Load responsive drive mechanism

摘要

A drive mechanism having drive and driven shafts for automatically providing increased torque when the loading on the driven shaft is increased beyond a predetermined limit, for example upon start-up of a loaded conveyor. The shafts are interconnected by a pair of sprockets and chain drive assemblies of differing ratios. Under normal loading the output shaft is driven through a friction clutch by the sprocket and chain drive assembly providing the highest output speed. Under heavy loading, the friction clutch begins slipping and a one-way clutch is activated to drive the output shaft through the lower speed sprocket and chain drive assembly.