Self-aligning cutter hub assembly
OwnerMichael A. Fridleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly retainer for a self-aligning pelletizer cutter hub having a self-aligning driving connection between a cutter hub and a drive shaft for the hub in which the cutter hub is capable of universal pivotal movement as well as a driving connection through diametrically located recesses and spherical balls. The retainer is supported on the hub to retain the torque transmitting balls in the recesses. In one embodiment, the balls are retained by circular plates attached to the hub in position to form a closure for an open end of each recess. In another embodiment, spring pins are inserted in passageways in the hub with one end extending into an open end of said recesses to form an obstruction in each recess.
Claims15
A self-aligning cutter hub assembly for use in an underwater pelletizer connected to a drive shaft and enabling cutter blades on a cutter hub to be aligned with and move in parallel relation to a die face on an extrusion die plate, said cutter hub assembly comprising a centrally located axial bore defined by an inner surface on said cutter hub, said inner surface of the bore being partially spherical, an adapter rigidly mountable on an end of said drive shaft and received in said bore, said adapter including a partially spherical outer surface with the partially spherical surfaces being closely related and matching each other, each of the partially spherical surfaces including a recess receiving a torque transmitting member partially received in each of the recesses in the matching surfaces to drivingly connect the hub to the drive shaft and enable pivotal movement of the hub on said end of said drive shaft, and an assembly retainer on said cutter hub to retain said torque transmitting member in said recesses.
In a self-aligning cutter hub for connection with a drive shaft to enable the hub to pivot universally in relation to a rotational axis of the drive shaft, said hub including a bore therethrough having an inner surface provided with an arcuate curvature having a center at the center of the hub, an adapter received in said bore for mounting on a drive shaft, said adapter having an arcuately curved outer surface having a center at the center of the hub to enable relative angular movement of the hub as the edge portions of the adapter move out of alignment with the end surfaces of the hub and torque transmitting members interconnecting the outer surface of the adapter and the inner surface of the hub bore, said torque transmitting members being spherical balls partially received in recesses in each of the curved surfaces and a retainer associated with each ball receiving recess in said hub bore to retain the balls in the recesses.
A self-aligning cutter hub for use in an underwater pelletizer connected to a drive shaft and enabling cutter blades on the cutter hub to be aligned with and move in substantially parallel relation to a die face on an extrusion die plate, said cutter hub including a centrally located partially spherical inner surface, an adapter having a partially spherical outer surface engaged with the partially spherical inner surface on the hub to enable universal pivotal movement between the hub and adapter, a torque transmitting member interconnecting said partially spherical surfaces to transmit torque from said adapter to said hub, said adapter secured to a drive shaft for transmitting torque to said cutter hub and a retainer structure associated with the partially spherical surfaces to retain said torque transmitting member in interconnected relation with said partially spherical surfaces.
In combination, a self-aligning cutter hub for connection with a drive shaft to enable the hub to pivot universally in relation to a rotational axis of the drive shaft, said hub including an inner surface provided with an arcuate curvature, an adapter drivingly connected to the drive shaft, said adapter having an arcuately curved outer surface engaged with said arcuately curved inner surface on the hub to enable pivotal movement of the hub in relation to the adapter, and torque transmitting structure interconnecting the outer surface of the adapter and the inner surface of the hub for driving said hub, and a retainer associated with said hub and adapter to retain said torque transmitting structure in assembled interconnected relation to the hub and adapter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.