Belt guide pulley
AssigneeR. G. Technical Associates, Inc.
InventorsRoland W. Gerstenberger, William R. Joyce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a clam shell shaped belt guide pulley having first and second curved halves which are hinged together. Each pulley half has curved inner and outer surfaces. The pulley is adapted to be placed on a large diameter shaft without the need to remove the shaft from the remainder of the machine. There is no supporting structure between the inner surfaces of the pulley halves and the shaft.
Claims19
A belt guide pulley for guiding a belt adapted to be attached to a shaft comprising:
- a unitary clam shell shaped member;
- said member including first and second curved halves;
- each half having an inner curved surface and an outer curved surface;
- said outer surface contacting the belt;
- said outer surface shaped so as to prevent the belt from slipping from said member;
- each half having a free end;
- a weakened section on said member and located between said free ends;
- said weakened section connecting said first curved shaft to said second curved half;
- said weakened section enabling said free ends to be moved relative to one another whereby said member may be readily placed on the shaft.
A conveyor system comprising:
- at least one shaft;
- said shaft having a diameter of at least 2";
- at least one unitary belt guide pulley for guiding a belt removably attached to said shaft;
- said pulley being clam shell shaped having first and second curved halves and a weakened section connecting said first and second halves together enabling said halves to be rotated;
- said pulley having an outer surface;
- said outer surface contacting the belt;
- said outer surface shaped so as to prevent the belt from slipping from said pulley;
- the ratio of the largest outer diameter of said pulley to the outer diameter of said shaft being no more than 1.2 to 1.
A method of applying a unitary clam shell shaped belt guide pulley for guiding a belt having (a) two halves, each half having an outer surface, said outer surface contacting the belt, said outer surface shaped so as to prevent the belt from slipping from said pulley, (b) a weakened section connecting said halves together, and (c) each half having a free end, to a conveyor machine shaft without having to remove any portion of the shaft from said conveyor machine, comprising the steps of:
- opening said pulley by moving the free ends of each half away form each other;
- placing said pulley on said shaft so that the inside surface of each pulley half contacts the outside surface of said shaft;
- adhering said inside surface of each pulley half to the outside surface of said shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.