GB829876A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for driving conveyor belts - Google Patents

Abstract

829,876. Belt conveyer driving gear. EICKHOFF MASCHINENFABRIK UND EISENGIESSEREI GEB. Jan. 18, 1956 [Jan. 19, 1955; July 29, 1955], No. 1644/56. Class 78 (1). A conveyer belt is driven by a driving member provided with means adapted to apply suction to the belt, the means comprising a number of spaced open suction mouths in an outer surface of the driving member which communicate with hollow spaces arranged between the outer surface and an endless inner surface of the driving member, adjacent spaces being separated from one another by webs. In one form, Fig. 1, the driving member is a drum 1 composed of inner and outer cylindrical shells between which are disposed webs 3, dividing the annular space thus formed into compartments 4 each of which is open at one or both ends and communicates with a series of bores 5 in the outer shell, the bores having flared suction openings which cover most of the drum surface and are arranged in staggered relationship. Each open end of the drum co-operates with a stationary annular channel-section member connected by a pipe 10 to a suction apparatus, this member being divided into two chambers by partitions 8, 9 designed respectively to admit and cut off air gradually from each of the compartments 4 as they pass in succession to and from the chamber to which suction is applied. The other chamber is connected to an air filter 11 which cleans and silences the air entering the compartments 4 to relieve the suction as they pass in turn beyond the point at which the belt 21 leaves the drum, so that suction is applied gradually to the belt as it passes on to the drum and is gradually removed as the belt leaves the drum. In a second form, Figs. 7, 8, 12 and 13, the belt 22 is driven at an intermediate location between head and tail pulleys by an underlying endless driving belt 29 formed with a series of transverse suction chambers 30 opening at points along their length to the underside of the conveyer belt and at their ends to the interiors of guide blocks 25 for the side edges of that portion of the driving belt which engages the conveyer belt, the interiors of the guide blocks being connected to suction means. The suction chambers may be formed either by constructing the driving belt with upper and lower belts 31, 31a between which are disposed transverse webs, or by providing the driving belt with deep transverse grooves the exposed lateral portions of which are covered by narrow bands 34. In the former construction each chamber communicates by a plurality of slots 37 with shallow transverse grooves in the upper band 30. The guide blocks 25 are provided with rollers 38 for guiding the edges of the driving belt, and both longitudinal and transverse series of inwardly projecting ribs 39, 40 forming a labyrinth seal between the blocks and the engaged portions of the upper and lower faces of the driving belt.