Walking beam conveyor and eccentric construction therefor

Claim 2

An eccentric assembly, comprising: an eccentric adapted to be rigidly secured to a shaft; first and second housing sections together defining a cylindRical through bore receiving the eccentric, the first and second housing sections having interlocking end portions permitting the sections to be engaged and disengaged from one another only by movement of one section relative to the other section in a direction parallel to the axis of the through bore; releasable means for preventing movement of one housing section relative to the other housing section; and a plurality of bearing plates carried by the housing sections and engaging the cylindrical surface of the eccentric.

Claim 3

The eccentric assembly according to claim 1 wherein the bearing plates are received in grooves on the surface of the through bore of the housing members, the releasable means also retaining the bearing plates in operative position.

Claim 4

In combination with an eccentric carried by and rotating with a shaft, a housing surrounding the eccentric, comprising: first and second housing sections each define one half a through bore receiving the eccentric, one of the housing sections having end portions including outwardly projecting lugs, the other of the housing sections having end portions including grooves extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and complimentary to the lugs whereby the sections are engaged and disengaged from one another by sliding movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, each of the housing sections being provided with a pair of grooves on the semicylindrical face of the section, the grooves being parallel to one another and spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of the eccentric; and releasable means comprising snap rings received in the grooves for preventing sliding movement of one housing section relative to the other section when the sections are aligned to form the through bore.

Claim 5

In combination with an eccentric carried by and rotating with a shaft, a housing surrounding the eccentric, comprising: first and second housing sections each define one half a through bore receiving the eccentric, one of the housing sections having end portions including outwardly projecting lugs, the other of the housing sections having end portions including grooves extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and complimentary to the lugs whereby the sections are engaged and disengaged from one another by sliding movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, each of the housing sections being provided with a pair of grooves on the semicylindrical face of the section, the grooves being parallel to one another and spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of the eccentric; and releasable means comprising snap rings received in the grooves for preventing sliding movement of one housing section relative to the other section when the sections are aligned to form the through bore.

Claim 6

The assembly according to claim 3 further including a plurality of bearing plates located at spaced intervals on the surface of the through bore for engaging the cylindrical surface of the eccentric.

Claim 7

The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the housing sections are provided with slots on the cylindrical surface thereof for receiving the bearing plates and wherein the bearing plates are retained between the snap rings.

Claim 8

The assembly according to claim 5 wherein the bearing plates are nylon.

Claim 9

In a walking beam conveyor having a frame, a pair of shafts extending in parallel relation, first and second series of beams all extending parallel to one another at right angles to the shafts, eccentric assembles connecting the beams to the shafts with the beams of the first series being connected at 180* phase relation to and alternating with the beams of the second series, the improved eccentric housing, comprising: first and second housing sections each defining one half a through bore receiving the eccentric, one of the housing sections having end portions including radially outwardly projecting lugs, the other of the housing sections having end portions including grooves extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and complimentary to the lugs whereby the sections are engaged and disengaged from one another by sliding movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft; and releasable means for preventing sliding movement of one housing section relative to the other section when the sections are aligned to form the through bore.

Claim 10

In a walking beam conveyor having a frame, a pair of shafts extending in parallel relation, first and second series of beams all extending parallel to one another at right angles to the shafts, eccentric assembles connecting the beams to the shafts with the beams of the first series being connected at 180* phase relation to and alternating with the beams of the second series, the improved eccentric housing, comprising: first and second housing sections each defining one half a through bore receiving the eccentric, one of the housing sections having end portions including radially outwardly projecting lugs, the other of the housing sections having end portions including grooves extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and complimentary to the lugs whereby the sections are engaged and disengaged from one another by sliding movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft; and releasable means for preventing sliding movement of one housing section relative to the other section when the sections are aligned to form the through bore.

Claim 11

The improvement according to claim 7 wherein one of the housing sections includes a flat top portion adapted to engage the beam, the housings associated with one shaft being rigidly connected to the respective beams, the housings associated with the other shaft having sliding relation with the respective beams.

Claim 12

An eccentric assembly, comprising: an eccentric adapted to be rigidly secured to a shaft; first and second housing sections together defining a cylindrical through bore receiving the eccentric, the first and second housing sections having interlocking end portions permittiNg the sections to be engaged and disengaged from one another only by movement of one section relative to the other section in a direction parallel to the axis of the through bore, an annular groove being provided in the surface of the through bore on each side of the eccentric; and releasable means comprising snap rings received in the annular grooves for preventing movement of one housing section relative to the other housing section.

Claim 13

An eccentric assembly, comprising: an eccentric adapted to be rigidly secured to a shaft; first and second housing sections together defining a cylindrical through bore receiving the eccentric, the first and second housing sections having interlocking end portions permittiNg the sections to be engaged and disengaged from one another only by movement of one section relative to the other section in a direction parallel to the axis of the through bore, an annular groove being provided in the surface of the through bore on each side of the eccentric; and releasable means comprising snap rings received in the annular grooves for preventing movement of one housing section relative to the other housing section.