Patents by Inventor Walter D. Sykes

Walter D. Sykes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Self-normalizing compliant drive coupling
    Patent number: 4813911
    Abstract: A self-normalizing compliant drive coupling (10) having a constant-velocity joint (12) attached to a unidirectional clutch (14) to accommodate axial misalignment of a drive shaft attached to the body (16) of the joint (12) and a driven shaft grasped by the clutch (14). A housing (26) has a cylindrical top portion (28) with a top axial bore (30) for receiving a stem (18) of the joint (12) and a bottom axial bore (34) for receiving the clutch (14). A resilient sleeve (42) encloses the joint (12) and rests on a shoulder (40) on the housing (26). A collar (44) slides over the joint body (16) to bear against the top surface (43) of the sleeve (42) to place the sleeve (42) under a compressive load that urges the clutch housing (26) into axial alignment with the body (16) of the joint (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mark F. Gabriel, Walter D. Sykes, Jeffrey C. Bye