US2631718A - Drive for conveyer belts - Google Patents

Description

E. v. RINEHART DRIVE FOR CONVEYER BELTS Filed June a, 1951 Ill/A V' l////l I ll Ill/A March 17, 1953 INVENTOR. f. 0 ,l/ f .4 I f ATTQRNEY mm 2 D Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Ernest V. Rinehart, Sterling, 111., assignor of onehalf to Lourde T. Renner, Sterling, Ill.

, Application June 8, 1951, Serial No. 230,518

The present invention relates to the art of pulleys for conveyor belts.

Conveyor belts are normally driven from an external source of power, such as a motor, which is connected, as by belts, to drive one of the conveyor belt pulleys. As a space saver, the motor is frequently located within the endless conveyor belt. Regardless of whether the motor is so located, or is located externally, there is the immediate problem of plant safety from either the gears or belts which are employed for the driving connection.

'Objects'of the present invention are the provision of' improved driving pulleys for conveyor belts, the provision of driving pulleys in which the drive mechanism is contained therein, and the provision of conveyor belt drive pulleys which avoid the hazards normally encountered. Ihave, also, such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the structure'disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be regarded as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

A preferred form of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal axial section, and

Fig. 2 is a left end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

In the specific form of this invention shown, a pulley cylinder 3 is provided with heads 4 and 5 which may be either welded in place or bolted to the cylinder 3 to provide ready access to the drive structure therein. Each of heads 4 and 5 has secured thereto a hollow stub shaft 6 and secured to the heads 4 and 5 by flange plates 8 and 9. The stub shafts 6 and l are supported for rotation by conventional pillow blocks I and IDA, which, in turn, are supported from the frame of the conveyor. The pulley cylinder 3, heads 4 and 5, and stub shafts 6 and 1 rotate as a unit.

A power unit frame is contained within the pulley cylinder 3. This frame is constituted of a plate II and arms I2 and I4 at the ends thereof. The arms l2 and I4 carry hollow shafts I and I5, respectively, which shafts are in axial alignment with the axis of the pulley cylinder 3. The hollow shafts I5 and I6 extend through the heads 4 and 5 to and within the stub shafts 6 and 1. Suitable bearings, such as roller bearings H, are provided to facilitate relative rotation of the hollow stub shafts 6 and 1 and the hollow shafts 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-203) I5 and IS. The hollow shaft I6, which extends beyond the hollow stub shaft I, is keyed to the locking flange plate l8, which is bolted to the pillow block IDA. The power unit frame is thereby held against rotation. A key |8A serves as securing means between the shaft i6 and the flange I833. A further securing means |8C secures the locking flange plate I8 to the pillow block IliA. Therefore, since IOA is .secured against rotation, it results in the locking flange plate |8 not being rotated, and this results in the flange I83 and the hollow shaft I6 being held against rotation. Since the shaft I6 does not rotate, this results in the arm l4 being held fixed, and plate II, which is secured to the arms I2 and I4, remains stationary and supports motor I9 and speed reducer 2D. The motor I9 and speed reducer 20, with a low speed drive shaft 2|, are mounted on the power unit frame and, since the shaft I6 is hollow, it can be employed for wiring power to the motor I9.

The low speed drive shaft 2| is in alignment with an extension 2|A which acts as a universal joint to prevent breaking in case of misalignment of the unit comprising the motor I9 and the speed reducer 20. The extension 2|A has .a tongue ZIB- which fits into a slot in a driving plate or nut 22, which is held by Allen set screws in the hollow stub shaft 6.

Shaft sections 2| and 2|A are connected by a tongue and groove connection, and also by :a pin. The latter prevents sliding of section 2IA relatively to section 2|, and prevents breakage of the shaft in event hollow shafts I5 and I6 are not perfectly in alignment. As will be noted from Fig. 2, the end of section 2|A is flattened, as shown at 2|B. This flattened section or tongue 2|B fits in a similarly shaped opening in the drive plate or nut 22 and serves as a driving connection between the speed reducer 20 and the drive plate 22. Hence, the drive is from shaft 2|, section 2 IA, drive plate 22, hollow shaft 6, head 4, and drum 3.

In operation, the stationary structure includes the pillow blocks l0, locking flange plate I8, the power unit frame, which is constituted of the plate II, the arms l2 and I4, and shafts I5 and IB, together with the motor I9 and the speed reducer 20. When power is delivered to the motor I9, the speed reducer 20, driven thereby, rotates the shaft 2|. Shaft 2| is in driving engagement, through section 2 IA, tongue 2|B, and drive plate 22 with the stub shaft 6, and causes rotation thereof. Since stub shaft 6 is fixed with respect to the pulley cylinder 3, driving of the cylinder is effected. By removal of three bolts 23, at each end of the cylinder 3, one-half thereof can be removed to expose the motor I 9 and the speed reducer 20 for any necessary work connected therewith. Necessary ventilation is provided by the holes 24 in the heads 4 and 5.

Pillow block IOA is connected to whatever is necessary to support the same and it has locking flange plate l8 secured thereto. The locking flange plate 18 is counter-bored on the inside to prevent rubbing of the shaft 1 on the flange plate.

The present application is, in part, a continuation of application, Serial No. 136,034, now abandoned.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed herein and as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1, A conveyor drive pulley, comprising a pulley cylinder having heads, hollow stub shafts fixed to Said he s axially thereof and mounted for rotation of said shafts and cylinder, a frame within said cylinder and provided with hollow fixed shafts extending into said hollow stub shafts said frame extending throughout the length of said cylinder, the frame being supported entirely and solely by said hollow fixed shafts, said frame bein fixed relation to the cylinder, the cylinder being rotatable about said frame, pillow blocks for supporting said hollow fixed shafts, one or said pillow blocks holding said hollow fixed shafts a ainst rotation. at power unit mounted upon said fixed frame and havin a drive shaft in alignment with the other of said hollow fixed shafts. nd means drivin ly engagin said drive shaft an the adjacent hollow stub shaft through said other hollow fixed shaft.

2. A conveyor drive pulley comprising a drum provided with hollow shafts extending axially from the ends of the drum and mounted thereby for rotation, a fixed frame within said drum having a first tubular shaft extending through a first one of said hollow shafts and said frame being held against rotation, said frame having a second tubular shaft extending into the second of said hollow shafts, a power unit mounted on said frame and having a drive shaft extending into said second tubular shaft, said second tubular shaft being fixed, and means extending into said second tubular shaft in driven engagement with said drive shaft and fixed to the second hollow shaft, whereby, upon rotation of said drive shaft, said means and said drum are rotated.

3. A driving unit for a conveyor belt comprising supports, a drum for the belt or conveyor to run over, a supporting unit inside of the drum, hollow shafts extending axially through the ends of the drum and mounted in said supports, holding means to which the outer end of one of said hollow shafts is secured to prevent rotation thereof and of the supporting unit in the drum, driving means, having a rotatable shaft, supported by said supporting unit, said driving means being fixed in position and being connected in driving relation to said drum, and said rotatable shaft being divided into parts connected together by a tongue and'groove connection whereby power may ,be transmitted from the driving means to the drum and misalignmentfof the axle and the hol low shaft will not cause breaking of the shaft.

4. A conveyor drive pulley-comprising a drum having axially extending hollow shafts, fixed pillow blocks in which the axially extending hollow shafts are mounted for rotation, a locking flanged plate fixed to the end of one Of the pillow blocks, a first hollow shaft extending through one end of the drum and receiving the drum in rotatable relation, a key connecting the said first hollow shaft and the locking flanged plate fixed to the pillow block, a similar non-rotatable shaft extending through the other end of the drum, extending partly through the second pillow block, an axially extending second hollow shaft being rotatable in the second pillow block, the second hollow shaft having a driving plate secured relatively non-rotatably in the end thereof, said plate having a non-circular hole therethrough in axial alignment with the non-rotatable shaft extending through the second end of the drum, a frame suspended from the non-rotatable hollow shafts, a power unit supported on the frame, a sectional shaft extending through th non-rotatable shaft at the second end of the drum. said, S t n l shaft being connected in driving relation with the shaft of the power unit, and roller bearings between the pillowblocks and the hollow shafts.

ERNEST V. RINEHART.

No references cited.

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