Apparatus for driving rollers in roller hearth kiln

Claim 1

A roller driving apparatus for use in a roller hearth kiln having a kiln tunnel and kiln side walls, comprising: a rotary drive shaft receiving drive power from a source; a holder fixedly mounted at one end thereof on said rotary drive shaft; a connection pipe of metal detachably mounted on the other end of said holder and including a positioning aperture formed therein, said positioning aperture extending along the longitudinal axis of said connection pipe; a ceramic roller arranged across a path of conveyance for articles to be heat treated, being mounted at a drive end thereof on an end of said connection pipe opposite to said holder for receiving drive power from said rotary drive shaft, said ceramic roller having another, driven end; said ceramic roller extending through the kiln tunnel through one of the kiln side walls of the roller hearth kiln; engaging means fixedly mounted at one end of said holder, for selectively engaging with said positioning aperture of said connection pipe wherein said engaging means includes a leaf spring fixedly mounted at one end thereof on said holder, and wherein the other end of said leaf spring extends radially and is engageable with said positioning aperture in said connection pipe, and wherein a side portion of said leaf spring transmits rotational forces between said roller and said connection pipe; a metallic coil spring wound on an outer periphery of said driven end of said ceramic roller; and a metallic receiver roller rotatably supporting said driven end of said ceramic roller through said metallic coil spring.