Roll or roller – Rotatable relative to supporting shaft
Patent
1997-07-28
1999-05-25
Cuda, I.
Roll or roller
Rotatable relative to supporting shaft
492 42, 492 47, B23P 1500
Patent
active
059065672
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a roller assembly for transporting articles at high temperatures.
More specifically, it relates to a roller assembly for transporting articles at high temperatures comprising: fitted at at least one end of the roller; to link in rotation said fitting and said roller, so as to axially retain the fitting with respect to the roller and for centring the roller with respect of the fitting.
Installations for the annealing or tempering of glass or the conveying of sheets comprise a conveyor, in which roller assemblies convey articles such as glass or metal sheets. These roller assemblies are generally constituted by a roller, e.g. of molten silica, and two metal fittings mounted at each of the roller ends. The fittings are rotated by a transmission mechanism forming part of the conveyor, e.g. by means of chains or gears.
It is important to ensure an effective rotary link between the fittings and the roller. Thus, any sliding of the roller with respect to the fitting leads to a marking of the articles. Moreover, said link must be ensured at high temperatures up to 700.degree. C. Such a temperature causes differential expansion problems between the roller and the metal fitting, whose expansion is much greater.
In order to compensate this expansion, use has already been made of elastic elements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,011 describes spring leaves and U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,598 describes split elastic rings. However, with such a solution, the transmission of a torque between the roller and the fitting is brought about by friction. However, the modulus of elasticity and the locking of the elastic elements drops at the temperature of use. Therefore the torque transmission does not take place correctly. According to another solution known from EP 615 960, use is made of bimetallic elements, whose camber increases at the same time as the temperature. Thus, there is a partial compensation of the drop in the characteristics of the materials at high temperatures. However, here again, the torque transmission between the roller and the fitting by friction is not correctly ensured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,675 discloses roller assemblies in which the link between the roller and the fitting is ensured by a key on flat. This means permits an effective rotation linking. The fitting is also well axially retained and cannot be disengaged from the roller. However, the centring of the roller with respect to the fittings is very mediocre due to the annular space appearing at high temperature, due to the differential thermal expansion of the fitting, a clearance appears between the key and the flat. Therefore the fitting turns slightly with respect to the roller until the edge of the key again comes into contact with the flat. When the roller cools, the fitting reassumes its initial dimensions and the key exerts on the rollers stresses which may break it.
It is also known from the document FR-2 550 172 a roller, each end of which is provided with a metallic fitting. A metallic ring, having an expansion coefficient greater than the one of the fitting, is interposed between the latter and the end of the roller. The extremity of the roller is linked for rotation with the fitting by means of a key.
However, in this linkage, the ring has a thickness which is not important in comparison with the diameter of the fitting. In order to compensate for the difference of expansion between the fitting and the roller, it would consequently be necessary that the metal in which the ring is made, has a coefficient of expansion several tenth of times greater than the one of the fitting, which is practically impossible.
On another side, as far as the key is concerned, a drawback similar to the one existing in the case of the document U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,675 is to be noted. At high temperature, a play will appear between the key and the flat with the risk to break the roller when it returns the ambient temperature.
The present invention relates to a roller assembly obviating the disadvantages of the prior art. It must permit both
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Cuda I.
Plevy Arthur L.
Vesuvius France S.A.
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