Torque-transmitting resilient couplings

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE COUPLING FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER THE FACING ENDS OF TWO ROTARY SHAFTS WHICH ARE IN END TO END RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER, COMPRISING: A CLOSED POLYGONAL RIM, A FIRST COUPLING MEMBER AND VANES OUTWARDLY RADIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID COUPLING MEMBER AND CONNECTING IT TO SAID RIM, SAID FIRST COUPLING MEMBER BEING ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A FIRST ROTARY SHAFT, SAID RIM COMPRISING A NUMBER OF RESILIENT BLOCKS JOINED TOGETHER AT ADJOINING ABUTTING ENDS, EACH BLOCK COMPRISING THE SIDE OF A POLYGON AND EACH PAIR OF ABUTTING ENDS COMPRISING A JOINT, SAID VANES BEING CONNECTED TO SAID RIM AT ALTERNATE ONES OF SAID JOINTS, THE OTHER ALTERNATE JOINTS COMPRISING SECOND COUPLING MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A SECOND ROTARY SHAFT, THE POLYGONAL SHAPE OF THE RIM BEING IRREGULAR WHEN THE RIM IS IN A RELAXED STATE SO THAT THE RESPECTIVE CENTERS OF EACH OF THE JOINTS AT WHICH THE VANES ARE CONNECTED LIE ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A FIRST CIRCLE AND, THE RESPECTIVE CENTERS OF EACH OF SAID OTHER ALTERNATE JOINTS LIE ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A SECOND CIRCLE, THE DIAMETER OF THIS SECOND CIRCLE BEING GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST CIRCLE, SAID OTHER ALTERNATE JOINTS BEING RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED WITH THEIR CENTERS ON SAID SECOND CIRCLE BY SAID RESILIENT BLOCKS, SAID RESILIENT BLOCKS BEING COMPRESSIBLE WHEREBY SAID OTHER ALTERNATE JOINTS ARE RADIALLY DISPLACEABLE TO AN EXTENT THAT THEIR CENTERS CAN BE DISPLACED TO LIE ON ANY POINT FROM SAID SECOND CIRCLE TO SAID FIRST CIRCLE CIRCUMFERENCE.