Abstract:
A support and coupling assembly for a moving screw auger that is used to move grit, such as grit that is used in the blast cleaning industry. The support and coupling assembly includes a hanger bearing assembly with a hanger bearing bracket with an end for engaging a support surface, such as a wall or a ceiling, and a removed end. A roller bearing engages the removed end of the hanger bracket and a shaft is press fit into the roller bearing. A pair of hub assemblies with flights engages the shaft and rotates with the shaft. Connector assemblies engage the hub assemblies to connect the hub assemblies to screw portions on either side of the hanger bearing assembly. The flights on the connector assemblies will cause the grit to speed up as it moves from the screw portion to the connector assembly.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from, incorporates by reference, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/147,680, filed Apr. 15, 2015. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A device comprising a support and coupling assembly for a screw auger having multiple coupled screw portions engaged through a triple seal bearing assembly. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A screw conveyor comprising multiple screw sections is found in the blast cleaning industry, namely, to move blast cleaning shot, for example, in an abrasive reclamation system. The lengths of the screws or screw flights of the screw conveyor may be up to 25 feet. They are rotated relatively slowly by an electric motor. The screws or screw flights are coupled together at support and coupling assemblies that function to support and provide relatively low friction rotation of the screw conveyor. Thus, a support and coupling assembly needs to transfer rotational motion of one screw to the adjacent screw through an assembly which provides support and low friction and also protection against blast cleaning material from entry into the bearings where it could become detrimental to the proper functioning of the assembly. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,012, (Volpe, 2002), incorporated herein by reference, discloses a particular type of support and coupling assembly for screw conveyor. The assembly disclosed addresses the shortcomings of prior art screw conveyors, including the difficulty in assembly and disassembly, and the breakdown caused by deflection at the end of the screws, where they are coupled through the support and coupling assembly to adjacent screws. 
         [0005]    Applicant herein makes certain improvements to the Volpe support and coupling assembly, as set forth in more detail below. For convenience, Applicant has used three digit element numbers all beginning with the number “5”. In the Volpe patent, there are no element numbers that are three digit numbers beginning with the number “5”. Moreover, all of Applicant&#39;s figures are numbered with a combination of and a letter. All of the numbers of the figures in the Volpe reference do not have a letter associated with them. It is hoped that this helps the reader in understanding the structure and functions advantages of Applicant&#39;s invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A multiple seal ball bearing assembly is provided for preventing debris and other matter from getting into the ball bearings of the assembly. The assembly is engaged with a rotating shaft that is keyed to paired hub assemblies with resilient properties. The hub assemblies engage each end of the shaft and provide rotation thereto. Each hub assembly has an outer body with inwardly projecting blades, a center that is keyed to the rotating shaft, the center having outward extending blades. A resilient mass holds the blades in angular orientation with one another. The outer body of the hub assemblies each engage a screw flight, one of the screw flights being rotated, providing torque through the resilient mass to the hub center and shaft, which is transmitted through the bearing assembly to the outer hub, and the screw flight attached thereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-section of a hanger bearing assembly with paired hub assemblies, one to either side of the hanger bracket, with the hanger bracket engaging a carrier, which in turn engages the bearing assembly. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  is an exploded view of the hanger bearing assembly. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross-sectional and front views of a bearing hub center for use with a bearing assembly. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cross-sectional and end views of a bearing hub outer body for use with a bearing assembly. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a bearing carrier for engaging a bearing to a hanger bearing bracket. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D  illustrate a bearing for use in Applicant&#39;s hanger bearing assembly. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a shaft for use with Applicant&#39;s hanger bearing assembly in elevational view with features ghosted in. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate two hanger bracket alternate embodiments;  FIG. 7A  vertical hanging bracket;  FIG. 7B  curved bracket for engagement of a side wall. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D  show various views of a hub assembly. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C  are photographic views of the hub screw connector assemblies engaging the screws to the hubs through the use of fasteners and welds. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 10A, 10B, 100, and 10D  show various views of how the hub screw connector assemblies and the hub assemblies engage one another. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  shows a schematic illustration of some elements of a shot moving system that may use Applicant&#39;s hanger bearing assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]      FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B  illustrate the main components of Applicant&#39;s hanger bearing assembly  500 . Hanger bearing assembly  500  can be seen to have moveable parts and stationary parts with a bearing  502  therebetween. Moreover, it is seen that the fixed assembly may be supported on a hanger bearing bracket  504  in  FIGS. 1A, 7A  (vertical) and  7 B (side). Hanger bearing bracket  504  is seen to engage a bearing carrier  508 , which is cylindrical and having a shoulder  504   a  on one side and a notch  504   b  on the other (see  FIG. 4A ). Notch  504   b  will receive a split ring retainer rotor clip  510  (see  FIG. 1A ). A bearing spacer  512  may be used between the inner surface of split ring retainer rotor clip  510  and the outer surface of bearing  502  as seen in  FIG. 1A . Bearing  502  (see  FIGS. 1A and 5A ) typically has an inner race  514  and outer race  524  and a double roll  520  of ball bearings comprising a first row of ball bearings  516  and a second row of ball bearings  518  engaged to one another through the use of a retainer ring or cage  522  (see  FIG. 5C ) 
         [0020]    A bearing shaft  526  extends through inner race  514  and is supported by the inner race  514 , which bearing shaft includes keyways  526   a  on either end. A central area  526   b  has an outer surface thereof that is press fit into the inner race, so that rotation of the shaft and inner race is transferred to the ball bearings. Bearing shaft  526  is tapped  526   c  at both ends for threaded receipt of a retainer cap screw  530  at the ends (see  FIGS. 1A and 6A ), which cap screw engages a flat washer  528  as seen in  FIG. 1A . 
         [0021]    A hub assembly  531  (see  FIGS. 1A and 8A-8D ) is provide to resiliently transfer torque between rotating screw flights mounted to the hub assemblies on either side of the hanger bearing bracket  504 . That is to say, hub assemblies  531  (one on each side of bearing  502 ) provides resiliency of polyurethane or other resilient element  533  (see  FIG. 1A ). Each hub assembly  531  is comprised of three parts: bearing hub center  532 , bearing hub outer body  536 , and resilient element  533 . Structurally, one may look at  FIG. 1  of the Volpe patent and  FIG. 1A  of Applicant&#39;s patent, and  FIG. 2  of the Volpe patent and  FIGS. 8A-8D  of Applicant&#39;s patent to see the structure and function of the hub assembly and the manner in which the resiliency provides for both deflection and some torque absorption. 
         [0022]    Bearing hub center  532  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1A, 2A, 2B, 8B, 8C, and 8D , and is seen to have a keyway  532   a  in a central cylindrical body  532   b  thereof, whose outer surface is seen to be cylindrical with multiple blades  534   a / 534   b / 534   c / 534   d  extending outwards therefrom. 
         [0023]    Hub outer body  536  is seen to comprise a cylindrical shell  536   a  with a multiplicity, here, four blades  538   a / 538   b / 538   c / 538   d,  which blades project inward and are surrounded by resilient material  533 . Bearing hub center  532  has blades  534   a / 534   b / 534   c / 534   d  extending radially outward into the same mass of resilient material  533 , which may be polyurethane in one embodiment (see Volpe patent, element  84 ). Body  536   a  of hub outer body  536  is engaged with screw flights or links on either side and will support the weight and the torque applied by each of those flights during upstart, slowdown, and steady state operation (see  FIGS. 9A-9C and 10A-10D ). 
         [0024]      FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C , as well as  FIGS. 10A, 10B, 100, and 10D  illustrate the manner in which hub/screw connector assemblies  550  engage hub assemblies  531  on either side of hanger bearing bracket  504  to connect bearing hub outer body  536  to a first screw  556 , such that the screw can transmit rotational torque through bearing  502  to a second screw  556  mounted to a second bearing assembly  531  on the other side of Applicant&#39;s hanger bearing assembly  500 . More particularly, it is seen that a pair of clam shell shaped tub connector halves  546 / 548  engage one another through a multiplicity of fasteners  552  so as to transmit rotation through the hanger bearing assembly. More specifically,  FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C  show that similarly dimensioned hub connector half  546  and screw connector half  548 , both have bodies  546   a / 548   a,  the bodies with fastener engaging ears  546   b / 548   b  extending therefrom and the body having, located on the outer surfaces thereof, screw flights  546   c / 548   c.    
         [0025]      FIG. 10B  illustrates the manner in which hub connector half  546  is engaged to bearing hub outer body  536  by a weld  506  or other suitable attachment means. The same figure also illustrates how body  546   a  extends beyond the outer edge of bearing hub outer body  536 . Turning to  FIGS. 9C and 10D , it is seen that screw connector half  548  has body  548   a  that may be welded to the removed end  556   a  of screw ( FIG. 9C ) and whose body  548   a  extends beyond the removed end  556   a  of screw  556 . Joining connector halves  546 / 548  with fasteners  552  so that the overlap of body  546   a  and the overlap of body  548   a  engage as seen in  FIGS. 9C and 10A  will create a quick fastener removal change out means for elements of Applicant&#39;s bearing assembly, while also allowing for the effective transmission of torque through that assembly. There may be a gap “G” of about ¼″ to 3/16″ between removed end  556   a  of screw  556  and the outer edge of the hub outer body  536  when connector halves  546 / 548  are engaged (see  FIG. 9C  Detail). This will allow for some flex. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  also show the manner in which the screw flights of a novel hub/screw connector assembly  550 , for example, see  FIG. 9A , will be set so that the flights run crosswise with each other, for example, when viewed from above. Moreover, in  FIG. 9C , it is seen how a flight at the removed end of the screw will engage the flights of the adjacent hub/screw connector assembly  550 . Moreover, the flights of the adjacent hub/screw connector assemblies  550  have removed ends indicated by the arrows A and B in  FIGS. 9A and 9C , which removed ends affect a continuation of movement of the media particles transmitted by the screw conveyor across the hanger bearing bracket  504 . The ends are aligned so that the screw flights make a continual helical path separated only by a gap across the hanger bearing bracket.  FIG. 9C  also shows how the pitch of flight  556   b  of the screw is set adjacent a flight  548   c  of a hub half. Further, Applicant has changed the pitch from the screw to the hub screw connector assembly so the grit (typically 40-80 grit) is accelerated when it gets to the connector. Acceleration of the grit will help keep it out of the bearing assembly. In one example, the pitch of the single screw flights are 2/3D and Applicant changes the pitch so the flights of the connectors  546 / 548  have pitches of 1D (see  FIG. 9A ). This increases the speed of the grit by 50%. In a preferred embodiment, the screw pitch is increased to increase the speed of the grit by at least about 25% more than its speed on the screw flight, or at least 33%. In a preferred range, Applicant&#39;s pitch change will increase the speed of the grit from about 25% of the pre-change speed to about 75% of the pre-pitch change. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D  illustrate details of bearing  502  halves. Bearing  502  is seen to have outer race  524 , which engages the bearing carrier and is affixed to the bracket, and inner race  514  pressed onto the shaft, which in turn is keyed to the hub center of each hub assembly and a shield  540 . One unique feature of bearing  502  is multiple seals  542  (see in  FIG. 5C , one seal on each side) between the outer race  524  and inner race  514 . Here, seal  542  is seen to be made of a flexible, elastomeric material, for example, resilient nitrile (Buna-N) with the seal  524 , in one embodiment, engaging shield  540 , which in turn engages a groove in the outer race in ways known in the art. Seals may be made of nitrile, urethane, Teflon or any other suitable durable, resilient material. The inner race is rotating with respect to the outer race and multiple lips or legs may represent contact points or seals between the outside of the bearing and the ball bearings themselves, thus helping prevent dust, grit, and other matter from obtaining access to the ball bearings. Some ball bearing assemblies come without seals, some come with single or single lip seals, but bearings with multiple seals may be used in the environment described herein, namely, for support of multiple flights of a screw conveyor assembly while keeping grit out. Moreover, shield  540  may also provide a seal function between the outer race and the inner race, but typically does not contact the inner race. One type of bearing that may be used is a Peer 5211, but with flexible seals on each side. In another embodiment, a Peer 5211-KRR50 is called for with flexible legs on both sides (see  FIGS. 5A-5D ). 
         [0028]    A heavy duty, straight edge, staked-in shroud seal  540 , with steel shroud is 25-50% thicker than traditional industrial steel shroud designs may be used, this increases resistance to bending and damage from direct contact with contamination (e.g., steel shot). 
         [0029]    A precision ground inner ring stepped seal land  541  will provide an optimal sealing surface for long wear life and protection against seal lip inversion when contaminants are forced against the seal lip. The seal lip or legs  542   a  contact the inner ring in a radial plane, making this seal less sensitive to misalignment and axial forces. 
         [0030]      FIG. 11  illustrates some elements of a media reclamation system  700 . These elements may include: blast room  701 , auger assembly  702 , including screws and Applicant&#39;s hanger assembly  500 ; auger drives and motors  704 ; elevator/separator assembly  706 ; hopper storage  708 ; hopper pans adjacent auger assemblies  709 ; one or more waste drums  710 ; and an electrical control panel  712 . 
         [0031]    Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. On the contrary, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications, alternatives, and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.