Cardan shaft with electrically-controlled fluid viscosity variation - is subjected to increase in stiffness of ball-bearing mountings at sub-normal rates of shaft rotation

摘要

The shaft of tubular steel couplesa the gearbox output shaft to thee final drive shaft via universal joints and ball bearings with elastic mountings (62,70) contg. fluid chambers (84) with diaphragms covering the gaps (92) in their outer walls. An anode and a cathode on opposite sides of each gap (92) are wired to a voltage controller (104) which comes into operation when the detected (106) rotational speed falls below a threshold value. ADVANTAGE - Rotational balance is improved with stiffness of resilient mountings adjustable in accordance with shaft speed.