Flexible drive

Abstract

A variable rate frictional drive coupling is provided between a drive shaft and a driven member. The drive coupling will dampen torsional vibrations from the drive shaft and will transmit driving torque from said shaft to the driven member. The coupling comprises a cam and leaf springs positioned in such a way that as the shaft deflection increases, the load increases and the moment arm point of contact between the cam and the leaf springs changes such that no natural frequency is produced. The frictional forces between the leaves of the leaf spring change inversely to the spring force required to drive the driven member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flexible drives for driven members, such as governor flyweights, are necessary to protect the driven parts from fatigue and wear and to prevent the driven member from sensing false speed signals produced by drive vibrations. Heretofore, the response of the driven member was less than ideal when a flexible drive was used. If the flexible drive was soft enough to protect the driven parts, it was not stiff enough to permit the drivedrowned crowned arcs 64,66 are spaced from and are concentric with the internal truncated ends 68,70 of the cam member 46. The distance from the center of the cam member 46 to the truncated ends 68,70 is greater than the radius of the arcs 52,54 so that the cam 46 cannot rotate inside the internal opening of the gear 36.

A pair of spring members 72,74 are provided with each spring member being shown as consisting of three leaves 75,76,77 which leaves are juxtaposed and are of such a length that the respective end portions 78 and 80 of the springs 72,74 seat in the notches 56,58 and 60,62 with the midportion 82 of the springs 72,74 in contact with the crown portion 84 of the cam 46 near the midportion 86 thereof. The springs 72,74 are made of an appropriate spring steel, or the like, and can be designed to be either stiff or soft or any intermediate degree of stiffness so as to accomplish one of the intended purposes of the coupling. Although it is preferred that each leaf 75,76,77 be of the same material and rating, it is recognized that each leaf could be of a different rating to provide a desired spring rating to the composite springs 72, 74.

A thrust washer 88, which has a central aperture 90, is assembled over the reduced end portion 48 of the shaft 16 so that the central portion of the washer 88 contacts the one axial end face 92 of said cam 46. The washer 88 has a slot 94 formed radially outward from the midportion thereof such that a tang 95 on a lock washer 96 is bent into the slot 94 when the lock washer 96 is assembled on the end portion of the shaft 16. A nut 97 is threaded on the end of the shaft 16 to urge the two washers 88,96 against each other and against the end 92 of the cam 46 so as to urge the cam 46 tightly against the shoulder 50 on the reduced end portion 48 of the shaft 16. A second tang 95', on the opposite end of washer 96, is bent up and against one of the flats on the nut 97 to lock the thrust washer 88 in place.

At the time that the cam 46 is locked between the washer 88 and the shoulder 50 on the shaft 16, the planes of the springs 72,74 lie substantially parallel to each other and parallel to the axis of the shaft 16 with the end portions 78,80 in the notches 56,58 and 60,62 formed on the inner periphery of the gear 36. A lubricating passage 98 is formed between the collar 44 of the bearing 20 and the base 12 with a port 99 communicating between said passage 98 and the open space in the gear 36 between the springs 72,74, the cam 46 and the inside of the sleeve 38 of said gear 36. A second port 100 extends between said passage 98 and an angled port 101 which extends from said port 100 to the port in the opening 21 in the base 12. Lubrication under pressure is provided to the ports 101,100,98,99 so as to provide lubrication to the cam 46, springs 72,74 and the other moving parts of the system.

Since the structure and operation of the governor 10 is well known in the art, no attempt will be made to describe in detail the various elements thereof or how the governor operates with respect to the rack for controlling the fuel to the engine. For the purpose of the present discussion, suffice it to say, that a pair of flyweights 102,104 are pivotally secured at pivots 105 to the upwardly extending ears 106 formed on the gear 30 so that the weighted ends of the flyweights 102-104 102,104 will pivot outwardly about the axis of the pivots 105 upon rotation of the gear 30.

In conventional operation of a governor, the drive shaft 16 will drive the gear 36 so that the meshing teeth 40,34 will drive the gear 30 about the axis of the shaft 18. The flyweights 102,104 on the sleeve 32 of gear 30 will actuate depending upon the speed of the shaft 16 so that the weighted portion will swing out, raising the lower portion of the flyweights to reciprocate the shaft 18 thereby stabilizing the operation of the engine.

The flexible drive of the present invention incorporates the cam member 46 and leaf springs 72,74 to form the coupling between the shaft 16 and the shaft 18. As the shaft 16 rotates, the cam member 46 will rotate therewith in contact with said springs 72,74. Depending on the rotating force applied to the shaft 16 and cam 46, the cam 46 will have a tendency to rotate slightly with respect to the spring means 72,74 which will increase the moment arm and will load the spring means stronger against the opposite contacting faces of the cam member 46. The springs 72,74 will transmit the rotating force of the shaft 16 to the gear 36, which in turn will drive gear 30 and the shaft 18. Vibrations of the engine or of the drive shaft 16 will be transmitted to the cam member 46. The cam member 46, since it is isolated from the gear 36, will attempt to transmit the vibrations through the springs 72,74 to the gear 36, but the springs 72,74 dampen the vibrations so that the vibrations are not transmitted on through the system to the shaft 18. The construction of the cam 46 and the springs 72,74 is such that an exponentially variable load deflection ratio exists and said cam 46 and springs 72,74 will not have a natural frequency resonant condition. That is, there is no natural frequency in the cam 46 and springs 72,74 and, therefore, there is no matching of frequencies between the vibrations in the shaft 16 and the vibrations in the shaft 18. The coupling, with the gradually shifting loading between the cam 46 and the springs 72,74, creates a variable rate frictional drive coupling between the drive shaft 16 and the shaft 18 which, in the example illustrated, dampens vibrations from the engine to the governor.

It will be noted that the moment arm from the axis of the drive shaft 16 to the contact point 84 between the cam 46 and the springs 72,74 will vary depending upon the force being transmitted from the drive shaft 16 to the drive shaft 18. As the cam member 46 rotates relative to the springs 72,74, the moment arm increases thereby increasing the deflection of the springs 72,74 which increases the loading force by the springs 72,74 against the cam 46. As the shaft deflection increases, the load between the cam 46 and the springs 72,74 increases and the moment arm point of contact between the cam 46 and the leaf springs 72,74 changes such that there is an exponentially variable load deflection ratio in the spring system.

The frictional force between the leaves 75,76,77 of the springs 72,74 and between the leaf 77 of the springs 72,74 and the cam 46, changes directly proportional to the spring force required to drive the governor flyweights 102, 104. That is, as the drive is transmitted from the cam 46 through the spring members 72,74, the frictional forces between the leaves 75,76,77 and between the inner leaves 77 and the cam 46 change inversely to the amount of force transmitted through the coupling to drive the flyweights 102,104. The moment arm between the axis of the shaft 16 and the contact 84 between the cam 46 and the springs 72, 74 varys varies as the force increases, but it will be noted that there is no lost motion between the drive shaft 16 and the gear 36 so that the rotational force from the drive shaft 16 is transmitted without lost motion to the flyweights 102, 104 to produce maximum sensitivity to the governor 10 while still maintaining the benefits of the flexible drive. The spring members 72,74 dampen the instantaneously variable loads from the drive shaft 16, such as torsional impulses from each firing stroke of the engine which, if transmitted directly through the drive shaft 16 to the flyweights 102, 104, would cause the flyweights 102,104 to respond and thus upset engine stability. The frictional contact between the springs 72,74 and the cam 46 provides sufficient drive force for the governor to respond to transient speed changes resulting from changes to throttle position or engine output load.

Although each of the spring members 72,74 is shown with three leaves 75,76,77, it is to be understood that one or more leaves on each side are contemplated and will function satisfactorily depending on the design parameters desired.

The thickness and resistance of the leaves 75,76,77 of the springs 72,74 can be computed to match the mass inertia of the flyweight system and provide a drive which is stiff enough to permit the flyweights 102,104 to respond to immediate speed changes in the engine. The surfaces of the leaves 75,76,77 of the springs 72,74 can receive different degrees of finish so as to change the frictional forces between the leaves 75,76,77 of the springs 72,74 thereby stiffening or softening the coupling effect between the drive shaft 16 and the driven shaft 18.

Although I have shown and described my improved flexible drive with respect to a pair of parallel shafts 16 and 18, it is to be understood that the flexible drive can be used with axially aligned or concentric shafts wherein the cam is mounted on one shaft with the spring members engaging the cam and engaging notches or the like in a sleeve mounted on the second shaft. Vibrations and load fluctuations from the drive shaft will be dampened by the flexible drive so as to prevent transmission of said vibrations and fluctuations to the driven shaft.

The flexible drive coupling has application beyond use on governors of diesel engines and the like. For instance, the flexible coupling could be used in blower drives, electric sets and the like. It is applicable in any location where a drive shaft receives vibrations and load fluctuations, which vibrations and load fluctuations can have a deleterious effect on a piece of equipment that is driven by the rotation of the drive shaft. Under those circumstances, the flexible coupling of the present design can be incorporated in the drive line so as to reduce or eliminate the vibrations and shock loads transmitted to the piece of equipment.

Claims

1. A flexible drive having a housing, a pair of shafts rotatably drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, one of said shafts being rotatably driven, cam means secured to said rotatably drive rotatable drive shaft, elongate spring means in engagement with a portion of the opposite sides of said cam means, gear means encircling said cam means and said spring means, the end portions of said spring means having end portions seating in the an inner surface of said gear means, a second gear means carried by said other of said shafts, driven mounted in said housing and meshing with said first gear means, means carried driven by said second gear means and operatively connected with said second shaft whereby , said rotatably driven rotatable drive shaft rotates said driven means driven by said second gear means through said cam means and spring means.

2. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cam means is essentially elliptical in shape shaped like an ellipse, and said spring means are at least two elongate flat springs disposed in planes substantially parallel to each other and parallel to the major axis of said ellipse and contacting said cam means on the long sides of the ellipse.

3. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a pair of springs, each spring having a plurality of leaves in contacting side-by-side relationship.

4. A flexible drive as claimed in

claim 1 wherein said shafts are disposed parallel to each other. 5. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided on said rotatably driven rotatable drive shaft for

frictionally locking said cam means to said shaft. 6. A flexible drive comprising a housing having a base, a pair of shafts shaft in said housing , one of said shafts extending through said base, said one of said shafts shaft being drive a drive shaft and receiving rotational and vibrational forces from a prime mover, cam means disposed inside said housing and secured to said driven drive shaft for rotation therewith, elongate spring means in engagement with a portion of the opposite sides of the cam means, a cylindrically-shaped gear means encircling said cam means and said elongate spring means and having gear teeth on the outer periphery thereof, and end portions of said spring means having end portions seating in notches formed in the inner surface of said gear means, a mating set of gear teeth formed on a second gear means carried by said other end of said shafts rotatably mounted in said housing, and said second gear means drivingly connected to driven means associated with said second shaft the housing whereby said drive shaft rotates said driven means through said cam means and spring means.

A flexible drive as claimed in claim 6 wherein said cam means is a truncated ellipse, and said spring means are at least two elongate flat springs disposed in planes parallel to each other and parallel to the major axis of said ellipse and contacting said cam means on the long sides of the ellipse.

8. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pair of shafts are parallel to each other and are mounted in said base of said housing.

9. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 6 wherein said

pair of shafts are axially aligned with each other. 10. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 7 wherein a thrust washer is seated on said cam means and has a slot formed therein offset from the midportion thereof, a lock washer is seated on said shaft and has one tan tang seated in said slot, and means having a second tang of said lock washer seated against a flat surface thereof and frictionally locking said thrust washer against said cam means and against a shoulder on said

drive shaft. 11. A flexible drive as claimed in claim 7 wherein said spring means comprises a pair of springs, each spring having

a plurality of leaves in juxtaposed relationship. 12. In a governor drive having a base, a pair of shafts extending through said base and being disposed parallel to each other, each one of said shafts having a first gear meshing with each a second gear surrounding a portion of the other of said shafts, said one of said shafts being driven a drive shaft and receiving rotational and vibrational forces from a prime mover, a pair of flyweights carried operatively driven by the second gear on said other shaft, cam mean means carried by said driven drive shaft for rotation therewith, elongate spring means seated in said first gear on the driven drive shaft and engaging with a portion of the opposite sides of cam means, whereby rotation of said driven drive shaft will urge said cam means against said spring means to drive said gear first and second gears and actuate said

flyweights. 13. In a governor drive as claimed in claim 12 wherein said cam means is elliptical in the shape of an ellipse, and said spring means are at least two elongate flat springs disposed in planes substantially parallel to each other and parallel to the major axis of said ellipse and contacting said cam means

on the long sides of the ellipse. 14. In a governor drive as claimed in claim 13 wherein said spring means comprises a pair of springs, each spring having a plurality of leaves in side-by-side contact with each other.

15. A flexible drive having a housing with a rotatable drive shaft, cam means secured to said rotatable drive shaft, elongate spring means in engagement with said cam means, gear means encircling said cam means and said spring means, said spring means having end portions seating in an inner surface of said gear means, driven means carried by said housing and operatively connected with said gear means, said rotatable drive shaft rotating said driven means through said cam means and spring means.