Cartridge bearing including a stub shaft and an electrically conductive axle and method of using cartridge bearing

An insertable cartridge coacting with a tube, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) a first bearing supporting said housing and journaling a stub shaft;
• c) said stub shaft further including a spring for urging an axially movable electrically conductive axle into an operative interlocking with an aperture of a frame, and
• d) said axially movable electrically conductive axle further comprising:
• i) a body engaging said stub shaft;
• ii) a tip projecting outwardly from said stub shaft for operatively interlocking with said aperture of said frame;
• and
• iii) a nonmetallic damper positioned between said tip and said body.

An insertable cartridge coacting with a conveyor roller tube, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) an inboard bearing supporting said housing and journaling a stub shaft
• c) an outboard ball bearing supporting said housing and journaling said stub shaft;
• d) said stub shaft further including a spring for urging an axially movable electrically conductive axle into an operative interlocking with an aperture of a conveyor frame, and
• e) said axially movable electrically conductive axle further comprising:
• i) a body engaging said stub shaft;
• ii) a tapered tip projecting outwardly from said stub shaft for operatively interlocking with said aperture of said frame;
• and
• iii) a nonmetallic damper positioned between said tapered tip and said body.

An insertable cartridge coacting with a conveyor roller tube, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) an inboard ball bearing supporting said housing and journaling a stub shaft;
• c) an outboard ball bearing supporting said housing and journaling said stub shaft;
• d) said stub shaft further including a chamber having a spring for urging an axially movable electrically conductive axle into an operative interlocking with an aperture of a conveyor frame, and
• e) said axially movable electrically conductive axle further comprising:
• i) a metallic body engaging said electrically conductive nonmetallic stub shaft;
• and
• ii) a metallic hexagonal tapered tip projecting outwardly from said stub shaft for operatively interlocking with said aperture of said frame, wherein said metallic tapered tip of said axially movable electrically conductive axle is harder than an exposed surface of said conveyor's frame circumscribing said aperture such that said frame rather than said metallic tapered tip encounters wearing from vibrations of said conveyor roller tube.

An insertable cartridge coacting with a conveyor roller tube, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) an inboard ball bearing supporting said housing and journaling a stub shaft
• c) an outboard ball bearing supporting said housing and journaling said stub shaft;
• d) said stub shaft further including a spring for urging a hexagonal axially movable electrically conductive axle into an operative interlocking with an aperture of a conveyor frame, and
• e) said hexagonal axially movable electrically conductive axle further comprising:
• i) a body engaging said stub shaft;
• ii) a metallic tapered tip projecting outwardly from said stub shaft for operatively interlocking with said aperture of said frame, wherein said metallic tapered tip is harder than an exposed surface of said conveyor's frame circumscribing said aperture;
• and
• iii) a nonmetallic damper positioned between said tapered tip and said body.

A method of operatively interlocking a tip of an electrically conductive axle to an aperture of a conveyor frame for reducing vibration and noise of a conveyor roller, comprising the steps of:

• a) inserting a cartridge including a ball bearing into an end of a conveyor roller;
• b) supporting said cartridge from said ball bearing;
• c) journaling a stub shaft in said ball bearing;
• d) loading a spring into said stub shaft for urging said electrically conductive axle body toward said aperture of said conveyor frame;
• e) incorporating a tip on said electrically conductive axle body, wherein said tip is harder than an exposed surface of said conveyor's frame circumscribing said aperture;
• f) positioning a damper between said tip and said electrically conductive axle body;
• and
• g) operatively interlocking said tip of said electrically conductive axle body with said aperture.