Shaft-mounted conveyor assembly

1 . A scroll module for a conveyor, comprising:

a clamp portion having an open hub forming a shaft-receiving opening for seating a shaft of the conveyor;

a webbed scroll portion extending from the clamp portion having a body that arcs and twists from a first edge to a second edge to form a half-coil of a helix, wherein the first edge is straight and extends radially from the clamp portion perpendicular to the axis of the shaft-receiving opening and the second edge is straight and extends from the clamp portion perpendicular to the axis of the shaft-receiving opening;

a cut out between the second edge and the open hub; and

a protruding face formed diagonally opposite the cut out between the first edge and the open hub and extending below the first edge.

2 . The scroll module of claim 1 , wherein the open hub includes opposing fingers at each end for narrowing the shaft-receiving opening.

3 . The scroll module of claim 2 , wherein the opposing fingers terminate in flat ends.

4 . An assembly for a conveyor comprising:

a shaft having a plurality of L-shaped mounting slots formed in a series of mounting regions;

a series of scroll modules mounted to the shaft using the L-shaped mounting slots to form a helical pulley; and

a locking collar for limiting axial movement of the series of scroll modules along the shaft.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein a first L-shaped mounting slot near a first end of the shaft includes a locking groove for locking the locking collar onto the shaft.

6 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein a second L-shaped mounting slot near a second end of the shaft includes a locking groove for locking a second locking collar onto the shaft.

7 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the series of scroll modules comprises a set of first scroll modules, with webbed scroll portions that extend in a first helical direction, arranged in series and a set of second scroll modules, with webbed scroll portions that extend in an opposite helical direction.

8 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each scroll module comprises:

a clamp portion having an open hub forming a shaft-receiving opening for seating the shaft; and

a webbed scroll portion extending from the clamp portion having a body that arcs and twists from a first edge to a second edge to form a half-coil of a helix.

9 . The assembly of claim 8 , wherein each open hub includes opposing fingers at each end for narrowing the shaft-receiving opening, each finger received in an axial leg of an associated L-shaped mounting slot.

10 . The assembly of claim 8 , wherein each first edge is straight and extends radially from the associated clamp portion perpendicular to the axis of the shaft-receiving opening.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each second edge is straight and extends radially from the associated clamp portion perpendicular to the axis of the shaft-receiving opening.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second edge of a first scroll module is adjacent to the first edge of a second scroll module.

13 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each mounting region includes an L-shaped mounting slot on each side of the shaft.

14 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each L-shaped mounting slot includes a peripherally-extending flat and an axially-extending mounting channel intersecting the flat to form a ledge.

15 . A method of assembling a scroll assembly on a shaft in a conveyor, the shaft comprising a plurality of mounting regions, each mounting region including an L-shaped mounting slot on each side of the shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

installing a first scroll module on the shaft in a first mounting region by sliding fingers in a hub portion of the first scroll module over peripheral flats in a first pair of L-shaped mounting slots and then moving the first scroll module in an axial direction to seat ledges in the first pair of L-shaped mounting slots in bends in the hub portion; and

installing a second scroll module on the shaft, by sliding fingers in a hub portion of the second scroll module over peripheral flats in a second pair of L-shaped mounting slots, and then moving the second scroll module in the axial direction to seat ledges in the second pair of L-shaped mounting slots in bends in the hub portion,

wherein the first scroll module and second scroll module together form a complete turn of a helix.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of installing a third scroll module adjacent the second scroll module.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of installing a locking collar on the shaft to secure the scroll modules.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of installing a series of scroll modules having a different orientation from the first, second and third scroll modules on the shaft.