Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
314 words
A torque transmitting coupling comprising: a housing; an opening in said housing, a portion of said opening being non-circular, said opening being adapted to receive a non-circular portion of a shaft; means for selectively locking the non-circular portion of said shaft into the opening in said housing, said locking means being biased to a locked position and selectively movable to an unlocked position; said locking means comprising a plurality of bores radially disposed in said housing and a recess in said shaft, a locking element slidably disposed in each of said bores and radially movable from an inner, locking position, wherein the elements are engageable within the recess of said shaft to thereby prevent relative axial movement of the housing with respect to the shaft and an outer, unlocked position, whereby the elements permit relative axial movement of the housing and the shaft, an annular cam means slidably disposed around said housing and being axially movable between a first position holding the locking elements in their locking position and a second position allowing the locking elements to move to their unlocked position and means for biasing said cam means to said first position; guard means rotatably disposed around said housing for preventing human contact with said housing when the housing is locked onto said shaft; adjusting means attached to said guard means and around said housing and disposed between the housing and the guard means for selectively moving said cam means from the first to the second position thereof, said adjusting means having a plurality of depressions around the periphery thereof for contacting said locking elements when said locking elements are in the unlocked position thereof, whereby rotation of the guard means causes rotation of the adjusting means which causes rotation of said housing and whereby the opening in the housing can be aligned with the shaft for placing the housing over the shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
314 words
A torque transmitting coupling comprising: a housing; an opening in said housing, a portion of said opening being non-circular, said opening being adapted to receive a non-circular portion of a shaft; means for selectively locking the non-circular portion of said shaft into the opening in said housing, said locking means being biased to a locked position and selectively movable to an unlocked position; said locking means comprising a plurality of bores radially disposed in said housing and a recess in said shaft, a locking element slidably disposed in each of said bores and radially movable from an inner, locking position, wherein the elements are engageable within the recess of said shaft to thereby prevent relative axial movement of the housing with respect to the shaft and an outer, unlocked position, whereby the elements permit relative axial movement of the housing and the shaft, an annular cam means slidably disposed around said housing and being axially movable between a first position holding the locking elements in their locking position and a second position allowing the locking elements to move to their unlocked position and means for biasing said cam means to said first position; guard means rotatably disposed around said housing for preventing human contact with said housing when the housing is locked onto said shaft; adjusting means attached to said guard means and around said housing and disposed between the housing and the guard means for selectively moving said cam means from the first to the second position thereof, said adjusting means having a plurality of depressions around the periphery thereof for contacting said locking elements when said locking elements are in the unlocked position thereof, whereby rotation of the guard means causes rotation of the adjusting means which causes rotation of said housing and whereby the opening in the housing can be aligned with the shaft for placing the housing over the shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The torque transmitting coupling of claim 1 including means operable in response to the removal of said shaft from said opening for holding said locking elements in the unlocked position thereof whereby said shaft can be re-inserted into the opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The coupling of claim 2 wherein said holding means comprises a member disposed within said opening and movable within said opening from a first position holding said locking elements in said unlocked position to a second position allowing said locking elements to move to a locking position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
107 words
The coupling of claim 3 wherein said holding means further comprises means for biasing said member to said first position, said member being pushed to said second position by said shaft when said shaft is inserted in said opening and following said shaft when the housing moves over the shaft to move from the second to the first position thereof when said housing is removed from the shaft whereby said holding means holds said locking elements in the unlocked position when the shaft is not in the opening and allows said locking elements to move to the locked position when said shaft is disposed within said opening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
90 words
The coupling of claim 4 wherein said holding means member holds at least one of said locking elements into at least one of said depressions in the adjusting means when the shaft is not in the opening in the housing, whereby the guard means is prevented from rotating with respect to the adjusting means, whereby rotation of the guard means causes rotation of the adjusting means, which causes like rotation of the housing because of the force of the adjusting means pushing on at least one of said locking elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The coupling of claim 5 wherein said depressions comprise arcuate cuts out of an inner periphery of a washer-like member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The coupling of claim 5 wherein said depressions are formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending fingers disposed about the inner periphery of said adjusting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The coupling of claim 5 wherein said adjusting means is integral with said guard means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The coupling of claim 5 wherein said adjusting means depressions comprise longitudinal grooves formed about an inner periphery of said adjusting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The coupling of claim 9 wherein said longitudinal grooves are arcuate in cross sectional shape and the axes of such arcuate shapes being parallel to the axis of said opening in the housing.