775 Pro Coupling

[Richard Wallace]

We were also concerned that 775 motors might not handle side loads well.

We've had good results using 3/8 hex shaft stock (217-3310) to fabricate 5mm bore press-fit shaft adapters for the 775pro. Here is our method: (lathe)

-- rough cut stock ~1 inch long using chop saw or band saw
-- face both ends to give 7/8 inch finished length and break edges
-- center drill
-- drill through #21 (0.159 inch dia)
-- drill about halfway through #9 (0.196 inch dia) <-- this step gives a press fit hole diameter for the 5 mm motor shaft
-- tap the smaller end 10-32
-- using arbor press, align squarely and press motor into large end of adapter

(Note: arbor press ram should only touch the back shaft, not the motor body)

A 3/8" hex bore gear on the adapted motor shaft drives a larger gear on a 1/2" hex output shaft. Both shafts are supported by bearings in a gearbox housing, which we make on a mill using 1x3 rectangular aluminum tube with 1/8 inch wall thickness. The output shaft bearings are installed flanges-in with a 1/8 inch plastic spacer between the gear and one bearing. The motor face mounts to one side of the tube* secured by two M4x10 button head screws, then a spacer and the shaft gear go on, and a 3/8" hex bearing (217-2735) goes in flange-out. A 10-32 x 0.5 inch button head screw and washer keep the bearing in.

Free current draw with this method is less than we saw testing with a Versaplanetary, and the gears are easier to keep lubed. It is also easier to integrate this gearbox into our shooter because the output shaft is also a shooter wheel axle, supported by another bearing on the opposite side. Another benefit is that we can select any of several gear ratios that use the same total number of teeth. That includes options smaller than 3:1, which is lowest ratio available using Versaplanetaries.

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*Vent holes in the tube wall, aligned with those in the motor face, are highly recommended.