Lubricated spline coupling

Claim 2

A spline drive coupling for maintaining alignment between first and second horizontal shafts arranged colinearly of one another comprising: an inner tubular member having a bore therethrough with spline surfaces at opposite ends of said bore, a plurality of grooves formed longitudinally of the outer surface of said inner tubular member, an open ended outer tubular member telescoped over said inner tubular member having spaced portions thereon secured to the outer circumferential surface of the opposite ends of said inner tubular member to close each of said grooves to define a lubricant return path therethrough, a first closure member slidably fit within one end of said outer tubular member and including an externally splined extension thereon interconnected within the spline surface on one end of said inner tubular member to define a first spline connection, a second closure member slidably fit within the opposite end of said outer tubular member and including an externally splined surface thereon interconnected with the spline surface at the opposite end of said inner tubular member to define a second spline connection, means forming an annular lubricant pickup on one end of said first closure member, an oil inlet hole through said first closure member for communicating said pick-up with said first spline connection, said bore having a pair of spaced, parallel circumferential grooves formed therein for defining lubricant pockets from which lubricant is centrifuged during rotation of said coupling, one of said pockets being in communication with said first spline connection and the other of said pockets being in communication with the second of said spline connections, a plurality of inclined holes formed in said opposite end of said inner tubular member to direct lubricant flow through said first and second spline connections into said return path grooves, said outer tubular member including a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes therein in communication with said grooves for defining an outlet therefrom, each of said outlet holes being located at the same end of said outer tubular member as the inlet hole thereto.

Claim 3

A lubricated spline coupling for maintaining a centered relationship between first and second horizontal shaft members each rotatably supported by bearing means to maintain a colinear relationship therebetween comprising: a first coupling adapter having an external spline surface and an internal bore with a spline surface adapted to be connected to an externally splined end of a first shaft, an outer peripheral seal carried by said first coupling adapter, an open ended outer tubular member having one end thereof slidably supporting said first seal means To close said one end of said outer tubular member, a second coupling adapter having an external spline surface and open ended bore thereon with a spline surface adapted to form a spline connection with the spline end of a second shaft, said second coupling adapter including an outer peripheral seal thereon, said outer tubular member including the opposite end thereof slidably supporting said second annular seal for sealing said opposite end of said outer tubular member, an inner tubular member telescoped within said outer tubular member inboard of said seals and having a bore therethrough including spaced apart spline surfaces thereon, one of said spline surfaces being engageable with the external spline of said first coupling adapter to define a first internal spline connection, the opposite spline surface on said inner tubular member being coupled to the external spline of said second coupling adapter to define a second internal spline connection, means defining a lubricant flow path through said first and second internally located spline connections including an inlet hole in said first coupling adapter, an oil lubricant chamber located upstream of said first spline connection, first and second annular lubricant pockets in said inner tubular member downstream of said first spline connection, one of said annular pockets receiving lubricant flow from said first internal spline connection and the other of said annular pockets serving as an inlet for flow of lubricant centrifuged into and through said second internal spline connection, and means for returning lubricant from said second spline connection to said opposite end of said outer tubular member including passage means formed between said inner and outer tubular members including an outlet opening located at the same end of said outer tubular member as the inlet hole thereto.

Claim 4

A lubricated spline coupling for maintaining a centered relationship between first and second horizontal shaft members each rotatably supported by bearing means to maintain a colinear relationship therebetween comprising: a first coupling adapter having an external spline surface and an internal bore with a spline surface adapted to be connected to an externally splined end of a first shaft, an outer peripheral seal carried by said first coupling adapter, an open ended outer tubular member having one end thereof slidably supporting said first seal means To close said one end of said outer tubular member, a second coupling adapter having an external spline surface and open ended bore thereon with a spline surface adapted to form a spline connection with the spline end of a second shaft, said second coupling adapter including an outer peripheral seal thereon, said outer tubular member including the opposite end thereof slidably supporting said second annular seal for sealing said opposite end of said outer tubular member, an inner tubular member telescoped within said outer tubular member inboard of said seals and having a bore therethrough including spaced apart spline surfaces thereon, one of said spline surfaces being engageable with the external spline of said first coupling adapter to define a first internal spline connection, the opposite spline surface on said inner tubular member being coupled to the external spline of said second coupling adapter to define a second internal spline connection, means defining a lubricant flow path through said first and second internally located spline connections including an inlet hole in said first coupling adapter, an oil lubricant chamber located upstream of said first spline connection, first and second annular lubricant pockets in said inner tubular member downstream of said first spline connection, one of said annular pockets receiving lubricant flow from said first internal spline connection and the other of said annular pockets serving as an inlet for flow of lubricant centrifuged into and through said second internal spline connection, and means for returning lubricant from said second spline connection to said opposite end of said outer tubular member including passage means formed between said inner and outer tubular members including an outlet opening located at the same end of said outer tubular member as the inlet hole thereto.

Claim 5

A lubricated spline coupling for interconnecting first and second shafts having their longitudinal axis arranged colinearly in a common plane comprising: an inner tubular member having an involuted internal surface at opposite ends thereof defining first and second axially spaced spline teeth, a lubricant collection groove located within said inner tubular member axially inwardly of each of said sets of spline teeth, said inner tubular member having a reduced diameter intermediate segment therein defining an oil transfer surface between each of said oil collection grooves, an open ended outer tubular member telescoped over said inner tubular member, said inner tubular member having a radially outwardly directed flange on each end thereof secured to the inner diameter of said outer tubular member, said inner tubular member further including radially outwardly directed ribs thereon having a plurality of lubricant flow return grooves therebetween, each of said ribs being connected to the inner surface of said outer tubular member thereby to further secure said inner and outer tubular members together against relative rotation therebetween, a drive coupling adapter member supported in each end of said outer tubular member, each of said drive coupling adapters including circumferentially spaced external spline teeth thereon interconnected with one of said sets of spline teeth in said inner tubular member to define first and second spline connections, each of said adapters further including seal means thereon engageable with said outer tubular member for sealing the opposite ends thereof, one of said adapters including a lubricant inlet bore adapted to receive lubricant from a lubricant distributing system, means partially closing said bore including a radially inwardly directed dam on said adapter at the inlet bore thereto, a plurality of circumferentially spaced inlet holes communicating said bore with one end of the first spline connection between said inner tubular member and said first adapter, said adapter and said inner and outer tubular members defining a lubricant inlet chamber for communicating said oil inlet holes with said first spline conneCtion for distribution therethrough, said distributed lubricant being maintained upon rotation of said coupling as a centrifuged lubricant level filling each of said first and second lubricant collecting grooves and covering said first and second spline connections with lubricant, means including a hole directed through each spline tooth in the opposite end of said inner tubular member, each of said holes being in communication with said lubricant return grooves and serving to return the centrifuged lubricant from the second spline connection through the lubricant return grooves, and means forming a plurality of outlets in said outer tubular member located adjacent the inlet holes in said first coupling adapter to return lubricant from said first and second spline connections back to the lubricant inlet end of said coupling.

Claim 6

A lubricated spline coupling for interconnecting first and second shafts having their longitudinal axis arranged colinearly in a common plane comprising: an inner tubular member having an involuted internal surface at opposite ends thereof defining first and second axially spaced spline teeth, a lubricant collection groove located within said inner tubular member axially inwardly of each of said sets of spline teeth, said inner tubular member having a reduced diameter intermediate segment therein defining an oil transfer surface between each of said oil collection grooves, an open ended outer tubular member telescoped over said inner tubular member, said inner tubular member having a radially outwardly directed flange on each end thereof secured to the inner diameter of said outer tubular member, said inner tubular member further including radially outwardly directed ribs thereon having a plurality of lubricant flow return grooves therebetween, each of said ribs being connected to the inner surface of said outer tubular member thereby to further secure said inner and outer tubular members together against relative rotation therebetween, a drive coupling adapter member supported in each end of said outer tubular member, each of said drive coupling adapters including circumferentially spaced external spline teeth thereon interconnected with one of said sets of spline teeth in said inner tubular member to define first and second spline connections, each of said adapters further including seal means thereon engageable with said outer tubular member for sealing the opposite ends thereof, one of said adapters including a lubricant inlet bore adapted to receive lubricant from a lubricant distributing system, means partially closing said bore including a radially inwardly directed dam on said adapter at the inlet bore thereto, a plurality of circumferentially spaced inlet holes communicating said bore with one end of the first spline connection between said inner tubular member and said first adapter, said adapter and said inner and outer tubular members defining a lubricant inlet chamber for communicating said oil inlet holes with said first spline conneCtion for distribution therethrough, said distributed lubricant being maintained upon rotation of said coupling as a centrifuged lubricant level filling each of said first and second lubricant collecting grooves and covering said first and second spline connections with lubricant, means including a hole directed through each spline tooth in the opposite end of said inner tubular member, each of said holes being in communication with said lubricant return grooves and serving to return the centrifuged lubricant from the second spline connection through the lubricant return grooves, and means forming a plurality of outlets in said outer tubular member located adjacent the inlet holes in said first coupling adapter to return lubricant from said first and second spline connections back to the lubricant inlet end of said coupling.