Comparison of Conventional Sprocket Drum and Sprocket Drum with Modified Design

Abstract Seats in conventional sprocket drums are symmetrical. Due to the set general direction of sprocket drum revolutions resulting from the direction of rock transport, the wear of the seat bottoms and teeth flanks may be reduced by introducing the asymmetry of the profile of the sprocket drum seats. The proposed modification of sprocket drum seats’ profile consists of inclining the seat bottom towards the expected direction of the basic drum revolutions. The work compares the loads on the seats and teeth of a conventional drum with its profile conforming to the standard to a modified drum with an asymmetric profile of seats. For the general direction of sprocket drum revolutions, the maximum values of all forces are higher for a standard drum than for a modified drum. The profile asymmetry substantially shortens the friction path of the horizontal link front torus on the seat bottom and relative total friction work on the seat bottom and lessens the occurrence probability of the slide of the horizontal link rear torus on the tooth flank. The modification of the profile causes also the asymmetric wear of link joints. The total relative friction work is considerably reduced in the front joint as compared to a conventional drum, and the total relative friction work in the rear joint is increasing at the same time.