AU714374B2 - Easy maintenance skirt panel - Google Patents

Description

I'/UU/Ul 1 WWI/9 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: a a a.

a *aa.

Invention Title: EASY MAINTENANCE SKIRT PANEL a. a.

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The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us 1 EASY MAINTENANCE SKIRT PANEL The present invention is generally directed to continuous belt conveyor systems, and is in particular directed to a skirt panel for the conveyor system and a clamping arrangement of the skirt rubber.

It is common practice, for example in the mining industry, to use continuous belt conveyor systems to transport material between different locations. Such conveyor systems typically comprise a continuous belt and a plurality of roller sets for supporting the belt over a portion of the length of the belt to thereby allow travel of the belt in a direction parallel to its elongate extent.

10 These roller sets are spaced along the length of the belt portion being supported. Each roller set comprises a series of rollers located end to end in a plane lateral to the direction of travel of the belt. The rotational axis of each roller is located at an angle relative to the adjacent roller such that the supported belt is shaped into an elongate trough. The trough shape of the belt helps to 15 minimise spillage of material from the belt.

A hopper assembly typically supplies material to the belt, the hopper assembly including a housing for supporting the hopper over and closing off the sides of a section of the conveyor belt. The housing prevents the loss of material from either side of the conveyor belt during loading thereon by the hopper assembly. This housing includes skirt panels located on either side of the conveyor belt, with a wear plate assembly being supported by each skirt panel within the confines of the "trough" provided by the conveyor belt. This wear plate is typically mounted in a vertical plane to provide side walls for this trough. A small gap is provided between a lower edge of the wear plate and the surface of the conveyor belt. On either side of the conveyor belt, a skirt is supported adjacent the wear plate and rests against a peripheral edge surface of the belt. This skirt, which is typically made of rubber, prevents the escape of material through this gap.

The skirt needs to be removed or its position adjusted on a regular basis for maintenance purposes and to adjust for wear of the skirt. This skirt is normally held in place by a clamping bar which is held in position by a series of individual wedge blocks. These wedge blocks must each be hammered into 0 -111IMM- M position to press the clamping bar against the skirt and thereby hold it in place.

This is a time consuming process requiring at least two people to hold the skirt and the clamping bar in position and to hammer each of the wedge blocks one by one into position.

Another problem with the current arrangement is that it is not possible to gain access to the conveyor belt from outside of the hopper housing for maintenance or for inspection purposes. It is necessary to climb into the hopper housing if maintenance work is required on, for example, the wear plates.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a skirt panel which .0 10 overcomes at least one of the above problems. oooo With this in mind, there is provided according to one aspect of the present invention a clamping arrangement for a skirt panel of a continuous belt conveyor :•***system, the clamping arrangement being adapted to clamp a skirt against an %fee elongate side frame of the skirt panel, the clamping arrangement including at 15 least one elongate clamping member for clamping the skirt against the side frame, at least one clamp assembly rotatably mounted on or adjacent the side frame, the or each clamp assembly including an abutment member extending at least substantially laterally relative to the rotational axis of the clamp assembly, wedge means locatable between the or each clamping member and the or each 20 abutment member, the or each wedge means having an abutment face inclined relative to an elongate axis of the clamping member, wherein the or each abutment member is adapted to abut the abutment face of a said wedge means when the clamping member is located in a working position for clamping the skirt, and wherein the rotation of said clamp assembly results in the abutment member thereof running along the abutment face to thereby apply a force on the clamping member in a direction towards the side frame to thereby clamp the skirt therebetween. Because the point of application of the force is such that the force is applied in a direction towards and directly over the clamping member, this results in secure clamping of the skirt by the clamping arrangement.

The wedge means may be securable to the clamping member. The clamping member may be hingedly mounted on or adjacent the side frame such that the clamping member may be pivoted into or away from the working position thereof.

The clamp assembly may further include a lever arm for rotating the clamp assembly. The lever arm may extend radially further from the rotational axis of the abutment member to facilitate the application of the necessary leverage to enable the abutment member to run along the wedge means to apply the force thereon.

Preferably at least two clamp assemblies may be provided. A plurality of associated wedge means may be provided along the clamping member for 10 engagement with the clamp assemblies.

This arrangement allows fast clamping and removal of the skirt by a single person. This results in significant time savings when the skirt must be *.'*"removed or its position adjusted during regular maintenance work on the conveyor system.

S 15 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a skirt panel for a continuous belt conveyor system including a side frame and at least one cover panel supportable over a respective opening in said side frame.

A plurality of cover panels may be provided supportable over respective side o*o° frame openings, the openings extending in a row along an elongate extent of the side frame.

o Support means may be provided for supporting the cover panel over the openings. The support means may include at least one mounting tab extending from the side frame, and a cooperating aperture in said cover panel through which the mounting tab may pass when the cover panel is located over the opening. The mounting tab may include an at least substantially vertically aligned portion having an inclined inner surface for urging the cover panel towards the side frame.

The side frame may further include means for allowing adjustment of the position of a wear plate supported thereon. The adjustment means may include at least substantially vertically aligned sLots provided in the side frame through which fastening means of the wear plates for securing the wear plates to the side frame may pass to allow at least substantially vertical adjustment of the position of the wear plate.

The provision of the cover panels allows ready access to the inside of the hopper housing for both maintenance and inspection purposes. It is therefore no longer necessary to climb into the housing, with it being possible to gain access through the side of the housing.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a skirt panel for a continuous belt conveyor system including a side frame and at least one panel supportable over a respective opening in said side frame, and a 10 clamping arrangement as described above.

:It will be convenient to further describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an example embodiment of the present invention. Other example embodiments of the invention are possible and consequentially the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be 15 understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a continuous belt conveyor system showing the skirt panel according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a detailed cross sectional view of the clamping arrangement of the skirt panel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross sectional detail view of the clamping member according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of the clamping member of Figure 3; Figures 5a and 5b respectively show the removal of a cover panel and a wear plate supported by the skirt panel; and Figure 6 is a cross sectional detail view of the mounting arrangement for the cover panel.

Referring initially to Figure 1, there is shown one half of a continuous belt conveyor system 1, the other half of the conveyor system 1 on the other side of the axis of symmetry 4 being a mirror image of the shown half. The conveyor system includes a plurality of rollers 2 for supporting a conveyor belt 3. The rotational axis of the rollers 2 are angularly aligned relative to each other such that the supported conveyor belt 3 is configured into a trough shape for supporting material thereon.

The conveyor system 1 is shown at the loading zone of a hopper assembly (not shown) which supplies material for transportation on the conveyor system 1. On either side of the conveyor belt 3, there is provided a skirt panel 5 according to the present invention for preventing the loss of material from either side of the conveyor belt 3 during loading of material thereon. This skirt panel 5 includes a side frame 6 supporting a plurality of cover panels 8 and a plurality of wear plates 7. These wear plates 7 provides side walls for the trough of the conveyor belt 3 during the loading procedure. A small gap 21 is provided between the wear plates 7 and the conveyor belt 3.

Because material can escape through this gap 21, a rubber skirt 9 is also S• provided on either side of the conveyor belt 3. Each skirt 9 rests against the peripheral edge surface of the conveyor belt 3 and prevents material from escaping through the gap 21.

A clamping arrangement 10 according to the present invention clamps the skirt 9 in position. Referring to Figure 2, this clamping arrangement 10 is shown in more detail. The side frame 6 includes an extension bracket 11. A plurality of clamp assemblies 13 of the clamping arrangement 10 are each rotatably mounted on the extension bracket 11. These clamp assemblies are spaced along the elongate extent of the side frame 6. Each clamp assembly 13 includes a pipe section 21 rotatably mounted about an axle 12 extending laterally from the extension bracket 11. The axle 12 is shown in the form of a bolt with the pipe section 21 being held in position by a washer 15 and nut 14 supported on the end of the bolt 12. A cotter pin secures the nut 14 in position.

The clamp assembly 13 includes an abutment member 17 extending laterally from the pipe section 13. A lever arm 18 also extends laterally from the pipe section 13.

The clamping member 16 is shown in the form of an angle section. The skirt 9 is not shown in Figure 2 for clarity reasons. The skirt 9 is clamped between the side frame 6 and the clamping member 16 as shown in Figure 1.

6 The clamping member 16 includes a plurality of wedge blocks 20 spaced along the elongate extent of the clamping member 16. Each wedge block 20 is secured to and forms part of the clamping member 16. For example, the wedge block 20 can be welded to the clamping member 16.

Referring to Figure 3, the clamping member 16 is hingedly mounted on the side frame 6 by hinges 19 provided on opposite ends of the clamping member 16. This enables the clamping member 16 to be pivoted between a working position for clamping of the skirt 9 and a non working position to facilitate removal of the skirt 9. Figure 4 shows in more detail the shape of the wedging block 20 mounted on the clamping member 16. This wedge block :has an abutment surface 23 inclined at an angle relative to the elongate axis 24 of the clamping member 16.

During clamping of the skirt 9, the clamp assembly 13 is pivoted such that 9 the abutment member 17 abuts and runs along the inclined abutment surface 23 15 of the wedge block 20. The direction of movement of the abutment member 17 relative to the wedge block 20 to enable clamping of the skirt 9 is shown in Figure 4. Because of the action of the lever arm 18, a significant force can be applied by the abutment member 17 onto the wedge block 20 and therefore onto the clamping member 16. Furthermore, because of the engagement of the abutment member 17 against the wedge block 20, the point of application of the clamping force by the abutment member 17 can be applied in a direction towards and directly over the clamping member 16 ensuring secure clamping of the skirt 9.

The cover panels 8 are each located over an opening 30 in the side frame 6. A plurality of openings 30 are provided along an elongate extent of the side frame 6 to thereby allow access to the inside of the side panel 5 along it's entire length. The side frame 6 therefore provides a "lattice" frame with the openings 30 in the lattice frame being closed by the cover panels 8.

Because both the cover panels 8 and the skirt 9 can be readily removed, this facilitates maintenance of the conveyor system, and in particular facilitates adjustment and/or removal of the wear plates 7. Referring to Figures 5a and there is shown the removal of one of the cover panels 8 and the skirt 9 allows ready access to both sides of the wear plate 7. A series of bolts (not shown) mounts the wear plate 7 onto the side frame 6. The bolts can be located within vertically aligned slotted apertures within the side frame 6 to enable vertical adjustment of the position of the wear plate 7. Ready access can therefore be obtained to both sides of the wear plate 7 once the cover panel 8 and the skirt 9 is removed. The wear plate 7 can also be readily removed through the opening through the side frame 6 once the cover panel 8 is removed.

Figure 6 shows a detailed cross sectional view of the mounting arrangement of the cover panel 8. Apertures 33 are provided through the cover plate 8, these apertures 33 are aligned with mounting tabs 32 extending from the side frame 6, the size of the apertures 33 allowing entry of the mounting tabs therethrough. The mounting tabs 32 include an at least substantially vertically aligned portion 36 having an inclined inner surface 34 to provide a tapered mouth for engaging the cover panel 8. This arrangement urges the cover panel 8 against the opening 30 of the side frame 6 when supported thereon.

The wedge blocks 20 are shown secured to the clamping member 16 in the above example embodiment. It is however also envisaged that the wedge blocks 20 be releasably secured to the clamping member 16. Furthermore, although the clamp assembly is rotated by means of a lever arm 18, it is also envisaged that the clamp assembly be rotated by means of a wheel or other assembly. Also, a plurality of clamping members 16 could be provided spaced along the side frame 6 or in parallel relation thereon.

Claims (3)

1. A clamping arrangement for a skirt panel of a continuous belt conveyor system, the clamping arrangement being adapted to clamp a skirt against an elongate side frame of the skirt panel, the clamping arrangement including at least one elongate clamping member for clamping the skirt against the side frame, at least one clamp assembly rotatably mounted on or adjacent the side frame, the or each clamp assembly including an abutment member extending at least substantially laterally relative to the rotational axis of the clamp assembly, wedge means Iocatable between the or each clamping member and the or each abutment member, the or each wedge means having an abutment face inclined relative to an elongate axis of the clamping member, wherein the or each abutment member is adapted to abut the abutment face of a said wedge means when the clamping member is located in a working position for clamping the skirt, and wherein the rotation of said clamp assembly results in the abutment member thereof running along the abutment face to thereby apply a force on the clamping member in a direction towards the side frame to thereby clamp the skirt therebetween.

2. A clamping arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the wedge means are securable to the clamping member.

3. A clamping arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the clamping •0 member is hingedly mounted on or adjacent the side frame such that the clamping member is pivotable into or away from the working position thereof. A clamping arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the clamp assembly further includes a lever arm for rotating the clamp assembly. DATED this 3rd day of September 1999 MAYDAY ENTERPRISES PTY LTD and CEREND PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 4TH FLOOR, "DURACK CENTRE" 263 ADELAIDE TERRACE PERTH W.A. 6000 i AUSTRALIA