GB2023525A

GB2023525A - Cleaning Conveyors

Info

Publication number: GB2023525A
Application number: GB7913522A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-02-09
Filing date: 1979-04-18
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: GB2023525B

Abstract

A cleaning device for a conveyor belt is in the form of a roller adapted to be mounted transversely of one run of the belt and having a helical formation capable of presenting one or more helical edges to the belt in scraping relationship therewith. The roller can be used in association with a blade or roller backing member and can be driven if desired. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyors This invention relates to the cleaning of conveyors, particularly conveyor belts used in conveying coal or other minerals.

The return run of a coal conveying belt is subjected to the action of one or more cleaning devices to prevent the build up of material thereon. A typical such device has a blade springloaded into scraping contact therewith. Such a device is efficient, but can cause relatively high blade/belt wear and high drag. A contra-rotating brush device may be more suitable but the necessary motor and drive arrangement, quite apart from its cost, would mean an increase in servicing, quite unacceptable in a mine environment.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved cleaning device for a belt or like conveyor.

Accordingly the invention provides a cleaning device for a conveyor belt comprising a roller for mounting across a conveyor belt and having a helical formation capable of presenting one or more helical edges to the belt.

The helical formation can be formed in the roller, as by machining a cylindrical body, or can be attached to a basic cylindrical body of the roller. In use, the roller can be urged against the moving conveyor belt and driven in rotation by frictional contact therewith, the helical formation effecting cleaning of the belt. Alternatively a drive roller can engage the side of the belt remote from the aforesaid roller and be coupled thereto to impart rotation thereto.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the following description is illustrative, and not limitative of the scope of the invention. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a transverse cross- section through a part of a conveyor having a first preferred cleaning device of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the conveyor and cleaning device; Fig. 3 is a view, similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing a second embodiment; and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2 but of the second embodiment.

A first preferred embodiment of cleaning device 10 of the invention is illustrated in a position for cleaning the return run of a conveyor belt 11 in a coal mine roadway. The device 10 comprises a roller 1 6 mounted transversely of the return run and urged against the belt 11 by independent resilient suspension and bearing devices 12. The roller 1 6 comprises a cylindrical body 1 4 having a helical formation 1 3 mounted thereon by winding a strip of steel around the body 14 and securing it thereto as by welding. In use, the roller 1 6 is urged into engagement with the belt 11 and the helical formation 13 serves to clean the belt 11 and guide detritus from the belt 11 away.On the side of the belt 11 remote from the roller 1 6 is disposed a backing or loadresisting assembly 1 7 consisting of a roller 1 8 made of or faced with rubber or like material and urged towards the roller 1 6 by tension devices 20 (which are like devices 12 and of the type shown in my co-pending application No. 44818/75) (Serial No. 1501250).

As a variation on the above, the roller 1 6 can be mounted in any other suitable manner and urged into engagement with the belt by any other suitable means. The helical formation can be formed by machining the surface of the body 14 of the roller 1 6. The helical formation can have one or many starts. If desired the roller 1 6 can have a herringbone formation, serving to lead detritus away from the centre of the belt 11 towards each side.

If desired, the roller 1 6 can be driven (as by a belt and pulley 21) from an adjacent drive roller (not shown), engaging the belt, or by another suitable drive. The roller 1 6 can be driven in either direction relative to the belt 1 1.

In a second preferred embodiment of device 22 (Figs. 3 and 4) a roller 23 (similar to roller 16) is driven from a roller 24 frictionally engaging the side of a belt 25 remote from roller 1 6. To this end the rollers 1 6 and 23 terminate in sprockets 26 and which are coupled by chains or toothed belts 27. Both rollers 16 and 23 are mounted in the same way as roller 1 8 and urged towards the belt by devices 28 similar to devices 1 2 and 20. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment the cleaning edge(s) of the roller 23 moves in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the belt.

As an alternative to the roller 1 6 being backed by roller 18, this latter can be replaced by a blade, for example of rubber or plastics material.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a conveyor belt comprising a roller adapted for mounting across a conveyor belt and having a helical formation capable of presenting one or more helical edges to the belt.

2. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the helical formation is formed by machining a cylindrical body.

3. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the helical formation is formed by disposing a helical blade around a cylindrical body and securing it thereto.

4. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the roller has stub axles, each of which is mounted in a bearing adjacent one edge of the belt.

5. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bearings are spring loaded to resist movement of the roller away from the belt.

6. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein a backing member is disposed on the side of the belt remote from the roller to resist movement of the belt away from the roller.

7. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 6,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Conveyors This invention relates to the cleaning of conveyors, particularly conveyor belts used in conveying coal or other minerals. The return run of a coal conveying belt is subjected to the action of one or more cleaning devices to prevent the build up of material thereon. A typical such device has a blade springloaded into scraping contact therewith. Such a device is efficient, but can cause relatively high blade/belt wear and high drag. A contra-rotating brush device may be more suitable but the necessary motor and drive arrangement, quite apart from its cost, would mean an increase in servicing, quite unacceptable in a mine environment. An object of the invention is to provide an improved cleaning device for a belt or like conveyor. Accordingly the invention provides a cleaning device for a conveyor belt comprising a roller for mounting across a conveyor belt and having a helical formation capable of presenting one or more helical edges to the belt. The helical formation can be formed in the roller, as by machining a cylindrical body, or can be attached to a basic cylindrical body of the roller. In use, the roller can be urged against the moving conveyor belt and driven in rotation by frictional contact therewith, the helical formation effecting cleaning of the belt. Alternatively a drive roller can engage the side of the belt remote from the aforesaid roller and be coupled thereto to impart rotation thereto. The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the following description is illustrative, and not limitative of the scope of the invention. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a transverse cross- section through a part of a conveyor having a first preferred cleaning device of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the conveyor and cleaning device; Fig. 3 is a view, similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing a second embodiment; and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2 but of the second embodiment. A first preferred embodiment of cleaning device 10 of the invention is illustrated in a position for cleaning the return run of a conveyor belt 11 in a coal mine roadway. The device 10 comprises a roller 1 6 mounted transversely of the return run and urged against the belt 11 by independent resilient suspension and bearing devices 12. The roller 1 6 comprises a cylindrical body 1 4 having a helical formation 1 3 mounted thereon by winding a strip of steel around the body 14 and securing it thereto as by welding. In use, the roller 1 6 is urged into engagement with the belt 11 and the helical formation 13 serves to clean the belt 11 and guide detritus from the belt 11 away.On the side of the belt 11 remote from the roller 1 6 is disposed a backing or loadresisting assembly 1 7 consisting of a roller 1 8 made of or faced with rubber or like material and urged towards the roller 1 6 by tension devices 20 (which are like devices 12 and of the type shown in my co-pending application No. 44818/75) (Serial No. 1501250). As a variation on the above, the roller 1 6 can be mounted in any other suitable manner and urged into engagement with the belt by any other suitable means. The helical formation can be formed by machining the surface of the body 14 of the roller 1 6. The helical formation can have one or many starts. If desired the roller 1 6 can have a herringbone formation, serving to lead detritus away from the centre of the belt 11 towards each side. If desired, the roller 1 6 can be driven (as by a belt and pulley 21) from an adjacent drive roller (not shown), engaging the belt, or by another suitable drive. The roller 1 6 can be driven in either direction relative to the belt 1 1. In a second preferred embodiment of device 22 (Figs. 3 and 4) a roller 23 (similar to roller 16) is driven from a roller 24 frictionally engaging the side of a belt 25 remote from roller 1 6. To this end the rollers 1 6 and 23 terminate in sprockets 26 and which are coupled by chains or toothed belts 27. Both rollers 16 and 23 are mounted in the same way as roller 1 8 and urged towards the belt by devices 28 similar to devices 1 2 and 20. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment the cleaning edge(s) of the roller 23 moves in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the belt. As an alternative to the roller 1 6 being backed by roller 18, this latter can be replaced by a blade, for example of rubber or plastics material. Claims

7. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the backing member is of or faced with rubber or plastics material and is resiliently urged towards the roller.

8. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the backing member is a blade.

9. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the backing member is a roller.

10. A cleaning device as claimed in any of claims 4 to 8 wherein the roller is driven.

1 A cleaning device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the roller is driven from a drive roller frictionally engaging the belt on the side thereof remote from the aforesaid roller.

12. A cleaning device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the helical formation has a plurality of starts.

13. A cleaning device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the helical formation is of herringbone configuration.

14. A cleaning device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.