Patent ID: 7530938
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
1. An assembly comprising: an air shaft comprising an inlet, a passageway and an outlet, said inlet being in fluid communication with said outlet via said passageway; a pneumatic roller rotatably mounted to said air shaft and configured to form an annular chamber surrounding a portion of said air shaft, said passageway of said air shaft being in fluid communication with said chamber via said outlet of said air shaft; and first and second collars fixedly mounted to said shaft at respective positions adjacent opposite ends of said pneumatic roller; said first and second collars restricting axial movement of said pneumatic roller relative to said shaft without restricting rotational movement of said pneumatic roller about said shaft, wherein said pneumatic roller comprises: a generally circular cylindrical tube made of resilient material, at least a portion of said tube forming an airtight outer peripheral boundary of said chamber; and first and second end cap assemblies rotatably mounted to said air shaft at opposite ends of said chamber, said first end cap assembly being fitted inside one end of said tube and said second end cap assembly being fitted inside the other end of said tube, wherein said tube comprises a multiplicity of annular transverse cuts extending from an inner peripheral surface of said tube toward, but not reaching, an outer peripheral surface of said tube.