WO2018156173A1

WO2018156173A1 - Quick-connect coupler for torsional power transfer

Info

Publication number: WO2018156173A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/019783
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric B. BUCKNER; Mikhail A. KNIGHTON
Original assignee: Entek Manufacturing Llc
Priority date: 2017-02-27
Filing date: 2017-02-27
Publication date: 2018-08-30

Abstract

A quick-connect coupler (10, 230) for coupling a drive shaft (54) to a driven shaft (68) facilitates transmission of torsional power from a power source (18) to equipment (12, 38, 44) that carries out an industrial application. The quick-connect coupler includes male (78) and female (80) couplers mountable to corresponding different ones of drive and driven shafts. By rotating a lock ring (84) about the female coupler, multiple engagement elements (72) are urged into corresponding pockets (90) formed when the male and female couplers are mated. Once locked (86) into the pockets, the multiple engagement elements facilitate transmission of torsional power from the power source to the equipment for carrying out the industrial application. To separate the male and female couplers, the lock ring is rotated to allow the multiple engagement elements to be released and enter an unlocked position (88).

Description

QUICK-CONNECT COUPLER FOR TORSIONAL POWER TRANSFER

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to power-transfer couplers between drive and driven shafts and, more particularly, to couplers that readily connect and disconnect the shafts.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] GFG Peabody of Sussex, Wisconsin develops tool-less shaft coupling products under its U.S. Patent No. 9,267,547. The '547 patent describes a torque transmission coupling that includes a drive shaft hub selectively connectable to a driven shaft hub. Several ball bearings are disposed within bores in the drive shaft hub and are selectively engageable within an inner race disposed on the driven shaft hub. The bearings are selectively retained within the inner race as a sleeve

(providing a substantially concentric cylinder encompassing the drive shaft hub) is positioned axially over the bearings to urge them into the inner race. The drive shaft hub also includes a key that is selectively received within notches or apertures formed in the driven shaft hub. Longitudinally extending pins on the key engage apertures on the driven shaft hub so as to transfer torque.

[0003] Other products also attempt to transfer torque through longitudinally extending pins of a first quick connector that engage corresponding apertures of a second, complementary quick connector. These previous attempts to transfer torque are prone to failure, however, because they cannot handle high (e.g., shock) loads due to the clearances required between the pins and mating apertures. These clearances eventually result in failures of the pins. Thus, the torque transmission threshold provided by the previous attempts is insufficient for industrial processes, such as transferring power to a large calendering roll.

[0004] Power takeoff (PTO) quick couplings are another type of tool-less shaft couplings. This type of coupling is similar to the aforementioned GFG attempt in that coupling components are restrained axially by bearings, but splines, instead of longitudinally extending pins, are used for torque transmission. This type of spline engagement is satisfactory for low-power, quick-connect applications. In higher power processes, however, splines are prone to fretting and galling due to the spline clearances that facilitate decoupling. [0005] For the reasons noted in the previous paragraphs, conventional quick- connect couplers are not intended for higher power industrial processes. In these processes, bolted-on companion flanges have been used for coupling shafts. Bolts for such flanges, however, tend to be bulky and are substantially torqued whenever they are installed. The bulkiness and torque specifications present challenges for maintenance personnel that install and remove the bolts using common hand tools. For example, a large bolt can usually be turned a single half-turn at each application of a hand tool. And since the drive shaft is still attached at both ends, the bolts on the back side are difficult to reach because the shaft itself cannot be rotated. Moreover, some personnel simply do not possess the leverage or strength to remove tightened bolts.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] An improved quick-connect coupler (or simply, coupler) couples a drive shaft to a driven shaft to facilitate transmission of torsional power from a power source to equipment that carries out an industrial application. The coupler efficiently couples a first free end of the drive shaft to a second free end of the driven shaft.

[0007] The coupler includes a male coupler mountable to one of the first and second free ends. The male coupler includes a body having an outer surface in which multiple depressions are formed and around which the multiple depressions are mutually angularly spaced apart.

[0008] The coupler also includes a female coupler mountable to the other one of the first and second free ends. The female coupler includes a sleeve portion sized to mate with the body of the male coupler. The sleeve portion includes inner and outer sleeve surfaces through which there are multiple openings and around which the multiple openings are mutually angularly spaced apart.

[0009] Different ones of the multiple openings radially align with corresponding different ones of the multiple depressions to form multiple engagement-element pockets when the male and female couplers are placed in a mated condition.

[0010] Multiple engagement elements (e.g., spheres) are moveable into and out of the multiple engagement-element pockets for facilitating, respectively, locked and unlocked positions of the multiple engagement elements. The locked position is defined by engagement of different ones of the multiple engagement elements into corresponding different ones of the multiple engagement-element pockets so that a bearing surface of each of the multiple engagement elements contacts a corresponding depression of the multiple depressions to inhibit relative movement between the male and female couplers placed in the mated condition. An unlocked position is defined by release of the different ones of the multiple engagement elements from the corresponding different ones of the multiple engagement-element pockets so that the multiple engagement elements are moveable outwardly from the multiple openings in the sleeve portion to allow for separation of the male and female couplers to an unmated condition.

[0011] A lock ring includes a lock ring inside surface having multiple relief sections mutually spaced apart by bearing sections. The lock ring is sized to circumferentially fit around and rotate about the sleeve portion to transition the multiple engagement elements between the locked and unlocked positions that correspond to first and second rotational positions of the multiple relief and bearing sections. The first rotational position establishes the locked position in which the multiple bearing sections retain the multiple engagement elements within the multiple engagement-element pockets for securing the mated condition during the

transmission of torsional power. The second rotational position establishes the unlocked position in which the multiple relief sections are sized to receive the multiple engagement elements that project outwardly from the multiple engagement- element pockets during separation of the male and female couplers to the unmated condition.

[0012] Thus, the mutually angularly spaced apart engagement members move radially into pockets so as to transmit torque between, and axially restrain movement between, the male and female couplers. Clearances between engagement members and pockets are highly precise when the engagement members and pockets are placed in the locked, torque-transmission position. Conversely, in the unlocked position to the decouple the engagement members, the clearances are greatly relaxed and allow for easy decoupling.

[0013] Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the

accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a quick-connect coupler employed in an industrial application. [0015] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the quick-connect coupler of FIG. 1 .

[0016] FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the quick-connect coupler of FIG. 1 , according to a first embodiment having multiple spherical engagement elements.

[0017] FIGS. 4 and 5 are, respectively, front and side elevation views of the quick-connect coupler of FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6— 6 of FIG. 5, showing the multiple spherical engagement elements in a locked position established by a lock ring and a rotation-limit ring.

[0019] FIG. 7 is an isometric cross sectional view of a portion of the quick- connect coupler of FIG. 6, but shown with its female coupler and rotation-limit ring components omitted for clarity.

[0020] FIG. 8 is an isometric cross sectional view of a portion of the quick- connect coupler of FIG. 6, but shown with its lock ring and rotation-limit ring components omitted for clarity.

[0021] FIGS. 9 and 10 are isometric cross sectional views of a portion of the quick-connect coupler of FIG. 6, but viewed from an opposite angle and shown with its male coupler and rotation-limit ring components omitted to reveal inner portions of the multiple spherical engagement elements in the locked (FIG. 9) and unlocked (FIG. 10) positions.

[0022] FIG. 1 1 is an isometric cross sectional view of a portion of a quick-connect coupler of FIG. 1 , according to a second embodiment having multiple cylindrical engagement elements, the quick-connect coupler shown with its male coupler mated to a driven shaft and with its female coupler and rotation-limit ring components omitted for clarity.

[0023] FIG. 12 is an isometric cross sectional view of a portion of the quick- connect coupler of FIG. 1 1 shown with its lock ring and rotation-limit ring

components omitted for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example of a quick-connect coupler 10 employed in a calendering system 12. Coupler 10, however, could be used in many other industrial processes in which torsional power is transmitted from a power source 18, such as a motor 24 and a gearbox 30, to equipment that carries out the industrial application, such as a shaft-driven component 38 that includes a calendering roll 44. In this example, an eight-bolt companion flange 50 couples gearbox 30 to a drive shaft 54. A pair of universal joints 58 allow for adjustment in the position of calendering roll 44.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows in greater detail that coupler 10 transfers torsional power from a first free end 60 of drive shaft 54 to a second free end 64 of a driven shaft 68, thereby providing the means to readily couple and decouple shaft-driven component 38 (FIG. 1 ) without the use of conventional hand tools or fasteners. Accordingly, coupler 10 eliminates the hassle of adjusting fasteners (e.g., tightening bolts) in the process of exchanging calendering roll 44 when coupling it to or decoupling it from a mechanical driving element. As an aside, companion flange 50 is not frequently exchanged and therefore need not be substituted with another quick-connect coupler.

[0026] FIG. 3 provides an overview of the components in a first embodiment 70 of coupler 10. These components are described in detail in the following paragraphs. Generally speaking, however, radially moveable engagement elements 72 act to transmit torque from a first, drive-side coupling component to a second, driven-side coupling component. In FIG. 3, a male coupler 78 is on the driven side and a female coupler 80 is on the drive side, but these roles could be reversed in some other embodiments. A lock ring 84 is rotatable to control the outward projection of engagement elements 72 between one of two positions: a locked position 86

(FIGS. 6 and 8) when engagement elements 72 are set within engagement-element pockets 90 for torque transmission and an unlocked position 88 (FIG. 10) when engagement elements 72 are at least partly released from engagement-element pockets 90 for separating male coupler 78 from female coupler 80. An optional, rotation-limit ring 96 is provided to limit the rotational position of lock ring 84 to either the torque-transmission location (i.e., locked position 86) or the decoupling location (i.e., unlocked position 88) while inhibiting lock ring 84 from being unintentionally rotated.

[0027] Male coupler 78 includes an apertured body 100 including a keyway 104 and an aperture 106. Keyway 104 and aperture 106 receive a keyed section 108 (FIG. 2) of second free end 64 of driven shaft 68. Keyed section 108 slides into apertured body 100 for mounting male coupler 78. In other embodiments, mounting may be achieved by bolting a solid body to a driven (or drive) shaft. Apertured body 100 has a stepped cylindrical profile including a shoulder (i.e., collar) portion 1 14 and a neck portion 1 18. Neck portion 1 18 includes an outer surface 124 in which multiple depressions 128 are formed and around which multiple depressions 128 are mutually angularly spaced apart.

[0028] Female coupler 80 has a back plate 130 that mounts to second free end 64 of driven shaft 68 using several bolts (not shown). (See, e.g., FIG. 8 for an example of a bolt pattern 136 on back plate 130.) Again, the means and location for mounting a female coupler may vary— in some embodiments a female coupler may also use a keyway and an apertured body as described previously.

[0029] Female coupler 80 includes a sleeve portion 140 sized to mate with apertured body 100. Sleeve portion 140 includes an inner sleeve surface 144 and an outer sleeve surface 146 through which there are multiple openings 150 and around which multiple openings 150 are mutually angularly spaced apart.

[0030] Different ones of multiple openings 150 radially align with corresponding different ones of multiple depressions 128 to form multiple engagement-element pockets 90 (see, e.g., FIG. 6) when male coupler 78 and female coupler 80 are placed in a mated condition 160 (FIGS. 4-6). Thus, multiple engagement elements 72 are moveable into and out of multiple engagement-element pockets 90 for facilitating, respectively, locked position 86 and unlocked position 88. Any number of spherical or cylindrical engagement elements may be specified according to the desired application.

[0031] In some embodiments, each of multiple openings 150 includes

encapsulation features or hardware. These encapsulation features or hardware prevent multiple engagement elements 72 from passing completely through their corresponding engagement-element pockets 90. In other words, multiple

engagement elements 72 are essentially trapped between multiple openings 150 and lock ring 84 so that they do not inadvertently fall out of coupler 10. For example, each of multiple openings 150 includes a width having a taper, i.e., an inside diameter that tapers from a widest length at outer sleeve surface 146 to a narrowest length at inner sleeve surface 144 that prevents engagement elements 72 from falling out. Similarly, each of multiple engagement elements 72 includes an arcuate shape, e.g., spherical (as in FIG. 3) or cylindrical (as in FIG. 1 1 ). These shapes have a relatively wide portion that allows an engagement element 72 to project outwardly while preventing it from passing completely through a corresponding engagement- element pocket 90. [0032] Locked position 86 is defined by engagement of different ones of multiple engagement elements 72 into corresponding different ones of multiple engagement- element pockets 90 so that a bearing surface 162 of each of multiple engagement elements 72 contacts a corresponding depression of multiple depressions 128 to inhibit relative movement between male coupler 78 and female coupler 80 placed in mated condition 160. In some embodiments, each of multiple depressions 128 has an arcuate shape to receive bearing surface 162. The arcuate shape may be complementary to that of bearing surface 162 to retain engagement elements 72 and facilitate sliding of them across a lock ring inside surface 170 as lock ring 84 is twisted during transition between its rotational positions.

[0033] Unlocked position 88 is defined by release of the different ones of multiple engagement elements 72 from the corresponding different ones of multiple engagement-element pockets 90 so that multiple engagement elements 72 are moveable outwardly from multiple openings 150 in sleeve portion 140 to allow for separation of male coupler 78 and female coupler 80 to an unmated condition.

[0034] Lock ring inside surface 170 has multiple relief sections 174 mutually spaced apart by bearing sections 178. Lock ring 84 is also sized to circumferentially fit around and rotate about sleeve portion 140 to transition multiple engagement elements 72 between locked position 86 and unlocked position 88 that correspond to, respectively, a first rotational position 180 (FIG. 9) and a second rotational position 184 (FIG. 10) of multiple relief sections 174 and bearing sections 178.

[0035] First rotational position 180 establishes locked position 86 as multiple bearing sections 178 retain multiple engagement elements 72 within multiple engagement-element pockets 90 for securing mated condition 160 during

transmission of torsional power. Thus, in response to a radial load caused by transmitted power, lock ring 84 inside surface 170 receives and distributes force of the radial load that presses multiple engagement elements 72 against bearing sections 178.

[0036] Second rotational position 184 establishes unlocked position 88 in which multiple relief sections 174 are sized to receive multiple engagement elements 72 that project outwardly from multiple engagement-element pockets 90 during separation of male coupler 78 and female coupler 80 to the unmated condition.

[0037] While rotating lock ring 84 between first rotational position 180 and second rotational position 184, bearing surfaces 162 slide against bearing sections 178 of lock ring 84. Depending on the machine tolerances between these surfaces, it may be challenging to rotate lock ring 84. Accordingly, an optional handle 188 (FIG. 1 ) may be attached to provide more leverage when turning lock ring 84 relative to sleeve portion 140.

[0038] Multiple engagement-element pockets 90 include optional features to facilitate easier decoupling and coupling. For example, FIG. 3 shows multiple depressions 128 include ramped surfaces 190 extending axially to guide multiple engagement elements 72 entering to and exiting from multiple depressions 128. In another embodiment, multiple depressions 128 include springs (not shown) (e.g., recessed in openings 196) that lift engagement elements 72 out of engagement- element pockets 90.

[0039] FIGS. 4-6 show, among other things, additional details of apertured body 100 including keyway 104 of male coupler 78. In this embodiment, male coupler 78 is tubular in shape and includes a cylindrical opening sized to receive driven shaft 68 that is retained by setscrews (not shown) in several screw holes 198. In other embodiments, a male coupler may be solid and bolted directly onto a free end of a shaft.

[0040] FIG. 6 also shows rotation-limit ring 96 positioned adjacent and coupled to lock ring 84. As shown in FIG. 3, rotation-limit ring 96 includes radially inwardly depending pins 200 set in corresponding guide channels 208 of female coupler 80. Each guide channel 208 includes a pair of spaced-apart sections 210 extending axially and a passageway 216 extending circumferentially so as to connect the pair of spaced-apart sections 210. Passageways 216 provide guides for inwardly depending pins 200 to move during transition between first rotational position 180 and second rotational position 184. Likewise, spaced-apart sections 210 receive pins 200 and restrain lock ring 84 from rotation beyond its two rotational positions. Thus, rotation-limit ring 96, when fastened to lock ring 84, limits the angular travel of lock ring 84 to either the torsional-power-transfer position or the decoupling position.

[0041] Rotation-limit ring 96 also ensures that no inadvertent decoupling may occur because it is spring-biased away from lock ring 84 so that pins 200 are pressed back into spaced-apart sections 210. To move lock ring 84, therefore, springs 220 (FIG. 6) of rotation-limit ring 96 must first be compressed by moving rotation-limit ring 96 axially toward lock ring 84 so that pins 200 may slide into passageways 216 for rotation of lock ring 84. Springs 220 are held in position between a small setscrew 222 of lock ring 84 and a plunger pin 224 screwed into rotation-limit ring 96.

[0042] FIGS. 1 1 and 12 show a second embodiment 230 of coupler 10. This embodiment 230 is configured for cylindrical engagement members 232 but is otherwise substantially similar to first embodiment 70 configured for spherical engagement elements 72.

[0043] Skilled persons will understand that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. For example, visual marks may be applied to external surfaces of male and female couplers to aid in alignment of the couplers. Also, some embodiments may include features for automatic actuation of rotation-limit or lock ring components. Materials of construction could be optimized for use in various environments or torque loads. The male and female couplers may also be designed to tolerate angular misalignment between shafts, similar to the function of a constant velocity (CV) joint. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.

Claims

1 . A quick-connect coupler for coupling a drive shaft to a driven shaft to facilitate transmission of torsional power from a power source to equipment that carries out an industrial application, the quick-connect coupler coupling a first free end of the drive shaft to a second free end of the driven shaft and comprising:

a male coupler mountable to one of the first and second free ends and including a body, the body having an outer surface in which multiple depressions are formed and around which the multiple depressions are mutually angularly spaced apart;

a female coupler mountable to the other one of the first and second free ends and including a sleeve portion sized to mate with the body of the male coupler, the sleeve portion including inner and outer sleeve surfaces through which there are multiple openings and around which the multiple openings are mutually angularly spaced apart, different ones of the multiple openings radially aligning with

corresponding different ones of the multiple depressions to form multiple

engagement-element pockets when the male and female couplers are placed in a mated condition;

multiple engagement elements moveable into and out of the multiple engagement-element pockets for facilitating, respectively, locked and unlocked positions of the multiple engagement elements, the locked position defined by engagement of different ones of the multiple engagement elements into

corresponding different ones of the multiple engagement-element pockets so that a bearing surface of each of the multiple engagement elements contacts a

corresponding depression of the multiple depressions to inhibit relative movement between the male and female couplers placed in the mated condition, and the unlocked position defined by release of the different ones of the multiple

engagement elements from the corresponding different ones of the multiple engagement-element pockets so that the multiple engagement elements are moveable outwardly from the multiple openings in the sleeve portion to allow for separation of the male and female couplers to an unmated condition; and

a lock ring including a lock ring inside surface having multiple relief sections mutually spaced apart by bearing sections, the lock ring sized to circumferentially fit around and rotate about the sleeve portion of the female coupler to transition the multiple engagement elements between the locked and unlocked positions that correspond to, respectively, first and second rotational positions of the multiple relief and bearing sections, the first rotational position establishing the locked position in which the multiple bearing sections retain the multiple engagement elements within the multiple engagement-element pockets for securing the mated condition during the transmission of torsional power, and the second rotational position establishing the unlocked position in which the multiple relief sections are sized to receive the multiple engagement elements that project outwardly from the multiple engagement- element pockets during separation of the male and female couplers to the unmated condition.

2. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the body of the male coupler is tubular in shape and includes a cylindrical opening sized to receive the driven shaft.

3. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which, in response to a radial load caused by the transmitted power, the lock ring inside surface receives force of the radial load that presses the multiple engagement elements against the bearing sections.

4. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which each of the multiple openings includes a width having a taper from the outer sleeve surface to the inner sleeve surface, the taper preventing an engagement element from passing completely through a corresponding engagement-element pocket.

5. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which each of the multiple engagement elements are sized so as to prevent the engagement element from passing completely through the corresponding engagement-element pocket.

6. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which each of the multiple depressions has an arcuate shape to receive a bearing surface of an engagement element.

7. The quick-connect coupler of claim 6, in which the bearing surface has a shape that is complementary to the arcuate shape to facilitate sliding of the engagement element during transition between the first and second rotational positions of the lock ring.

8. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which, in response to rotation of the lock ring from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, the bearing surfaces of the multiple engagement elements slide across the bearing sections.

9. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the driven shaft is

operatively connected to a calendering roll configured to carry out the industrial application.

10. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the male coupler further comprises a collar extending circumferentially around the body for confronting a face of the lock ring.

1 1 . The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the multiple engagement elements are spherical.

12. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the multiple engagement elements are cylindrical.

13. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , further comprising a rotation-limit ring positioned adjacent and coupled to the lock ring, the rotation-limit ring including radially inwardly depending pins set in corresponding guide channels of the female coupler, each guide channel including a pair of spaced apart sections extending axially and a passageway extending circumferentially connecting the pair of spaced apart sections, the passageways providing guides for the radially inwardly depending pins to move during transition between the first and second rotational positions, and the spaced apart sections receiving the radially inwardly depending pins to restrain the lock ring from rotation beyond the first and second rotational positions.

14. The quick-connect coupler of claim 13, further comprising springs applying a force to axially separate the rotation-limit and lock rings so that the radially inwardly depending pins of the rotation-limit ring are pushed into corresponding ones of the spaced apart sections.

15. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the multiple depressions include ramped surfaces extending axially to facilitate the multiple engagement elements entering and exiting the multiple depressions.

16. The quick-connect coupler of claim 1 , in which the multiple depressions include openings.