Claims
- 1. A pontoon chain drive assembly having an inboard and outboard side comprising a sprocketless tail roller assembly located at one end of said pontoon and a chain sprocket drive roller assembly located at the opposite end of said pontoon with at least two endless loops of roller chain connected in parallel by a plurality of inverted channel cleats having polymeric channel guides attached thereto passing around said drive sprocket roller assembly and said tail roller assembly, said tail roller assembly comprising an elongate tubular drum rotatably supported upon a stub shaft located at each end, a plurality of ring members attached to said tubular drum located intermediate said roller chain in a manner whereby said channel cleats and said polymeric guides are in contact with said ring members while passing around said tubular drum.
- 2. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 1 wherein said ring members are structural channel members formed with the channel portion facing said tubular drum.
- 3. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 1 wherein said ring members are rolled tubular members.
- 4. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 1 wherein said sprocketless tail roller assembly further comprises at least one guide ring for each said roller chain located adjacent said chain and attached to said tubular drum.
- 5. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 1 wherein said chain sprocket drive roller assembly utilizes an intermediate flange joint as one of said plurality of ring members for cleat support.
- 6. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 5 wherein said chain drive sprocket roller assembly utilizes an intermediate flange joint as one of said plurality of ring members for cleat support with at least one of said ring members located between said flange joint and each said chain.
- 7. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 1 wherein said chain drive sprocket roller assembly is adapted to said pontoon in such a manner that its drive motor faces said outboard side of said pontoon drive assembly.
- 8. A pontoon chain drive assembly having an inboard and outboard side comprising:a) a sprocketless tail roller assembly located at one end of said pontoon; b) a chain sprocket drive roller assembly located at an end of said pontoon opposite said tail roller having an integral drive motor; c) at least two endless loops of roller chain located in parallel passing around said pontoon, sprocketless tail roller assembly and said chain sprocket drive roller assembly; (d) a plurality of inverted channel cleats connected to each of said loops of roller chain having at least one polymeric guide member attached to each of said channel cleats; e) a plurality of ring members attached to said sprocketless tail roller assembly and said chain sprocket drive roller assembly located intermediate said roller chain in a manner whereby said cleats and said polymeric guide member is in contact with said ring members; and f) at least one guide ring attached to each of said sprocketless tail roller assembly and said chain sprocket drive roller assembly located adjacent said roller chain.
- 9. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 8 wherein said ring members are fabricated structural channel members.
- 10. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 8 wherein said ring members are polymeric members.
- 11. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 8 wherein said chain drive sprocket roller assembly utilizes an intermediate flange joint as one of said plurality of ring members for cleat support.
- 12. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 11 wherein said chain sprocket drive roller assembly further comprises at least one of said ring members located between said flange joint and each said endless loops of roller chain.
- 13. The pontoon chain drive assembly according to claim 8 wherein said chain drive roller assembly is adapted to said pontoon in such a manner that its drive motor faces said outboard side of said pontoon chain drive assembly.
- 14. A method for straightening bent channel cleats associated with a pontoon chain drive assembly comprising a tail roller assembly and a chain drive roller assembly and at least two endless loops of roller chain connected in parallel by a plurality of inverted channel cleats passing longitudinally around pontoon and said drive assembly comprising the step of providing at least one said roller assembly with a plurality of ring members attached to said roller assembly located intermediate said roller chain in a manner whereby said cleats are forced into alignment by said ring members while passing around said roller assembly.
- 15. The method for straightening bent channel cleats according to claim 14 further includes the step of utilizing a drive roller having a roller drum flange located intermediate said chains as one of said ring members.
Parent Case Info
This invention is a continuation in part of previous application Ser. No. 09/908,027 filed Jul. 18, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,053, currently pending, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/908027 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10/081623 |
|
US |