Elastic coupling

Claim 2

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque from a driving element rotating about an axis to a driven element, each of the elements having an annular mounting flange, the coupling comprising a plurality of flexible leaf springs extending in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the driving element and approximately tangentially to one of the mounting flanges, each leaf spring having two ends, threaded bolts affixing the ends of each leaf spring to a respective one of the annular mounting flanges, and the improvement comprising means for damping oscillations of the coupling in the direction of the axis, and the leaf springs being arranged in pairs of axially superposed, intersecting leaf springs.

Claim 3

The flexible coupling of claim 1, wherein the annular mounting flanges extend in the same plane, the diameters of the flanges being of different size and the threaded bolts on the respective flanges defining circles of different diameters, the difference between the diameters of the circles exceeding the width of the leaf springs.

Claim 4

The flexible coupling of claim 2, wherein pairs of the threaded bolts affixing the leaf spring ends to the mounting flanges are arranged in the same radial planes.

Claim 5

The flexible coupling of claim 1, comprising two series of said leaf springs, one of the series of leaf springs being subjected to tension and the other series of leaf springs being subjected to compression during transmission of the torque, the ends of the leaf springs of each of the series being affixed to a respective one of the mounting flanges by separate ones of said threaded bolts.

Claim 6

The flexible coupling of claim 1, wherein the oscillation damping means comprises a hydraulically actuated piston movable in the direction of the axis.

Claim 7

The flexible coupling of claim 1, further comprising a coupling ring axially interposed between the driving and driven element, the coupling ring having annular mounting flanges at the respective ends thereof, two coplanar mounting flanges substantially concentrically surrounding the mounting flanges of the coupling ring and affixed to the driving element and to the driven element, respectively, and the leaf springs being affixed to the coplanar mounting flanges.

Claim 8

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque from a driving element rotating about an axis to a driven element, each of the elements comprising an annular mounting flange, the coupling comprising a plurality of flexible leaf springs extending in respective planes subStantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the driving element, each leaf spring having two ends, threaded bolts affixing the ends of each leaf spring to a respective one of the annular mounting flanges, and the improvement comprising a clamping plate interposed between respectively adjacent leaf springs and between a respective one of the mounting flanges and an adjacent leaf spring, one end of the clamping plates being bevelled and the bolts being tensioned sufficiently to exert a holding pressure on the leaf spring ends sufficient to transmit the torque by friction.

Claim 9

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque from a driving element rotating about an axis to a driven element, each of the elements comprising an annular mounting flange, the coupling comprising a plurality of flexible leaf springs extending in respective planes subStantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the driving element, each leaf spring having two ends, threaded bolts affixing the ends of each leaf spring to a respective one of the annular mounting flanges, and the improvement comprising a clamping plate interposed between respectively adjacent leaf springs and between a respective one of the mounting flanges and an adjacent leaf spring, one end of the clamping plates being bevelled and the bolts being tensioned sufficiently to exert a holding pressure on the leaf spring ends sufficient to transmit the torque by friction.

Claim 10

The flexible coupling of claim 7, wherein said bolts are necked-down bolts.

Claim 11

The flexible coupling of claim 7, wherein the leaf springs are ball blasted.

Claim 12

The flexible coupling of claim 7, further comprising washers of a material softer than that of the clamping plates interposed between respectively adjacent clamping plates and leaf springs.

Claim 13

The flexible coupling of claim 7, wherein each of the leaf springs has a reduced width intermediate the ends thereof.

Claim 14

The flexible coupling of claim 7, wherein the mounting flanges have coplanar mounting faces to which the leaf spring ends are affixed.