U.S. patent number 3,593,591 [Application Number 05/018,937] was granted by the patent office on 1971-07-20 for adjustable mounting member and a self-aligning shaft-bearing assembly.
Invention is credited to Alfred Chantland.
United States Patent |
3,593,591 |
Chantland |
July 20, 1971 |
ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING MEMBER AND A SELF-ALIGNING SHAFT-BEARING
ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A mounting member and an associated self-aligning shaft bearing
are provided at each end of a rotatable shaft. The mounting members
have one of their ends pivoted on upright parallel frame supports
for swinging movement of their opposite ends in planes parallel to
the planes of the frame supports. With the self-aligning bearings
located adjacent to such opposite ends the mounting members are
relatively movable to swing the axis of the rotatable shaft to a
first adjusted position normal to the planes of the frame supports
or to a second adjusted position inclined relative to the planes of
the frame supports.
Inventors: |
Chantland; Alfred (Humboldt,
IA) |
Family
ID: |
21790509 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/018,937 |
Filed: |
March 12, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
198/813;
474/123 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16H
7/14 (20130101); B65G 23/44 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16H
7/14 (20060101); B65G 23/00 (20060101); B65G
23/44 (20060101); F16H 7/10 (20060101); F16h
007/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;74/242.15R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gerin; Leonard H.
Claims
I claim:
1. An adjustable mounting member and self-aligning bearing assembly
for each end of a belt pulley shaft of an apparatus having a pair
of oppositely arranged frame supports and wherein the shaft extends
transversely between said frame supports, said assembly
comprising:
a. a mounting member having a hole adjacent one end thereof,
b. a self-aligning bearing carried on said mounting member having
the axis thereof spaced from and in a parallel relation with the
axis of said hole,
c. said frame supports having transversely opposite arcuate
shaft-receiving slots extended longitudinally thereof,
d. means pivotally connecting a mounting member at the hole therein
on a frame support for adjustable pivotal movement in a path
parallel to the plane of said frame support at a position wherein
the self-aligning bearing is continuously opposite the arcuate slot
in said frame support, and
e. coacting means on a frame support and corresponding mounting
member for locking the mounting member in an adjusted pivotally
moved position.
2. An adjustable mounting member and self-aligning bearing assembly
for each end of a belt pulley shaft of a conveyor apparatus having
a frame with upright side members and wherein the shaft extends
transversely between said side members, said assembly
comprising:
a. a mounting member having a hole adjacent one end thereof and an
arcuate slot adjacent the opposite end thereof having a
center-generating point coincident with the axis of said hole,
b. a self-aligning bearing positioned in said mounting member
between said hole and slot with the axis thereof parallel to the
axis of said hole,
c. said frame side members having transversely opposite arcuate
shaft-receiving slots extended longitudinally thereof and of a
curvature corresponding to the curvature of the arcuate slot in
said mounting member,
d. means pivotally supporting a mounting member at the hole thereon
on a side member for swinging movement longitudinally thereof in a
path parallel to the plane of said side member at a position
wherein the self-aligning bearing is continuously opposite the
arcuate slot in said side member, and
e. a clamping bolt mounted in a frame side member for extension
through the arcuate slot in a mounting member,
f. said shaft having each end thereof projected through the slot in
a frame side member for rotatable support in an adjacent
self-aligning bearing, whereby, when said clamping bolts are
loosened the ends of said shaft are relatively adjustable
longitudinally and transversely of said frame side members to move
the axis of said shaft to either an adjusted position extended
normal to the planes of said side members, or to an adjusted
position inclined relative to the planes of said side members, said
shaft being locked in an adjusted position when said clamping bolts
are tightened.
3. The adjustable mounting member and self-aligning bearing
assembly according to claim 2 wherein:
a. the one end of said body member is of a triangular shape with
said hole located in the apex portion thereof, and
b. the opposite end of said body member is of a curved shape
corresponding to and concentric with the shape of the arcuate slot
in the body member.
4. The bearing unit according to claim 2 including:
a. a pair of transversely opposite pad members on said mounting
member, each pad member projected from a side of said body member
at a position in the circular arc of the arcuate slot in said body
member.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An adjustable mounting member and self-aligning bearing assembly is
of a compact and simple construction and provides for the use of a
pair of transversely opposite sections of a conveyor frame or like
structure as supports for a corresponding pair of the mounting
member and bearing assemblies. An adjustable mounting member and
bearing assembly is pivoted directly on a corresponding support
section for adjustable swinging movement of the axis of the shaft
longitudinally of the conveyor frame to an adjusted position. Since
the shaft can be swung to an adjusted position extended
transversely of the conveyor frame, or to an adjusted position
inclined transversely of the conveyor frame, adjustment can be made
for both conveyor belt tension and for a centering of the conveyor
belt on the pulley supported on the shaft. By virtue of the
mounting members being locked in adjusted positions by clamping
bolts, adjustments for belt tension and belt-centering purposes can
be made while the conveyor belt is in operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a foreshortened perspective view of a conveyor apparatus
showing the mounting member and the adjustable self-aligning
shaft-bearing assembly of this invention supported thereon;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded detail perspective view of the
mounting member and bearing assembly shown with an associated
support section of a conveyor frame on which it is carried;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line 3-3
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG.
1 showing the assembly relation of the conveyor pulley, shaft and
conveyor belt of the conveyor apparatus; and
FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the adjustable
mounting member and bearing assembly shown in various adjusted
positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, the adjustable mounting member and
self-aligning shaft-bearing assembly of this invention, indicated
generally at 10, is shown in assembly relation with a conveyor
apparatus 11 that has a frame structure 12 comprised of a pair of
flat upright side frame members 13. The frame members 13 extend in
a spaced parallel relation longitudinally of the conveyor apparatus
11 and are suitably braced by interconnecting transverse members
(not shown).
A drive pulley 14 for a conveyor belt 16 is located at one end of
the frame 12 and is carried on a shaft 17, the ends of which are
rotatably mounted in bearing units 18, secured to the outside of
corresponding ones of the frame side members 13. The shaft 17 also
carries a V-belt pulley 21 which is driven by an electric motor 22
mounted on a raised platform 23, having a pair of supporting legs
24 attached to corresponding side members 13. A driven conveyor
pulley belt pulley 26 (FIGS. 1 and 4) located at the opposite end
of the conveyor apparatus 11 includes a shaft 27 each end of which
is rotatably carried in an adjustable mounting member and bearing
assembly 10 of this invention. Since the mounting member and
bearing assemblies 10 are identical identical in construction and
similarly supported on corresponding frame side members 13, only
one of such assemblies will be described in detail with like
numbers being applied to corresponding parts therein.
An assembly 10 includes an elongated mounting or plate member 28
(FIGS. 2 and 3) formed with a triangular-shaped end section 29
having a bolt-receiving hole 31 centered in the apex portion
thereon. Adjacent its opposite end 32 the mounting member 28 is
formed with an arcuate slot 33, the arc of which is struck about
the axis of the hole 31 as a center. The self-aligning
shaft-bearing 34, which is of a usual commercially available type,
is positioned or housed in the mounting member 28 between the
arcuate slot 33 and the bolt-receiving hole 31 with the axes of the
hole 31 and bearing 34 in alignment longitudinally of the mounting
member 28. For a purpose to appear later, a pair of transversely
opposite pads 36 are projected outwardly from the mounting member
28 at positions lying in the arcuate path or extension of the slot
33.
The frame side members 13 of the conveyor frame 12 have
transversely opposite upright support sections, indicated at 37,
corresponding to a pair of adjustable mounting member and bearing
assemblies 10. Each support section 37 (FIG. 2) carries a pair of
laterally extended bolts 38 aligned transversely of the support
section with their axes spaced a distance apart corresponding to
the spacing between the axis of a bolt-receiving hole 31 and the
transverse centerline 39 of an arcuate slot 33 in a mounting member
28. Between the bolts 38 is a slot 41 of a size and shape to
register with a self-aligning bearing unit 34 at all adjusted
positions of the mounting member 28 relative to a corresponding
support section 37.
For connecting a mounting member and bearing assembly 10 with a
corresponding support section 37, the bolt 38 (FIG. 2) adjacent the
registering slot 41 is inserted through the bolthole 31
concurrently with the insertion of the remaining bolt 38 through
the arcuate slot 33 formed in the mounting member 28. It will be
appreciated that concurrently with this positioning of the
assemblies 10 on corresponding support sections 37 that the shaft
27 has the ends thereof fitted within the self-aligning bearings
34. A mounting member and bearing assembly 10 is clamped against
the outer surface of a corresponding support section 37 (FIG. 3) on
the tightening of nuts 42 corresponding to the bolt 38.
For adjustment purposes, the nuts 42 are loosened so as to permit a
swinging movement of a mounting member 28 relative to its pivotal
support on the bolt 38 that is carried in the bolthole 31. By
virtue of this swinging movement in a plane extended longitudinally
of the conveyor frame 12 and in a parallel relation with the
support section 37 (FIG. 3) the shaft 27 is movable both
longitudinally and and transversely of the frame side members 13.
The transverse translatory motion of the shaft 27, during swinging
movement longitudinally of the conveyor apparatus 11, is the result
of the arcuate swinging path defined by the pivot support of the
mounting member 28.
In adjusting the tension of the conveyor belt 16 the assemblies 10
are pivotally moved so that the axis of the shaft 27 is maintained
in a position normal to the planes of the support sections 37.
Stated otherwise, the axes of the self-aligning bearings 34 are in
substantial coaxial alignment transversely of the frame 12. Since
the translatory transverse movement of the shaft 27 during such
adjustment is appreciably small, relative to its longitudinal
movement, adjustment of the assembly 10 for belt-tensioning
purposes can be readily made to accommodate shaft adjustment travel
of 1 inch or more longitudinally of the frame 12.
As best appears in FIG. 4, the belt pulley 26 has a crown center
section 43 to resist movement of the conveyor belt 16 axially of
the pulley 26. Should the belt 16 be out of a centered relation
with the pulley 26, the assemblies 10 may be relatively adjusted to
provide for the axis of the pulley shaft 27 being in an inclined
position relative to the planes of the support sections 37. It is
apparent, of course, that the direction of inclination of the shaft
27 would be dependent on the noncentered position of the belt being
corrected. It is also apparent that the adjusted inclined position
of the shaft 27 would be accommodated by the self-aligning bearings
34 of the assemblies 10.
Due to the clamping action of the nuts 42 for locking the
assemblies 10 in adjusted positions, adjustment of the conveyor
belt for tensioning or for centering on the belt pulley 26 can be
accomplished while the conveyor belt is in operation. In this
respect, the nuts 42 are only slightly loosened to permit
adjustment of the mounting members 28 by a hammer or other impact
force. With a mounting member 28 thus frictionally held against
movement out of an adjusted position, one or the other of the pads
36 may be struck with a hammer depending upon the desired direction
of adjustment of the shaft 27 longitudinally of the conveyor frame
12.
Referring to FIG. 5, the mounting member 28 is illustrated in full
lines in what may be termed a center or neutral position wherein
the bolt 38 inserted through the arcuate slot 33 is in a center
position longitudinally of the slot. The dotted line positions A
and B of the mounting member 28 correspond to to maximum adjusted
positions, respectively, defined by engagement of the slot bolt 38
with one or the other ends 44 and 46 of the slot 33.
* * * * *