Patent Application
20090087258
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The invention relates to mechanical locking mechanisms, including locking mechanisms for drive hubs in generator and motor applications.
The prior art contains many forms of direct drive units. In these embodiments, the alternator rotor is coupled directly to the engine drive shaft.
The couplings of the prior art hot dropped on to the shaft. It is very difficult to try to disassemble this coupling.
In order to remove this type of coupling, it required that the hub be heated by typically three heat sources such as blow torches to evenly expand the hub. At the same time, a fourth person has to exert a significant pulling force using something akin to a bearing puller to disconnect these pieces. This process is inconvenient to perform.
Therefore, a need exists to offer a reliable hub locking mechanism that also is convenient to disconnect without the cumbersome methods of the prior art.
A taper lock hub that incorporates a mechanical lock that does not require heating for removal. In a preferred embodiment, a series of bolts can be loosened to release the locking mechanism, which will allow the hub to be removed.
A locking drive hub comprising a drive hub inner element having a slit and a drive hub inner element diameter; and a drive hub outer element; wherein the drive hub outer element is capable of decreasing the drive hub inner element diameter. The drive hub inner element may comprise a plurality of tap holes and/or may have a slope, preferably an inclined slope. The drive hub outer element may comprise a plurality of clearance holes and/or my have a slope, preferably a decline slope. The locking drive hub may also comprise a plurality of hardware, such as screws or bolts, and/or a plurality jack screw holes. It is envisioned that this device may preferably engage a shaft such as a shaft of a generator or motor.
A method of engaging a locking drive hub to a shaft, which comprises the steps of: (a) placing a drive hub inner element having a slit and a drive hub inner element diameter about the shaft; and (b) placing a drive hub outer element over the drive hub inner element; (c) compressing the drive hub inner element by moving the drive hub outer element such that the drive hub inner element diameter decreases. This method may preferably including torquing the drive hub outer element and/or axially aligning the drive hub inner element with the drive hub outer element.
A method of disengaging a locking drive hub from a shaft, which comprises the step of decompressing a drive hub inner element, wherein the inner drive hub element has a drive hub inner element diameter about the shaft, by moving a drive hub outer element such that the drive hub inner element diameter increases. This method may preferably include prying the drive hub outer element away from the drive hub inner element.
While the inventions disclosed herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, only a few specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The figures and detailed descriptions of these specific embodiments are not intended to limit the breadth or scope of the inventive concepts or the appended claims in any manner. Rather, the figures and detailed written descriptions are provided to illustrate the inventive concepts to a person of ordinary skill in the art and to enable such person to make and use the inventive concepts.
One or more illustrative embodiments incorporating the invention disclosed herein are presented below. Not all features of an actual implementation are described or shown in this application for the sake of clarity. It is understood that in the development of an actual embodiment incorporating the present invention, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's goals, such as compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which vary by implementation and from time to time. While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of this disclosure.
As shown, the drive hub inner element 206 has an inner element inclined slope 210 formed about the outer diameter of the drive hub inner element 206. The outer diameter of the drive hub inner element 206 has an outer diameter that increases from the end of the shaft 204 to form the inner element inclined slope 210. The drive hub inner element 206 has tap holes 212 formed therein.
A drive hub outer element 208 surrounds the drive hub inner element 206. The drive hub outer element 208 has clearance holes 214 formed therein. As the outer drive hub outer element 208 is pulled up the inner element inclined slope 210, the drive hub inner element 206 is allowed to compress as a result of its slotted nature resulting in the locking of the locking drive hub 202 to the shaft 204. Because of the slit in the drive hub inner element 206, the diameter of the drive hub inner element 206 may decrease from its uncompressed state shown in
The drive hub inner element 206 is tapped such at that hardware 216 may travel through clearance holes 214 in the drive hub outer element 208 and engages tap holes 212 in the drive hub inner element 206. The hardware 216 is preferably a screw or bolt, such as a socket head cap screw. As it is torqued, the drive hub outer element 208 travels up the inner element inclined slope 210 of the drive hub inner element 206, compressing the drive hub inner element 206, resulting in the locking of the assembly 200.
The drive hub outer element 208 has a complementary decline slope 224 that engages the inner element inclined slope 210 of drive hub inner element 206 such that at full compression of the drive hub inner element 206, the drive hub outer element 208 and drive hub inner element 206 are approximately axially aligned at the inboard side 226 in a preferred embodiment.
As shown, the drive hub inner element 306 has an inner element inclined slope 310 formed about the outer diameter of the drive hub inner element 306. The drive hub inner element 306 has tap holes 312 formed therein. A drive hub outer element 308 has clearance holes 314 formed therein.
There are jack screw holes 322 used for disassembly purposes to pry the drive hub outer element 308 away from the drive hub inner element 306 to allow the drive hub inner element 306 to return to its uncompressed state. Those skilled in the art will recognize the advantage of multiple jack screw holes 322 to aid in the disassembly.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that drive hubs, drive flanges, and drive couplings are considered to be within the scope of the invention. However, this device will be of benefit as a locking mechanism for a drive hub in a variety of generator and motor applications. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any arrangement with tapers of any direction would benefit from the teachings of the invention.
The invention has been described in the context of preferred and other embodiments and not every embodiment of the invention has been described. Obvious modifications and alterations to the described embodiments are available to those of ordinary skill in the art. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the invention conceived of by the Applicants, but rather, in conformity with the patent laws, Applicants intends to protect all such modifications and improvements to the full extent that such falls within the scope or range of equivalent of the following claims.
