Flexible protective bellows optionally including serrated attachment groove

A flexible longitudinally extending protective bellows, for connection to and at least partially enveloping a mechanism which is to be protected and which is rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal extent of the bellows, comprising

• first and second longitudinally spaced end portions for making contact with correspondingly spaced parts of the mechanism, and
• a body portion of the bellows which extends integrally between the first and second end portions and is along the whole of its length out of contact with the mechanism,
• the body portion comprising a plurality of integrally connected turns or folds, some of the turns or folds being of a first type having a first configuration and the remainder of the turns or folds being of a second type and having a second configuration which is a different configuration from the first configuration, the turns or folds of the first type alternating along the longitudinally extent of the body portion with the turns or folds of the second type,
• each of the first type of turns or folds being triangular shaped in cross-section, each triangular shape having a triangle-base and a triangle-peak and each triangle-base being positioned more inwardly with respect to the bellows than the corresponding triangle-peak, and
• each of the second type of turns or folds being convexly curved in cross-section with the convex-shape thereof facing outwardly of the bellows,
• such as to minimise abrasive contact between adjacent turns or folds when the body portion undergoes compression,
• the longitudinal separation along the body portion between each turn or fold of the first type and the next one of that type being substantially equal and the longitudinal separation along the body portion between each turn or fold of the second type and the next one of that type being substantially equal, and
• a ring extending circumferentially with respect to the axis of rotation of the mechanism and connected to the bellows, the ring being formed with discrete circumferentially extending teeth incorporating metal inserts for use in measuring the speed of rotation of the mechanism.

A flexible longitudinally-extending protective bellows, comprising

• a plurality of integrally connected turns or folds, some of the turns or folds being of a first type having a first configuration and the remainder of the turns or folds being of a second type and having a second configuration which is a different configuration from the first configuration, the turns or folds of the first type alternating along the longitudinal extent of the bellows with the turns or folds of the second type,
• each of the first type of turns or folds being triangular shaped in cross-section, each triangular shape having a triangle-base and a triangle-peak and each triangle-base being positioned more inwardly with respect to the bellows than the corresponding triangle-peak, and
• each of the second type of turns or folds being convexly curved in cross-section with the convex shape thereof facing outwardly of the bellows,
• such as to minimise abrasive contact between adjacent turns or folds,
• the first type of turns or folds and the second type of turns or folds being respectively substantially regularly spaced along the longitudinal extent of the bellows,
• each pair of adjacent turns or folds defining a trough between and interconnecting them, the troughs between adjacent turns or folds being shaped to reduce wear in the event of longitudinal stretching of the bellows,
• at each trough the two turns or folds meeting there being joined together by an integrally connecting loop extending inwardly of the bellows, the loop partially defining the trough,
• each said loop being re-entrantly shaped with a re-entrant mouth defined by parallel sides.