Schmidt Coupling - Offset Coupling (w/ prop)

thingiverse

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My other schmidt coupling design:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:233667+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Schmidt couplings have the ability to connect two shafts that are misaligned or that undergo changes in radial displacement during operation. Because there is an equal balance of pushing and pulling forces amongst the two sets of links, the two forces overlap in a sinusoidal pattern which makes possible the transfer of constant torque between the input and output shaft regardless of their radial displacement. All pivots are 1/8th" (~3 mm) plastic rod stock (or 3mm filament) that are captured by flattening both ends with a heated object after assembly. If you don't have either of those, I've included .stl files for 1/8th/3mm pivots, but I have not printed them myself. They will likely need to be printed laying on the side, and should be sanded to uniformity. Or scaled up 5-10% and sanded, if the previous ones come to be too loose in the mechanism. *The front upright with adjustment slider/tab should be left separate until complete assembly of everything else. *Once the output shaft is in place, the front upright with adjustment tab added should be pushed onto the shaft, and the bottom of the upright then glued to the base plate. Before the glue has fully set, crank the mechanism to check for alignment issues (side to side) and reposition the upright as needed for all 3 plates to visually overlap in phase from a frontal view, and to remain perpendicular to the base from a side view, when the shaft is slid into the lowest and upward positions. Since the schmidt coupling allows for freedom of movement on a 2D plane, the former alignment is just for aesthetics rather than function. Parts Reference: CrankShaft (teal/blue) 2X EndPlate (red) 2X MidPlate (green) 1X Links (yellow) 6X Spacers (pink) 12X Pivot(short) 6X Pivot(long)3X http://youtu.be/E_YXZDF7vYs Instructions I had warping issues with the larger (rear) upright, so I printed it standing up. I printed the front upright lying down and it warped a little bit but not enough to mess up the print and I was able to straighten it easily with a heat gun. Next time I would probably print that one standing up, too.