A jaw coupling connects two shafts and reduces vibration caused by misalignment. It consists of two metal pieces with interlocking teeth and an elastic spider. The spider protects the teeth and allows for misaligned shafts to work together, but is also physically weak and can cause system problems if detached.
A jaw coupling is a device that connects two shafts together. This type of coupling is designed primarily as a method of reducing vibration caused by small misalignments in the two shafts. In addition to reducing vibration, a jaw coupling is nearly fail-safe, connecting together similar to a gear. A jaw joint transmits torque well, but the free center area of the joint prevents the safe transfer of large bursts of energy.
All joints are used to connect shafts together. These devices are generally found by connecting a powered system, the driver, to an unpowered system, the driven. Couplings connect the end of the crankshaft to the end of the driven shaft to move power from one system to another. Using a coupling allows the shafts to have slight misalignments and variations without damaging the system. They also allow the piece to separate from each other for repair or replacement.
The construction of a jaw joint is quite simple. The joint consists of three parts; two pieces of metal that connect to the drive and driven shaft, and a resilient center piece called a spider. The two pieces of metal look like a nut-shaped fastener with a pair of squared-off teeth. These teeth connect the two halves of the connector together like the teeth of a gear. It is the appearance of these interlocking teeth that gives the joint its name.
The spider is what makes a jaw joint different from other joints. This elastic piece sits between the two metal jaws. This piece looks like a disc with a number of small arms, giving it a spider-like appearance. These arms fit between the teeth on the metal parts of the jaws of the coupling, creating pads for the teeth.
As the drive shaft rotates, the interlocking teeth of the coupling cause the motion to transfer to the driven shaft. The spider protects the teeth and reduces wear and vibration. The spring center also gives the coupling considerable freedom of movement, allowing misaligned shafts to work together properly.
In general, a jaw coupling can transfer significant amounts of torque without failure. Since the coupling works via a physical connection, the interlocking teeth, very little energy is lost during the transfer. On the other hand, the elastic connection makes it difficult to transfer the burst power, as the sudden deformation of the joint can cause the elastic spider to burst.
The spider is the mating’s greatest weakness. While it is the part that gives him his superior vibration dampening abilities, he is also physically weak. Since the jaw coupling is physically connected, it will continue to operate if the spider becomes detached. The connection will loosen and the joint will lose many of its strengths, causing possible system problems if not repaired.
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