Modular pulley capable of being assembled to various desired lengths and automatic belt-steering pulley assembly

Claim 2

A modular hub unit capable of being utilized with any desired number of mating hub units to construct pulleys having various desired predetermined lengths, said hub unit comprising: a cylindrically-shaped body portion, end surfaces integrally connected with said body portion, each end surface having axially aligned orifices extending each end surface having axially aligned orifices extending therethrough capable of receiving a shaft, one of said end surfaces having a male portion extending outwardly therefrom adjacent to said axially aligned orifice arranged therein, the other of said end surfaces having a female portion extending inwardly therefrom, said end surfaces further having axially aligned holes arranged therein at spaced positions about the axis of said hub unit whereby individual hubs may be interconnected together, the male portion of one hub unit mating with the female portion of the adjacent hub unit, adjacent hub units being bolted together to form a pulley of desired length, the tool doing the bolting being insertable through one axially aligned hole to tighten a bolt in the preceding hole.

Claim 3

A modular hub unit capable of being utilized with any desired number of mating hub units to construct pulleys having various desired predetermined lengths as recited in claim 1, in which: said male portion extending outwardly from said one end is a flange circumscribing said orifice, said female portion extending inwardly from said other end is an enlargement of said other orifice sufficient to receive such a flange, whereby adjacent hubs may be mounted together in succession.

Claim 4

A modular hub unit capable of being utilized with any desired number of similar mating hub units to construct pulleys having various desired predetermined lengths, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said end surfaces has four equally spaced holes positioned therein, each hole in one end surface being axially aligned with an opposing hole in the other end surface, the pair of said two holes which are spaced 180* apart in said one end surface forming a first pair and the remaining two holes spaced 180* apart forming a sEcond pair, said first pair being threaded for receiving machine screws therein, the holes spaced 180* apart in the other end surface forming third and fourth pairs, said third pair being axially aligned with said first pair and said fourth pair being axially aligned with said second pair, said fourth pair further being threaded for receiving machine screws therein, whereby as said adjacent hubs are secured together, the machine screws are fastened alternately to the first and third pairs of preceding threaded holes, access being gained thereto through the vacant hole axially aligned with the head of the machine screw.

Claim 5

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths, comprising: a plurality of interconnected hub units, each hub unit having a cylindrically-shaped body portion, end surfaces integrally connected therewith, each end surface having axially aligned orifices extending therethrough capable of receiving a shaft, one end surface having a male portion extending outwardly therefrom adjacent to said axially aligned orifice arranged therein, the other end surface having an orifice enlarged sufficiently to receive such a male portion, said end surfaces further having axially aligned holes arranged therein spaced about the axis of the hub unit, whereby individual hub units may be interconnected together by fastening means engaging said holes, the male portions of one hub unit mating with the end surface and orifice of the preceding hub unit, said adjacent hub units then being secured together forming a pulley, the tool for doing the fastening gaining access to the fastening means through another axially aligned hole.

Claim 6

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths, comprising: a plurality of interconnected hub units, each hub unit having a cylindrically-shaped body portion, end surfaces integrally connected therewith, each end surface having axially aligned orifices extending therethrough capable of receiving a shaft, one end surface having a male portion extending outwardly therefrom adjacent to said axially aligned orifice arranged therein, the other end surface having an orifice enlarged sufficiently to receive such a male portion, said end surfaces further having axially aligned holes arranged therein spaced about the axis of the hub unit, whereby individual hub units may be interconnected together by fastening means engaging said holes, the male portions of one hub unit mating with the end surface and orifice of the preceding hub unit, said adjacent hub units then being secured together forming a pulley, the tool for doing the fastening gaining access to the fastening means through another axially aligned hole.

Claim 7

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths as recited in claim 4, including end plates fastened to the end surface of the respective end hub units, said end plates including a flange portion, a plurality of flexible rotatable rings, each having at least one resilient peripheral rib, said rib projecting outwardly at an inclination from a cylindrical body, said rings being axially positioned adjacent one another around siad hub units and being retained by said flanges, and the peripheral ribs being inclined inwardly toward the center of the pulley.

Claim 8

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths as claimed in claim 4, comprising end plates fastened to the end surfaces of the respective end hub units, the respective end plates including male and female mating portions, and said end plates having openings therein smaller than the openings in said hub units for seating upon a shaft inserted through said modular pulley.

Claim 9

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths as recited in claim 5, in which a seating ring is included at an intermediate portion of said modular pulley, said seating ring having male and female mating surface to be sandwiched between a pair of adjacent hub units, said seating ring having an opening therein of the same size as said end plates for seating upon the shaft to provide support for the intermediate portion of said modular pulley.

Claim 10

A modular pulley capable of being assembled to various longitudinal lengths as recited in claim 4, wherein a plurality of interlocking rings, each having at least one resilient peripheral rib projecting outwardly at an inclination from a cylindrical body, are positioned around said modular pulley to rotate therewith, half of said rings having their peripheral ribs extending outwardly inclined in one direction toward the center of the pulley and the remaining half of said rings having their peripheral ribs extending outwardly inclined in the opposite direction toward the center of the pulley whereby said ribs aid in centering a belt passing thereover.

Claim 11

A modular pulley capable of being constructed to various longitudinal lengths, as recited in claim 4, wherein said male portion extending outwardly from said one end is a flange circumscribing said openinG, said female portion is an enlargement of said other opening whereby adjacent hubs may be interconnected in succession with said flanges fitting within said enlarged openings in succession.

Claim 12

A modular pulley capable of being constructed to various specific longitudinal lengths, as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said end surfaces of said hub units has four holes equally spaced about the axis, each hole in one end surface being aligned with an opposing hole in the other end surface, the two holes which are spaced 180* apart in one end surface forming a first pair and the remaining two holes spaced 180* apart forming a second pair, said first pair being threaded for mounting machine screws thereto, said two holes spaced 180* apart in said other surface forming a third and fourth pairs of holes, said third pair being axially aligned with said first pair, and said fourth pair being axially aligned with said second pair, said fourth pair further being threaded for mounting machine screws thereto, whereby as said adjacent hub units are secured with machine screws alternately being fastened to the first and third pairs, said threaded holes are positioned to provide an access route for the tool through the vacant hole aligned with the threaded hole having the machine screw positioned therein.

Claim 13

A resilient one-piece self-supporting belt-steering ring made entirely of rubber or similar resilient material adapted to be manually assembled upon a cylindrical pulley roll together with other similar belt-steering rings for steering a wide, flat belt with respect to the pulley roll comprising an inner cylindrical ring mounting portion adapted to be manually slidable onto and to encircle the pulley roll, said ring mounting portion having an integral peripheral rib projecting outwardly from a first axial end of said cylindrical ring mounting portion, said ring mounting portion having a greater axial length than the axial length of said peripheral rib, said rib extending outwardly from said first end of said cylindrical ring mounting portion and being inclined in an axial direction toward the second axial end of cylindrical ring mounting portion, said inclined peripheral rib being resiliently deflectable, the belt-engageable periphery of said rib being axially displaced from said first end such that said periphery is located surrounding the ring mounted portion and said cylindrical ring mounting portion having a pair of radial faces at the first and second opposite axial ends thereof, an obtuse angle being formed as seen in cross section between said first one of said radial faces and one inclined face of said peripheral rib, and an acute angle being formed as seen in cross section between the other inclined face of said rib and the other cylindrical surface of said ring mounting portion, with the belt-engageable periphery of the rib being centrally located around said cylindrical ring mounting portion providing a stable support for the belt-engageable periphery of said rib.

Claim 14

A resilient one-piece self-supporting belt-steering ring made entirely of rubber or similar resilient material adapted to be manually assembled upon a cylindrical pulley roll together with other similar belt-steering rings for steering a wide, flat belt with respect to the pulley roll comprising an inner cylindrical ring mounting portion adapted to be manually slidable onto and to encircle the pulley roll, said ring mounting portion having an integral peripheral rib projecting outwardly from a first axial end of said cylindrical ring mounting portion, said ring mounting portion having a greater axial length than the axial length of said peripheral rib, said rib extending outwardly from said first end of said cylindrical ring mounting portion and being inclined in an axial direction toward the second axial end of cylindrical ring mounting portion, said inclined peripheral rib being resiliently deflectable, the belt-engageable periphery of said rib being axially displaced from said first end such that said periphery is located surrounding the ring mounted portion and said cylindrical ring mounting portion having a pair of radial faces at the first and second opposite axial ends thereof, an obtuse angle being formed as seen in cross section between said first one of said radial faces and one inclined face of said peripheral rib, and an acute angle being formed as seen in cross section between the other inclined face of said rib and the other cylindrical surface of said ring mounting portion, with the belt-engageable periphery of the rib being centrally located around said cylindrical ring mounting portion providing a stable support for the belt-engageable periphery of said rib.

Claim 15

A belt-steering pulley assembly comprising an elongated cylindrical pulley roll, a plurality of identical resilient one-piece self-supporting belt-steering rings each made entirely of rubber, or similar resilient material mounted on said roll, each of said belt-steering rings comprising an inner cylindrical ring mounting portion fitting onto and encircling said roll, each of said ring mounting portions having a pair of radial end faces, said cylindrical mounting portions being mounted on said roller adjacent to each other with their radial end faces in abutting contact with each other, a pair of end plates removably mounted on opposite ends of said pulley roll, said end plates clamping the cylindrical mounting portions of respective rings adjacent to each other in said abutting contact, each of said cylindrical mounting portions having an integral peripheral rib projecting outwardly therefrom with a belt-engageable periphery on the rib, each of said ring mounting poRtions having an axial length greater than the axial thickness of the rib thereon and the rib projecting outwardly from a position on its integral ring mounting portion which is axially offset toward a first end thereof, each of said ribs being inclined outwardly in an axial direction toward the second end of the cylindrical mounting portion of the ring itself and being resiliently deflectable, the belt-engageable periphery of each rib surrounding the intermediate part of the cylindrical mounting portion of the ring itself, the sloping surface of each rib facing toward said second end defining an acute angle with the outer cylindrical surface of the integral ring mounting portion, said abutting cylindrical mounting portions of the respective rings on the pulley assembly serving to axially space the belt-engageable peripheries of the respective ribs apart in said pulley assembly, and said rings being mounted on either side of the center of said roll with their ribs respectively inclined inwardly toward the center of the roll.

Claim 16

A belt-steering pulley assembly comprising an elongated cylindrical pulley roll, a plurality of identical resilient one-piece self-supporting belt-steering rings each made entirely of rubber, or similar resilient material mounted on said roll, each of said belt-steering rings comprising an inner cylindrical ring mounting portion fitting onto and encircling said roll, each of said ring mounting portions having a pair of radial end faces, said cylindrical mounting portions being mounted on said roller adjacent to each other with their radial end faces in abutting contact with each other, a pair of end plates removably mounted on opposite ends of said pulley roll, said end plates clamping the cylindrical mounting portions of respective rings adjacent to each other in said abutting contact, each of said cylindrical mounting portions having an integral peripheral rib projecting outwardly therefrom with a belt-engageable periphery on the rib, each of said ring mounting poRtions having an axial length greater than the axial thickness of the rib thereon and the rib projecting outwardly from a position on its integral ring mounting portion which is axially offset toward a first end thereof, each of said ribs being inclined outwardly in an axial direction toward the second end of the cylindrical mounting portion of the ring itself and being resiliently deflectable, the belt-engageable periphery of each rib surrounding the intermediate part of the cylindrical mounting portion of the ring itself, the sloping surface of each rib facing toward said second end defining an acute angle with the outer cylindrical surface of the integral ring mounting portion, said abutting cylindrical mounting portions of the respective rings on the pulley assembly serving to axially space the belt-engageable peripheries of the respective ribs apart in said pulley assembly, and said rings being mounted on either side of the center of said roll with their ribs respectively inclined inwardly toward the center of the roll.