Adjustable torque conveyor roller drive
First Claim
1. In a roller conveyor apparatus of the type including an axle shaft having a threaded end, a roller on the shaft and rotating therewith, a drive sprocket slidably mounted directly on the shaft and variably frictionally couplable to the shaft by way of a thrust pad and a back-up pad non-slidably mounted directly on the shaft and abutting axially opposite faces of the sprocket, and a nut threaded on the shaft end to control the frictional coupling between the sprocket and pads according to the axial position of the nut, the improvement which comprises:
- a plurality of compression springs operatively disposed in uniformily circumferentially spaced relation axially between the nut and the adjacent thrust pad at a radially outwardly predetermined distance from the axis thereof to apply compression force to urge the thrust pad against the sprocket according to the axial position of the nut on the threaded shaft end.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A friction clutch for a conveyor roller bearing apparatus wherein a plurality of small thrust springs are disposed between an adjustable nut and a thrust pad to force a drive sprocket against a back-up friction pad connected to the roller axle shaft. Means such as sleeves around the springs or pins between the nut and thrust pad are provided to minimize or eliminate sideloading on the springs. The faces of the thrust and back-up pads are centrally relieved to concentrate the thrust forces in a band which corresponds with the radial locations of the thrust springs. By this arrangement a very uniform breakaway or release torque characteristic is provided about 360° of relative angular travel between the components.
28 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. In a roller conveyor apparatus of the type including an axle shaft having a threaded end, a roller on the shaft and rotating therewith, a drive sprocket slidably mounted directly on the shaft and variably frictionally couplable to the shaft by way of a thrust pad and a back-up pad non-slidably mounted directly on the shaft and abutting axially opposite faces of the sprocket, and a nut threaded on the shaft end to control the frictional coupling between the sprocket and pads according to the axial position of the nut, the improvement which comprises:
a plurality of compression springs operatively disposed in uniformily circumferentially spaced relation axially between the nut and the adjacent thrust pad at a radially outwardly predetermined distance from the axis thereof to apply compression force to urge the thrust pad against the sprocket according to the axial position of the nut on the threaded shaft end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Specification