Abstract: A connection system is provided for mounting apertured components such as gears, pulleys, rollers and the like on shafts. In preferred form, the system of the invention provides connections that are releasable so that shaft-mounted components can be repositioned, removed, serviced and/or replaced. A component that is to be mounted on a shaft is provided with a mounting hole that has an inner diameter that loosely receives the outer diameter of a shaft onto which the component is to be mounted. A ring of elastomeric material is inserted into an annular space that is defined at a location between the inner diameter of the mounting hole and the outer diameter of the shaft; and, the elastomeric material is tightly clamped between a pair of relatively axially movable clamping members that extend into opposed end regions of the annular space.

Abstract: A composite rotary drive member such as a gear, pulley or the like is formed from thermoplastics material that is molded in situ about one or more metal inserts. A circumferentially extending drive formation of desired shape and size is defined by the molded plastics material, and is molded without a need for conventional measures to compensate for shrinkage. The drive member is formed by first forming a composite preform member that has injection molded thermoplastics material with peripheral portions extending about one or more metal inserts. A band-like ring of injection molded thermoplastics material is molded to extend contiguously and continuously about peripheral surface portions of the molded commposite preform member, with the plastics material of the band-like ring and of the composite preform member uniting to form a single plastics structure.

Abstract: A rotary drive member such as a gear or pulley has a hub portion that can be mounted on a shaft for rotation about the axis of the shaft, a rim portion that can be engaged by another drive member such as a gear, chain or belt as the rotary drive member rotates about the axis of the shaft, and a radially extending web that rigidly interconnects the hub and rim portions. The rotary drive member is formed by injection molding plastics material to provide a unitary, one-piece plastics member that envelops selected portions of a pair of inner and outer insert members that extend concentrically about the shaft rotation axis and that are formed from metal. The inner insert takes the form of an elongate, tubular metal sleeve that defines inner diameter portions of the hub portion of the rotary member. The outer insert takes the form of an annular metal disc that extends radially with respect to the shaft rotation axis to define portions of the radially extending web.