sections of the clamp together. On the inner surface of each section
of the clamp is a series of longitudinal shoulders or tongues 7, which are
interrupted about midway of their length by the cavity d or enlarged
cylindrical recess in the clamp. The shoulders or tongues may be of
any suitable shape, either angular or rounded, and there may be any
desired or convenient number thereof. When a shaft becomes broken,
as indicated by the line 6 the two broken ends are placed together and a
number of depressions or grooves m are formed on the surface of the
shaft corresponding in form, number, and position with the tongues or
shoulders on the clamp. These depressions or grooves m are interrupted
by shoulders n forming the inner terminations of said grooves at points
corresponding in position with the cavity d in the clamp. Thus con-
structed the clamp or coupling has shoulders at the point of union
between the two sections of the coupling, and with a recess or cavity in
them for use in combination with a shaft having shoulders and
shouldered grooves forming lateral projections on the shaft, and so that
the sections when brought together clamp such projections between
'

page_text: them. Thus the clamp or coupling is placed in position surrounding the
shaft, so that the shoulders or tongues 7 will engage with the grooves m,
and the interrupted portions of the tongues made to fit closely against
the shoulders n, and the clamp is then fastened by the bolts c. By this
means the two parts of the shaft are securely held together, and by the
engagement of the interrupted tongues and shouldered grooves the
displacement of the parts in consequence of backward or outward strain
is prevented. Any twist or bend or other irregularity which may exist
at the broken ends of the shaft is received by the enlarged cavity d.
This coupling is also provided with an end flange G for connection with.
a contiguous coupling or half coupling to unite adjacent lengths or
sections of shafting, as in the modifications shown in Figure 4 of the
Drawing.
Having thus fully described the nature of this Invention and the
manner of performing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim
on behalf of the said Sinclair Stuart is,-
First. The improved construction of a coupling for uniting together
the ends or portions of a shaft or other article composed of halves or
sections, each having lateral projecting flanges and a cavity for the free
fit of the fractured ends or portions of the shaft or other article, and
provided with a series of transverse openings, which are made to coincide
with recesses formed in the shaft or article to be joined, said openings
and recesses serving to receive fastening pins C after the clamp sections
are fitted to the shaft or article to be joined, substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
Sesond. The improved arrangement and construction of the sections
of the coupling or clamp B, each formed with a series of shoulders 1, in
combination with a shaft or other article to be repaired or joined
having a series of corresponding depressions or groove m, essentially as
described and shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
Third. The improved arrangement and construction of sections of the
clamp or coupling B, shewn in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, constructed with
shoulders 1, 7, at the point of union between its two halves, and with a
cavity d, in combination with a shaft A or other article to be joined,
having shoulders n, n, and shouldered grooves m, m, forming lateral pro-

page_text: jections on said shaft or article, substantially as described and represented,
so that the sections when brought together clamp such projections
between them, as set forth.
Fourth. The improved arrangement and construction, of a repairing
coupling for shafts and other articles constructed to clamp and engage
with the latter, and provided with an end flange to establish connection
with a contiguous coupling or half coupling, substantially as described
and represented for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.