Drive assembly with compensation for misalignment

Claim 2

A drive assembly comprising: a drive shaft having a bore at an outer facing end thereof and internal splines formed in said bore; an annular adapter element received in said drive shaft bore and having external splines interfitting with the internal splines formed in said drive shaft bore; said adapter element also having a bore with internal splines formed therein to interfit with external splines of a driven shaft receivable in said adapter bore; means for maintaining the coefficient of friction between the drive shaft splines and the adapter element external splines substantially lower than the coefficient of friction between the adapter element internal splines and the splines of said driven shaft, said means comprising means for supplying lubricant to the interfitting internal splines of said drive shaft and the external splines of said adapter element whereby the adapter element rocks preferentially relative to the drive shaft to compensate for misalignment between the drive shaft means and said driven shaft.

Claim 3

A drive assembly as in claim 1 further comprising means for scavenging oil from said internal splines of said drive shaft whereby a flow of lubricating fluid passes through the splines of said drive shaft.

Claim 4

A drive assembly as in claim 2 wherein said scavenging means comprises a series of passageways extending generally radially outward from the minor diameter of the internal splines to the exterior periphery of said drive shaft whereby the splines of said drive shaft and the outer splines of said adapter element are substantially immersed in lubricating fluid.

Claim 5

A drive assembly as in claim 1 further comprising: a housing surrounding said drive shaft means and having an annular opening substantially in line with the outer facing end of said drive shaft; means for sealing the outer periphery of said drive shaft relative to the opening in said housing thereby preventing leakage of lubricating fluid past the outer periphery of said drive shaft; and means for sealing the outer periphery of said adapter element relative to the bore of said drive shaft whereby the external splines on said adapter element and the internal splines on said drive shaft are immersed in lubricating fluid.

Claim 6

A drive assembly as in claim 4 further comprising: a flange formed at the outer end of said adapter element for abutting the outer facing end of the said drive shaft; and a retaining flange releasably secured over the outer facing end of said drive shaft for restraining movement of said adapter away from the outer facing end of said drive shaft.

Claim 7

A drive assembly as in claim 5 wherein said adapter element is formed from a sleevelike element having a circular disk secured to the inner end of said element for preventing flow of oil to the internal splines of said adapter.

Claim 8

A drive assembly as in claim 6 wherein: said dRive shaft has a series of radially directed holes extending from the minor diameter of the internal splines of said drive shaft to the exterior periphery thereof; said lubricating means comprises a jet adapted to discharge a supply of lubricating fluid against the exterior of said drive shaft at a position spaced from said splines, said drive shaft having a generally radial opening in line with said jet thereby permitting flow of lubricating fluid to the interior bore of said drive shaft.

Claim 9

A drive assembly comprising: an outer elongated annular drive shaft having a first end adjacent said adapter element and having a plurality of internal splines formed at a second end axially spaced from said first end; an elongated tubular element received in the interior of said outer drive shaft and having exterior splines at one end interfitting with the interior splines on said outer shaft and inwardly directed splines at the opposite end thereof; an annular adapter element received in said tubular element at the opposite end thereof and having external splines interfitting with the internal splines formed in said drive shaft bore; said adapter element also having a bore with internal splines formed therein to interfit with external splines of a driven shaft receivable in said adapter bore; and means for maintaining the coefficient of friction between the drive shaft splines and the adapter element external splines substantially lower than the coefficient of friction between the adapter element internal splines and the splines of said driven shaft whereby the adapter element rocks preferentially relative to the drive shaft to compensate for misalignment between the drive shaft means and said driven shaft; whereby parallel and angular misalignment are compensated for.

Claim 10

A drive assembly comprising: an outer elongated annular drive shaft having a first end adjacent said adapter element and having a plurality of internal splines formed at a second end axially spaced from said first end; an elongated tubular element received in the interior of said outer drive shaft and having exterior splines at one end interfitting with the interior splines on said outer shaft and inwardly directed splines at the opposite end thereof; an annular adapter element received in said tubular element at the opposite end thereof and having external splines interfitting with the internal splines formed in said drive shaft bore; said adapter element also having a bore with internal splines formed therein to interfit with external splines of a driven shaft receivable in said adapter bore; and means for maintaining the coefficient of friction between the drive shaft splines and the adapter element external splines substantially lower than the coefficient of friction between the adapter element internal splines and the splines of said driven shaft whereby the adapter element rocks preferentially relative to the drive shaft to compensate for misalignment between the drive shaft means and said driven shaft; whereby parallel and angular misalignment are compensated for.

Claim 11

A drive assembly as in claim 8 wherein said coefficient of friction maintaining means comprises means for lubricating the splines on said tubular element whereby said tubular element rocks preferentially relative to said adapter element and said outer drive shaft.

Claim 12

A drive assembly as in claim 9 further comprising means for scavenging oil from the splines on said outer drive shaft thereby maintaining a flow of lubricating fluid through said splines.

Claim 13

A drive assembly as in claim 10 wherein said scavenging means comprises a plurality of radially directed passageways extending from the minor diameter of the internal splines on said outer drive shaft to the outer periphery thereof.

Claim 14

A drive assembly as in claim 11 further comprising: a housing surrounding said drive shaft and having an opening in alignment with said first end of said outer drive shaft; means for sealing the periphery of the first end of said outer drive shaft relative to said housing; means for sealing the tubular element relative to the outer drive shaft at a point between the internal splines of said outer drive shaft and the first end thereof; means for sealing said annular adapter element relative to said tubular element at a point between the internal splines of said tubular element and the end of said tubular element adjacent the first end of said outer drive shaft.

Claim 15

A drive assembly as in claim 12 further comprising means on both ends of said outer drive shaft assembly for restraining axial movement of said tubular element and said adapter element.