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The invention provides a trolley wheel assembly for a conveyor system, e.g., an overhead conveyor system. In certain embodiments, the wheel assembly includes at least one wheel face having a contour (optionally a funneling configuration and/or one or more surface features) configured to facilitate f

The invention provides a trolley wheel assembly for a conveyor system, e.g., an overhead conveyor system. In certain embodiments, the wheel assembly includes at least one wheel face having a contour (optionally a funneling configuration and/or one or more surface features) configured to facilitate flow of a fluid toward an open bearing assembly of the wheel assembly. In some embodiments, the wheel assembly includes an inner race, outer race, and bearings having a particular hardness arrangement, optionally together with a polymer wheel having certain filler features. Methods for cleaning such a trolley wheel assembly are also provided.

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1. A trolley wheel assembly for use in a conveyor system, the trolley wheel assembly comprising: a wheel having a central opening through which an axis of the wheel passes;a hub positioned within the central opening; andan open bearing assembly located within the central opening between the wheel an

1. A trolley wheel assembly for use in a conveyor system, the trolley wheel assembly comprising: a wheel having a central opening through which an axis of the wheel passes;a hub positioned within the central opening; andan open bearing assembly located within the central opening between the wheel and the hub, the open bearing assembly providing relative rotational movement between the wheel and the hub,wherein the wheel comprises a first face, a second face, and a circumferential rolling surface, the first and the second faces each having an inner boundary adjacent to the central opening and an outer edge region adjacent the circumferential rolling surface,wherein at least one of the first face and the second face has one or more surface features configured to facilitate flow of a fluid toward the open bearing assembly when cleaning the open bearing assembly, the one or more surface features comprising a plurality of channels extending along the wheel face between the outer edge region and the inner boundary of the wheel face, andwherein the open bearing assembly includes only a single row of bearings between the first face of the wheel and the second face of the wheel. 2. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein each channel is bounded by an angled surface of the wheel face, the angled surface extending axially inward as the channel extends toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 3. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 2, wherein the angled surface has a radius of curvature. 4. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein each channel has a width that decreases as the channel extends toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 5. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheel face is angled axially inward from the outer edge region of the wheel face toward the inner boundary of the wheel face, said one or more surface features also comprising a plurality of ribs extending toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 6. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein said one or more surface features comprise one or more angled surfaces located between the outer edge region of the wheel face and the inner boundary of the wheel face, the angled surface(s) extending axially inward toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 7. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 6, wherein said one or more angled surfaces include a first group of surfaces having a first contour and a second group of surfaces having a second contour, the first contour having a substantially linear slope, the second contour having a radius of curvature. 8. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the open bearing assembly has a flow-through area of at least 0.018 square inch. 9. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 8, wherein the flow-through area is at least 0.025 square inch. 10. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the open bearing assembly has a gap into which fluid can be sprayed, the gap having a width of at least 0.07 inch. 11. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 10, wherein said gap width is at least 0.08 inch. 12. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 10, wherein the open bearing assembly has an inner race, an outer race, and the single row of bearings is positioned between the inner race and the outer race. 13. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 12, wherein the bearings are the only things in the gap that reduce flow-through area. 14. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 10, wherein the trolley wheel assembly has a ratio of gap width to wheel radius of at least 0.04. 15. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 14, wherein the ratio of gap width to wheel radius is at least 0.06. 16. The trolley wheel of claim 10, wherein the open bearing assembly has a flow-through area, the gap has a total area, and the flow-through area accounts for at least 5% of the total area of the gap, both the flow-through area and the total area of the gap being measured in a plane perpendicular to the wheel's axis. 17. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the flow-through area accounts for at least 7% of the total area of the gap. 18. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the flow-through area accounts for at least 10% of the total area of the gap. 19. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner race, outer race, and bearings all comprise metal, the inner race and the bearings having greater hardness than the outer race. 20. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 19, wherein the inner race and the bearings have a Rockwell C scale hardness of 48-60, while the outer race has a Rockwell C scale hardness of 28-32. 21. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 19, wherein the trolley wheel assembly is configured to wear to a condition in which the inner and outer races contact each other, thereby providing an externally visible replacement indicator indicating the bearing assembly has less than 25% of its useful life remaining 22. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheel comprises a polymer provided with a filler. 23. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheel is coupled to an outer race of the bearing assembly such that the wheel and the outer race rotate together as a single unit during use. 24. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 23, wherein the hub is coupled to an inner race of the bearing assembly to form a hub/inner race subassembly that does not rotate about the wheel's axis during use. 25. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the trolley wheel assembly is on a track of the conveyor system, and at least one poultry item is held on the conveyor system. 26. A trolley assembly for use in a conveyor system, comprising: a support member for supporting an item being moved by the conveyor system;first and second trolley brackets coupled to the support member; andfirst and second trolley wheel assemblies coupled to the first and the second trolley brackets, respectively, for providing rolling engagement of the trolley assembly with a track of the conveyor system, wherein each trolley wheel assembly includesa wheel having a central opening,a hub positioned within the central opening, the hub being coupled to the first or second trolley bracket, andan open bearing assembly positioned within the central opening between the wheel and the hub, the open bearing assembly providing relative rotational movement between the wheel and the hub,wherein the wheel comprises a first face, a second face, and a circumferential rolling surface, the first and the second faces each having an inner boundary adjacent to the central opening and an outer edge region adjacent the circumferential rolling surface,wherein at least one of the first face and the second face has one or more surface features configured to facilitate flow of a fluid toward the open bearing assembly when cleaning the open bearing assembly, the one or more surface features comprising a plurality of channels extending along the wheel face between the outer edge region and the inner boundary of the wheel face, andwherein the open bearing assembly includes only a single row of bearings between the first face of the wheel and the second face of the wheel. 27. The trolley assembly of claim 26, wherein said one or more surface features further comprise a plurality of ribs extending toward the inner boundary. 28. The trolley assembly of claim 26, wherein said one or more surface features comprise one or more angled surfaces located between the outer edge region of the wheel face and the inner boundary of the wheel face, the angled surface(s) extending axially inward toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 29. The trolley assembly of claim 26, wherein the open bearing assembly consists essentially of an inner race, an outer race, and a single row of ball bearings positioned between the inner race and the outer race. 30. The trolley assembly of claim 26, wherein the support member holds at least one poultry item. 31. A method of washing a trolley wheel assembly of an overhead conveyor system, comprising spraying fluid toward at least one of a first face and a second face of a wheel of the trolley wheel assembly so as to direct the sprayed fluid into an open bearing assembly of the trolley wheel assembly, thereby flushing the open bearing assembly with sprayed fluid, wherein the open bearing assembly is positioned within an opening between the wheel and a hub of the trolley wheel assembly, the first face and the second face of the wheel each have an inner boundary adjacent to the opening and an outer edge region adjacent a circumferential rolling surface of the wheel, wherein at least one of the first face and the second face has one or more surface features configured to facilitate flow of the sprayed fluid toward the open bearing assembly, the one or more surface features comprising a plurality of channels extending along the wheel face between the outer edge region and the inner boundary of the wheel face, and wherein the open bearing assembly includes only a single row of bearings between the first face of the wheel and the second face of the wheel. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising, prior to and/or after washing the trolley wheel assembly, conveying at least one poultry item along the overhead conveyor system. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the wheel face is angled axially inward from the outer edge region of the wheel face toward the inner boundary of the wheel face. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein the first face and the second face of the wheel are each angled axially inward from the outer edge region toward the inner boundary, such that sprayed fluid is directed into the open bearing assembly and fluid that thereby enters the bearing assembly can flow freely downwardly along either face of the wheel. 35. A trolley wheel assembly for use in a conveyor system, the trolley wheel assembly comprising a wheel having a central opening, an outer race positioned within the central opening, an inner race positioned within the outer race, a plurality of bearing members positioned in a single row between the inner race and the outer race, the bearing members providing relative rotational movement between the inner race and the outer race, the inner race and the outer race providing a raceway containing the bearing members, wherein the trolley wheel assembly is configured to wear to a condition in which the inner and outer races contact each other, thereby providing an externally visible replacement indicator indicating the bearing assembly has less than 25% of its useful life remaining, the inner race, outer race, and bearing members all comprising metal, the inner race and the bearing members having greater hardness than the outer race. 36. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 35, wherein the inner race and the bearing members have a Rockwell C scale hardness of 48-60, while the outer race has a Rockwell C scale hardness of 28-32. 37. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 35, wherein the trolley wheel assembly includes directing means for directing a fluid into the raceway for cleaning the raceway and the bearing members. 38. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 35, wherein the outer race, inner race, and bearing members collectively form an open bearing assembly, the open bearing assembly having a flow-through area of at least 0.018 square inch. 39. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 38, wherein the open bearing assembly has a gap into which fluid can be sprayed, the gap having a width of at least 0.07 inch. 40. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 39, wherein the bearing members are the only things in the gap that reduce flow-through area. 41. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 39, wherein the trolley wheel assembly has a ratio of gap width to wheel radius of at least 0.04. 42. The trolley wheel of claim 39, wherein the gap has a total area of which flow-through area accounts for at least 5%, both said areas being measured in a plane perpendicular to the wheel's axis. 43. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 22, wherein the filler is present in an amount between about 5% and 15% by weight. 44. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 43, wherein the filler comprises glass. 45. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 22, wherein the polymer comprises polyacetal, and the filler comprises glass and is present in an amount of about 5% by weight. 46. The trolley wheel of claim 1 wherein the first face and the second face of the wheel are each angled axially inward from the outer edge region toward the inner boundary, such that sprayed fluid is directed into the open bearing assembly and fluid that thereby enters the bearing assembly can flow freely downwardly along either face of the wheel, and wherein each wheel face has a plurality of channels extending along the wheel face between the outer edge region and the inner boundary of the wheel face. 47. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 35, wherein the trolley wheel assembly is provided in combination with the conveyor system, the trolley wheel assembly being mounted on a track of the conveyor system, at least one poultry item being held on the conveyor system. 48. The trolley wheel assembly of claim 35, wherein the wheel comprises a first face, a second face, and a circumferential rolling surface, the first and the second faces each having an inner boundary adjacent to the central opening and an outer edge region adjacent the circumferential rolling surface, the trolley wheel assembly having only a single row of bearings between the first face of the wheel and the second face of the wheel.