Northern Research & Engineering Corp.

Ingersoll-rand Company

Paul N Dahlstrand

Walter L Brassert

An involute spline connection including a male spline having an end, an axis, and a first involute defining peaks and valleys; a follower member; a female involute having a second involute defining second peaks and valleys and a locking member having a locking member involute defining locking member peaks and valleys, and a cam groove along the exterior of the locking member; the follower adapted to engage the cam groove so that when the hub is moved axially the locking member to be repositioned to a locked position so that each of the locking member peaks is adjacent a first valley, and an unlocked position where the first and locking peaks are aligned.

Coupling mechanism for establishing an involute spline connection

The invention is an in-line torque meter for use with an absorption dynamometer in which the twist of a rotating shaft that transmits torque from an engine to an air dynamometer is measured by a single sensor on the adjacent stationary structure. The torque shaft is supported at the dynamometer end by a splined attachment to the shaft of the dynamometer and at the engine end in a pair of preloaded angular contact ball bearings. Torque from the engine causes the shaft to twist. Attached to and rotating with the shaft are two sleeves with projecting teeth, one sleeve attached at each end of the torque shaft. The projecting teeth are interleaved and are located so that both sets of teeth can be sensed by an adjacent single sensor. When the shaft is twisted by the applied torque, the teeth on the two sleeves are angularly displaced with respect to each other. This angular displacement is measured as a phase shift in the signal generated by the sensor. The phase shift being directly proportional to the applied torque. The torque sensor is moveable past the teeth when the torque shaft is stationary. The movement of the torque sensor generates a signal representative of the torque or twist in the torque shaft. If a predetermined torque is induced into the torque, then the movement of the torque sensor produces a signal representative of the torque induced in the torque shaft, thereby allowing a zero speed calibration check.

Absorption dynamometer torque measuring device and calibration method

The invention is an in-line torque meter for use with an absorption dynamometer in which the twist of a rotating shaft that transmits torque from an engine to an air dynamometer is measured by a single sensor on the adjacent stationary structure. The torque shaft is supported at the dynamometer end by a splined attachment to the shaft of the dynamometer and at the engine end in a pair of preloaded angular contact ball bearings. Torque from the engine causes the shaft to twist. Attached to and rotating with the shaft are two sleeves with projecting teeth, one sleeve attached at each end of the torque shaft. The projecting teeth are interleaved and are located so that both sets of teeth can be sensed by an adjacent single sensor. When the shaft is twisted by the applied torque, the teeth on the two sleeves are angularly displaced with respect to each other. This angular displacement is measured as a phase shift in the signal generated by the sensor. The phase shift being directly proportional to the applied torque.

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Andover, MA, United States of America

Paul N Dahlstrand