Nutating motor coupling

Claim 1

Apparatus for coupling a nutating rotor to a shaft of a motor, comprising: a plurality of balls; ball guiding and retaining means fixed to said shaft, said guiding and retaining means having a plurality of elongated slots with a semicircular cross-section formed at the radial periphery thereof, said slots each partially receiving one of said plurality of balls so that a portion of each of said balls projects beyond said guiding and retaining means; the nutating rotor having a central aperture formed therein and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, elongated slots, each with a semicircular cross-section formed internally adjacent to said central aperture, said slots partially receiving said plurality of balls which project beyond said guiding and retaining means so that the balls provide coupling of the shaft to the nutating rotor, further including a radially extending inner thrust spacer mounted on said shaft adjacent to said guiding and retaining means, said thrust spacer having a surface for rolling engagement with the nutating rotor for supporting the rotor against inward axial movement and for retaining the balls in said slots, further including an outer thrust spacer mounted on said shaft adjacent the guiding and retaining means opposite the inner thrust spacer with respect to said guiding and retaining means, said outer thrust spacer supporting the rotor against axial outward movement and retaining the balls in said slots.