Roller of a support arrangement for a rotary milking platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574607-B2
Application number	US-201314435482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A roller of a support arrangement includes a first unit and a second unit releasably connected to each other via a connection mechanism, the first unit including a first side flange as well as an entire peripheral contact surface of the roller, and the second unit including a second side flange of the roller. In a mounted state, the peripheral contact surface is in contact with a contact portion of a first rail member connected to a rotary platform, and a contact portion of a stationary second rail member, with the two side flanges arranged on opposite sides of the contact surface. A plurality of the rollers is arranged in a vertical space between the first and second rail members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roller ( 8 ) of a support arrangement for a rotary milking platform ( 1 ), the support arrangement including a first rail member ( 4 ) connected to a rotary platform and a stationary second rail member ( 5 ), the first and second rail members each including a contact portion ( 4 d , 5 d ), the roller comprising:
a first unit ( 8 h ) including a first side flange ( 8 a ) and an entirety of a peripheral contact surface ( 8 c ) of the roller;
a second unit ( 8 i ) a second side flange ( 8 b ); and
a connection mechanism ( 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 ) that, in a connected state of the first and second units, releasably connects the first unit to the second unit;
wherein, in the connected state, a rotation axis is common to the first and second units,
wherein each of the first and second side flanges ( 8 a , 8 b ) comprises a peripheral surface arranged at a longer radial distance from the rotation axis ( 8 g ) than a radial distance between the peripheral contact surface ( 8 c ) and the rotation axis ( 8 e ), and
wherein, in a mounted state, the peripheral contact surface ( 8 c ) is in contact with i) the contact portion ( 4 d ) of the first rail member and ii) the contact portion ( 5 d ) of the second rail member, with the first and second side flanges arranged on opposite sides of the contact surface.

2. The roller of claim 1 in combination with the support arrangement, wherein,
the first rail member ( 4 ) is fixedly connected to the platform ( 1 ),
the second rail member ( 5 ) is stationarily arranged in a position below the platform ( 1 ), and
in the mounted state, a plurality of said roller is arranged in a vertical space between the first rail member ( 4 ) and the second rail member ( 5 ) with the peripheral contact surface ( 8 c ) of each said roller in contact with i) the contact portion ( 4 d ) of the first rail member and ii) the contact portion ( 5 d ) of the second rail member, with the first and second side flanges arranged on opposite sides of the contact surface.

3. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein the connection mechanism comprises a screw mechanism ( 11 , 13 ).

4. The roller according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second units comprises a mounting hole ( 8 j ) that receives the screw mechanism, with the first unit ( 8 h ) comprising a first part of the mounting hole and the second unit comprising a second part of the mounting hole.

5. The roller according to claim 4 , wherein said mounting hole ( 8 j ) extends in an axial direction of the roller ( 8 ) between a first side surface ( 8 d ) formed by the first unit ( 8 h ) and a second side surface ( 8 e ) formed by the second unit ( 8 i ).

6. The roller according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second unit ( 8 i ) are provided with contact portions ( 8 m , 8 n ) that, in the connected state, contact with each other.

7. The roller according to claim 6 ,
wherein the contact portions ( 8 m , 8 n ) have a shape such that a separation movement of the units ( 8 h , 8 i ) is only allowed in an axial direction of the roller ( 8 ).

8. The roller according to claim 6 , wherein the contact portion of one of the first and second units is in a form of a recess portion ( 8 m ) and the contact portion of another of the first and second units is in a form of a protruding portion ( 8 n ) having a corresponding shape as the recess portion ( 8 m ).

9. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second units have a center hole ( 8 f ) at the rotation axis ( 8 g ).

10. The roller according to claim 9 , wherein the connection mechanism comprises two elongated connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ) arranged on opposite sides of the first and second units, and a shaft ( 10 ) extending through the center holes of the first and second units and through the two elongated connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ).

11. The roller according to claim 10 , wherein the shaft ( 10 ) is connected to the two connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ) by a releasable connection ( 14 ).

12. The roller according to claim 11 , wherein the shaft is a bolt ( 10 ) and the releasable connection is a nut ( 14 ).

13. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second unit ( 8 i ) is manufactured of a material body in one piece.

14. The roller according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second unit ( 8 i ) is manufactured of a nylon material.

15. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second unit ( 8 i ) are manufactured of the same material.

16. The roller of claim 1 in combination with the support arrangement, wherein,
the first rail member ( 4 ) is fixedly connected to the platform ( 1 ),
the second rail member ( 5 ) is stationarily arranged in a position below the platform ( 1 ), and
in the mounted state, a plurality of said roller is arranged in a vertical space between the first rail member ( 4 ) and the second rail member ( 5 ) with the peripheral contact surface ( 8 c ) of each said roller in contact with i) the contact portion ( 4 d ) of the first rail member and ii) the contact portion ( 5 d ) of the second rail member, with the first and second side flanges arranged on opposite sides of the contact surface,
each said first unit has a first outer side surface ( 8 d ) and each said second unit has a second outer side surface ( 8 e ),
each of the first and second units have a center hole ( 8 f ) at the rotation axis ( 8 g ),
the connection mechanism comprises i) two elongated connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ), each elongated connection element having plural holes spaced along a length direction, the two elongated connection elements respectively arranged on opposite sides of the first and second outer side surfaces ( 8 d , 8 e ) of the first and second units, ii) a shaft ( 10 ) extending through the center holes of the first and second units and through corresponding holes of the two elongated connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ), and iii) a releasable connection ( 14 ) that releasably connects the shaft ( 10 ) to the two connection elements ( 9 a , 9 b ), and
the two elongated connection elements extend between plural of said rollers and connect the plural rollers to each other.

17. The combination of claim 16 , wherein,
the connection mechanism further comprises a screw mechanism ( 11 , 13 ),
each of the first and second units comprises a mounting hole ( 8 j ) that receives the screw mechanism, with the first unit ( 8 h ) comprising a first part of the mounting hole and the second unit comprising a second part of the mounting hole,
said mounting hole ( 8 j ) extends in an axial direction of the roller ( 8 ) between the first side surface ( 8 d ) formed by the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second side surface ( 8 e ) formed by the second unit ( 8 i ).

18. The combination of claim 16 , wherein,
the first unit ( 8 h ) and the second unit ( 8 i ) are provided with contact portions ( 8 m , 8 n ) that, in the connected state, contact with each other,
the contact portions ( 8 m , 8 n ) have a shape such that a separation movement of the units ( 8 h , 8 i ) is only allowed in an axial direction of the roller ( 8 ), and
the contact portion of one of the first and second units is in a form of a recess portion ( 8 m ) and the contact portion of another of the first an

Assignees

• Delaval Holding Ab

Inventors

• Strom Mikael

Classifications

• F16C33/34 Primary

  Rollers; Needles · CPC title

• F16C13/00

  Rolls, drums, discs, or the like (guide rollers in feeding webs B65H27/00; calender rolls, bearings therefor D21G1/02; rotary drums or rollers for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus F28F5/02); Bearings or mountings therefor · CPC title

• A01K1/126 Primary

  Carousels · CPC title