Multi-section conveyor drive roller

A multi-section roller comprising:

• a rotatable mounting hub having a plurality of external face surfaces;
• and
• a plurality of roller segments each removably attachable to at least one of the external face surfaces of the mounting hub, each roller segment having a curved outer wall surface, wherein the plurality of roller segments combine to define a roller outer wall surface when the roller segments are attached to the mounting hub,
• wherein the curved outer wall surfaces of the roller segments are separated from each other by a gap that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting hub when the roller segments are attached to the mounting hub,
• wherein each of the external face surfaces of the hub receives a plurality of fasteners to secure the roller segments to the mounting hub,
• wherein the gaps include at least one circumferentially extending gap and a plurality of longitudinally extending gaps formed by end structure on the curved outer wall surfaces fixed to the mounting hub, and
• wherein the longitudinally extending gaps provide access to the fasteners attached to the hub.

A segmented conveyor roller engageable with a conveyor belt movably mounted on a conveyor frame assembly, the roller comprising:

• a driven mounting hub rotatably attached to the frame assembly, the hub having a hexagonally shaped outer peripheral surface defined by first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and six adjacently disposed faces, the first, third and fifth faces carrying a plurality of threaded fasteners having retaining heads;
• and
• a set of six adjacently disposed roller segments, three segments being located on a first half of the hub and three segments being located on a second half of the hub, each roller segment having a mounting portion and a curved outer wall surface connected by radially extending walls, each mounting portion having a base flanked by a pair of outwardly diverging tabs, the bases being engaged against the second, fourth and sixth faces, and the tabs of adjacently disposed roller segments extending partially along the first, third and fifth faces for engagement between the retaining heads of the fasteners and the first, third and fifth faces,
• whereby with the roller segments attached to the hub, the curved outer wall surfaces are aligned with one another and include axially extending ends separated from each other to form three longitudinally extending gaps for providing access to the threaded fasteners so as to facilitate assembly/disassembly of the roller, the curved outer wall surfaces also including innermost ends separated from one another to form a single circumferentially extending center gap for receiving a single longitudinally extending rib on the conveyor belt for maintaining belt tracking.