Floor polisher drive connection

Claim 2

A coupling comprising first and second joinable members having engageable surfaces, said first member having an element projecting axially from the surface thereof and providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending lugs axially spaced from the surface of the first member, said second member being in the form of a flat plate element of a thickness less than the axial spacing between the lugs and the surface of the first member, one of said elements being of circular configuration and the other being of annular configuration to define a circular opening for coaxial mating reception of said one element, said plate element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses disposed for passage of said lugs as said one element is received in said other element, a plurality of lug abutment means projecting axially from a rear face oppositely disposed on said plate element as the engageable surface of said second member, each abutment means being associated with one of said recesses, a plurality of flexible strips each being secured to said rear face at a first end and extending away from one of the recesses to a free end adjacent the associated abutment means, said rear face having a plurality of bores therein located one each under the free end of each flexible strip, a plurality of compressible resilient members contained one each in the bores and in an uncompressed state projecting from said rear face to hold the free end of the strip away from said face, said strips thereby defining lug-engaging ramps so that as said one element is inserted in the opening defined by the other element, the lugs pass through the recesses and as one of said members is rotated relative to the other, said lugs of said first member ride up the flexible strips behind the rear face of the second member and thereby compress the resilient member and engage said abutment means.

Claim 3

A coupling comprising first and second members to be joined in coaxial relationship, said member defining engageable annular surfaces, said first member having a central element projecting aXially from the annular surface thereof, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs projecting radially from said central element and being axially spaced from the annular surface of said first member, said second member having a flat annular plate portion of a thickness less than the axial spacing between said lugs and the annular surface of said first member, said plate portion defining a central opening and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses projecting radially from said opening for passage of said lugs, said plate portion having a face on an opposite side thereof as said annular surface with abutment means projecting axially from said face about said openings, a plurality of ramp defining flexible strips each secured adjacent a first end thereof to said face adjacent an associated recess and extending from the associated recess to an associated one of said abutment means, each strip having a second end thereof adjacent the associated abutment and free to flex relative to said face, said face having a plurality of blind bores therein one each under the free end of one of said strips, a plurality of compressible resilient members one each in said bores and in an uncompressed state projecting from said face to hold the free end of the strip away from the face whereby each strip defines a lug engaging surface sloping upwardly relative to the face from the associated recess towards the associated abutment means.

Claim 4

A coupling comprising first and second members to be joined in coaxial relationship, said member defining engageable annular surfaces, said first member having a central element projecting aXially from the annular surface thereof, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs projecting radially from said central element and being axially spaced from the annular surface of said first member, said second member having a flat annular plate portion of a thickness less than the axial spacing between said lugs and the annular surface of said first member, said plate portion defining a central opening and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses projecting radially from said opening for passage of said lugs, said plate portion having a face on an opposite side thereof as said annular surface with abutment means projecting axially from said face about said openings, a plurality of ramp defining flexible strips each secured adjacent a first end thereof to said face adjacent an associated recess and extending from the associated recess to an associated one of said abutment means, each strip having a second end thereof adjacent the associated abutment and free to flex relative to said face, said face having a plurality of blind bores therein one each under the free end of one of said strips, a plurality of compressible resilient members one each in said bores and in an uncompressed state projecting from said face to hold the free end of the strip away from the face whereby each strip defines a lug engaging surface sloping upwardly relative to the face from the associated recess towards the associated abutment means.

Claim 5

A coupling as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said resilient members comprises a urethane plug.

Claim 6

A coupling as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said bores has a main section of circular cross section and a lower conical section, and wherein said resilient member consists of a cylindrical plug or urethane for close reception in said main section and having a greater length than said main section.

Claim 7

A coupling as defined in claim 2, wherein said flexible strips are arcuately shaped steel members each defining a ramp which curves about a portion of the periphery of the central opening of said second member.

Claim 8

In a floor machine of the type having a motor carried on a frame and a floor engaging brush unit mounted to rotate below the frame about a vertical axis; the improvement of a releasable drive coupling for connecting said brush unit to a drive output of said motor, said drive coupling comprising a first member including a vertically disposed, motor-driven shaft, a circular flange formed integrally with said shaft and defining a horizontally disposed annular surface, a coaxial hub of circular cross section extending below said annular surface and having a plurality of lugs projecting radially therefrom in axial spaced relation below said annular surface, a second member secured to the brush unit and including a flat annular plate element having a top surface for engagement with said annular surface of said first member, said plate element being of less thickness than the axial spacing between said lugs and said annular surface of said first member and having a rear face opposite to said top surface, said annular plate element defining a central opening for mating reception of said hub of said first member and having a plurality of radially extending recesses spaced circumferentially about said opening for passage of said lugs during reception of said hub in said opening, a plurality of lug engaging abutment means spaced about the central opening and projecting downward from said rear face, each abutment means being associated with one of the recesses, and a ramp means extending from each recess to the associated abutment means for engagement with one of said lugs during rotation of said second member relative to said first member after passage of said lugs through said recesses, each ramp means including an arcuate shaped flexible strip secured to said rear face at one end adjacent one of the recesses and defining a lug-engaging ramp curved about a portion of the periphery of said central opening to a free end located adjacent the associated abutment means, said rear face having a bore under the free end of each strip, and a plug of urethane contained in each bore and projecting from said rear face for urging said free end of said strip away from said rear face.

Claim 9

In a floor machine of the type having a motor carried on a frame and a floor engaging brush unit mounted to rotate below the frame about a vertical axis; the improvement of a releasable drive coupling for connecting said brush unit to a drive output of said motor, said drive coupling comprising a first member including a vertically disposed, motor-driven shaft, a circular flange formed integrally with said shaft and defining a horizontally disposed annular surface, a coaxial hub of circular cross section extending below said annular surface and having a plurality of lugs projecting radially therefrom in axial spaced relation below said annular surface, a second member secured to the brush unit and including a flat annular plate element having a top surface for engagement with said annular surface of said first member, said plate element being of less thickness than the axial spacing between said lugs and said annular surface of said first member and having a rear face opposite to said top surface, said annular plate element defining a central opening for mating reception of said hub of said first member and having a plurality of radially extending recesses spaced circumferentially about said opening for passage of said lugs during reception of said hub in said opening, a plurality of lug engaging abutment means spaced about the central opening and projecting downward from said rear face, each abutment means being associated with one of the recesses, and a ramp means extending from each recess to the associated abutment means for engagement with one of said lugs during rotation of said second member relative to said first member after passage of said lugs through said recesses, each ramp means including an arcuate shaped flexible strip secured to said rear face at one end adjacent one of the recesses and defining a lug-engaging ramp curved about a portion of the periphery of said central opening to a free end located adjacent the associated abutment means, said rear face having a bore under the free end of each strip, and a plug of urethane contained in each bore and projecting from said rear face for urging said free end of said strip away from said rear face.

Claim 10

A drive coupling as defined in claim 6, wherein said bore has an outer main section of circular cross section and an inner conical section, and wherein said urethane plug is of cylindrical shape for close reception in said main section and has a length greater than said main section.

Claim 11

A coupling member for a brush unit in a floor machine of the type having a frame carried motor and a depending motor drive shaft having circuit flange formed integrally with said shaft, the shaft including an axial projection of circular cross section extending below the circular flange and a plurality of lugs projecting radially from the projection in axial spaced relation to the circular flange; said coupling member comprising a flat annular plate element for securement to said brush unit, said plate element having a top surface for engagement with said circular flange and an oppositely disposed rear face, said plate element defining a central opening for mating reception of said axial projection of said shaft and having a plurality of radially extending recesses spaced circumferentially about said opening for passage of said lugs on reception of said projection in said opening, a plurality of lug engaging abutment means circumferentially spaced about said opening and projecting axially from said rear face, said abutment means having equal spacing to said recesses and being associated one each with said recesses, and a ramp means on said rear face and extending from each recess to the associated abutment means, each ramp means including a flexible strip secured at one end to said rear face adjacent one of the recesses and defining a lug-engaging ramp extending to a free end located adjacent the associated abutment means, said rear face having a bore under each free end, and a compressible spring unit contained in each bore and projecting from the rear face in an uncompressed state for holding said flexible strip in a sloping relation to said rear face.

Claim 12

A coupling member for a brush unit in a floor machine of the type having a frame carried motor and a depending motor drive shaft having circuit flange formed integrally with said shaft, the shaft including an axial projection of circular cross section extending below the circular flange and a plurality of lugs projecting radially from the projection in axial spaced relation to the circular flange; said coupling member comprising a flat annular plate element for securement to said brush unit, said plate element having a top surface for engagement with said circular flange and an oppositely disposed rear face, said plate element defining a central opening for mating reception of said axial projection of said shaft and having a plurality of radially extending recesses spaced circumferentially about said opening for passage of said lugs on reception of said projection in said opening, a plurality of lug engaging abutment means circumferentially spaced about said opening and projecting axially from said rear face, said abutment means having equal spacing to said recesses and being associated one each with said recesses, and a ramp means on said rear face and extending from each recess to the associated abutment means, each ramp means including a flexible strip secured at one end to said rear face adjacent one of the recesses and defining a lug-engaging ramp extending to a free end located adjacent the associated abutment means, said rear face having a bore under each free end, and a compressible spring unit contained in each bore and projecting from the rear face in an uncompressed state for holding said flexible strip in a sloping relation to said rear face.

Claim 13

A coupling member as defined in claim 8, wherein the flexible strip is an arcuate-shaped member formed of steel and curving about a portion of the periphery of the central opening, and wherein said spring unit is a plug or urethane.

Claim 14

A coupling member as defined in claim 9, wherein the bore has an outer main section and an inner section of smaller cross section than the main section, said plug having a cross section substantially as great as said main section and being of greater length than said main section.

Claim 15

A coupling member as defined in claim 9, wherein said plug has a volume slightly greater than the total volume of the bore.