Rotary couplings

Claim 1

A rotary shaft coupling assembly comprising a first drive flange secured to a first shaft, and formed integral with a diametral drive rib on the face of said flange remote from said shaft, said rib being of uniform solid rectangular cross-section, a second drive flange secured to a second shaft approximately coaxial with said first shaft, said second drive flange having a pair of spaced drive lugs integral with said flange and extending from the face of said second flange remote from said second shaft, said two drive lugs being approximately square as seen along the direction of the axis of said second shaft, and positioned in line on a common diameter of said flange, and of uniform solid rectangular cross-section as viewed along said diameter, and an intermediate coupling member in the form of a floating circular flat metal plate which constitutes the sole connection between said first and second drive flanges and has one double-ended diametral slot with closed ends, of a length greater than the length of said diametral drive rib, and two separate spaced radially extending single-ended slots on a diameter perpendicular to said diametral slot, the inner ends of said single-ended radial slots being closer to the central axis of said intermediate coupling member than the outer ends of said double-ended slot, said diametral and radial slots being dimensioned to receive and accommodate said drive rib and drive lugs respectively on said first and second drive flanges, and to permit limited sliding movement thereof on two transverse mutually perpendicular axes while said coupling assembly is rotating and torque is being transmitted between said drive flanges, said diametral and radial slots having lateral flank surfaces lying entirely within the common radial plane of said intermediate coupling member, and said coupling member being formed as a punched plate.