The gear couplings have a forged sleeve with teeth cut on its inside. These are used to attach two shafts. These are typically mechanical tools used to complete the process of transmitting the torque between the two non-coaxial shafts. Usually, these couplings have a flexible attachment working as clinger to join the shafts. There is also a third shaft known as a spindle, which is used to fix the two joints. These gear couplings are very necessary for the best performance of gears.
If the couplings are aptly crafted and well maintained it can avoid misalignment forces and thus saves the most prominent device from any type of damage or harm. Such coupling also has a clutch with an input connection. When the couplings get connected with the trailer and the tractor components, it generates a tension, which is well controlled. It is very crucial to control the speed of the trailer when it is driven, which is almost the same speed as that of the tractor unit.
Various types of Gear Couplings
Gear couplings, used in different types of machines, are of several kinds:
Grid Couplings: Such types of couplings usually consist of corrugated steel grids that easily bent to maintain the balance of the load generated by misalignment.
Chain Couplings: Such couplings are not actually gear couplings but to an extent similar to it. In this type of couplings, a roller chain is used to connect the sprockets at the end of each of the shafts.
Flexible Couplings: These types of couplings are sufficient enough in transmitting the torque smoothly while allowing axial, radial, and angular misalignment also. It allows parts of coupling to move without any resistance even if some misalignment is witnessed. This avoids any kind of bending or axial stresses if developed. Such couplings are very easy to install, need zero maintenance, no lubrication and provide noise-free operation.
Rigid Couplings: These couplings are purposefully designed to combine the two shafts together to avoid any fiction and motion between them. This specific design is applied for some special type of device that needs alignment of the two shafts. Such couplings are only used when the association between the two shafts can be maintained aptly throughout the operation period.
Magnetic and Solid Coupling: Solid couplings are structured firmly and it does not need any lubrication. These couplings enable the two shafts to remain connected for transmitting the torque.
Core Features of Gear Couplings:
A perfect gear coupling must be equipped with below features:
- No backlash
- Lightweight
- Great torque capacity
- Less vibration
- A decent number of designs of shaft attachments
- High RPM well balanced to AGMA categories
- A space-saving size
- Should be torsionally stiff
- A high torque
Synopsis
These are the most popular and widely used various types of gear couplings available with a brief introduction and features for each one of these for you to help select the right ones.
