IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT COUPLINGS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHAFT COUPLINGS." A communication from abroad by Thomas Richard
Almond, of New York, in the County and State of New York, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT COUPLINGS." [A commu-
nication from abroad by Thomas Richard Almond, of New York, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to mechanism for connecting shafts that are placed at an
angle to one another, so that the rotating movement of one will be imparted to the
other, the improved coupling being applicable to shafts that are in the same plane
or in different planes, and also applicable for converting the rotary motion of a
shaft into combined reciprocating and oscillating motion of a slide, or vice versa.
The Invention consists principally in connecting a crank on each of the two
shafts by a flexible joint with a slide, so that the rotary motion of the driving shaft
will first be converted into a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion of said
slide, and the reciprocating and oscillating motion of the slide into rotary motion of
the driven shaft.
The shafts which are hung in suitable supports are each provided with a crank
in which is fitted by a ball joint a swivel pin which enters a tubular socket pro-
jecting from a sliding tube or rod. The angle of the sockets is the same as that of
the shafts, and their planes are also relatively the same as those of said shafts.
Instead of swivelling the pins in the respective cranks they or either of them may
be swivelled in the sliding tube or rod, and in that case the sockets are formed,
projections on the respective cranks. As the driving shaft is revolved, and with it
its crank, the swivel pin connection causes the tube or slide to be moved up and
down, and at the same time oscillated around its axis. This combined oscillating
and reciprocating movement of said slide is transmitted to the other shaft and
converted by its connection into rotary motion of said shaft. By this means undue

page_text: friction is avoided and strain equalised, that is to say, the strain is not noticeably
greater at any one point than at any other provided the parts are properly made.
As to the ball connection of the pins I prefer to construct the same from a cup
shaped cavity in each crank, into which the ball can be seated, and then close said
cavity behind the ball by a concave ended screw which is screwed into the crank.
For the sake of greater security a nut may be placed upon the outer projecting
end of each screw.
I prefer to make the oscillating slide tubular and to fit it around a stationary
post which has an overhanging hollow cap at or near the top and a similar inverted
cap at the lower part. These hollow caps furnish air cushions for the ends of the
slide, serving to absorb and neutralise the terminations of the vertical strokes of
the slide, and prevent the same from becoming violent jars, and also to assist in
starting the return movements of said slide.
Instead of causing the swivel pins to slide in the sockets above described they
may be rigidly united to said sockets, but in this case the cranks are pivoted to
their respective shafts to allow the pins to change their angles during the rotations
of the shafts and oscillations of the slide, and at the same time maintain their
connections with the cranks and with the slide.
It is evident that wherever I have mentioned pins and sockets the pins may
terminate in sockets, in which case the other parts will be solid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT COUPLINGS." A commu-
nication from abroad by Thomas Richard Almond, of New York, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a new mechanism for connecting shafts that are placed
at an angle to one another, so that the rotating movement of one will be imparted
to the other. The improved coupling is applicable to shafts that are in the same
plane or in different planes. It is also applicable for converting the rotary
motion of a shaft into combined reciprocating and oscillating motion of a slide, or
vice versa.
The Invention consists principally in connecting a crank on each of the two
shafts by a flexible joint with a slide, so that the rotary motion of the driving
shaft will first be converted into combined oscillating and reciprocating motion of
said slide, and the reciprocating and oscillating motion of the slide into rotary
motion of the driven shaft.
The Invention also consists of other details of improvement which are hereafter
more fully specified.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1 and 2 are top views of the improved
coupling for shafting; Figure 3 is a vertical section thereof; Figure 4 is a top
view; Figure 5, a vertical section of a modification thereof.
A represents one shaft, and B the other shaft. These shafts, of which either one
may be the driving shaft, are hung in suitable supports and at any suitable angle
to each other. The Drawing represents them as placed at a right angle, but this
is not at all essential, nor need the shafts be in the same plane, nor placed in parallel
planes for the purposes of this Invention. The shaft A has a crank a, and in this
crank is fitted by a ball joint a swivel pin 6 which enters a tubular socket d pro-
jecting from a sliding tube or rod C, as shown in Figure 3. The shaft B has a
similar crank e, and in this crank is fitted by a ball joint a swivel pin f, which
enters a tubular socket g that projects from the tube or rod The angle of the
sockets & and g is the same as that of the shafts A and B. Their planes are also
relatively the same as those of said shafts.
C.
Instead of swivelling the pins b and fin the respective cranks they or either of
them may be swivelled in the sliding tube or rod C, and in that case the sockets d
and gare formed as projections on the respective cranks.
As the driving shaft (say the shaft A) is revolved, and with it its crank, the
swivel pin connection causes the slide C to be moved up and down, and at the
same time oscillated around its axis. This combined oscillating and reciprocating
movement of said slide C is transmitted to the shaft B and converted by its
connection g, f, e, into rotary motion of said shaft B. By this means undue
friction is avoided and strain equalized, that is to say, the strain is not
noticeably greater at any one point than at any other provided the parts are properly
made.
As to the ball connection of the pins 6 and f, I prefer to construct the same as
shown in Figure 3, that is to say, from a cup shaped cavity in each crank, into
which the ball can be seated, and then close said cavity behind the ball by a
concave ended screw h, which is screwed into the crank a. For the sake of
greater security a nut i may be placed upon the outer projecting end of each
screw h.

page_text: As to the oscillating slide C I prefer to make it tubular, and to fit it around a
stationary post D which has an overhanging hollow cap j at or near the top, and a
similar inverted cap k at the lower part. These hollow caps furnish air cushions
for the ends of the slide C. The air cushions absorb and neutralize the termina-
tions of the vertical strokes of the slide, and prevent the same from becoming
violent jars, serving also to assist in starting the return movements of said slide.
Figure 1 shows the positions of the parts when both cranks a and e project
downwards; Figure 2 shows both cranks after they have made one quarter of one
revolution, showing also how far the slide C has been turned; Figure 3 shows the
same position of parts as Figure 1. The slide is in the lower position. When the
cranks are turned upwards it is in the uppermost position.
Instead of causing the swivel pins to slide in the sockets above described they
may be rigidly united to said sockets, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5, but in this
case the cranks a and e are pivoted to their respective shafts to allow the pins to
change their angles during the rotations of the shafts and oscillations of the slide,
and at the same time maintain their connections with the cranks and with the
slide. Such jointed cranks are shown in Figures 4 and 5.
It is evident that wherever I have mentioned pins b, f, and sockets d, g, the
pins may terminate in sockets, in which case the parts marked d and g will be
solid.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The crank shafts A, B, placed at an angle to one another, and combined
with the swivel pins b and f and with the oscillating and reciprocating slide C,
with which said pins are connected, substantially as herein shown and described.
2nd. The combination of the carrying crank a having cup-shaped cavity with
the swivel pin 6 having ball-end, and with the cup-shaped screw h, substantially
as berein shown and described.
3rd. The slide C combined with sockets d and g, swivel pins b and f, cranks a
and e, and shafts A and B, substantially as herein shown and described.
4th. In combination with crank shafts A and B and swivel pins band f, the
oscillating and reciprocating slide C, and cushioning caps j and k, substantially as
herein shown and described.
5th. The crank-shaft A combined with the swivel pin b and with the
reciprocating and oscillating slide C, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
15 AT DIZ