AU2018200600B2

AU2018200600B2 - A support apparatus and a method of operating a support apparatus for a belt of a conveyor system

Info

Publication number: AU2018200600B2
Application number: AU2018200600A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Edward Hodgkinson
Original assignee: CEREND Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CEREND Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-01-24
Filing date: 2018-01-24
Publication date: 2023-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2038-01-24
Also published as: AU2018200600A1

Abstract

A support apparatus 10 for a conveyor belt of an endless conveyor system includes wing rollers 22, 26 and a central roller 24 supported on a first support 12 supported on a second support 14. One wing roller 22 is rotatably mounted to a first wing support 16. A second wing roller 26 is rotatably mounted to a respective second wing support 20. The central roller 24 is rotatably mounted to a central support 18. The first and second wing supports 16, 20 are each pivotably connected to the central support by a respective pivot mechanism 34, 36, at or adjacent a respective in-board end 16b, 20b of the wing supports 16, 20, so that the first and/or second wing supports can be lowered at an outboard end thereof for access to the respective wing roller 22, 26, and to be raised to connect to the respective upright 28, 30 to support the belt. Outboard ends 16a, 20a of each of the first and second wing rollers 22, 26 are releasably connected to spaced uprights 28, 30. If the central roller needs inspecting or replacing, the outboard end of both wing supports are released from their respective uprights and lowered down. The first support including the central roller is slid laterally/transversely with respect to the conveyor belt. The central and wing rollers can be accessed without the need to lift the belt or lower the first support. 1/3 38 44 2 6.. .... 4 4 16 10 18 20 22 24 32 28 12 14 34 Fig 1 30 32 44 28 30 10 24 18 26 20 3 22 16 32 -12 14 36 42 3234 Fig 2

Description

1/3

38 44

26.. .. 4 4 16 10 18 20

22

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32 28 12 14 34

Fig 1 30 32 44

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30 10 24 18 26 20 3

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32 -12 14 36 42 3234

Fig 2

A SUPPORT APPARATUS AND A METHOD OF OPERATING A SUPPORT APPARATUSFORABELTOFACONVEYORSYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a support apparatus and/or to a method of using or operating a support apparatus for a belt of a conveyor system.

[0002] Particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a support apparatus and/or to a method of using or operating a support apparatus for a belt of an endless conveyor used for transporting particulate materials, such as iron ore, coal or mined minerals.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0003] It would Belt conveyors are used for materials handling and transport. A particular application of belt conveyors is for transport of particulate materials in, for example, mining and grain-handling applications.

[0004] Typically, a belt conveyor comprises an endless belt adapted to pass around head and tail rollers to define an upper load-carrying run and a lower return run. The upper and lower runs are supported at intervals along their respective lengths by a series of supports. The supports are fixedly mounted to the conveyor frame. Each support comprises a set of unpowered rollers, typically called idlers or idler rollers.

[0005] Each roller set usually includes one or more idler rollers positioned to engage the underside of the respective belt run. Where the load carrying run is a trough configuration, as is a common occurrence, the set of idler rollers in their dedicated support frame typically comprises a horizontal central roller and two inclined side or'wing' rollers on opposed ends of and inline with the central roller.

[0006] Idler roller life is determined by many factors such as bearings, seals, shell thickness, belt speed, lump size/material density, operating temperature, maintenance, and environment.

[0007] Generally, idler rollers last as long as long as the bearings last or the surface of the roller lasts. Idler rollers can also fail due to abrasion, corrosion, seal effectiveness and end design failure. Regular surface wear or abrasion from belt contact can also limit the roller life. Idler roller failure is common.

[0008] When an idler roller fails or shows signs of imminent failure, during operations, the conveyor is stopped and breakdown maintenance is carried out to replace or service the failed/failing idler roller.

[0009] It is imperative to stop the conveyor in order to prevent damage to the belt, and for safety of the maintenance personnel carrying out breakdown maintenance.

[0010] Unscheduled or scheduled breakdown maintenance causes loss of production. Loss of production hinders profitability because profitability of sites producing material to be transported by the conveyor depends directly on the material shipped to the customer. Any breakdown in the conveyor reduces the quantity of material shipped to the customer over a period of time.

[0011] Breakdown of conveyors also causes production processes upstream of the conveyor to cease or materials to be stockpiled, creating storage space and cost problems and further material handling and productivity problems.

[0012] The applicant previous patent application, published as WO 2013067604 Al, discloses a conveyor roller assembly which reduces the difficulties in roller change-out and time required for roller change-out.

[0013] In the conveyor roller assembly of WO 2013067604 Al, a support which has failing/failed roller(s) is dropped down and subsequently pulled out from the conveyor in order to service/repair/replace the failing/failed roller(s).

[0014] Although by using the system of WO 2013067604 Al breakdown maintenance time is reduced, the number of times breakdown maintenance needs to be carried out is not reduced.

[0015] It is desirable to reduce or eliminate the number of times breakdown maintenance is required to service, repair or replace one or more idler rollers of a conveyor system.

[0016] For example, it is desirable to remove or at least reduce the need to lift the conveyor belt in order to access and remove failed or damaged rollers.

[0017] It is also desired that the need to use winches or'come-alongs' (a hand operated winch with a ratchet used to pull objects.) to lift the conveyor belt and/or to lower roller frames or roller supports from under a conveyor belt, is avoided.

[0018] Winches and 'come-alongs' typically require a support frame to attach the winch/'come-alongs'to in order to raise one end of the winch/come-along above the conveyor belt and thereby provide a raised position from which to suspend the belt and/or the roller support frame, and to loser therefrom the support frame to access the rollers. This takes a substantial amount of time, increases maintenance costs and risks delaying production starting if maintenance schedules overrun or if an emergency repair is delayed.

[0019] It is further desirable to increase efficiency and/or economic viability of a site producing material that is transported by a conveyor.

[0020] It is further desirable to provide a system which can be implemented in green field conveyor projects as well as retrofitted to existing conveyors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support apparatus for a belt of a conveyor including: a first support supporting multiple rollers for supporting the belt, and a second support for supporting at least part of the first support, wherein said first support is moveable laterally relative to the second support and the belt to enable changing of one or more of the rollers at a section of the conveyor, wherein the second support includes a number of support members for supporting at least part of the first support, wherein the support members are spaced laterally from one another facilitating the first support to be slid laterally from under the belt of the conveyor.

[0022] Preferably the second support is rigidly fixed to the ground or other permanent base, such as a concrete pad.

[0023] It will be appreciated that the first support is moveable from a support position wherein the rollers are supporting the conveyor belt to a non-supporting or limited support position for the belt at a section of the conveyor. The non supporting or limited support position allows the first support to be at least partially removed from under the belt to facilitate roller replacement or inspection.

[0024] By providing two supports wherein the second is fixed and the first is moveable, roller'change out' can be carried out efficiently and effectively without needing equipment to lift the conveyor to access roller mountings and remove the roller(s).

[0025] The central support can support a roller, and two wing supports can each support a respective roller. Thus, the central support and each of the wing supports can each provide a discrete support, such as a sub-frame with roller mountings thereon, for the respective central and wing rollers.

[0026] The first support is detachable from the second support.

[0027] The second support may include multiple spaced support members for supporting at least part of the first support. The support members may include rods, bolts, rollers, or lengths of rebar, or the like, or a combination of two or more thereof.

[0028] Preferably the support members may extend in a direction inline with a direction of travel of the conveyor belt and transverse to the second support.

[0029] The second support may include at least two upright supports spaced laterally with respect to the length of the belt. Each of the at least two upright supports may be permanently or removably attached to a base support of the second support.

[0030] The first support may include at least two wing supports. Each of the wing supports may extend at angle upwardly from a central support intermediate the two wing supports to releasably engage at or towards an outboard end of each wing support with a respective said upright of the at least two upright supports.

[0031] One of the wing supports, preferably both of the wing supports, can be pivotably mounted to the central support.

[0032] For example, an inboard end of each of the wing supports can be pivotably connected to the central support of the first support.

[0033] The pivot can be provided by a bolt, pin, pair of spaced mounts or other pivot mounting to allow the wing support to pivot relative to the central support.

[0034] In use, preferably each of the wing supports is connected to a respective said upright of the second support. To aid replacement or inspection of any one of the rollers, the two wing supports can be released from connection to their respective upright and their respective outboard end lowered down. This allows the wing support and the attached central support to slide laterally with respect to the belt to provide access to at least one of the two wing rollers and the central roller.

[0035] It will be appreciated that each wing roller can be accessed for replacement or inspection by lowering the outboard end of that wing support.

[0036] The central roller can be accessed for replacement or inspection by releasing the outboard end of each of the wing supports, lowering them down, and laterally moving the two wing supports with the central support therebetween until the central roller is accessible laterally away from under the belt.

[0037] A second aspect of the present invention provides a conveyor including a support system according to the first aspect.

[0038] The conveyor may include a plurality of the support apparatus of at least the first aspect, wherein the plurality of support apparatus are spaced apart from each other for supporting the belt at multiple locations.

[0039] A third aspect of the present invention provides a method of operating a support apparatus for a belt of a conveyor including the steps of: releasing at least one wing support of a first support from engagement with at least one upright of a second support; lowering at least a respective outboard end of the released at least one wing support; and accessing a first wing roller rotatably supported on the respective wing support.

[0040] Preferably the method further includes releasing an outboard end of each of the wing supports from engagement with a respective upright of the second support, and sliding the first support laterally to access a central roller positioned between the first wing roller and a second wing roller.

[0041] The at least one wing support may be pivotably connected to a central support for a central roller. Preferably, the method includes the step of: pivoting said supports connected by a respective pivot to the central support.

[0042] It will be appreciated that the second support may be considered as a cradle in which the first support is supported during use of the apparatus to support a portion of a belt of the conveyor.

[0043] The first support may slide laterally with respect to the second support, and preferably from between portions of a frame formed by the second support. For example, the second support may include at least two spaced frame sides, which frame sides may preferably also provide the spaced uprights to which the respective wing supports engage.

[0044] The uprights may be integral to the spaced side frames, such as each upright being formed by spaced upright members extending from the side frames at each an end thereof. Alternatively, the uprights may be connected to the spaced side frames, such as by bolting or welding etc.

[0045] The bolt, pin or other retainer retaining the respective wing support to the respective upright may have a releasable retainer to prevent inadvertent release of the bolt, pin or other retainer.

[0046] The spaced side frames may be at least in part held spaced by the support members on which the central support rests and slides sideways when needing to access the central roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0047] The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the embodiments that are shown in the attached drawings, in which:

[0048] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a support apparatus for a conveyor belt (conveyor belt not shown) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Support (idler) rollers are shown in their belt support positions.

[0049] Figures 2 to 5 show stages of changing out idler rollers from the support apparatus with respect to the support apparatus shown in Figure 1.

[0050] In particular, Figure 2 shows one wing roller being changed out.

[0051] Figure 3 shows a second, opposite, wing roller being changed out.

[0052] Figure 4 shows both wing rollers and their respective wing supports lowered and the central roller ready to be changed out.

[0053] Figure 5 shows the first support slid laterally outwards to allow the central roller to be changed out.

[0054] It will be appreciated that replacement/new rollers, or the same rollers after inspection, can be put into the respective central support or wing support of the first support..

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0055] As shown by way of example in Figures 1 to 5, a support apparatus 10 for a conveyor belt of an endless conveyor system includes multiple rollers 22, 24, 26 supported on a first support 12 supported on a second support 14.

[0056] Each roller can be termed an 'idler' roller since each roller does not drive the conveyor belt; rather, is rotated by contact with the moving endless conveyor belt.

[0057] The rollers 22, 24, 26 include first and second wing rollers 22, 26 aligned longitudinally either end of a central roller 24.

[0058] A first wing roller 22 is rotatably mounted to and supported by a respective first wing support 16 of the first support 12. A second wing roller 26 is rotatably mounted to and supported by a respective second wing support 20 of the first support 12. The central roller 24 is rotatably mounted to and supported by a central support 18 of the first support 12.

[0059] The first and second wing supports 16, 20 are each pivotably connected to the central support by a respective pivot mechanism 34, 36, at or adjacent a respective in-board end 16b, 20b of the wing supports 16, 20, allowing, in use, the first and/or second wing support to be lowered at an outboard end thereof, thereby permitting access to inspect and/or remove/change the respective wing roller 22, 26, and to be raised to connect to the respective upright 28, 30 to allow the support apparatus to support the belt in use..

[0060] One or both of the pivot mechanisms 34, 36 can include a single pivot or a pair of spaced pivots.

[0061] The outboard end 16a, 20a, or adjacent thereto, of each of the first and second wing rollers 22, 26 is releasably connected to the second support 14.

[0062] The second support 14 can include spaced uprights 28, 30 for respective retention thereto of the outboard end 16a, 20a (or adjacent thereto) of the respective wing support 16, 20.

[0063] The fist support 12 and/or the second support 14 can provide a respective support frame. Consequently, the support apparatus 10 can be considered to have two sub-frames, the first support as a first sub frame and the second support as a second sub frame. In one or more such embodiments, the first sub frame fits at least partially within the second sub frame, as shown by way of example in Figures 1 to 5.

[0064] The first support 12 can be thought of as having three first support sub frames. The central support and each of the first and the second wing supports can be considered as sub frames of the first support.

[0065] The central support 18 can rest on one or more secondary supports 32 (support members). One or more of said secondary supports 32 can be or include a bar, rod, pin, shaft, bolt, roller or axle. For example, steel round section bars can extend underneath the central support 18. The secondary supports may rotate about an axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of the central support and attached wing supports. That is, the secondary support can extend in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt.

[0066] One or both of the wing supports 16, 20 can include a handle 42, 44, such as at or near a respective outboard end 16a, 20a thereof.

[0067] Preferably the second support 14 mounts to the ground, a concrete pad or base or onto a plinth or sub-supports on the ground.

[0068] The second support 14 can include two spaced main plates 14a, 14b held in fixed spaced relationship by upper and lower spacer plates 14c, 14d.

[0069] Outboard ends 14e of the second support 14 include uprights 28, 30.

[0070] Each of the rollers 22, 24, 26 is supported for rotation about a longitudinal axis of each roller by a rotation mount, such as slotted upright plates 16c, 16d, 18c, 18d, 20c and 20d at the respective inboard and outboard ends 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b, 20a and 20b of the wing supports and central support 16, 18, 20.

[0071] In use, if an idler roller (one or more of the central or wing rollers) needs inspecting or replacing, the conveyor system is stopped. If only one wing roller is to be inspected or changed, the outboard end of that wing support is released from the respective upright and pivoted down until the roller is accessible. The roller can be lifted out, inspected and replaced or changed as required.

[0072] If the central roller needs inspecting or replacing, the outboard end of both wing supports are released from their respective uprights and lowered down. The first support including the central roller is slid laterally/transversely with respect to the conveyor belt. The central and wing rollers can be accessed.

[0073] It will be appreciated that the central support rests on one or more support members of the second support. The second support includes the uprights, thereby preferably providing a sub-frame arrangement into which the first support mounting the wing and central rollers sits and rests thereon. There is no need to raise or lower rollers using a come-along or other winch arrangement. The sliding configuration of the first support (first sub-frame) enables ready access to the wing and central rollers by releasing the outboard ends of the wing supports, pivoting them downwards, and sliding the central and wing supports sideways a distance from under the conveyor belt to give access the central roller.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A support apparatus for a belt of a conveyor including: a first support supporting multiple rollers for supporting the belt, and a second support for supporting at least part of the first support, wherein said first support is moveable laterally relative to the second support and the belt to enable changing of one or more of the rollers at a section of the conveyor, wherein the second support includes a number of support members for supporting at least part of the first support, wherein the support members are spaced laterally from one another facilitating the first support to be slid laterally from under the belt of the conveyor.

2. The support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second support is fixed and the first support is slidably moveable.

3. The support apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first support includes a central support to support a central roller, and two wing supports each to support a respective wing roller.

4. The support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the support members support at least part of the central support when the central roller and the wing rollers are configured to support the belt.

5. The support apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support members include one or more rods, bolts, pins, rollers, or lengths of rebar, or the like, or a combination of two or more thereof.

6. The support apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein one or more of the support members extends in a direction inline with a direction of travel of the conveyor belt.

7. The support apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second support includes at least two upright supports spaced laterally with respect to the length of the belt.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein at least one of the wing supports is configured to pivot below horizontal when slid from under the belt, facilitating wing roller access.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the wing supports extends at an angle upwardly from a central support intermediate the two wing supports to releasably engage at or towards an outboard end of each wing support with a respective said upright of the at least two upright supports.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the wing supports is pivotably connected to the central support.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the or each respective pivot includes a bolt, pin, pair of spaced mounts or other pivot mounting to allow the respective wing support to pivot relative to the central support.

12. The support apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein one or both of the wing supports is releasably connected to a respective said upright of the second support.

13. The support apparatus of claim 12, wherein one or both of the two wing supports can be released at or adjacent an outboard end thereof from connection to their respective upright and their respective outboard end lowered down.

14. The support apparatus of claim 13, wherein, when released from engagement with the second support, the wing supports and the attached central support slide laterally with respect to the belt to provide access to at least one of the two wing rollers and the central roller.

15. The support apparatus of claim 14, wherein the central roller is accessible for replacement or inspection by releasing the outboard end of each of the wing supports, lowering them down, and laterally moving the two wing supports with the central support therebetween until the central roller is accessible laterally away from under the belt.

16. The support apparatus of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the support members extend in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt and are configured to rotate.

17. A conveyor system including a support system according to any one of the preceding claims.

18. The conveyor system of claim 17, including a plurality of the support apparatus, wherein the plurality of the support apparatus are spaced apart from each other for supporting the belt at multiple locations.