CONVEYOR PULLEY

POULIE DE TRANSPORTEUR

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A conveyor pulley that is mounted on a shaft
having a bushing keyed thereto. The bushing has a
flange that is bolted to a pair of discs and a plate
member. The bushing is tapered to provide a wedging
fit with the discs and the plate. One of the discs
is disposed between the remaining disc and the plate
with its outer peripheral edge wedged to the pulley's
rim. The respective discs and plate are welded
together at a substantial distance from the shaft.

Claims

- 6 -
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A conveyor pulley comprising a
cylindrical rim, a pair of spaced bushings within
said rim, each of said bushings having a central
bore, a shaft received by each of said central bores
and keyed to said bushings for rotation therewith,
said bushings having spaced outer surfaces that taper
toward each other, a first annular disc with a
central tapered bore received by each of said tapered
outer surfaces of said bushings, a second annular
disc with a central tapered bore received by each of
said tapered outer surface of said bushings, each of
said first annular discs being welded to adjacent
ones of said second discs along the outer peripheral
edge of each of said first discs, each of said second
discs welded to said rim along the juncture of the
outer peripheral edge of each of said second discs
adjacent said rim, a plate member with a central
tapered bore received by each of said tapered outer
surfaces of said bushings and having its outer edge
welded to adjacent ones of said second discs, and
means interconnecting each of said bushings with said
plates and said discs mounted thereon.
2. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
1 wherein each of said plate members is polygonal in
shape.
3. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
2 wherein each of said plate members and adjacent
ones of said second discs are interconnected by plug
welds.
4. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
3 wherein said spaced bushings are interconnected to
said plates and said discs mounted thereon by screws,
said interconnection by said screws between said
bushings, plates and discs include a plurality of
circumferentially spaced holes, each of said spaced
holes have portions in said bushings and the

-7-
remaining portions of each said holes are in said
discs and plates, and wherein only those portions of
said holes in said discs and plates are threaded for
said screws.
5. A conveyor pulley comprising a
cylindrical rim, a pair of axially spaced bushings
within said rim, each bushing having a flanged
portion and a cylindrical portion, each of said
bushings having a central bore, a shaft received by
each of said central bores and keyed to said
bushings, each of said bushings having a outer
surface that tapers toward each other, each of said
flanged portions having a plurality of circum-
ferentially spaced bores, a first annular disc with a
central tapered bore received by each of said tapered
outer surfaces of said bushings, a second annular
disc with a central tapered bore received by each of
said tapered outer surface of said bushings, each of
said first annular discs being welded to adjacent
ones of said second discs along the outer peripheral
edge of each of said first discs, each of said second
disc welded to said rim along the juncture of the
outer peripheral edge of each of said second disc
adjacent said rim, a plate member with a central
tapered bore received by each of said tapered outer
surfaces of said bushings and having its outer edge
welded to adjacent ones of said second discs, each of
said plates and adjacent ones of said discs all
having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores
in alignment with said bores of adjacent ones of said
flanges, and bolt means interconnecting each of said
bushings with said plate and said discs mounted
adjacent therewith through said aligned bores.
6. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
5 wherein each of said plate members is polygonal in
shape.

-8-
7. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
6 wherein all of said welds are radially outwardly of
said circumferentially spaced bores.
8. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
7 wherein each of said plate members and adjacent
ones of said second discs are interconnected by plug
welds.
9. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
8 wherein said first disc on each of said bushings is
located axially between said adjacent second discs
and said flange portion of said adjacent bushing, and
said second disc of each bushing is located axially
between adjacent ones of said first disc and said
plate member.
10. A conveyor pulley comprising a
cylindrical rim, a bushing within said rim, said
bushing having a flanged portion and a cylindrical
tapered portion, said bushing having a central bore
for receiving a shaft, said flanged portion having a
plurality of circumferentially spaced bores, an
annular disc with a tapered bore mounted on said
tapered portion of said bushing, said discs having a
plurality of circumferentially spaced bores in
alignment with said circumferentially spaced bores of
said flange portion of said bushing, bolt means
interconnecting all of said aligned circumferentially
spaced bores to connect said disc to said flanged
portion of said bushing, said annular disc being
welded to said rim along the outer side periphery of
said disc, and said weld lies at a greater radial
distance from the axial center line of said bushing
than the radial distance from said bores of said
flange to said axial center line of said bushing.

- 9 -
11. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
10 wherein a plate member with a tapered bore is
mounted on said cylindrical tapered portion of said
bushing, and said plate member is welded along its
outer perimeter to said annular disc.
12. A conveyor pulley as set forth in claim
11 wherein said plate member has a plurality of
circumferentially spaced bores in alignment with said
bores on said flange, said plate member is
interconnected to said flange by said bolt means, and
said plate member is polygonal in shape.

Description

~2(~
CONVE YOR PU LLEY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to conveyor pulleys
and more particularly to a new and improved hubless
pulley with end discs.
In the manufacture of conveyor pulleys
considerable time and eff~rt is required to fabricate
the hub which interconnects the bushing and the disc
which in turn is connected to the cylindrical rim.
The machining time ordinarily required to interfit
the tapered bushing with the taper,ed hub is
considerable and correspondingly expensive. In
connecting the web or disc to the hub and rim,
distortion appears due to ~he the weldin~ necessary
lS to interconnect thes~ parts. In orcler to improve the
heat afEected welding zone, the conveyor pulley of
the instant invention is fabricated without a hub.
In addition a plurality of discs are mechanically
interconnected to the bushing of the pulley and
thence welded to the rim and to each other to
improving fatigue life. This permits the reducing of
the ratio of the weld size to the principle disc
thickness. The principle disc is connected to the
cylindrical rim.
~5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates a
conveyor pulley that includes a pair of spaced
bushings that can be attached to a shaft. Each
bushing has a flanged portion with a tapered
cylindrical portion on which are mounted at least a
pair of disc and a plate member. The discs and plate
member are bolted to the flanged portion and also
attached to each other by peripheral welds. The
principle disc which is annular is connected to the
35 cylindrical rim of the pulley by fillet welds. ~ r

~Z04t;~s
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a
conveyor pulley, partly in section to illustrate the
bushings and disc structure.
Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the
conveyor pulley.
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a
modified form of a conveyor pulley.
DETAIL~D DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings, wherein like
reference numerals designate like or corresponding
parts throughout the several views, there is shown in
Fig. 1 a longitudinally disposed cylindrical rim 10.
The respective end portions oE the rim 10 are
supported by support means which lncludes a pair of
laterally spaced annular discs l:L to be described.
Within the rim 10 is a pair of laterally
spaced bushings 12 (only one shown) wlth a central
bore 13 extending longitudinally therethrough. Since
both bushings are alike only one will be described.
The bushing 12 has an annular flange 14 with a
plurality of circumferentially spaced holes 15 along
the outer portion thereof. The bushing's outer
surface 16 tapers from flange 14 inwardly and
downwardly toward the longitudinal center line of
bore 13.
The support means which includes the discs
11 interconnects the bushing 12 to the cylindrical
rim 10. Disc 11 has a central bore 18 that tapers
substantially at the same angle as the outer surface
16 of bushing 12 such as to abuttingly receive the
bushing 12~ The outer peripheral side edge of disc
11 is welded to the inner surface of rim 10 as by
fillet welds as at 19. An annular disc 20 located
' between the flange 14 and disc 11 abuttingly engages

~OqLg~
disc 11 and is welded thereto as at 21 along its
outer circumferential edge. The central bore 22 of
disc 20 tapers at the same angle as the outer surface
16 of bushing 12 to frictional engage the bushings'
12 outer surface 16. Also mounted on tapering
surface 16 is a square shaped plate 25 having a
central bore 26 and a plurality of circumferential
spaced bores 27 aligned with circumferential s~aced
bores 28, 29 and 15 in disc 11, disc 20 and flange 14
respectively. All of the bores 27, 28 and 29 are
threaded to receive bolts 30. Square shaped plate 25
which may be polygonal has a plurality of
circumferential spaced bores 32 permitting the
welding of plate 25 to disc 11 which weld is a plug
weld 33. The entire perimeter of plate 25 is also
welded to the disc 11, indicated as 3~.
The bushings 12 receive a shaEt 35 and is
secured for rotation therewith as by a key 36.
In the assembling of the conveyor pulley,
the first operation is to weld the annular disc 20
and the square shaped plate 25 along their outer
periphery to annular disc 11 as at 21 and 34
respectively. Plate 25 is then plug welded to the
disc 11 along the various circumferential spaced
25 bores 32. The tapered bores 22, 18 and 26 are then
machined or suitably finished to their tapered size
on the joined discs 20, 11 and plate 25 respectively,
assuring a proper fit with the tapered surface 32 on
bushing 12. The plurality oE circumferentially
30 spaced holes 29, 28 and 27 in discs 20, 11 and plate
25 are then drilled and tapped thereby assuring their
alignment with bore 15 in bushing 12. The welding of
the annular discs 20 and 11 and plate 25 is done at a
distance as great as possible from the longitudinal
35 center line of the tapered bores 22, 18 and 26 to
eliminate heat distortion. Pairs of bushings 12 and
the support means that include annular discs 11 and

20 and plate members 25 are then assembled as units
onto shaft 35 and keyed thereto as at 36. The
cylindrical rim 10 is then slid over the spaced pair
of annular discs 11 and fillet welded thereto as at
19.
A variation on the construction of such
described conveyor pulley is to eliminate the need
for the annular flange 14 on busning 12 and its
corresponding circumferentially spaced holes 15. In
addition, the holes 29, 28 and 27 can be eliminated.
The rim 10 is supported by a pair of spaced bushings
40 (only one shown). The bushings outer surface 41
tapers downwardly, such that the taper of each
bushing tapers toward each other. A disc 42 with a
central tapered bore 43 is frictionally received by
the tapered outer s~lrface 41. A smaller diameter
clisc 4q, also with a centrally disposed taperecl bore
45, is frictionally received by the tapered outer
surface 41 and has it one flat annular surface 46
abuttingly contacting disc 42. Disc 44 is welded to
the disc 42 along the outer peripheral surface as at
47~ ~lso mounted on the tapered outer surface 41 of
bushing 40 in abutting contact with the annular disc
42 is a square shaped plate 49. Plate 49 has its
outermost edge welded as at 50 to disc 42. Square
shaped plate 49 may be polygonal. Plate 49 has a
plurality of circumerential shaped bores 51
permitting the plug welding of plate 49 to disc 42.
The annular disc 42 is welded to the rim 10 along its
outer peripheral edge as a fillet weld. Bushing 40
receive shaft 53 and is secured for rotation
therewith as by a key 54.
The bushing 40 is connected to the annular
discs 42 and 44 and the plate 49 by a plurality of
circumferentially spaced wedging screws 55, shown as
cap screws, parallel with the axis of rotation of the
shaft 53. These screws 55 are secured in holes

- ~2~
therof provided by drilling and tapping holes 56 at
the juncture of the bushings 40 and the plate ~9
along with discs 44 and ~2. Such holes 56 may be
counterbored to receive the heads of screw 55. The
counter-bore may be of less depth in bushing 40 than
in the disc 44 to provide a shoulder for the screw 55
to bear against. The hole 56 after drilling is
provided with threads as at 57 only in the discs and
plate 49. The bushing portion of the hole 56 is
without threads. (See U.S. Patent 2l856,211 and U.S.
Patent 2,763,1583. Thus the screws 55 on tightening
pull the tapered bushing ~0 into!the matching taper
of the discs and plate providing a wedging and
locking action. The modified form of the emhodiment
is assembled in substantially the same manner as
described in the first embodiment wherein the welding
is done Eirst, then the bores are drillecl Eollowed ~y
the tapping of holes 56.
Various modifications are contemplated and
may be resorted to by those skilled in the art
without departing from the described invention, as
hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only
preferred embodiments thereof has been disclosed.