US3597988A — Self-aligning sprocket

Claim 1

Independent Claim 147 words

In a conveyor system having a straight belt conveyor extending about a cylindrical roller and a conveyor belt turn in tandem therewith extending about a conical roller, a shaft extension from the cylindrical roller of the straight section adjacent to the turn and an opposing shaft extension from the conical roller of the turn adjacent to the straight section which is not parallel to the shaft extension of the straight section, a drive interconnecting the aforesaid shaft extensions to permit one conveyor unit to be driven by the movement of the other and comprising: a. a sprocket on each shaft extension; b. a chain about the sprockets; and c. an alignment means associated with at least one of the sprockets adapted to tip the sprocket from a plane normal to its shaft to an alignment with the other sprocket, whereby both sprockets lie in a common plane.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 147 words

In a conveyor system having a straight belt conveyor extending about a cylindrical roller and a conveyor belt turn in tandem therewith extending about a conical roller, a shaft extension from the cylindrical roller of the straight section adjacent to the turn and an opposing shaft extension from the conical roller of the turn adjacent to the straight section which is not parallel to the shaft extension of the straight section, a drive interconnecting the aforesaid shaft extensions to permit one conveyor unit to be driven by the movement of the other and comprising: a. a sprocket on each shaft extension; b. a chain about the sprockets; and c. an alignment means associated with at least one of the sprockets adapted to tip the sprocket from a plane normal to its shaft to an alignment with the other sprocket, whereby both sprockets lie in a common plane.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 86 words

In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said alignment means includes: a spherical head mounted upon the shaft extension; a hub carrying the aforesaid sprocket shiftably mounted upon the head to permit the sprocket to be tipped out of a plane normal to the axis of the shaft; and a holding means between the head and sprocket hub adapted to force one member to rotate with the other, but to permit the hub to tip on the head laterally of the direction of rotation.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

In the organization set forth in claim 2, wherein said alignment means is provided at both of the sprockets.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

In the organization set forth in claim 2, wherein said holding means between the head and hub includes: a slot at the spherical surface of one member aligned in parallelism with the shaft axis; and a follower at the spherical surface of the other member adapted to fit into the slot.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

In the organization set forth in claim 2, wherein said holding means between the head and hub includes a circumferential array of slots in the spherical head aligned with the axis of the shaft whereon the head is mounted; a like circumferential array of sockets at the mating inner surface of the hub; and members carried in the sockets adapted to extend into the slots.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

In the organization set forth in claim 2, wherein said slots are substantially hemicylindrical, said sockets are hemispherical and said members are balls.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 60 words

In the organization set forth in claim 5 wherein said hub comprises: two opposing cylindrical members each having an internal, spherical bore adapted to fit upon the head; a peripheral, rabbeted shoulder on each member, at its inner face, to form a socket to receive the sprocket; and bolt means adapted to secure the three members together upon the hub.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

In the organization set forth in claim 2, wherein said holding means between the head and hub comprises a washer-shaped diaphragm.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 54 words

In the organization set forth in claim 8, wherein said head is split at its equator to receive the inner edge portion of the said diaphragm and said hub is split at its central plane to receive the outer edge portion of the diaphragm; and means adapted to secure the diaphragm to each member.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 56 words

In the organization set forth in claim 9, wherein a peripheral groove is formed in the head about its equator, at each side of the diaphragm; and a like groove is formed in the hub about its spherical surface at each side of the diaphragm whereby to provide space to permit the diaphragm to flex laterally.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 16 words

In the organization set forth in claim 8, wherein said diaphragm is a resilient, fiber-reinforced material.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 15 words

In the organization set forth in claim 8, wherein said diaphragm is of spring steel.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

In the organization set forth in claim 8, wherein the central portion of said diaphragm is corrugated to ease the lateral flexure thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 151 words

A self-aligning sprocket-chain drive adapted to interconnect and to be mounted upon two spaced shafts which are not parallel and including a sprocket wheel affixed to each shaft and a chain extended about the sprocket wheels and comprising in combination therewith: a spherical head adapted to be mounted upon one of the shafts; a sprocket wheel including a hub having an internal spherical bore adapted to be mounted upon the head to swivel thereon; a guide means interconnecting with the aforesaid hub and adapted to hold the sprocket wheel in the plane of the chain extended about it; and a means between the head and hub adapted to force one member to rotate with respect to the other, but to permit the hub to shift the head whereby the sprocket wheel will remain in the plane of the chain and at an inclination with respect to the normal of the shaft.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 151 words

A self-aligning sprocket-chain drive adapted to interconnect and to be mounted upon two spaced shafts which are not parallel and including a sprocket wheel affixed to each shaft and a chain extended about the sprocket wheels and comprising in combination therewith: a spherical head adapted to be mounted upon one of the shafts; a sprocket wheel including a hub having an internal spherical bore adapted to be mounted upon the head to swivel thereon; a guide means interconnecting with the aforesaid hub and adapted to hold the sprocket wheel in the plane of the chain extended about it; and a means between the head and hub adapted to force one member to rotate with respect to the other, but to permit the hub to shift the head whereby the sprocket wheel will remain in the plane of the chain and at an inclination with respect to the normal of the shaft.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 78 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 14, wherein both sprockets include a spherical head adapted to be mounted upon the respective shafts; a sprocket wheel including a hub having an internal spherical bore adapted to be mounted upon each head to swivel thereon; and wherein said guide means includes: a bar member interconnecting with each aforesaid hub to hold the sprocket wheels in a common plane which is the plane of the chain extending about the wheels.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 14, wherein the guide means includes a peripheral slot about a portion of the hub at one side of the sprocket wheel; and an arm including a yoke adapted to fit into the slot.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 46 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 14, wherein said means between the head and the hub includes: sockets in one member; transversely extended slots in the other member, in reGistration with the sockets; and balls fitted into the sockets and projecting therefrom into the slots.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 63 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 14, wherein said means between the head and the hub includes: a washer-shaped, flexible diaphragm affixed to each member; a groove in the head about its equator at each side of the diaphragm; and a like groove in the hub about its equator at each side of the diaphragm to permit the diaphragm to flex laterally.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 16 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 18, wherein the diaphragm is a resilient, fiber-reinforced material.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 14 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 18, wherein the diaphragm is spring metal.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 14 words

In the sprocket-chain drive defined in claim 18, wherein the diaphragm is circumferentially corrugated.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-08-09	1975-02-08	1975-08-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-08-09	1979-02-08	1979-08-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-08-09	1983-02-08	1983-08-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Self-aligning sprocket

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