Importance

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Abstract

Quick-disconnect couplings for three-piece rotors in a two-rotor continuous mixer for plastic materials enable a main rotor section (or 'main rotor body') of each rotor to be uncoupled from a drive journal located at one end of the main rotor section and a driven journal located at the other end of the main rotor section. These quick-disconnect couplings as shown provide the following features: (a) piloted to maintain concentricity, (b) keyed to transmit torque, (c) enable quick assembly and disassembly of three-piece rotors, (d) maintain integrity of couplings bolted onto respective ends of each rotor section, (e) thus, a complete functional main rotor body is assembled with its quick-disconnect couplings at each end, (f) the disengageable interface between each coupling and each journal is supplied with both pilot and key, (g) concentricity and torque capabilities are built into the quick-disconnect coupling assemblies, (h) threaded locking collars captive on the journals serve to lock the disengageable interfaces together, (i) interface joints are pre-loaded by tightening the locking collars using spanner wrenches, (j) threaded locking collars do not become jammed, because torque is carried by keyed engagement at each interface, and (k) for disassembly the locking collars are backed off, and main rotor bodies together with their couplings are conveniently removed by separation at the piloted and keyed interfaces.

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First Claim