AU629735B2

AU629735B2 - Improved conveyor belt

Info

Publication number: AU629735B2
Application number: AU71284/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Johnson; Douglas John Bruce Vance
Original assignee: JLV Industries Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Freshfield Properties Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-02-22
Filing date: 1991-02-21
Publication date: 1992-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-21
Also published as: AU7128491A

Description

I I II I t' 41 It! i i 6q297.3 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFI- :ION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: PJ8747 Class Int Lodged: 22nd February, 1990 Complete Specification Lodged: 21st February, Accepted: Published: Class 1991 0 oe Si 0 0 0 s r O Priority: 22 ~iQ2 Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: TTLV TNDUSTRTES PTY LTD

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00-1 00 4 1 0- 0) 1 00 0) 0 of 85 McCoy Street, Myaree, in the State of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

DOUGLAS JOHN BRUCE VANCE and WILLIAM

JOHNSON

Actual Inventors: Address for Service:- Wray Associates Primary Industry House 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "Improved Conveyor Belt" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 Tz ,/Ylq T- L r 2 THIS INVENTION relates to an improved conveyor belt and to an endless belt conveyor incorporating the improved conveyor belt.

With conventional belt conveyors there is a limitation as to the size of the load which can be carried on the belt owing to the need to prevent lateral migration and spillage of the load, which is undesirable.

The present invention seeks to provide a novel and useful way of increasing the load carrying capacity of a conveyor belt in comparison to conventional conveyor belts.

In one form the invention resides in an improved endless conveyor belt having a body defining a load carrying face wherein the improvement comprises a pair of longitudinal wall means disposed adjacent the load carrying face in transversely spaced apart relationship, said wall means being anchored to said body for swinging movement between an operative condition in which they extend outwardly of o the load carrying face to define a region for receiving and ao° retaining material being conveyed on the load carrying face o: 20 and a collapsed condition in which said wall means lay against said load carrying face, each of said wall means being anchored to said body adjacent the edge thereof which is outermost when in the inoperative position.

a .Preferably said wall means are resiliently flexible.

25 Conveniently, each wall means performs said swinging movement about a hinge axis established by the resilient nature of the wall means.

I. L Preferably, each wall means is biassed into said collapsed condition by the resilient nature thereof and can be Q l 0 resiliently deflected into said operative condition.

'4~ 3 Preferably, each said wall means is formed in sections.

Conveniently, said sections of each said wall means are connected one to another.

Preferably, each said wall means is anchored to said body of the endless belt by interlocking means. Conveniently, said interlocking means detachably connects each section to said endless belt. Conveniently, said interlocking means comprises a bead on each wall section and a groove within the belt to releasably receive and retain said bead.

t The invention has been devised particularly, although not solely, as an improvement for a belt for a cable belt conveyor which is provided with locating means defining grooves to accommodate cables which support the belt, each of said wall means being connected to one of the locating means provided on the load carrying face of the belt.

In another form the invention resides in a belt conveyor comprising an improved endless conveyor belt as set forth in anyone of the preceding paragraphs and guide means for engaging said wall means for moving the wall means from said collapsed condition to said operative condition.

it t The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:ft Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an improved conveyer belt according to the embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the loading carrying run of an improved conveyor belt according to the embodiment in operation; Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the return run of the belt;

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L-i Lul 4 Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the part of a belt conveyor showing the conveyor belt according to the embodiment passing through a loading chute and guide means for moving the wall means from the collapsed condition to the operative i condition; Fig. 5 is a schematic end view of the conveyor belt passing through the loading chute; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the guide means.

The embodiment shown in the drawings is directed to an Q improved endless conveyor belt 10 for use on an endless i belt conveyor 11 of the type commonly known as a cable i belt conveyor in which the endless belt is supported between a pair of spaced endless cables 12 which pass S"around end rollers (not shown). The conveyor has a loading chute 13 under which the conveyor belt passes to receive load material. The chute comprises a pair of i opposed side walls 14 each mounted on a support frame The endless belt 10 comprises a body 16 having a load carrying face 17 and an opposite face 18. On said opposite face 18 there are provided a pair of locating means 19 (commonly known as shoes), each of which defines 4 a groove 21 for receiving one of the pair of spaced apart cables 12 between which the belt is supported on the load carrying run. On the load carrying face 17 of the belt there are provided a pair of locating means 23, one S adjacent each longitudinal side of the belt. The locating Smeans 23 each define a groove 25 to receive a respective one of the cables on the return run of the belt.

The conveyor belt 10 is provided with a pair of longitudinal extending wall means 27 in transversely spaced relationship. Each wall means comprises a flap formed from resiliently flexible yet stiff elastomeric ly_ 5 material. The flap is constructed in sections which are connected one to another. Each flap is connected to the conveyor belt and in this embodiment such connection is accomplished by way of interlocking means 29 in the form of a longitudinal bead 31 which is provided on the flap and which is received and retained within a complimentary groove 33 formed in the adjacent locating means 23. With this arrangement, each section of the flap can be removed and replaced if it becomes damaged or otherwise requires replacement.

Each flap is movable between a collapsed condition (as shown in Fig. 3) in which it lies against the load carrying face 17 of the belt and an operative condition (as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5) in which it extends outwardly of the load carrying face. When the flaps 27 S' are in said operative condition, a region is defined therebetween for receiving and retaining material 37 being conveyed on the belt.

The flaps are constructed so as to normally assume said collapsed condition and are adapted to be resiliently S deflected into said operative condition. In deflecting j into said operative condition, each flap hinges about a ii hinge axis at or closely adjacent the point at which it is i connected to the respective locating means 23.

S The flaps 27 are adapted to co-operative with guides 39 which co-operate with the flaps to urge them from the collapsed position into the operative position while approaching the loading chute 13 to allow placement of material onto the conveyor. As the belt leaves the loading chute, the flaps are released from the guides 39 and have a tendency to return to the collapsed condition because of their resilient nature and so move into contact Ow- M I with the loaded mate drawings.

6 rial, as shown in Fig. 2 of the j t ii" n

'I

i The guides 39 comprise downwardly and outwardly inclined sections provided at the bottom of a secondary chute 41 mounted in the loading chute 13. The secondary chute 41 comprises a pair of opposite secondary side walls 43 each mounted on one of the side walls 14 by mounting bracket 45. The inclined sections forming the guides 39 are formed integrally with the secondary side walls 43 and each includes a transition portion 47 extending generally in the longitudinal direction of the belt for progressively raising the flap from the collapsed condition to the operative condition. The secondary chute 41 serves to direct the load material between the raised flaps (as shown in Fig. 5) as the conveyor belt passes through the loading chute.

SI

The flaps serve to enhance the load carrying capacity of the belt, reduce spillage, provide wind protection for the load and reduce ingress of moisture.

Although the invention has been described in relation to one specific embodiment, it should be appreciated that it is not limited thereto and that various alterations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the invention may be applied to endless conveyor belts of a type other than cable belts.

Claims

2. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 1 wherein said wall means are resiliently flexible.
3. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 2 wherein tit each wall means performs said swinging movement about a S, I hinge axis established by the resilient nature of the wall means. f t
4. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 2 or 3 wherein each wall means is biassed into said collapsed condition by the resilient nature thereof and can be I resiliently deflected into said operative condition. An endless conveyor belt according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said wall means is formed in sections.
6. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 5 wherein said sections of each said wall means are connected one to AI3A. another. q 8
7. An endless conveyor belt according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said wall means is anchored to said body of the endless belt by interlocking means.
8. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 7 wherein said interlocking means detachably connects each section to said endless belt.
9. An endless conveyor belt according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said interlocking means comprises a bead on each wall section and a groove within the belt to releasably receive and retain said bead. An endless conveyor belt substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. A belt conveyor comprising an improved endless conveyor belt as set forth in anyone of the preceding claims and guide means for engaging said wall means for moving the wall means from said collapsed condition to said operative condition.
12. A belt conveyor according to claim 11 wherein said guide means is inclined downwardly and outwardly.
13. A belt conveyor according to claim 11 or 12 wherein said guide means includes a transition section for progressively moving the wall means from the inoperative position to the operative position. C t a
14. A belt conveyor according to any one of claims 11, 12 or 13 further comprising a loading chute, said guide means Sass being located between the loading chute and the conveyor belt as the latter passes below the loading chute. II I I ~I ~IIU~--LIIPC- CX*I.CC1 9 A belt conveyor according to claim 14 wherein a secondary chute is located in said loading chute for directing load material between the wall means.
16. A belt conveyor according to claim 15 wherein said guide means are provided at the bottom of the secondary chute.
17. A belt conveyor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this thirty-first day of July, 1992 JLV INDUSTRIES PTY LTD Applicant 4 4 r 1 WRAY ASSOCIATES Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for Applicant i i 9