US2628707A

US2628707A - Slack adjuster for conveyers

Info

Publication number: US2628707A
Application number: US124097A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shacikoski Anthony
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-10-28
Filing date: 1949-10-28
Publication date: 1953-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 1970-02-17

Description

Feb. 17, 1953 A. sHAclKoskl 2,523,707

SLACK ADJUSTER FOR CONVEYERS Filed Oct. 28, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Fig.

Anthony .Shac/kos/u' INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED S EA'EES PATENT OFFICE 2,628,707 SIIACK AD'ZTU S TER FOR: CONVEYER'S Anthony Shacikoski, Avonmore,.P-a.--

Application Octobe'FZS, 1949, Serial No; 124 ;09 7,

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in conveyors and theprimary object' of thepresent invention is to' provide aslack'adjuster for conveyors.

Another important objectof the present inven tion. is to provide aslack adjuster'for conveyors, drive-chains, belts and the like, including; a laterally' movable and rotatable roller and a manually'actuated jack-for adjustingthe roller to re'-- move the slack from a member traine'd thereabout-.

A furtherobj'ect' of the present inventionis to provide a tail end structure for conveyors including a. laterally adjustableroller and a wear.- plate movable with the roller. for slidably supporting: av conveyor associated with the: roller;

Astill further aim of the present invention to: provide a slack. adjuster; that is simple; and. practicalin construction, strong and reliable in. use,.efficientiand.durable in operation, small and compact in. structure, relatively inexpensive; to'

manufacture, and otherwise welladapted-for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully. hereinafter described: and claimed, refer-- encez being. had to the accompanying; drawings:

formingpart hereof, wherein like numeralsmefer. torlike parts throughout; and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the present-inven;

tion;

Figure 2 is. a sideelevational viewof" Figurell; Figure 3.- is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken. substantially onv the plane of section.-

line;3--3.of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantiallyeontheplane of section line 4-4' Figure 1',

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where- 1 in for the purpose of illustration, there is dis closed a preferredembodiment of. the rpresentinlvention, the numeral l represents. an elongated substantiallyv channel. shaped supportincluding a web portion or bottom' wall 12 an'dspa'ced parallel legportions or side walls l4 and lfi tl' iat' and 40- that receive the edges-defining the" slots- 26 and 28. The bearings are removable from the:side walls when the bearings are moved to the enlarged end portions 30 and 3-2 of the slots- 26 and 28.

The end portions of a shaft or roller 42 are received within. the bearings 34 and 3B for rotation and a gear or sprocket 44 is keyed on the central portion-of theshaft- 42 for rotation therewith;

Spacer collars or sleeves 4.6 ande48l'are journaledon the shaft 42 betweenthe gear. 44. and the-bearings.34 and. 36. Aiwear. plate 50 is-fixed on.the upper surfaces: of: the sleeves; 46 and 48.

The" wear plate 5.0.: is; provided.- with a notch- 52 for receivingthegear 44; A cross plate-5.4 is fixed between the sidewalls. lit-and: l6 above-'the'forward. upwardly and: forwardly inclined forward. endportion 56-ofthebottom wall l2 and slidably supports thewearplate 50.-

The 5 plate I 54 includes 1 outwardly and upwardly sloping side portions 58 having upper flanges 60 that rest uponthe upper edges of the side walls 14' and l6,.as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The rear portion of the plate :54 is provided with anopening 62 extending. pastthe gear 44 and which opening is. partially closed I by the plate 50. Themovable-feed shaft 64 of the jack 24 is providedwith aheadv 66 having? a recess for ,receiving-ia' flexible: element orcable 68.

10 and: 12 are formed atthe ends of the flexible Loops element'through the mediumof cable clamps I4 and 1.6;.and the loops l0'and12' receive the bearingsr 34 and36rso that. as the jack 24' is actuate'dby' a hand lever 18;.the bearings" 34' and 36, and the shaft-42 will be moved toward the rearwall I8 Means is. provided for limiting: sliding. move-- ment of the bearings. and the shaftv away from- 1 therearfwall: I8. This. means consists of a; pair of upper and lower platessw and. 82: that are fixed to-the-sidewalls-I4 and [6a The bearings 34- andt36 are-slidably received between the plates Bll and 82-.- The? plates. 80.? and 82 are-provided with: longitudinally! displaced apertures: 84: thatselectivelyrec'eiveiabutmentmembers or stop pins The-pins: 86 are: secured to: thesidewalls.

86 by flexiblei members: or chains 88.

A cross bar so having upwardly: extending I end portions 92 is securedtothejundersurface of the"- portion 56to-prevent overtipp'ing of the mem In practical use- 0f the present inventlon a conveyor '(-hot shown)' or 'drive chain or belt is?- trained about the gear 44 and the upper flight 3 of the conveyor rides upon the wear plate 50. By actuating the jack 24, the shaft 42 will be moved relative to the rear wall [8 to remove the slack from the conveyor.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A slack adjuster for conveyors, said slack adjuster comprising a support including a pair of spaced side walls, a conveyor receiving roller slidably carried by said side Walls, a jack mounted on said support and disposed perpendicular to said roller, said jack including a feed shaft, an elongated flexible element trained over the feed shaft of the jack and terminally secured to the ends of the roller, upper and lower plates secured to each of said walls, said roller having end portions received between said upper and lower plates, said plates having longitudinally spaced apertures, and stop pins received in selected of said apertures and engaging the roller throughout adjustment of the roller for limiting sliding movement of said roller away from said jack and for retaining the roller in an adjusted position.

2. A slack adjuster for conveyors, said slack adjuster comprising a channel shaped support including a web portion and a pair of spaced leg portions joined by said web portion, said leg porbetween said bearings and said gear, a cross plate 1 fixed between said leg portions and spaced above and parallel to said web portion, said cross plate being spaced from said shaft, a wear plate secured to said sleeves and slidably mounted on said cross plate, said wear plate having a notch receiving said gear, a rear wall joining said leg portions, 2. jack mounted on said rear wall and including a feed shaft, a flexible element extending about the feed shaft of said jack and terminally secured to said bearings, and adjustable stop means adjustably carried by said leg portions and engaging said bearings for limiting sliding movement of said bearings and said shaft away from said rear wall and for retaining the bearing adjusted by said jack.

' 3. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped support including a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said web portion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein, said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidably received in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating the long edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the leg portions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extending between the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, a conveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between and spaced from the bearings, and means connected to the bearings for adjusting the shaft within the slots.

4. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped support including a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said web portion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein, said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidably received in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating the long edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the leg portions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extending between the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, a conveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between and spaced from the bearings, upper and lower strips fixed to each leg portion above and below the slots in the leg portions, each of said strips having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures therein with the apertures in the upper strips being in registry with the apertures in the lower strips, said bearings extending between said upper and lower strips, a pin attached to each leg portion and extending through selected registering apertures in the upper and lower strips, said bearings abutting said pins, and jack means at the rear of the support and connected to both bearings for adjusting the bearings and hence the shaft toward the rear end of the support.

5. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped support including a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said web portion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein, said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidably received in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating the long edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the leg portions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extending between the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, a conveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between and spaced from the bearings, said support including forward and rear ends, a cross plate fixed to and extending between the leg portions at the forward end of the support and paralleling the web portion, a wear plate overlying the cross plate, sleeves surrounding the shaft, said wear plate being secured to said sleeves and having a slot accommodating the gear, said support ineluding a rear end wall, a jack secured to and projecting laterally from said end wall, and a flexible element trained over the jack and secured to said bearings for adjusting the bearings and hence the shaft toward said end wall.

ANTHONY SHACIKOSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 412,847 Healea Oct. 15, 1889 1,060,154 Bates Apr. 29, 1913 2,257,758 Murch Oct. 7, 1941 2,386,619 Long et al. Oct. 9, 1945 2,493,333 Baehr Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,998 Germany Sept. 20, 1884