Ram drive for a cylindrical drum

Abstract

An apparatus for rotating a drum employs a plurality of drive sprockets disposed about the outside surface of the drum and spaced-apart along the length of the drum. Each drive sprocket has a first flange, a second flange, and a plurality of pins interconnecting the first flange and the second flange, spaced-apart about the drum and parallel to the axis of the drum. Spaced-apart hydraulic rams each exert force on one of the drive sprockets so as to cause rotation of the drum. Each ram is moveable between a linearly retracted first state and a linearly extended second state and has a first end and an opposite second end. The first end is secured to the base, the second end is engageable with the pins of a selected drive sprocket so that as the ram extends from the first state to the second state, the ram exerts force on a pin in the first direction, the first direction being tangential to the outside surface and perpendicular to the axis of the drum. Force from the rams is transferred to the drum through the pins, the first flange and the second flange. A plurality of spaced-apart ratchet stops prevent movement of the drum in a direction opposite the first direction. Torque applied to the drum by the rams is distributed along the length of the drum at each of the plurality of drive sprockets.