Torque Limiter With Improved Lubrication

Abstract

A torque limiter in which grease passages are provided to enable better lubrication of the wearing components. A disconnect nut is also provided to readily enable release of the torque limiter even for very high release sellings to afford greasing as a part of a maintenance regimen.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns torque limiters which are well known devices which act to produce an overload release in a rotary drive train when the torque transmitted exceeds a predetermined level, in order to prevent damage to components in the drive train.

Resettable torque limiters are also well known in which drive balls are installed in detent pockets and held therein by a plunger urged against the drive ball by spring pressure. When a predetermined maximum torque is reached, the drive ball can force the plunger away and allow the drive ball to climb out of the pocket allowing relative rotation of two interfit parts to interrupt the driving connection therebetween.

In conventional practice, grease is applied to the wearing components by injection into a passage drilled through the plunger to the drive ball engaged with the plunger end, and passages radially out past a bushing to reach various wear components.

However, in prior designs grease does not flow past the drive ball to the detent pocket without release of the torque limiter since the drive ball normally blocks the grease flow until the torque limiter releases. Grease flow past the bushing is limited due to the limited clearance.

For high torque release settings, it is difficult to manually trip the limiter for routine maintenance purposes.

In such torque limiters there are sometimes also heavily preloaded bearings supporting one interfit part on the other. Normally these parts do not relatively rotate, but both parts rotate together since connected together by the torque limiter drive ball, and these bearings become dry as the grease migrates out overtime due to centrifugal force generated by rotation together of the interfit parts. Due to their location, these bearings are not able to be greased, except when the torque limiter is released.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved lubrication for a resettable torque limiter of the type described above by providing enhanced distribution of grease to the wear in components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above object and other objects which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by forming lubricant passages in the plunger and bushing that allow free flow of lubricant to points which will adequately lubricate the moving components in a drive device such as a torque limiter. This includes a central passage extending lengthwise down the plunger which terminates short of the end in contact with the drive ball which central passage is connected to a cross passages extending radially short offset longitudinal passages then distribute lubricant to an open annular space extending around the drive ball, as well as laterally to a clearance between the plunger and the ID of a bore in a bushing in which the plunger is slidably fit. Lubricant from the open spaces further enters cross passages in the bushing which extends to the bushing bore ID as well as lengthwise passages through the bushing to reach the lower regions and the detent pocket.

In addition, a disconnect nut threadably engages the upper end of a plunger shroud secured to the plunger upper end and when rotated with a wrench causes raising of the plunger to manually elevate the plunger sufficiently to release the torque limiter by driving the locking balls radially outward.

The torque limiter release enables the lubrication of bearings supporting the interfit drive parts which are included in the torque limiter, which normally cannot be greased when the torque limiter is not in a released condition. Improved lubrication of the torque limiter running parts is also facilitated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a prior art torque limiter of a type with which the present invention is concerned showing a conventional grease passage pattern.

FIG. 2 is a view of prior art driving and driven interfit parts combined with a conventional torque limiter to create a driving connection therebetween.

FIG. 3 is an external pictorial view of a torque limiter according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the torque limiter according to the present invention shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a plunger included in the torque limiter shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a bushing included in a torque limiter according to the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a prior art torque limiter 10 of the type which the present invention is concerned is shown. One or more of such torque limiters may be installed circumferentially spaced about the axis of a pair of interfit rotary parts 12 and 14 other arrangements of such torque limiters are well known.

One interfit rotary part 12 is secured to a drive (or driven) member 16 and the other rotary part 14 is secured to a driven (or drive) member 18.

A drive ball 20 is normally seated within a detent pocket 22 fixed in rotary member 14 and a bushing 24 fixed within a housing 26 is secured to rotary member 12. The drive ball 20 creates a rotational connection so that the rotary members 12 and 14 normally rotate together.

Upon the development of a transmitted torque of a predetermined level, the drive ball 20 begins to ride up the sloping sides of the detent pocket 22 and to thereby push up a plunger 28 which has radiused pocket 21 (FIG. 5) at its lower end in contact with the drive ball 20. The plunger 28 is urged downwardly by the effect of a stiff spring 36.

The spring 36 exerts pressure on a set of small locking balls 30 engaged by a rounded shoulder surface 29 on the upper end of the plunger 28 tending to force the balls 30 radially out.

Any axial movement of the plunger 28 is resisted by the constraining effect exerted by an outer thrust race 32 and an inner thrust race 34 urged together by the preloaded spring 36 applying an axial force to inner thrust race 34. An adjusting nut 37 allows setting of the spring preload.

If the transmitted torque level reaches a predetermined release value, the spring force described is overcome to move the outer race 34 down and allow the locking balls 30 to move out radially sufficiently to move onto the outer diameter 36 on the plunger 28.

At this point, the drive ball 20 has moved up into the interior bore of the bushing. A snap ring 38 then holds the ball 20 up and out of engagement with the detent pocket 22, allowing interfit parts 12, 14 to freely rotate, relative each other, supported by rotary bearings 40.

The torque limiter 10 can be reset by striking the upper end 42 of the plunger with sufficient force in the well know manner.

In order to keep grease on the torque limiter rotating wear parts, a grease fitting 44 is normally provided which allows injection of grease into an axial central passage 46 in the plunger 28 which passes down to the top of the drive ball 20 which normally prevents any further grease flow.

Two (or more) pairs of cross passages 48 and 50 branch off from the central plunger passage 48. The upper pair of passages lubricate the races 32, 34 and locking balls 30. The lower pair of feed cross passages 52 reach the bottom of the bushing and theoretically reach the detent pocket 22 and drive ball 20 via a clearance and small grooves. However, little or no grease will reach the lower components as a practical matter due to the slight clearances.

Grease will only exit the lower end of the passage 46 when the torque limiter 10 has been released by movement of the plunger 28.

Additionally, the bearings 40 can only effectively be greased during routine maintenance when the torque limiter is tripped. This is almost impossible to do manually due to very high torque limit settings often used in some applications. Since the bearings 40 are typically heavily preloaded and do not rotate while the torque limiter remains locked, heavy wear can result as the grease over time tends to migrate out due to rotation of the assembly and consequently the bearings 40 become dry.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a torque limiter 54 according to the invention is shown. This includes a housing 56 which has a threaded extension 58 which receives a disconnect nut 60 which engages a plunger shroud 66 threaded to the upper end 64 of the plunger 28.

A recess 68 in the plunger shroud 66 receives a grease fitting 70.

An axial central lengthwise grease passage 72 is provided in the plunger 28, which terminates short of the drive ball 74. Instead, there are two cross passages 76 which connect with two pairs of offset longitudinal passages 78 that extend to an annular clearance space 80 adjacent the drive ball 74.

The bushing 82 has two cross passages 84, each receiving grease from the annular space 80 and direct into the same out through down passages 86 through the bushing 82 so that grease can reach the detent pocket 88.

The cross passages 76 extend to the inside diameter of the bushing 82 to provide additional grease.

Thus, the set of grease passages described are able to effectively direct grease to the wearing components without releasing the torque limiter.

A second aspect of the invention does involve the disconnect nut 60 and plunger shroud 66. The disconnect nut 60 has a series of wrenching flats 90 thereon so that a wrench can be used to turn the same and advance the disconnect nut 60 up as viewed in FIG. 4 on the external threads on the housing extension 58.

The upper recessed face of the disconnect nut 60 will engage an underside of flange 92 on the plunger shroud 66 so as to pull up the plunger 62 as the shroud 66 is elevated.

The powerful mechanical advantage exerted by of the threaded engagement of the disconnect nut 60 enables the balls 96 to be forced out until the torque limiter 54 becomes disconnected, even if the torque release level is set to be very high.

Once released, the bearings 40 can be rotated and greased as a part of a regular maintenance regime. In addition, flow of grease to the torque limiter wear components as described above is enhanced.

Claims

1. A drive device such as a torque limiter comprising: a housing;a plunger slidable in said housing;a bushing within said housing having a bore receiving a lower end of said plunger;a drive ball disposed in a seat in a detent pocket and contacted by a lower end surface of said plunger, said seat being configured to allow said drive ball to move radially out and up from said pocket upon transmission of torque about a predetermined level;an upper thrust race;a lower thrust race;a plurality of locking balls interposed and engaged between a sloping surface on each of the lower and upper sides of said upper and lower thrust races;a shoulder on said plunger engaging a portion of said locking balls protruding from between said thrust race surfaces;a spring acting on said lower thrust race to urge said locking balls radially inwardly and maintain said plunger in engagement with said drive ball as long as torque transmitted cannot overcome said spring force;a tubular extension projecting from an end of said housing opposite said bushing and threaded on the outside; a disconnect nut threaded onto said tubular extension to be enabled to be advanced in a direction away from said bushing upon being rotated in one direction;a plunger shroud secured to said plunger end opposite said bushing and having a portion engaged by said disconnect nut upon movement thereof in a direction away from said bushing whereby said plunger can be retracted to force said locking balls radially out and thereby disconnect said torque limitera central longitudinal grease passage extending through the length of said plunger, but ending before said end surface of said plunger said grease passage continuing in a cross passage to either side of said central passage and further including a pair of short longitudinal passages each extending from a respective side of said cross passage whereby grease may inject to a space extending around said drive ball.

2. The drive device according to claim 1 further including a plurality of cross passages extending radially out from said bushing bore at locations aligned with said space below said end of said plunger and extending about the perimeter of said drive ball; and a longitudinal passage extending from each of said radial cross passages in said bushing to enable a flow of grease past said drive ball to said detent pocket.

3. The drive device according to claim 1 further including a tubular extension projecting from an end of said housing opposite said bushing and threaded on the outside; a disconnect nut threaded onto said tubular extension to be enabled to be advanced in a direction away from said bushing upon being rotated in one direction; a plunger shroud secured to said plunger end opposite said bushing and having a portion engaged by said disconnect nut upon movement thereof in a direction away from said bushing whereby said plunger can be retracted to force said locking balls radially out and thereby disconnect said torque limiter.

4. A torque limiter comprising: a housing;a plunger slidable in said housing;a bushing within said housing having a bore receiving a lower end of said plunger;a drive ball disposed in a seat in a detent pocket and contacted by a lower end surface of said plunger, said seat being configured to allow said drive ball to move radially out and up from said pocket upon transmission of torque about a predetermined level;an upper thrust race;a lower thrust race;a plurality of locking balls interposed and engaged between a sloping surface on each of the lower and upper sides of said upper and lower thrust races;a shoulder on said plunger engaging a portion of said locking balls protruding from between said thrust race surfaces;a spring acting on said lower thrust race to urge said locking balls radially inwardly and maintain said plunger in engagement with said drive ball as long as torque transmitted cannot overcome said spring force;a tubular extension projecting from an end of said housing opposite said bushing and threaded on the outside; a disconnect nut threaded onto said tubular extension to be enabled to be advanced in a direction away from said bushing upon being rotated in one direction;a plunger shroud secured to said plunger end opposite said bushing and having a portion engaged by said disconnect nut upon movement thereof in a direction away from said bushing whereby said plunger can be retracted to force said locking balls radially out and thereby disconnect said torque limitera central longitudinal grease passage extending through the length of said plunger, but ending before said end surface of said plunger said grease passage continuing in a plurality of cross passages to either side of said central passage and further including short longitudinal passages each extending from a respective side of each of said cross passages whereby grease may be injected to an annular space extending around said drive ball.