Roller device
Q United States Patent 1191 Murakami 1 Apr. 22, 1975 [54] ROLLER DEVICE 3.363.735 1/1968 Hotchkiss 193/37 3.621.96l ll/l97l Stumpf...... l93/37 [761 Invent M Murakam&#34; 3.710.917 1/1973 Black eta. 193/37 MD x O1mazato 2-chome. H1gash1nar1-ku. Osaka. Japan FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS J n 5, United Kingdom Q R [2]] Appl&#39; 32!,309 Primary E.\aminer-Evon C. Blunk Assistant E.\&#39;uminerW. Scott Carson 30 Foreign A li ti priority Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Armstr0ng, Nikaido &amp;  
 Feb. 22. 1972 Japan 47-18812 wegne [52] US. Cl. 193/37 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. B65g 39/04 This invention [dates to i provements in a roller de [58] Fleld Search [93/35 M1137 198/l27 R vice by which articles placed on a roller face are moved in a desired direction in a plane. and composed [56] References C&#39;ted of a main body, a plurality of rollers mounted around UNITED STATES PATENTS V the periphery thereof with a cylindrical boss included 1.067.805 7/1913 Diescher 198/127 R in the main body and adapted to receive a shaft for 1.737 l17 11/1929 Morton 198/127 R X mounting a plurality of the devices. 1,789,847 l/l93l l,79l.l66 2/l93l Kathncr 198/127 R X 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures ROLLER DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conveyor apparatus has heretofore been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,735 in which a conveying face is formed by an assembly of roller devices each comprising a boss supported on a frame and a plurality of rollers equidistantly spaced apart along a circle arranged concentrically with the boss and rotatable in a direction at right angles with the direction of rotation of the boss. With such conveyor apparatus, a conveying face of the desired width will not always be obtained simply by varying the number of the roller devices constituting the assembly, since the respective roller devices are of a uniform size.  
  The primary object of the present invention is to provide a roller device such that a plurality of such roller devices can be fitted together with the rollers of one device positioned between the rollers of another device respectively so that the greatest possible number of rollers will be positioned to define a conveying face as a whole to assure a uniform conveying operation at all times.  
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a roller device such that when a plurality of the roller devices are assembled, one roller device can be fitted to another in face-to-face or back-to-face relation.  
  Still another object of this invention is to provide a roller device which can be fitted onto a round or angular shaft so as to be free to rotate on the shaft or to be driven by the shaft.  
  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a roller device which overcomes the problems and deficiencies associated with past conveying and transporting devices related to the transportation of articles from one location to another.  
  A still further object of the present invention is to provide a roller device which is simple and inexpensive of construction and operation and which is capable of being joined with other similar devices in a variety of arrangements to form a conveying face which will permit a uniform and steady transporting operation.  
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a roller device which is adaptable for use in a variety of conveying and transporting environments and which is capable of combination with other such devices to produce an assembly having utility in transporting and conveying articles of various sizes and weights.  
  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the class indicated which is capable of the functions referred to and which is based upon sound mechanical and engineering principles and which is not complex in structure and is adaptable to combination with similar devices from either the front or the back to produce a variety of assembly arrangements varying greatly in roller density.  
 Other objects will appear hereinafter.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, in accordance with the present invention. a roller device is provided which is composed of a main body including a cylindrical boss adapted for mounting on a shaft and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted along the outer periphery of the main body. A plurality of ribs extend radially from the outer periphery of the boss, with each rib branching into arm elements at the end opposite the boss. A plate connects the ribs and arm elements. Grooves in the arm elements form a bore for receiving the shaft of a roller. The inner faces and outer faces of each end of the boss are so structured as to be adapted for engagement with opposing structure and features in similar devices.  
  An embodiment of this invention is shown in the drawings wherein:  
  FIG. 1 is a front view of a roller device; FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II in FIG. 1:  
 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main body;  
 FIG. 4 is a rear view of the main body;  
 FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 1;  
 FIG. 6 is a plan view of a drive wheel;  
 FIG. 7 is a plan view of a clamp ring; and  
  FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing the device in opcration.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A roller device 10 comprises a main body 12 integrally molded of a synthetic resin material or casted with metal and a plurality of rollers 14 rotatably mounted along the outer periphery of the main body 12. The main body 12 includes a cylindrical boss 17 to be mounted on a shaft and a plurality of ribs 18 radially extending from the outer periphery of the boss and spaced apart equidistantly. A space for a roller is formed between adjacent ribs.  
  Each of the ribs 18 branches at its distal end into support arms 19 and 19 in a Y-shaped form. At the opposite sides of the roller space. the support arms of the adjacent ribs are positioned in parallel with each other. To reinforce the support arms 19 and ribs 18, the boss 17 is provided at its one end with a connecting plate 16 which extends between the support arms 19 and 19 and is integral with the ribs 18 and cylindrical boss 17.  
  The distal end of the support arm 19 is formed. in its side facing the roller space. with a vertical groove 31 extending downward from the upper edge thereof up to a mid portion of the height of the support arm 19 and having a depth approximately one half the thickness of the support arm 19. In the outer side of the distal end of the support arm 19, there is formed a similar vertical groove 32 extending upward from the lower edge thereof. Both vertical grooves 31 and 32 overlap each other at the center of distal end of the support arm 19, the overlapping portion providing a circular bore 30 for a roller shaft.  
  A barrel-like roller 14 having a greater diameter at its midportion than at the ends is fitted in each roller space of the main body 12. A roller shaft extending from the end face of the roller is rotatably fitted into the bore 30 at the distal end of each support arm.  
  The cylindrical boss 17 is formed in its inner face with circular arc faces 20 and polygonal angular faces 21 positioned alternately, the circular arc faces 20 being adapted to fit with a shaft of a circular cross section with the angular faces 21. defining a plygon which overlaps a circle defined by the circular arc faces, with its corners opposing the ribs 18 and rollers 14 respectively. Accordingly, the main body 12 can be mounted on a round shaft for free rotation or can be fitted on a shaft of a polygonal cross section to rotate integrally with the shaft.  
  One end face 22 of the boss 17 is formed with tongue-like projections opposing the ribs 18 and recesses 24 opposing the rollers 14 and having the same width as the projection 25. Thus two roller devices 10 and 10(a) are fitted together, with the end faces 22 and 22- of the.bosses 17 at the same side positioned in faceto face relation asillustrated in FIG. 2. The recesses 24 of one device are engaged with the projections of the other device in alternating manner. As a result. one of the roller devices 10 enters the other by the depth of the recesses 24 and the ribs of main body 12 ofone roller device position in the roller spaces of main body of the otherroller device. Consequently, one device is displaced from the other by one half the pitch of the roller arrangement, and these tightly engaged two roller devices can be treated as a unit. In this combination the rollers of respective devices 10 and 10(a) approaches closest.  
  At the other end face 26 of the cylindrical boss 17 there is formed a circular recess 29 in conformity with the outer diameter of the cylindrical boss 17 and having one half the depth of the recess 24 in the end face 22. In opposing relation to the rollers 14, the peripheral wall of the circular recess 29 is formed with cutouts 27. Accordingly, when two roller devices 10 and 10(b) are fitted together with the different end faces 22(b) and 26 facing each other, the rib front faces 28 of the roller device 10(b) engage in the cutouts 27 in the end face 26 and, the ends of the projections 25 of the device l(.b)-contact the bottom face of the circular recess 29 with the result that the device (b) enters the device 10 by the depth of the circular recess 29, namely by one&#39;half the depth of the recess 24, the one device being displaced from the other by one half the pitch of the roller arrangement.  
 -In-practicing this invention, the boss end face can of course be formed with engaging portions of some other differenttshape engageable with an adjacent similar device,-in place..of the projections recesses and cutouts.  
 a shaft&#39;of&#39;a circular cross section and the roller devices IO-fitted on the shaft with suitable retainers attached to 1 the opposite&#39;ends of the shaft, the roller devices 10 are &#34;free to rotate on the round shaft and articles delivered onto theconveyor face will be supported on the rollers 14 located at an upper position and sent toward a desired&#39;direction by the rotation of the rollers 14 and the I rotation. of the main bodies 12 or by the combination ofthese two modes of rotation.  
 -.wher1 the roller devices 10 are mounted on a shaft with thesame faces of all the devices oriented in one direction, the end face 22 of one boss 17 will engage the end-:face 26 of another boss 17, resulting each device displaced from the adjacent device by one half the pitch of the roller arrangement without any adjustment, and all devices rotate simultaneously. Conversely, if the faces of two rollerdevices 10 are directed in different directions, the unit engagement will be mounted on a shaft intermittently to reduce the number of roller devices on a shaft.  
  Further in the case where the roller devices I0 are fitted on a shaft 60 of a polygonal section, the angular faces-Zlof the boss 17 will fit to the angular shaft 60,  
 permitting all the devices to rotate together with the shaft. In this arrangement a drive wheel was shown in of the shaft 60. In this way, the drive wheel 40 is forced to rotate in engagement with the roller devices to transport articles on the conveyor face.  
  When the articles are pushed toward the direction of the shaft 60, the articles can be readily taken off the conveyor face due to the rotation of the rollers 14. Further mounted on the opposite ends ofa round shaft carrying roller devices 10 are clamp rings as shown in FIG. 7 and formed in its opposite end faces with engaging portions 53 and 54 adapted for engagement to different depths, the clamp ring having a split portion in its peripheral portion. After the engaging portion 53 of the ring 50 is engaged with the engaging portion of the roller device, a bolt 52 is passed through projections 55 extending from the opposite sides of the split and the clamp ring is fastened, whereby the roller device can be locked to the round shaft against idle rotation.  
  From the foregoing, it may be seen that the present invention provides a useful device for combination with similar devices in a variety of arrangements to produce and assembly with a face for conveying or transporting articles with ease and rapidity. The device avoids the deficiencies and problems of the past and yet is simple and inexpensive of construction.  
  The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A roller device comprising a boss and a plurality of rollers equidistantly spaced apart along a circle concentrically located with respect to the boss and so supported as to be rotatable in a direction at right angles to the direction of rotation of the boss characterized in that the boss is provided with a plurality of support arms opposing the opposite ends of each of the rollers, each of the support arms being formed in its front and rear faces with vertical grooves having a depth approximately one half the thickness of the support arm. and extending in opposing directions to provide a bore for supporting a roller shaft by the overlapping of the vertical grooves.  
  2. A roller device comprising a boss and a plurality of rollers equidistantly spaced apart along a circle concentrically located with respect to the boss and so supported as to be rotatable in a direction at right angles to the direction of rotation of the boss characterized in that the boss is provided in each of its opposite ends with an engaging portion adapted to engage with the boss end of an adjacent similar device with such displacement that one device is out of rotation phase with the other by one half the pitch of the roller arrangement, wherein the inner face of the boss comprises circular arc faces and angular faces arranged alternately,  
 the circular arc faces being fittable with a shaft of a circular cross section. the angular faces being fittable with a shaft of a polygonal section.  
  3. A roller device comprising a boss and a plurality of rollers equidistantly spaced apart along a circle concentrically located with respect to the boss and so supported as to be rotatable in a direction at right angles to the direction of rotation of the boss characterized in that the boss is provided in each of its opposite ends with an engaging portion adapted to engage with the boss end of an adjacent similar device with such displacement that one device is out of rotation phase with the other by one half the pitch of the roller arrangement, wherein the boss is provided with a plurality of support arms opposing the opposite ends of each of the rollers, each of the support arms being formed in its front and rear faces with vertical grooves having a depth approximately one half the thickness of the support arm and extending in opposing directions to form a bore for supporting a roller shaft by the overlapping of the vertical grooves.  
  4. A roller device comprising a main body. including a cylindrical boss adapted for mounting on a shaft. a plurality of rollers rotatably spaced apart concentrically around said boss, a plurality of rib means extending radially from the outer periphery of the boss to receive rollers rotatably; said rib means comprising ribs and said ribs branch into a plurality of support arms with front and rear faces at the end opposite the boss, one end face of the boss being formed with tongue-like projections and recesses alternately adjacent to said rollers and ribs and wherein grooves are formed vertically in the front and rear faces of said arms, having a depth of about one half the thickness of said arms and extending in opposing directions to form a bore by the overlapping of the grooves.  
 5. The roller device of claim 4, wherein the diameter of said bore is the same as the width of said groove.  
  UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE QERTH ICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,878,927 Dated April 22, 1975 Inventor (s) MASAHIRO MURAKAMI It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:  
 PLEASE CORRECT THE NAME OF THE INVENTOR TO READ -MASAHIRO MURAKAMI Signcd and gealcd this second Day Of September 1975 [SEAL] A nest:  
 RUTH- C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (unznzissimzer oj&#39;PaIentx and Trademarks