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US 12,392,379 B2Granted
Keyless shaft assembly and keyless drive or idler wheel
AssigneeEmpirical Innovations, Inc.
InventorRocky George Olmstead
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
First and second wheel body components each define a respective wheel body component longitudinal opening and are adapted to be placed in a connected position. A portion of the first wheel body component opening is defined by an inwardly facing and tapered first compression surface. When the first and second wheel body components are placed together in the connected position with a hollow sleeve received in a sleeve operating position within the first wheel body component, the two wheel body components and sleeve together form a shaft-mountable wheel that may be installed on an appropriately sized shaft.
Claims20
A shaft-mountable wheel including:
- (a) separate first and second wheel body components each defining a respective wheel body component opening extending along a respective wheel body component longitudinal axis from an inner end to an outer end of the respective wheel body component, the first and second wheel body components being adapted to be placed in a connected position with the inner end of the first wheel body component facing the inner end of the second wheel body component;
- (b) an inwardly facing first compression surface defining a portion of the first wheel body component opening, the inwardly facing first compression surface tapering narrower in the direction from the inner end of the first wheel body component to the outer end of the first wheel body component;
- (c) a hollow sleeve extending along a sleeve longitudinal axis and having a sleeve first section, the sleeve first section having an inwardly facing shaft gripping surface and an outwardly facing loading surface, the loading surface of the sleeve first section being tapered along the sleeve longitudinal axis and the shaft gripping surface of the sleeve first section defining a portion of a shaft receiving passage through the sleeve;
- (d) a drive feature projecting from at least one of an outer circumferential surface of the first wheel body component and an outer circumferential surface of the second wheel body component;
- and
- (e) wherein when the first and second wheel body components are placed together in the connected position with the sleeve first section received in a sleeve first section operating position within the first wheel body component, the first compression surface presses against the loading surface of the sleeve first section with a sleeve first section gripping force.
3 more elements
A shaft assembly including:
- (a) an elongated shaft extending along a shaft longitudinal axis and having a cylindrical shaft outer surface;
- and
- (b) two or more shaft-mountable wheels mounted on the shaft, each shaft-mountable wheel including:
- (i) separate first and second wheel body components each defining a respective wheel body component opening extending along a respective wheel body component longitudinal axis from an inner end to an outer end of the respective wheel body component, the first and second wheel body components residing in a connected position with the inner end of the first wheel body component facing the inner end of the second wheel body component and with the respective wheel body component longitudinal axis aligned with the shaft longitudinal axis;
- (ii) an inwardly facing first compression surface defining a portion of the first wheel body component opening, the inwardly facing first compression surface tapering narrower in the direction from the inner end of the first wheel body component to the outer end of the first wheel body component;
- (iii) a drive feature projecting from at least one of an outer circumferential surface of the first wheel body component and an outer circumferential surface of the second wheel body component;
- and
- (iv) a hollow sleeve extending along a sleeve longitudinal axis and having a sleeve first section received in a sleeve first section operating position within the first wheel body component with the sleeve longitudinal axis aligned with the shaft longitudinal axis, the sleeve first section having an inwardly facing shaft gripping surface and an outwardly facing loading surface, the loading surface of the sleeve first section being tapered along the sleeve longitudinal axis and the shaft gripping surface of the sleeve first section defining a portion of a shaft receiving passage through the sleeve, wherein with the first and second wheel body components of the respective shaft-mountable wheel in the connected position with the sleeve first section received in the sleeve first section operating position within the first wheel body component, the first compression surface of the first wheel body component presses against the loading surface of the sleeve first section with a sleeve first section gripping force which compresses the shaft gripping surface of the sleeve first section against the shaft outer surface to essentially fix the respective shaft-mountable wheel on the shaft.
5 more elements
A method of securing a shaft-mountable wheel to a cylindrical shaft, the method including:
- (a) sliding a hollow sleeve along a shaft longitudinal axis of the cylindrical shaft to a desired wheel position, the sleeve having a sleeve first section that includes an inwardly facing shaft gripping surface and an outwardly facing loading surface, the loading surface being tapered along a sleeve longitudinal axis that is aligned with the shaft longitudinal axis when the sleeve is in the desired wheel position;
- (b) sliding first and second wheel body components longitudinally with respect to the cylindrical shaft to a capture position in which the sleeve in the desired wheel position is captured between the first and second wheel body components with an inner end of the first wheel body component facing an inner end of the second wheel body component and with an inwardly facing first compression surface of the first wheel body component abutting at least a portion of the loading surface of the sleeve first section and with a drive feature projecting from at least one of an outer circumferential surface of the first wheel body component and an outer circumferential surface of the second wheel body component;
- and
- (c) connecting the first and second wheel body components together with a connection force applied parallel to the shaft longitudinal axis, the connection force causing the first compression surface to press against the loading surface of the sleeve first section and thereby cause the shaft gripping surface of the sleeve first section to apply a gripping force to the cylindrical shaft sufficient to fix the sleeve, and first and second wheel body components relative to the cylindrical shaft.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.