Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Dec., 1888
I, JOHN SMITH RAWORTH of 112, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in couplings between revolving shafts,
and which are more particularly applicable to couplings between motive power engines
and dynamo electric inachines.
The objects of the invention are:-
First: To allow each shaft to revolve freely in its own bearings without such
bearings being necessarily in an exactly straight line with the bearings of the other
shaft, and
Secondly: To prevent jerky torsional strain being transmitted from one shaft to the
other.
In one arrangement of coupling according to my invention there is a circular face
plate on each shaft, a space being left between the two plates. Two eyes on each plate
project into this space and the axes of the two pairs of eyes stand at right angles in
the same plane.
The two pairs of eyes are connected by a metal cross having four cylindrical arms
placed 90 degrees apart, which arms fit in the above mentioned eyes in which they are
free to move end-wise in the direction of their own length; they are also free to turn
in the eyes through a small angle.
Thus one shaft may be slightly out of level with the other, or may be set at a slight
angle thereto without interfering with the transmission of rotary motion and without
subjecting the bearings of either to severe strains.
Conveniently one of the above mentioned face plates is fixed rigidly in. the usual
manner to one of the shafts, preferably the driver, but the other plate is driven by
friction from another plate or boss, fixed preferably on the other shaft. Such friction
is obtained in any suitable way such as by mechanical pressure, or by magnetic
'

page_text: adhesion as described by myself and Sayers in the Provisional Specification of an
application No. 11091 A.D. 1887, or by a combination of mechanical pressure with
magnetic attraction.
My invention may be carried out in various forms, for example, in place of the eyes
described above four studs may be used connected by a loose plate having four slots at
right angles to fit on the studs.
By the use of my invention the damage which is often done to high speed engines,
driving dynamos direct, and to the armature of the dynamos, owing to severe
shocks occasioned by water in the cylinders or other causes, will be effectually
avoided.
Dated 1. 111
fah 1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per J. E. Stokes,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: and which are more particularly applicable to couplings between motive power engines
and dynamo electric machines.
The objects of the invention are:-
First To allow each shaft to revolve, freely in its own bearings without such
bearings being necessarily in an exactly straight line with the bearings of the other
shaft, and
Secondly: To prevent jerky torsional strain being transmitted from one shaft to the
other.
In one arrangement of coupling according to my invention there is a circular face
plate on each shaft, a space being left between the two plates.
Each plate is provided with two eyes which project into this space, the axes of
the two pairs of eyes being arranged at right angles to each other in the same
plane.
The two pairs of eyes are connected by a metal cross having four cylindrical arms
placed 90 degrees apart and which fit into the above mentioned eyes in which they are
free to move end wise in the direction of their length: they are also free to turn in the
eyes through a small angle.
Thus one shaft may be slightly out of level with the other, or may be set at a slight
angle thereto without interfering with the transmission of rotary motion from one to
the other and without subjecting the bearings of either to severe strains.
Conveniently one of the above mentioned face plates is fixed rigidly in the usual
manner to one of the shafts, preferably the driver, but the other plate is driven by
friction from another plate or boss, fixed preferably on the other shaft.
Such friction is obtained in any suitable way such as by mechanical pressure, or by
magnetic adhesion in the manner described in the specification of an application for
Letters Patent filed by myself and Mr. Sayers dated A.D. 1887 No. 11091 or by the
combined action of mechanical pressure with magnetic attraction.
My invention may be carried out in various forms, for example, in place of the eyes
described above four studs may be used connected by a loose frame or plate having
four slots at right angles to each other to fit on the studs.
By the use of my invention the damage which is often done to high speed engines,
driving dynamos direct, and to the armature of the dynamos, owing to severe
shocks occasioned by water in the cylinders or other causes, will be effectually
avoided.
:-
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; and
Figure 2 a transverse section partly in elevation of a shaft coupling constructed
according to this invention.

page_text: a is the driving shaft, of a motor such as a steam or a gas engine, a turbine or a
water wheel; and
is the shaft, say of a dynamo electric machine driven thereby.
c is a face plate forming one part of the coupling and which may as in the example
shewn be the flywheel of the motor; it is keyed onto the shaft a and is provided with
two fixed eyes e into which. take the cylindrical ends ff of a cross k.
m is a boss provided with a raised collar or flange m²; it is keyed firmly on to the
dynamo shaft band is firmly clamped between two rings n n that form the other face
plate of the coupling. These rings n carry two bolts oo provided with eyes pp that
are arranged at right angles to the eyes e e and receive the other cylindrical ends f¹, ƒ³,
of the cross.
Between the eyes e and p and the corresponding cylindrical ends ff of the cross
there may advantageously be interposed, especially in the larger sizes of couplings, a
gun metal bush in which the cylindrical ends of the cross are free to slide
end ways as in the example illustrated but in some cases these bushes may be
dispensed with.
The necessary grip of the rings n on the collar m' for driving the dynamo is obtained
by tightening the nuts 77 on the bolts supplemented if necessary by other bolts
carried by the rings n.
By the described construction as the cylindrical ends ff of the cross & are free to
move endways in the eyes e and p or in the gun metal bushes / carried there will be
perfect automatic adjustment of the connexion between the shafts a and b where the
said shafts a and are not quite co-axial as for instance where there is a difference of
level between the centres of the two shafts; also as the two rings n drive the boss m
by friction they need only be tightened upon the said boss to the degree necessary to
overcome the normal load so that they will slip under excessive strain or sudden jerks
caused by water in the cylinders or other accidental circumstances which occasionally
occur in the working of a steam engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
1 claim is
1. A moveable cross or its equivalent as set forth in combination with a frictional
coupling device for the purposes specified.
2. My improved shaft coupling as described with reference to and iliustrated in the
drawings annexed.
Dudad this 10th day of Navamhan
1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.