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US 6,645,060 B2Granted
Expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorArthur P. Luedeke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt. The present invention relates more particularly to an expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, which includes an hub having an axis and a plurality of wheel segments engaged with the hub, where the hub and the plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, and where the plurality of wheel segments are movable between a first radial position and a second radial position.
Claims39
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising;
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- and
- b) a wheel segment engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said wheel segment are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said wheel segment is moveable between a first radial position and a second radial position, wherein said first radial position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second radial position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, wherein said wheel segment includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt, and wherein said peripheral surface includes a first oblique edge and a second oblique edge opposite said first oblique edge, and wherein said first oblique edge and said second oblique edge are oblique to the direction of wheel rotation.
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising:
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- b) a plurality of wheel segments engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said plurality of wheel segments are moveable from a first radial position to a second radial position, wherein said first position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, wherein said wheel segment includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt;
- c) a mechanical stop engaged with said hub, wherein said mechanical stop prevents said plurality of wheel segment segments from expanding beyond said second radial position;
- and
- d) means for simultaneously moving said plurality of wheel segments between said first radial position and said second radial position.
2 more elements
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising:
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- b) a plurality of wheel segments engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said plurality of wheel segments are moveable between a first radial position and a second radial position, wherein said first position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, and wherein each of said plurality of wheel segments includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt;
- and
- c) means for simultaneously moving said plurality of wheel segments between said first radial position and said second radial position, wherein said means for moving said plurality of wheel segments is rotatable from a first circumferential position to a second circumferential position without significant axial travel, and wherein when said means for simultaneously moving said plurality of wheel segments is in said first circumferential position, said plurality of wheel segments are in said first radial position, and wherein when said means for simultaneously moving said plurality of wheel segments is in said second circumferential position, said plurality of wheel segments are in said second radial position.
1 more element
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising:
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- b) a plurality of wheel segments engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said plurality of wheel segments are moveable between a first radial position and a second radial position, wherein said first position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, and wherein each of said plurality of segments includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt;
- and
- c) means for simultaneously moving said wheel segments between said first radial position and said second radial position.
1 more element
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising:
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- b) a plurality of wheel segments engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said plurality of wheel segments are moveable from a first radial position to a second radial position, wherein said first position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, wherein each of said plurality of wheel segments includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt;
- c) a mechanical stop engaged with said hub, wherein said mechanical stop prevents said plurality of wheel segments from expanding beyond said second radial position;
- d) a cam engaged with said hub, wherein said cam includes slots, wherein said each of slots include a first radial end and a second radial end opposite the first radial end, wherein the first radial end is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein the second radial end is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius;
- and
- e) cam followers attached to said wheel segments, wherein said cam followers are slideably engaged with said cam slots.
3 more elements
An expandable wheel for supporting an endless abrasive belt, comprising:
- a) a hub, including an axis;
- b) a plurality of wheel segments engaged with said hub, wherein said hub and said plurality of wheel segments are adapted to rotate about the axis, wherein said plurality of wheel segments are moveable between a first radial position and a second radial position, wherein said first position is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein said second position is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius, and wherein each of said plurality of segments includes a peripheral surface for supporting an endless abrasive belt;
- c) a cam engaged with said hub, wherein said cam includes slots, wherein said each of slots include a first radial end and a second radial end opposite the first radial end, wherein the first radial end is located at a first radius from the axis, wherein the second radial end is located at a second radius from the axis, wherein said first radius is less than said second radius;
- and
- d) cam followers attached to said wheel segments, wherein said cam followers are slideably engaged with said cam slots.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.