Hydraulically securable and angularly adjustable gears

A hydraulically securable and angularly adjustable gear, for use in a drive to a printing cylinder or other member requiring precise positional angular adjustment, comprising in combination:

• an annular body having an axial bore;
• a toothed gear extending radially outward beyond said body, and secured directly to said body, said gear providing a concentric, radially outwardly extending extension of said annular body;
• a gallery of larger diameter than said bore formed in said annular body and extending axially thereof, said gallery having one side open to said bore, and terminating at its axially opposite ends in radially inwardly extending lands;
• a sleeve positioned within said bore and bridging said lands, said sleeve being secured to and hermetically sealed to said lands;
• and, having an internal diameter greater than that of a shaft with which said gear is associated;
• hydraulic actuator means operative to pressurize said gallery with an incompressible hydraulic fluid;
• and,
• an hermetically closable bleed passage means connected to said gallery to permit air to be purged from said gallery;
• whereby said gear and annular body can be slid onto a shaft of complementary diameter, adjusted axially and angularly relative to said shaft and locked to said shaft in any selected position of axial and angular adjustment relative to said shaft.