Conveyor component with flexible hub and conveyor assembly
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorsMatthew Vulpetti, Ryan Hale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor component for use in a conveyor includes a flexible hub for mounting a shaft and a continuous rim connected to the flexible hub for contacting a conveyor belt. The flexible hub includes a peripheral gap that can be widened using an expansion tool to enlarge a shaft-receiving opening formed by the flexible hub. Positioning tabs on a radially inner surface of the flexible hub move into engagement with a groove on the shaft when the conveyor component is in a relaxed state and the peripheral gap is contracted and out of engagement with the groove when the peripheral gap is expanded, and the flexible hub is flexed.
Claims19
A component for a conveyor, comprising:
- a flexible hub having a radially inner surface forming an axially-extending, expandable shaft opening for receiving a shaft, a radially outer surface and a peripheral gap between the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface for allowing the shaft opening to selectively expand, the flexible hub including a flexible leg having a radially inwards-extending tab configured to be received in a peripheral groove on the shaft received in the shaft opening and a first concave end face defining a portion of the peripheral gap;
- and
- a rim connected to the flexible hub, the rim having a continuous periphery for contacting a conveyor belt.
An assembly for a conveyor comprising:
- an axially-extending shaft including a peripheral groove;
- and
- a component mounted on the shaft, the component having a flexible hub forming an axially-extending, radially-expandable shaft opening for receiving the axially-extending shaft, the flexible hub including a flexible leg having a radially inwards-extending tab configured to be received in the peripheral groove, the component further including a rim connected to the flexible hub, the rim having a continuous periphery for contacting a conveyor belt.
An assembly, comprising:
- a conveyor component having a flexible hub having a radially inner surface forming an axially-extending, expandable shaft opening for receiving a shaft, a radially outer surface and a peripheral gap between the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface for allowing the shaft opening to selectively expand, the flexible hub including a flexible leg having a radially inwards-extending tab configured to be received in a peripheral groove on a shaft received in the shaft opening and a first concave end face defining a portion of the peripheral gap, and a rim connected to the flexible hub, the rim having a continuous periphery for contacting a conveyor belt;
- and
- an expansion tool configured to selectively enlarge the peripheral gap to expand the shaft opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.