GB2170170A

GB2170170A - An elevator-conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2170170A
Application number: GB08601974A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Ernest Pace
Original assignee: Simon Carves Ltd; Carves Simon Ltd
Current assignee: Simon Carves Ltd; Carves Simon Ltd
Priority date: 1985-01-29
Filing date: 1986-01-28
Publication date: 1986-07-30
Also published as: GB8601974D0; GB8502207D0

Abstract

An elevator-conveyor comprising a pair of juxtaposed conveying belts (10, 11) between which material is introduced in an entraining zone (17) by a paddle wheel impeller (18), the material being constrained to enter the entraining zone (17) by means of curved plates (24, 25). The invention is concerned with one or more rotary feed assisting members (26, 27) which carry radial projections to loosen the material below the entrainment zone (17) and create mass flow conditions so that the material may be directed towards the paddle wheel impeller. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An elevator-conveyor This invention concerns an elevator-conveyor designed to convey bulk materials over a pre-determined path, at least a portion of which is in a vertical or near vertical direction, the bulk material being conveyed by a pair of juxtaposed belts between which the bulk material is located and which, in the vertical or near vertical direction, are pressed together and against the interposed bulk material so as to enclose the same with the longitudinal edge portions of the belts pressed against each other to retain and convey the bulk materials along said path.

One known form of elevator-conveyor of the aforementioned kind comprises, at the base of the vertical or near vertical portion, means for introducing the material between the belts, including a paddle wheel impeller rotatable about a horizontal axis to feed material into an entraining zone in which the belts pass around a pair of spaced rollers and are brought together to entrain the material. In this kind of arrangement, on each end of the rotational axis or shaft upon which the paddle wheel impeller is mounted, there is a short section of screw conveyor which serves to draw the material inwardly towards the paddle wheel impeller.

With certain bulk materials, a disadvantage of such known elevator-conveyors is found in that as the device descends into the material the latter does not flow freely to be gathered by the paddle wheel impeller, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device to assist the feeding of these bulk materials to the conveying system.

According to the present invention there is provided an elevator-conveyor adapted to convey bulk materials over a predetermined path, at least a portion of which is in a vertical or near vertical direction, comprising a pair of juxtaposed belts between which the bulk material is located and which, in the vertical or near vertical direction, are pressed together and against the interposed bulk material so as to enclose same, and a paddle wheel impeller rotatable about a horizontal axis at the bottom of the vertical or near vertical portion of the belts to feed material into an entraining zone in which the belts are brought together to entrain the material, characterised by at least one feed assisting member with an array of radially extending projections, rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis adjacent the paddle wheel impeller and driven in rotation to loosen the material locally thus to create mass flow conditions in the material in the vicinity of said paddle wheel impeller.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a part-sectional view of an elevatorconveyor incorporating means in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a view taken generally in the direction of arrow II of Figure 1, but with parts removed for the purpose of illustration; and Figure 3 is a view generally in the direction of arrow ill of Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, an elevator-conveyor for bulk materials, and including apparatus in accordance with the invention, comprises a pair of flexible endless conveying belts 10 and 11 which are juxtaposed along a path of which at least a portion is vertical or near vertical to elevate bulk material from a supply thereof such as in a ship's hold, to an elevated position above the supply.

Figure 1 is shown as a vertical section through a central region of the width of each belt, and material 12 is sandwiched between them by means such as air pressure applied in the direction of arrows P to the rear faces of the belts, and preferably additional sealing means serving to pinch the edge regions of the belts closely together thus to prevent the material from escaping.

The present invention is not concerned with means for maintaining the belts in contact with the material (such means being known and described, for example, in British Patent No. 1319738) and so no details will be given herein as to the construction or operation of such means. However, the belts 10 and 11 and associated means are contained within an elongate housing 13, conveniently of rectangular cross-section having a tapered wall 14 near its base and which contains the lower region of the conveying run of belts 10 and 11 where they pass around rollers 15 and 16 respectively to form an entraining zone 17 for introduction of the material.

Material is gathered and elevated into zone 17 by a paddle wheel impeller 18 having radial blades or scoops 19 thereon and rotatable in the direction of arrow 20. Shaft 21 upon which the paddle wheel impeller 18 is mounted also carries, at each side thereof, a pair of short screw conveyor sections 22 and 23 (see Figure 2) which serves to draw material into the central region and on to the paddle wheel impeller blades to be directed onwardly into zone 17. Curved guide plates 24 and 25 are positioned close to paddle wheel impeller 18 to assist in defining the flow passage. As can be seen from Figure 1, guide plate 24 extends downwardly to a position below a horizontal plane passing through the rotational axis of shaft 21.

The housing 13 of an elevator-conveyor constructed as described is required to descend into the bulk material. Therefore, it is important that the bulk material should be sufficiently loose to maintain mass flow conditions in the material in this vicinity so that the paddle wheel impeller 18 may readily gather and elevate the material into zone 17. To this end, there are provided a pair of rotary members generally indicated at 26 and 27 in Figure 1 which serve as will be described to loosen the material locally thus to create the necessary flow conditions in the vicinity of the paddle wheel impeller.

Referring now to Figure 3 it will be seen that each of the members 26 and 27 consists of a pair of axially aligned drum sections 28 rotatably mounted about horizontal axes between a pair of end plates 29. The drum sections 28 are driven in rotation by any suitable means such as a hydraulic motor housed internally and drivingly connected thereto.

As can be seen clearly from Figure 3, each drum section 28 is provided with two sets of radially extending projections 31 arranged and configured collectively in a screw form to direct material towards a central region between the ends of the drum section which region corresponds with the central region between the ends of the associated screw conveyor section 22 or 23, on shaft 21.

Feed assisting members 26 and 27 are driven in the direction of arrows 32 and 33 respectively as shown in Figure 1, so that a volume of material therebelow is loosened by the action of projections 31 as the apparatus descends.

Support plates 29 carrying drum sections 28 are fixedly mounted on a common beam 34 to which is also attached, adjacent its ends, a pair of arms 35 whose free ends are connected to a pair of adjusting devices such as turnbuckles 36 attached to housing 13, and adjustable in position thereon as indicated at 37 in Figure 1. Each beam 34 is pivotally mounted on housing 13 by means of a bracket 38. Each bracket 38 is adjustable linearly on housing 13 as indicated by dotted line 38' in Figure 1.

By these various means, members 26 and 27 may be raised and lowered and adjusted inwardly and outwardly, all with respect to paddle wheel impeller 18 thus to provide an optimum loosening effect on the material, and the correct position will depend, to some extent on the nature of the material being handled. Adjustment of members 26 and 27 may, alternatively be carried out remotely, for example, by mechanical actuators.

In operation, it may not always be necessary for both feed assisting members 26 and 27 to be in use, particularly since housing 13 may be supported at its upper end to swing to the left or right in Figure 1 in which case the leading one of the feed assisting members can be operated alone.

Furthermore, with certain materials, one feed assisting member may be omitted.

Claims

1. An elevator-conveyor adapted to convey bulk materials over a predetermined path, at least a portion of which is in a vertical or near vertical direction, comprising a pair of juxtaposed belts between which the bulk material is located and which, in the vertical or near vertical direction, are pressed together and against the interposed bulk material so as to enclose same, and a paddle wheel impeller rotatable about a horizontal axis at the bottom of the vertical or near vertical portion of the belts to feed material into an entraining zone in which the belts are brought together to entrain the material, characterised by at least one feed assisting member with an array of radially extending projections, rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis adjacent the paddle wheel impeller and driven in rotation to loosen the material locally thus to create mass flow conditions in the material in the vicinity of said paddle wheel impeller.

2. An elevator-conveyor according to Claim 1, in which, on the same horizontal axis as said paddle wheel impeller there is, on each side of the latter, a screw conveyor having flights arranged to direct material inwardly towards the paddle wheel impeller, characterised in that the radially extending projections on said feed assisting member are arranged and configured so as to direct material towards said screw conveyors.

3. An elevator-conveyor according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the array of radially extending projections are so arranged and configured so as to act as one or more conveying screws to direct material generally upwardly towards the entraining zone and in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the feed assisting member.

4. An elevator-conveyor according to any preceding claim, wherein said feed assisting member is adjustably mounted whereby its position with respect to the paddle wheel impeller and to the juxtaposed belts may be adjusted to ensure an optimum loosening of the material.

5. An elevator-conveyor according to Claim 4, wherein said adjustment is carried out by mechanical actuators.

6. An elevator-conveyor according to Claim 2, wherein feed assisting member comprises a drum with two sets of radially extending projections each set arranged and configured so as to act as a conveying screw to direct material towards a central region between the ends of the drum, which region corresponds with a central region between the ends of one of the screw conveyors adjacent the paddle wheel impeller.

7. An eievator-conveyor according to Claim 2 or Claim 6, including a pair of screw conveyors mounted one on each side of the paddle wheel impeller, and a pair of drums each having two sets of radially extending projections adapted to direct material towards an adjacent one of the screw conveyors.