Patent attributes
A conveyor chain and horizontally oriented guide wheel having a hub, an outer wheel rotatable about the hub and a bearing race between said hub and said outer wheel. An oiling gap, the top opening of which is located radially inwardly of the bearing race, extends outwardly and downwardly and opens into said bearing race, such that a direct downward path to the bearings is eliminated. The hub and the inside of the outer wheel have opposed frustroconical surfaces which define a frustroconical path from the top wheel surface oiling gap opening to the wheel bearings. The guide wheel also includes a blow out gap on the bottom side which is formed by a blow out path which becomes wider than the bearing race as it proceeds downwardly to its opening at the bottom of the wheel, making it easier for debris to be blown out of the bearings either from air blown down through the oiling gap at the top or blown up from the blow out gap at the bottom.
