Variable Angle Shaft Coupling

thingiverse

This gearbox will transfer power at any angle between 0 and 90 degrees off axis. The mechanism seems to be the only one of its type in the wild. I'm not certain I've named it correctly but they are found inside the pivoting throttle arms of large outboard motors. But they have lots of other applications including robotics and automation. I use one for a tilting steering wheel column on a mutant vehicle. I found mine in a junkyard but good luck finding one in a catalog! I've reverse engineered this one from my surplus unit so it should function at least as a model. I'll refine some dimensions to accommodate standard shaft diameters tomorrow. 2021_03_21: -Replaced case halves with versions that have countersunk holes for M5 flat head screws. These will be used to attach a flange that can hold an oilite bushing to guide shafts with slots that attach to the gears with keys. -Uploaded OB_Flange_02. Print two of these. --The unit is designed to use 16mm shaft at full scale, 12mm at 75% scale and 8mm at 1/2 scale. This should allow use of standard shafting and common oilite bushings. If you have the option replace oilite with Turcite. 2021_03_25: --Here's a photo of a bronze one that I use to steer an art car: https://www.flickr.com/photos/steamboat_ed/5395525305/in/album-72157625924984736/ 2021_06_13 -I've refined i.d. dimensions to optimize for common shaft diameters. In 1/2 scale you can get a running fit on the gears for a 6mm shaft using these parts: -Outboard_M_03 -Outboatd_F_03 ...but if you want a jam fit print these instead: -Outboard_M_04 -Outboard_F_04 2021_06_17: -Uploaded OB_Case_03_B.stl If you print this part you can skip printing the Pins and Pin Clips 2021_06_19: -Deleted OB_M_04 -Added OB_M_07, which is 1 mm shorter to provide more clearance when shafts approach alignment so outer case should fully close now. I also reduced diameter of center hole so shaft won't be such a loose fit. 2021_06_20: -Finding the right size oilite bushings to hold a shaft in the flanges can be a pain so I've uploaded extras with different inside diameters. Pick one that fits the bushings you can find and go for it. -I've also deleted files with ambiguous names and replaced them with more logically named versions.