Instrumented dead shaft for pulley assemblies and the like

A non-rotatable support shaft for supporting a rotating member in rotation, the shaft being configured to be fixedly supported on a machine frame and including first and second bearing support regions for receiving respective first and second antifriction bearings, the antifriction bearings supporting the rotating member in rotation on the shaft, the shaft comprising:

• first and second temperature sensors disposed within the shaft adjacent to the first and second bearing support regions, respectively, the first and second temperature sensors generating temperature signals representative of temperatures of the first and second bearings, respectively, the first and second temperature sensors including first and second communications links for transmitting the temperature signals to a remote location;
• and
• a rotational speed sensor fixedly supported thereon, the speed sensor generating speed signals representative of the rotational speed of the rotating member, the speed sensor including a third communications link for transmitting the speed signals to a remote location;
• at least one internal channel formed in and extending along the shaft, and wherein the first, second and third communication links are at least partially disposed within the at least one internal channel;
• a network interface circuit coupled to the communication link, the network interface circuit being configured to receive the parameter signals and to apply the parameter signals to a monitoring circuit.

A shaft system for supporting a machine element in rotation, the shaft system comprising:

• a shaft configured to be fixedly and non-rotationally supported on a machine frame and including at least one bearing support region for receiving an antifriction bearing for supporting the machine element in rotation on the shaft;
• a plurality of sensors supported on the shaft, each sensor being configured to detect an operating parameter of the shaft system and to generate a corresponding parameter signal representative thereof;
• a plurality of communications links, a communications link being coupled to each of the plurality of sensors for transmitting the parameter signals therefrom;
• and
• at least one internal channel formed in and extending along the shaft, and wherein at least one of the communication links is at least partially disposed within the at least one internal channel;
• an network interface circuit coupled to the communications links, the interface circuit being configured to receive the parameter signals and to transmit output signals to a remote monitoring circuit.