Flexible shaft coupling

摘要

A flexible shaft coupling wherein the flange of at least one of the shafts is flexible and its marginal portion is separably fastened to the marginal portion of the other flange. The flanges surround thrust transmitting elements which are urged against each other as a result of deformation of the flexible flange in response to fastening to the other flange. The flexible flange may be integral with or it may be separably fastened to the shank of the respective shaft. The flexibility of the coupling is enhanced if the flexible flange is provided with or mounted between knife edges which permit such flange to snap over in response to tilting of one shaft with respect to the other shaft and/or vice versa. The thrust transmitting elements may be integral with the respective shafts or they may constitute removable inserts. One of the thrust transmitting elements has a convex face which bears against a flat face of the other element so that the elements are in mere point contact with each other. The plane of the point of contact may but need not coincide with the plane where the marginal portions of the flanges abut against each other.