Elliptical drive
AssigneeConn-Weld Industries, Inc.
InventorGregory K. Harman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some examples, an elliptical drive adjusts a phase angle of unbalanced shafts or weights of a vibrating screen. The elliptical drive may include a yoke assembly including four plates that allows relative rotation of two shafts that in turn adjust the phase angle. One of the two shafts may have a pulley drive driven by a motor. The elliptical drive may include two gears intermeshed with each other hand having respective hubs with helical splines that mate with corresponding helical splines of the two shafts. Rotating an actuator rod may cause the two gears to move in an axial direction of the two shafts thereby rotating the two shafts relative to one another which in turn causes a phase angle adjustment of the unbalanced weights or shafts of the vibration mechanism of the vibrating screen.
Claims20
An elliptical drive device, comprising:
- a first shaft having first helical external splines;
- a second shaft, disposed parallel to the first shaft, having second helical external splines;
- a first gear having a first hub with first helical internal splines that mate with the first helical external splines of the first shaft;
- a second gear intermeshed with the first gear and having a second hub with second helical internal splines that mate with the second helical external splines of the second shaft;
- a first drive shaft coupled to the first shaft;
- a third shaft disposed parallel to the second shaft;
- a second drive shaft, disposed parallel to the first drive shaft, coupled to the third shaft;
- a belt connecting the second shaft with the third shaft;
- a top plate disposed above the first gear and the second gear;
- a first threaded actuator rod disposed through the top plate;
- a front plate and a back plate sandwiching the first gear and the second gear in an axial direction of the first shaft and second shaft;
- and
- a bottom plate sandwiching the first gear and the second gear with the top plate in a vertical direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction,
- wherein upon rotation of the first threaded actuator rod, the top plate, bottom plate, front plate and back plate move together in the axial direction causing relative rotation of the first shaft and second shaft with respect to each other.
A method of adjusting a vibrating mechanism of a vibrating screen, the method comprising:
- providing a first shaft having first helical external splines;
- providing a second shaft, disposed parallel to the first shaft, having second helical external splines;
- providing a first gear having a first hub with first helical internal splines that mate with the first helical external splines of the first shaft;
- providing a second gear intermeshed with the first gear and having a second hub with second helical internal splines that mate with the second helical external splines of the second shaft;
- providing a first drive shaft coupled to the first shaft;
- providing a third shaft disposed parallel to the second shaft;
- providing a second drive shaft, disposed parallel to the first drive shaft, coupled to the third shaft;
- providing a belt connecting the second shaft with the third shaft;
- providing a top plate disposed above the first gear and the second gear;
- providing a first threaded actuator rod disposed through the top plate;
- providing a front plate and a back plate sandwiching the first gear and the second gear in an axial direction of the first shaft and second shaft;
- providing a bottom plate sandwiching the first gear and the second gear with the top plate in a vertical direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction;
- and
- rotating the first threaded actuator rod thereby causing the top plate, bottom plate, front plate and back plate to move together in the axial direction causing relative rotation of the first shaft and second shaft with respect to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.