Means for coupling a drive shaft to a rotatable member and the method of doing the same

A method of coupling a drive shaft to a cleaning roller for a sugar beet harvester for rotation therewith comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a drive shaft comprised of a stub shaft, a cleaning roller for sugar beet harvester having at least one end and a bore through said at least one end, and an expandable and compressible coupler having a bore therethrough;
• (b) positioning said expandable and compressible coupler in said bore through said end of said cleaning roller;
• (c) extending said drive shaft in said bore of said expandable and compressible coupler;
• and
• (d) substantially securing said expandable and compressible coupler to said drive shaft and to said cleaning roller so that said cleaning roller rotates with said drive shaft to substantially prevent removal of said drive shaft from said cleaning roller.

A method of coupling a drive shaft to a cleaning roller for a sugar beet harvester for rotation therewith comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a drive shaft comprised of a stub shaft, a cleaning roller for sugar beet harvester having at least one end and a bore through said at least one end, and an expandable and compressible coupler having a bore there through,
• (b) positioning said expandable and compressible coupler in said bore through said end of said cleaning roller;
• (c) extending said drive shaft in said bore of said expandable and compressible coupler;
• (d) substantially securing said expandable and compressible coupler to said drive shaft and to said cleaning roller so that said cleaning roller rotates with said drive shaft to substantially prevent removal of said drive shaft from said cleaning roller;
• (e) providing said expandable and compressible coupler having a first segmented sleeve and a second segmented sleeve, said first segmented sleeve positioned within said second segmented sleeve, said bore of said expandable and compressible coupler extending through said first segmented sleeve;
• (f) providing said first segmented sleeve having an externally threaded part and an externally tapered part with movable arc-shaped segments, said second segmented sleeve having a threaded fastening part and an expandable part, said tapered part being tapered outwardly and away from said threaded fastening part;
• (g) wherein the step of positioning said expandable and compressible coupler further includes exposing said threaded fastening part within said bore of said cleaning roller for easy and convenient access by a user so that the user can substantially secure said coupler to said drive shaft and to said cleaning roller;
• (h) wherein the step of substantially securing said expandable and compressible coupler further includes threading said threaded fastening member toward said tapered part thus effecting expanding of said expandable part securely against a wall forming said bore of said cleaning roller and compressing said tapered part securely about said drive shaft such that said rotatable member rotates with said drive shaft;
• and
• (i) wherein the step of substantially securing said expandable and compressible coupler also includes preventing removal of said drive shaft from said cleaning roller by substantially engaging said expandable and compressible coupler within said bore of said cleaning roller and by substantially clamping or engaging said expandable and compressible coupler about said drive shaft.