Drive wheel for friction mine hoist

Claim 1

A drive wheel assembly for a friction mine hoist having a shaft for rotation in bearings on a horizontal axis and a wheel structure made from rigid structural components welded together, said wheel structure comprising a circular, tubular hub secured to said shaft Coaxial with respect thereto; a flat ring encircling said hub midway of its axial length, normal with respect to said axis and having the inner edge of the ring abutting the hub; a circular, tubular rim encircling said ring midway of the axial length of the rim, coaxial with respect to said hub and having the outer edge of the ring abutting the rim; a flat annular member disposed coaxially and normal to said axis with one flat face abutting one end of said rim, with a minor portion projecting radially outward from the rim and a major portion projecting radially inward from the rim so as to define an annular opening between the hub and the member; a like member abutting the other end of said rim in the same relation to the rim as said member; a plurality of flat ribs located on both sides of said ring in angularly spaced relation between said hub, ring, rim and members with their flat sides directed radially and axially and with their respective edges abutting the hub, ring, rim and members; welds along all said abutting surfaces for securing said hub, ring, rim, members and ribs together in a very stiff wheel structure; a braking surface normal to said axis on the other flat face of each one of said members; and a plurality of annular tread retaining members welded to the peripheral surface of said rim for supporting a plurality of axially spaced rope treads.