Flex shaft - tool connection for power operated rotary knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016160905-A1
Application number	US-201615046974-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2012
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible shaft drive transmission coupled between a drive motor and a gear train of a power operated tool. The flexible shaft drive transmission includes: an outer casing having a bushing positioned at a tool end of the casing, the bushing defining a longitudinal central opening; lubricant disposed within the outer casing; and an elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly rotatable within the outer casing including a flexible drive transmitting and a coupler fitting affixed to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft, the coupler fitting including a cylindrical body and an enlarged head extending distally from the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body fitting within the longitudinal central opening of the bushing and the enlarged head having a diameter greater than a diameter of the longitudinal central opening of the bushing. The enlarged head defining a square drive aligned with a central longitudinal axis of the drive transmitting shaft assembly.

First claim

1 . A flexible shaft drive transmission coupled between a drive motor and a gear train of a power operated tool, the flexible shaft drive transmission comprising:
a) an outer casing assembly having a drive motor end and a tool end and including a bushing positioned at the tool end of the outer casing assembly, the bushing defining a longitudinal central opening; b) lubricant disposed within the outer casing; and c) an elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly rotatable within the outer casing assembly, the elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly including a flexible drive transmitting shaft having a motor end and a tool end, the drive transmitting shaft assembly further including a coupler fitting coupled to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft, the coupler fitting including a body and an enlarged head extending distally from the body, the body fitting within the longitudinal central opening of the bushing and providing a seal between the coupler fitting and the bushing to mitigate leakage of the lubricant from the tool end of the outer casing and the enlarged head having a diameter greater than a diameter of the longitudinal central opening of the bushing to constrain axial movement of the drive transmitting shaft with respect to the outer casing.

2 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 1 wherein the body of the coupler fitting is cylindrical and the longitudinal central opening of the bushing is longitudinal.

3 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 2 wherein the longitudinal central opening of the bushing is concentric with a central longitudinal axis of the flexible shaft drive transmission.

4 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 1 wherein the enlarged head of the coupler fitting defines a drive fitting aligned with a central axis of rotation of the drive transmitting shaft assembly.

5 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 4 wherein the drive fitting comprises a square drive fitting.

6 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 1 wherein a shaft fitting is affixed to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft and the coupler fitting is secured to the shaft fitting to couple the coupler fitting to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft.

7 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 4 wherein the coupler fitting is secured to the shaft fitting via a threaded interconnection.

8 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 1 wherein the outer casing assembly includes an outer casing extending between a first coupling at the drive motor end of the outer casing assembly and a second coupling at the tool end of the outer casing assembly.

9 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 8 wherein the bushing is disposed in the second coupling.

10 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 1 further including a driver assembly coupled to the tool end of the outer casing assembly and comprising a driver shaft coupled to the enlarged head of the coupler fitting of the drive transmitting shaft assembly.

11 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A flexible shaft drive transmission assembly coupled between a drive motor and a gear train of a power operated tool, the flexible shaft drive transmission assembly comprising:
a) a flexible drive shaft transmission including: 1) an outer casing assembly having a drive motor end and a tool end and including a bushing positioned at the tool end of the outer casing assembly, the bushing defining a longitudinal central opening; 2) lubricant disposed within the outer casing; and 3) an elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly rotatable within the outer casing assembly, the elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly including a flexible drive transmitting shaft having a motor end and a tool end, the drive transmitting shaft assembly further including a coupler fitting coupled to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft, the coupler fitting including a body and an enlarged head extending distally from the body, the body fitting within the longitudinal central opening of the bushing and providing a seal between the coupler fitting and the bushing to mitigate leakage of the lubricant from the tool end of the outer casing and the enlarged head having a diameter greater than a diameter of the longitudinal central opening of the bushing to constrain axial movement of the drive transmitting shaft with respect to the outer casing; and b) a driver assembly including a tube assembly releasably coupled to the tool end of the outer casing assembly and an elongated driver shaft assembly at least partially disposed within the tube assembly and operatively coupled to coupler fitting of the drive transmitting shaft assembly.

22 . A flexible shaft drive transmission coupled between a drive motor and a gear train of a power operated tool, the flexible shaft drive transmission comprising:
a) an outer casing assembly having a drive motor end and a tool end and including an outer casing and a driven assembly coupling affixed to a tool end of the outer casing, a bushing positioned within a throughbore of the driven assembly coupling at the tool end of the outer casing assembly, the bushing defining a longitudinal central opening; b) lubricant disposed within the outer casing; and c) an elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly rotatable within the outer casing assembly, the elongated drive transmitting shaft assembly including a flexible drive transmitting shaft having a motor end and a tool end, the drive transmitting shaft assembly further including a coupler fitting coupled to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft, the coupler fitting including a body and an enlarged head extending distally from the body, the body fitting within the longitudinal central opening of the bushing and providing a seal between the coupler fitting and the bushing to mitigate leakage of the lubricant from the tool end of the outer casing and the enlarged head having a diameter greater than a diameter of the longitudinal central opening of the bushing to constrain axial movement of the drive transmitting shaft with respect to the outer casing.

23 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 22 wherein the body of the coupler fitting is cylindrical and the longitudinal central opening of the bushing is longitudinal.

24 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 23 wherein the longitudinal central opening of the bushing is concentric with a central longitudinal axis of the flexible shaft drive transmission.

25 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 22 wherein the enlarged head of the coupler fitting defines a drive fitting aligned with a central axis of rotation of the drive transmitting shaft assembly.

26 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 25 wherein the drive fitting comprises a square drive fitting.

27 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 22 wherein a shaft fitting is affixed to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft and the coupler fitting is secured to the shaft fitting to couple the coupler fitting to the tool end of the drive transmitting shaft.

28 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 25 wherein the coupler fitting is secured to the shaft fitting via a threaded interconnection.

29 . The flexible shaft drive transmission of claim 22 wherein the outer casing assembly includes the outer casing extending between a first coupling at the drive motor end of the outer casing assembly and the driven assembly coupling at the tool end of the outer casing assembly

Assignees

• Bettcher Industries

Inventors

• Whited Jeffrey A
• Mascari Nicholas A

Classifications

• F16C1/02

  for conveying rotary movements · CPC title

• B26B25/00

  Hand cutting tools involving disc blades, e.g. motor-driven (details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00) · CPC title

• B26B25/002 Primary

  Motor-driven knives with a rotating annular blade · CPC title

• A22B5/165

  Ring knives specially adapted for skinning (motor driven tools with annular blades B26B25/002) · CPC title

• F16C1/06

  with guiding sheathing, tube or box (F16C1/04 takes precedence; guiding sheathings F16C1/26) · CPC title