Rotating mechanical connection
Hello folks,
I'm working on a carrier gear (gear with extension for carrying a changeable roller with it) with a quick release type function. The gear is supported by 2 bearings on a fixed shaft. A roller is placed on the shaft to be carried by the gear. I need to be able to change out rollers quickly. There is an axial load on the roller. The bearings can be fixed on the shaft to handle this load, but I need a clever method of fixing the roll to the gear against this axial force.
The best idea so far is (copied) a carrier shaft with three keys and a roll with 3 key-ways. Pressed into the carrier is a spring loaded retainer with triangular shape. The retainer is toothed against the carrier like a clutch to keep them rotating together. One must pull on the retainer against the spring to disengage and rotate the triangle in alignment with the keys to insert/change the roll, and then rotate it back to an unaligned position to retain the roll. What I don't like is that the spring force is not exactly easy to overcome by hand.
I'm hoping someone out there with a different perspective could point out an application which has already solved this, or maybe someone has a new tip or idea.
Thanks for your input.