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This is Flash animation of Oldham coupling.
Below is exploded view of an Oldham Coupling.
An Oldham coupler is a method to transfer torque between two parallel
but not collinear shafts. It has three discs, one coupled to the input, one
coupled to the output, and a middle disc that is joined to the first two by
tongue and groove. The tongue and groove on one side is perpendicular to
the tongue and groove on the other. Often springs are used to reduce
backlash of the mechanism. The coupler is much more compact than, for
example, two universal joints.
The coupler is named for John Oldham who invented it in Ireland, in 1820,
to solve a paddle placement problem in a steamship design.
The middle disc rotates around its center at the same speed as the input
and output shafts. Its center traces a circular orbit, twice per rotation,
around the midpoint between input and output shafts.