Mud motor transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487882-B2
Application number	US-201415303647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A double knuckle coupling suitable for transmitting torque applied to a first input shaft to a second shaft wherein the coupling accommodates angular changes between the shafts. Additionally, the disclosure describes an improved mud motor transmission incorporating the coupling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A double knuckle coupling comprising:
an input shaft, said input shaft having a first end and a second end, said second end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue, of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
an output shaft, said output shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess; and
a center coupling element, said center coupling element has a first tongue configured to be received within said slot of said second end of said input shaft and a second tongue configured to be received within the slot of said first end of said output shaft; and
said center coupling element further comprises two pairs of knuckles, each of said knuckles having an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said input shaft and said output shaft.

2. The double knuckle coupling of claim 1 , wherein each tongue of said center coupling element further comprises a torque reaction face and a radius transition, said radius transition connects said torque reaction face to the arcuate surface.

3. The double knuckle coupling of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said torque reaction faces has a retaining pin hole.

4. A drive shaft comprising:
an input shaft having a first and second end, said input shaft second end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue, of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
a center shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end has a tongue and groove configuration, said first end tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue of said first end tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess and said second end has a tongue and groove configuration, said second end tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue of said second end tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
an output shaft having a first and second end, said output shaft first end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue, of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
a first unitary center coupling element positioned between said input shaft and said center shaft, said first unitary center coupling element comprises two pairs of knuckles, each of said knuckles having an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said second end of said input shaft and within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said first end of said center shaft;
a second unitary center coupling element positioned between said center shaft and said output shaft, said second unitary center coupling element comprises two pairs of knuckles, each of said knuckles having an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said second end of said center shaft and within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said first end of said output shaft;
wherein said input shaft, first unitary center coupling and first end of the center shaft define a first double knuckle coupling and the output shaft, second unitary center coupling and second end of the center shaft define a second double knuckle coupling.

5. The drive shaft of claim 4 , wherein each tongue of said first and second unitary center coupling elements further comprises a torque reaction face and a radius transition, said radius transition connects said torque reaction face to the arcuate surface.

6. The drive shaft of claim 5 , wherein at least one of said torque reaction faces has a retaining pin hole.

7. A flexible joint configured to transmit torque along two distinct paths, said joint comprising:
an input shaft having a first and second end, said input shaft second end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
a center shaft having a first end and a second end, said center shaft second end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and wherein each tongue of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
an output shaft having a first and second end said output shaft first end has a tongue and groove configuration, said tongue and groove configuration defining a slot, and each tongue of said tongue and groove configuration has an arcuate recess;
a first unitary center coupling element positioned between said input shaft and said center shaft, said first unitary center coupling element has a first tongue configured to be received within said slot of said second end of said input shaft and a second tongue configured to be received within the slot of said first end of said center shaft, said first unitary center coupling element has two pairs of knuckles, said knuckles having an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said input shaft and said center shaft;
a second unitary center coupling element positioned between said center shaft and said output shaft, said second unitary center coupling element has a first tongue configured to be received within said slot of said second end of said center shaft and a second tongue configured to be received within the slot of said first end of said output shaft, said second unitary center coupling element further comprises two pairs of knuckles, said knuckles having an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said center shaft and said output shaft;
wherein said tongue and groove configurations of said input shaft, said center shaft and said output shaft cooperation with said tongues of said first and second unitary center coupling elements to define a first torque path; and,
wherein said arcuate recesses of said input shaft, said center shaft and said output shaft cooperate with said knuckles of said unitary center coupling elements to define a second torque path.

8. The flexible joint of claim 7 , wherein each tongue of each of said unitary center coupling elements further comprises a torque reaction face and a radius transition, said radius transition connects each said torque reaction face to the arcuate surface.

9. A double knuckle coupling configured to transmit torque along two distinct paths, said double knuckle coupling comprising:
an input shaft, said input shaft having a first end and a second end, said second end has a slot defining a tongue and groove configuration wherein each tongue has an arcuate recess;
an output shaft, said output shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end has a slot defining a tongue and groove configuration wherein each tongue has an arcuate recess;
a unitary center coupling element, said unitary center coupling element has a first tongue configured to be received within said slot of said second end of said input shaft and a second tongue configured to be received within the slot of said first end of said output shaft, said unitary center coupling element has two pairs of knuckles, each of said knuckles has an arcuate surface configured to be received within said arcuate recesses of said tongues of said input shaft and said output shaft;
wherein said tongue and groove configurations of said input shaft and said output shaft cooperation with said tongues of said unitary center coupling element to define a first torque

Assignees

• Lord Corp

Inventors

• Kuhn James F
• Ptak Keith R

Classifications

• F16D3/04 Primary

  specially adapted to allow radial displacement, e.g. Oldham couplings · CPC title

• F16D47/02

  of which at least one is a coupling · CPC title

• F16D3/72

  with axially-spaced attachments to the coupling parts (F16D3/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D3/46 Primary

  each coupling part embracing grooves or ridges on the intermediate member · CPC title

• E21B17/02

  Couplings; joints {(expandable couplings or joints E21B43/106)} · CPC title