US3643789A — Live roller conveyor with variable drive

Claim 1

Independent Claim 204 words

A live roller conveyor comprising: a plurality of load transporting rollers spaced apart and fixed in a common load transporting array; an endless drive means passed adjacent said transporting rollers for frictional driving contact with such rollers; and frictional drive adjustment means operably disposed adjacent selected pairs of said transporting rollers, said adjustment means including brackets supported at the opposite ends of said transporting rollers and each opposed pair of said brackets providing a circular bearing seat having horizontally aligned centers depending a predetermined distance from adjacent selected rollers, an element rotatably mounted in each circular bearing seat and having a shaft receiving aperture therein with said shaft aperture eccentric to the center of said circular bearing seat, a shaft carried at its ends in said shaft apertures of opposed rotatable elements, and a control roller on each said shaft in position to engage said endless drive means, rotation of said rotatable elements in said circular seats moving said shaft aperture in an arcuate path eccentric to said circular seat centers to selectively move said control roller toward and away from said pair of rollers and effect a like movement of said endless drive means for respectively increasing and decreasing the frictional driving contact.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 204 words

A live roller conveyor comprising: a plurality of load transporting rollers spaced apart and fixed in a common load transporting array; an endless drive means passed adjacent said transporting rollers for frictional driving contact with such rollers; and frictional drive adjustment means operably disposed adjacent selected pairs of said transporting rollers, said adjustment means including brackets supported at the opposite ends of said transporting rollers and each opposed pair of said brackets providing a circular bearing seat having horizontally aligned centers depending a predetermined distance from adjacent selected rollers, an element rotatably mounted in each circular bearing seat and having a shaft receiving aperture therein with said shaft aperture eccentric to the center of said circular bearing seat, a shaft carried at its ends in said shaft apertures of opposed rotatable elements, and a control roller on each said shaft in position to engage said endless drive means, rotation of said rotatable elements in said circular seats moving said shaft aperture in an arcuate path eccentric to said circular seat centers to selectively move said control roller toward and away from said pair of rollers and effect a like movement of said endless drive means for respectively increasing and decreasing the frictional driving contact.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 1 wherein each bracket is formed with mounting hooks engageable adjacent said selected pair of transporting rollers and with a looped portion constituting said bearing seat.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements and bearing seat snap together with said bearing seat exerting a circumferential constricting force upon said rotatable elements to retain said rotatable elements in selected positions.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 1 wherein said shaft is formed with flat surfaces, said rotatable elements include mounting apertures having interior flat surfaces matching those of said shaft, said flat surfaces of said shaft being partly exposed adjacent said rotatable elements to receive an adjusting tool thereon.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 60 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 1 wherein each bracket bearing seat is generally circular and has an open side and each rotatable means has a circular peripheral recessed surface engaged on said bracket bearing seat, the diameter of said peripheral surface of said rotatable elements being greater than the size of said open side of said bracket bearing seat.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 132 words

In a live roller conveyor, a series of in line article carrying rollers defining an article conveying path along the tops of said rollers, endless drive means extending along below and in driving relation to said rollers and having a drive pass adjacent said rollers and a return pass spaced from said rollers, a series of support rollers disposed along said article conveying path between said passes of said endless drive means, anD means holding said support rollers in contact with said drive pass of said endless drive means, said holding means including adjustable elements rotatable through a range of substantially 180* to provide infinite adjustment within said range, said adjustment effecting driving relation of said endless means on said article carrying rollers which varies from a maximum to no driving contact.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 132 words

In a live roller conveyor, a series of in line article carrying rollers defining an article conveying path along the tops of said rollers, endless drive means extending along below and in driving relation to said rollers and having a drive pass adjacent said rollers and a return pass spaced from said rollers, a series of support rollers disposed along said article conveying path between said passes of said endless drive means, anD means holding said support rollers in contact with said drive pass of said endless drive means, said holding means including adjustable elements rotatable through a range of substantially 180* to provide infinite adjustment within said range, said adjustment effecting driving relation of said endless means on said article carrying rollers which varies from a maximum to no driving contact.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 54 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 6 wherein said holding means for the support rollers and said support rollers are sized to sit between and said adjustable elements are circular to ride in said saddle, said circular return passes of said drive means with said drive means in place along said article carrying rollers.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 61 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 6 wherein said support roller holding means comprises a bracket formed with a circular saddle between its ends, and said adjustable elements are circular to ride in said saddle, said circular elements having eccentric located hubs engaged by said support rollers, whereby said supporting rollers are selectively adjusted upon rotating said elements in said saddles.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 64 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 6 wherein said holding means are formed spring wires each having a saddle loop and hooked ends to engage the conveyor adjacent a pair of article carrying rollers, and said adjustable elements are eccentric discs rotationally mounted in said saddle loops, said saddle loops exerting a hoop force on said discs to retain them in rotationally adjusted positions.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 158 words

In a live roller conveyor the combination of longitudinal frame members spaced apart, a plurality of article carrying rollers having shafts mounted between said spaced frame members with the ends of said rollers spaced from said frame members, endless drive means having a drive pass underlying said article carrying rollers and a return pass remote therefrom, supporting rollers underlying and engaged with said drive pass of said endless drive means, bracket means for opposite ends of said supporting rollers engaged on said article carrying roller shafts in the space between said article carrying rollers and frame members, and adjustable means carried by and rotatable relative to said bracket means and engaged with said supporting rollers, said adjustable means for each said supporting roller being movable in unison through said supporting roller and varying the article propelling drive force transmitted from the drive pass of said endless drive means to said article carrying rollers between zero and a maximum.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 158 words

In a live roller conveyor the combination of longitudinal frame members spaced apart, a plurality of article carrying rollers having shafts mounted between said spaced frame members with the ends of said rollers spaced from said frame members, endless drive means having a drive pass underlying said article carrying rollers and a return pass remote therefrom, supporting rollers underlying and engaged with said drive pass of said endless drive means, bracket means for opposite ends of said supporting rollers engaged on said article carrying roller shafts in the space between said article carrying rollers and frame members, and adjustable means carried by and rotatable relative to said bracket means and engaged with said supporting rollers, said adjustable means for each said supporting roller being movable in unison through said supporting roller and varying the article propelling drive force transmitted from the drive pass of said endless drive means to said article carrying rollers between zero and a maximum.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 43 words

The live roller conveyor of claim 10 wherein said bracket means has a removable snap fit on said roller shafts, and said adjustable means includes eccentric discs carried by said bracket means and rotatable therein to provide infinite variations in the drive force.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-02-21	1975-08-23	1976-02-22	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-02-21	1979-08-23	1980-02-22	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-02-21	1983-08-23	1984-02-22	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Live roller conveyor with variable drive

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