Live roller conveyors
AssigneeConveyor Units Limited
InventorEdward William Toye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a live roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers driven by friction drive from a main drive shaft wherein at least some of said rollers are driven from the main drive shaft through a secondary drive shaft and there being control means to vary the torque transmitted between the main drive shaft and the secondary drive shaft.
Claims22
A live roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers driven by friction drive from a main drive shaft wherein at least some of said rollers are driven from the main drive shaft through a secondary drive shaft, a control means to vary the torque transmitted between the main drive shaft and the secondary drive shaft, the main drive shaft disposed within the secondary drive shaft, the secondary drive shaft being movable relative to the main drive shaft so as to vary torque transmitting frictional engagement therebetween, the secondary drive shaft including alignment means to restrain longitudinal movement of the secondary drive shaft, and wherein the alignment means comprises a disc attached to said secondary drive shaft transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof, said disc being received in bearings attached relative to a frame of the conveyor.
A live roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers driven by friction drive from a main drive shaft wherein at least some of said rollers are driven from the main drive shaft through a secondary drive shaft, a control means to vary the torque transmitted between the main drive shaft and the secondary drive shaft, the main drive shaft disposed within the secondary drive shaft, the secondary drive shaft being movable relative to the main drive shaft so as to vary torque transmitting frictional engagement therebetween, the secondary drive shaft including alignment means to restrain longitudinal movement of the secondary drive shaft, and wherein the alignment means comprises an end part of said secondary drive shaft which engages a washer disposed between said end part and said control means.
A live roller conveyor comprising:
- a plurality of rollers mounted to a frame;
- a secondary drive shaft operatively connected to the plurality of rollers and arranged to transmit rotation to the plurality of rollers;
- a main drive shaft disposed inside of the secondary drive shaft, the secondary drive shaft shiftable relative to the main drive shaft between an engaged position in which the secondary drive shaft is positioned in frictional engagement with the main drive shaft such that the secondary drive shaft receives driving torque from the main drive shaft and a disengaged position in which the secondary drive shaft is positioned out of frictional engagement with the main drive shaft;
- a stop positioned to be engaged by the secondary drive shaft when the secondary drive shaft is in the disengaged position, the stop shaped to limit lateral movement of the secondary drive shaft relative to the axis of the main drive shaft as the secondary drive shaft is shifted toward the disengaged position, the stop further supported relative to the main drive shaft to define a limit on the vertical movement of the secondary drive shaft as the secondary drive shaft is shifted to the disengaged position;
- an actuator arranged to shift the secondary drive shaft between the engaged and disengaged positions;
- and
- an alignment washer positioned to engage an end portion of the secondary drive shaft, the alignment washer arranged to limit longitudinal movement of the secondary drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.