US 4,059,022 AGranted

Drive assembly

AssigneeNational Research Development Corporation

InventorsJohn Neville Fawcett, Stuart William Nicol

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A drive assembly comprises an elongated endless drive member, for example a roller drive chain, engaged on a rotary drive member, for example a drive sprocket, and arranged to be driven by the rotary drive member. A guide member, preferably a guide wheel defines a guide surface urged against the tight strand of drive chain on the opposite side to that engaged by the sprocket. The guide surface of the guide member is positioned in contact with the drive chain in the region of initial engagement of the drive chain on the drive sprocket and is arranged to guide the drive chain member on to the drive sprocket. The guide member is positioned for eliminating or inhibiting any radial component of velocity of the drive chain relative to the drive sprocket during engagement of the drive chain by the drive sprocket.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A drive assembly comprising:

an elongated endless drive member;
a rotary drive member, said endless drive member being engaged on said rotary drive member for being driven by the rotary drive member and having a strand extending from said rotary drive member which in operation of the drive assembly is tensioned by the drive of the rotary drive member;
a guide member defining a guide surface;
and
mounting means for mounting said guide member and for urging said guide member against the endless drive member on said tensioned strand of the endless drive member and on the side of said tensioned strand of the endless drive member which is opposite that engaged by the rotary drive member;
the guide surface of the guide member being positioned in contact with the endless drive member at the region of initial engagement of the endless drive member on the rotary drive member for guiding the endless drive member on to the rotary drive member, and for eliminating or inhibiting any radial component of velocity of the endless drive member relative to the rotary drive member during engagement of the endless drive member by the rotary drive member.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.