Patent ID: 7810586

Claim:
A sectional drive and coupling system for coupling a drive to an output, comprising at least two substantially linearly aligned segment housings; a drive segment provided in one end of each of said segment housings; a receiving segment provided in the opposite end of each of said segment housings; said receiving segment engaging said drive segment in adjacent ones of said segment housings in driving relationship; substantially aligned openings provided in said drive segment and said receiving segment; a bolt having a head seated on said drive segment in one of said segment housings; a shank extending from said head through said aligned openings in said drive segment and said receiving segment; a bore provided in said bolt for flowing a fluid through said segment housings; at least one spring provided on said shank at said head; and at least one nut threaded on said shank against said receiving segment in the adjacent one of said linearly aligned segment housings, for exerting a selected compressive force on said drive segment, said receiving segment and said spring, said drive segment comprising a drive segment base and a plurality of exterior splines tapering in spaced-apart relationship with respect to each other from said drive segment base, and said receiving segment comprising: a receiving segment base and a plurality of interior splines extending from said receiving segment base, wherein said plurality of interior splines of said receiving segment engage said plurality of exterior splines of said drive segment in said adjacent ones of said segment housings, respectively, to interlock said drive segment and said receiving segment in nested relationship and connect the drive to the output.