FLEXIBLE COUPLING HAVING A CENTER WITH OPPOSING RE-ENTRANT FOLDS

摘要

A coupling for transmitting torque between two shafts approximately aligned on a shaft axis, and a method of making the coupling. The coupling can accommodate axial, lateral, and angular shaft misalignments includes an arcuate flexible center element (41) two axially spaced radially extending leg portions (61, 63) joined by an axially extending bridging portion (65). The axially extending bridging portion has at least two opposing re-entrant folds (67, 69) defining a T-shaped cross-section (83) in a radial plane extending from and along the shaft axis.