Sprocket with wear limit indication

• US 7,018,313 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tsubakimoto Sprocket Co. (Tsubakimoto Chain Company)
• Original Assignee: Tsubakimoto Sprocket Co. (Tsubakimoto Chain Company)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Vicky A.
• Application Number:
  US10/437,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 474/152, 474/156, 474/154, 474/174, 474/155, 474/175, 474/176
• US Class Current: 474/152
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/012 of gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/30 Chain-wheels

Abstract

In a sprocket for use with a roller chain, a wear limit marker, having a different color from that of the base material of the sprocket, is provided on side surface of a sprocket tooth adjacent to a keyway. The wear limit marker is disposed on an imaginary line extending in the direction of the pressure angle, and is located in a hole or groove provided in a side surface of the sprocket tooth. The marker makes it possible to determine easily and reliably whether or not wear at the location at which wear of a sprocket tooth proceeds most rapidly is within a predetermined limit, and the location of the marker makes it possible to evaluate wear conditions even when the sprocket is installed in a machine.

Claims

1. A sprocket having an axis of rotation, sprocket teeth disposed along an edge of the sprocket, said sprocket teeth being spaced radially from said axis of rotation and circumferentially from one another, said sprocket teeth having side surfaces disposed in transverse relationship to the direction of said axis of rotation, and each of said sprocket teeth having a pair of chain roller-engaging surfaces on opposite faces of the tooth with respect to the circumferential direction of the sprocket, and a pair of discrete wear limit markers, on a side surface of one of said sprocket teeth, for indicating whether or not the sprocket teeth have reached a predetermined wear limit, said markers being located adiacent, but spaced inwardly from, the respective chain roller-engaging surfaces on said one of the sprocket teeth, each said wear limit marker being disposed on an imaginary line extending in the direction of the pressure angle from a point on the sprocket pitch line at which the center of a chain roller would be located when said chain roller is engaged with, and applying a force to, said one of the sprocket teeth, and each said wear limit marker extending to predetermined limits on both sides of the imaginary line on which it is disposed.

2. A sprocket according to claim 1, in which only one of said teeth of the sprocket is provided with wear limit markers.

3. A sprocket according to claim 2, in which said sprocket has a shaft hole on said axis of rotation, said shaft hole has a keyway for locking said sprocket to a shaft extending into said shaft hole, and said one of the sprocket teeth is a tooth adjacent said keyway.

4. A sprocket according to claim 1, in which said sprocket has a shaft hole on said axis of rotation, said shaft hole has a keyway for locking said sprocket to a shaft extending into said shaft hole, and said one of the sprocket teeth is a tooth adjacent said keyway.

5. A sprocket having an axis of rotation, sprocket teeth disposed along an edge of the sprocket, said sprocket teeth being spaced radially from said axis of rotation and circumferentially from one another, said sprocket teeth having opposite side surfaces disposed in transverse relationship to the direction of said axis of rotation, and each of said sprocket teeth having a pair of chain roller-engaging surfaces on opposite faces of the tooth with respect to the circumferential direction of the sprocket, and a pair of discrete wear limit markers, on each of the side surfaces of one of said sprocket teeth, for indicating whether or not the sprocket teeth have reached a predetermined wear limit, said markers on each side of said one of the sprocket teeth being located adjacent, but spaced inwardly from, the respective chain roller-engaging surfaces on said one of the sprocket teeth, each said wear limit marker being disposed on an imaginary line extending in the direction of the pressure angle from a point on the sprocket pitch line at which the center of a chain roller would be located when said chain roller is engaged with, and applying a force to, said one of the sprocket teeth, and each said wear limit marker extending to predetermined limits on both sides of the imaginary line on which it is disposed.

6. A sprocket according to claim 5, in which only one of said teeth of the sprocket is provided with wear limit markers.

7. A sprocket according to claim 6, in which said sprocket has a shaft hole on said axis of rotation, said shaft hole has a keyway for locking said sprocket to a shaft extending into said shaft hole, and said one of the sprocket teeth is a tooth adjacent said keyway.

8. A sprocket according to claim 5, in which said sprocket has a shaft hole on said axis of rotation, said shaft hole has a keyway for locking said sprocket to a shaft extending into said shaft hole, and said one of the sprocket teeth is a tooth adjacent said keyway.