AU2020101781A4

AU2020101781A4 - Blade assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2020101781A4
Application number: AU2020101781A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jack Joseph Morris
Original assignee: Pilbara Conveyor Supplies Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Pilbara Conveyor Supplies Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-12
Filing date: 2020-08-12
Publication date: 2020-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-08-12
Also published as: AU2020101781B4

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaning system. The blade assembly may comprise a blade support configured to connect the blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system and a blade configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt, the blade being mounted to the blade support. Ln~ m 0 0 m m 0 Ln~ 0 C-) 0 r m m r r.J CY) 0 LI) rr-I CY) N 0 00 r- m 0 0 0

Description

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Blade assembly

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to conveyor belt cleaning systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a blade assembly that removes residue material from the surface of a conveyor belt that remains on that surface after the unloading of conveyed material.

Background art

[0002] Mined materials, such as iron ore, are typically transported on conveyor belt systems. Conveyor belt systems are central to mining operations and mining logistics, specifically with respect to the transportation of mined materials. Conveyor belt systems may include a conveyor belt cleaning system.

[0003] A conveyor belt may be in the form of a continuous loop that moves in one direction. It contains an outer upper surface (the surface onto which mined materials are deposited) and a loopback underside surface (the surface which is returning to become the outer upper surface and does not transport mined materials). Conveyor belt systems have evolved with improvements that increase mined material throughput (via increased speed, size and scale) and the amount of conveyor belt cycles before requiring maintenance. As a result, conveyor belt systems have become increasingly productive and efficient.

[0004] Conveyor belt cleaning systems have been used to remove residue material from mined materials which remain after the transportation of the mined materials. Conveyor belt cleaning systems assist in the preservation of the conveyor belt and reduce the amount of required maintenance. Conveyor belt cleaning systems may utilise P-Type, R-Type, J-Type or H-Type (or variations thereof blade) assemblies that rely on a plurality of cleaning blades (e.g. scrapers) which may be mounted to, and extend from, a conveyor belt cleaning system.

[0005] The main body of the conveyor belt scraper may be formed from steel (e.g. stainless steel or mild steel), while the blade (i.e. tip) of the scraper may be formed from a hard wearing material, such as tungsten carbide. The hard wearing blade may be 10-25mm in height and 2 7mm in depth. The blade may be fastened, glued or brazed to the main body of the scraper such that in use it is positioned substantially perpendicular, or at an angle, to the direction of the loopback underside surface of the conveyor belt. Typically, the scraper blade is also positioned such that it contacts and abrades the loopback underside surface of the conveyor belt to remove the residue material.

[0006] There is a need for a conveyor belt scraper that has suitable service life and is also able to effectively remove residue material from the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0007] In this specification, unless the contrary is expressly stated, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge; or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Summary

[0008] Disclosed herein is a blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaning system. The blade assembly may comprise a blade support configured to connect the blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system. The blade support may comprise an elongate support body that extends along a longitudinal axis of the blade assembly; and a blade configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt, the blade being mounted to the blade support. The blade may comprise an elongate blade body extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly, the blade body comprising an upper portion configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is integrally formed with the lower portion, and wherein the lower portion is wider than the upper portion. Advantageously, the reduction of the width of the blade at the top portion of the blade allows for a harder wearing tungsten compound to be used for the blade.

[0009] In some forms, the blade body further comprises a front face, a rear face spaced from the front face, a bottom face extending between the front and rear faces, a top face extending between the front and rear faces and spaced from the bottom face, and a bevelled edge disposed between the top face and the rear face.

[0010] In some forms, the blade assembly may comprise a scraper that is formed by a first juncture between the top and front faces, the scraper being configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0011] In some forms, the bevelled edge extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly.

[0012] In some forms, the top face is parallel to the bottom face and the front face is parallel to the rear face.

[0013] In some forms, the bevelled edge is disposed such that it is offset at an obtuse angle with the top face.

[0014] In some forms, the bevelled edge is disposed such that it is offset at an obtuse angle with the top face of between 112 and 164 degrees.

[0015] In some forms, a first edge is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge and the top face; a second edge is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge and the rear face; and a third edge is formed at a juncture between the top face and the front face; wherein the first edge is spaced from the third edge at a first spacing, and the front face is spaced from the rear face at a second spacing, the first spacing being less than the second spacing.

[0016] In some forms, the first, second and third edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly.

[0017] In some forms, the first spacing is 1-3mm in length. In some forms, the second spacing is 2-6mm in length. In some forms, the first spacing is 1.5-2.5mm in length. In some forms, the second spacing is 3-5mm in length. In some forms, the second spacing is twice the length of the first spacing.

[0018] In some forms, a fourth edge is formed at a juncture between the front face and bottom face; and a fifth edge is formed at a juncture between the bottom face and rear face; and wherein the fourth edge is spaced from the third edge at a third spacing, the fifth edge is spaced from the second edge at a fourth spacing, and the fourth edge is spaced from the fifth edge and a fifth spacing.

[0019] In some forms, the fourth and fifth edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly.

[0020] In some forms, the third spacing is longer than the fourth spacing. In some forms, the fifth spacing is the same as the second spacing.

[0021] In some forms, the blade body is formed from rigid material, and the blade is mounted and set into the rigid material of the blade body such that it extends from the blade body.

[0022] Also disclosed herein is a blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaning system, the blade assembly comprising; a blade support configured to connect the blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system, the blade support comprising; an elongate support body that extends along a longitudinal axis of the blade assembly; and a blade configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt, the blade being mounted to the blade support, the blade comprising; an elongate blade body extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly, the blade body comprising a front face, a rear face spaced from the front face, a bottom face extending between the front and rear faces, a top face extending between the front and rear faces and spaced from the bottom face, and a bevelled edge disposed between the top face and the rear face. Advantageously, the reduction of the width (i.e. thickness) of the blade at the top portion of the blade, as is provided by the bevelled edge, allows for a harder wearing tungsten compound to be used for the blade.

[0023] Also disclosed herein is a method of retrofitting a conveyor belt cleaning system (e.g. a P-Type, R-Type, J-Type or H-Type system) comprising; removing a blade assembly from the conveyor belt cleaning system; and mounting a replacement blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system, wherein the replacement blade assembly is as described above.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0024] Various embodiments/aspects of the disclosure will now be described with reference to the following figures.

[0025] Fig. 1 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig. 2 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Fig. 3 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig. 4 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 5 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig. 6 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 7 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig. 8 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 9 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig. 10 is a plan view of the blade assembly shown in Fig. 1; and

[0035] Fig. 11 provides elevation views (a-c) and a plan view (d) of a blade assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed description

[0036] The Applicant has determined that conveyor belts typically tend to wear unevenly across the width of the conveyor belt over time, where the material (e.g. mined material) is loaded onto the conveyor belt (typically the centre portion of the belt) or where the skirt(s) of a chute that load the material onto the belt rub on the belt and produce slight lateral variations as the belt tracks laterally at its operating speed in use. The result is a contouring of the belt, and importantly in the context of conveyor belt cleaning systems, a non-flat surface for the conveyor belt scrapers to clean against. This will be described in further detail below.

[0037] The softer the scraper tip material (i.e. the material that the blade portion of the scraper is constructed from), the sooner the raised portions of the conveyor belt profile wear the scraper blade tip. This allows the edge of the scraper blade tip to contact the lower parts of the lateral conveyor belt profile. This is often referred to as 'wearing in'. Once the scraper blade has worn in, it maintains a relatively consistent contact with the entire conveyor belt profile and therefore begins to clean optimally across the entire conveyor belt. However, there is a downside to the use of a relatively soft blade tip material (i.e. a compound that 'wears in' in a shorter period of time). A relatively soft blade tip material wears out relatively quickly, resulting in a reduced service life of the scraper bade.

[0038] Selecting a hard wearing material for the blade tip (e.g. a relatively hard wearing tungsten compound) is beneficial as it increases the service life of the scraper blade (i.e. it takes longer for the blade tip to wear out and need to be replaced). The commercial benefit from increased service life to the conveyor belt operation is fewer shutdowns over a given period of time, which enhances productivity, and reduces labour and part maintenance costs associated with changing scraper blades over a given period of time.

[0039] However, there is shortcoming with selecting a harder wearing material (e.g. a harder wearing tungsten compound) over a softer wearing material (e.g. a softer wearing tungsten compound) for the scraper blade tip. Immediately following the initial installation of the blade tip, both a harder wearing blade tip and a softer wearing blade tip do not follow the lateral conveyor belt profile/shape with precision. However a softer scraper blade tip wears more quickly and therefore takes a relatively short period of operation to 'wear in'. A shortcoming of the harder wearing scraper blade tip is the longer period of operating time that it takes for the blade tip to wear into the lateral conveyor belt contoured profile/shape and therefore to effectively clean the full width of the conveyor belt (i.e. by applying relatively consistent pressure against the full width of the conveyor belt). During this period of operation, a harder wearing scraper blade tip does not clean as effectively as a scraper blade with a softer wearing blade tip. Accordingly, there is a trade-off between service life and cleaning performance across the service life of the scraper blade.

[0040] In summary, the Applicant has determined that a blade formed from a relatively hard wearing material is usually less effective than the relatively softer wearing tungsten compounds typically used for conveyor belt cleaning systems (particularly those used in the iron ore mining field, such as the blade used in the P-Type, R-Type, J-Type and H-Type conveyor belt cleaning systems). Again, a relatively harder wearing material (e.g. a harder wearing tungsten compound) does not wear into the conveyor belt profile/shape as quickly as a relatively softer wearing material (e.g. a softer wearing tungsten compound) and therefore does not spread load as consistently across the belt or clean as effectively as quickly in its service life as a blade formed from a relatively soft material (e.g. a relatively soft tungsten compound, such as the compound implemented for existing systems).

[0041] Disclosed herein is a blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaning system that allows the use of a relatively hard wearing tungsten material for the blade of the conveyor belt cleaning system without compromising on the aforementioned 'wear-in" period. Embodiments of the blade assembly will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10.

[0042] Fig. 1 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of the Applicant's 'J-Type' blade assembly. The J-Type blade assembly 100 includes a blade 101 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 103, of the blade assembly such that the front face 113 of the blade is offset from the front face 106 of the chassis at an angle of between 10-30° (the embodiment of Fig. 1 shows an angle of 15). This arrangement allows for the front face 113 of the blade to be substantially flush (i.e. form a single surface that is presented to oncoming material) with the front face 106 of the chassis. It also provides for a secure, rigid and robust connection between the blade 101 and the chassis 103 (i.e. the blade is secured to the chassis such that it is embedded into, and therefore securely supported by, the rigid material of the chassis). In the detailed embodiments, the front face of the blade and the front face of the chassis are shown as substantially planar surfaces. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternative face shapes could be implemented (e.g. a slightly convex or concave face).

[0043] The chassis 103 is configured to connect the blade assembly 100 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (not shown). The chassis 103 includes an elongate support body 109 that extends along a longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly 100. The blade, typically in the form of a tungsten compound scraper tip 101, is configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt. In use, the support system of the conveyor belt cleaning system to which the blade assembly 100 is connected is arranged such that the tungsten tip is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0044] The blade 101 is mounted to the chassis 103 and includes an elongate blade body 111 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The blade body 111 includes a front face 113 , a rear face 115 spaced from the front face 113, a bottom face 117 extending between the front 113 and rear 115 faces , a top face 119 extending between the front 113 and rear 115 faces and spaced from the bottom face 117 , and a bevelled edge 121 disposed between the top face 119 and the rear face 115. The bevelled edge 121 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly.

[0045] The use of a bevelled edge on the trailing side of the blade tip allows for a sharper and narrower blade tip edge to be manufactured from a relatively hard wearing material (e.g. a harder wearing tungsten compound than is typically used) and of a thicker profile. Advantageously, this design provides a sharper cutting edge against the conveyor belt to remove residue from the conveyor belt more effectively during the early 'wearing in' phase of the service life. The sharper edge also increases the rate of wear during the initial 'wearing in' phase of the scraper blades service life, meaning the blade conforms to the lateral conveyor belt profile/shape earlier in the scraper blades service life.

[0046] As the bevelled blade tip is worn through and becomes 'worn in' to the lateral conveyor belt profile/shape, the blade tip becomes thicker. The thicker portion of the blade tip is more robust and slower wearing than the bevelled edge, yet retains effective cleaning performance through consistent pressure across the lateral conveyor belt profile/shape for improved longevity.

[0047] The disclosed design allows a harder wearing material to be used for the scraper blade tip without compromising cleaning effectiveness during the early 'wearing in' phase of the scraper blade service life across the entire width of the conveyor belt profile/shape compared to existing designs.

[0048] The use of a harder wearing material for the scraper blade tip ensures that the conveyor belt scraper blades have an extended service life as the blade tip takes longer to wear through its effective profile (e.g. before the blade chassis makes contact with the conveyor belt). A longer service life provides substantial benefits, including increasing the period of operation between scheduled maintenance which improves conveyor belt productivity and reduces maintenance parts and labour costs.

[0049] The blade assembly 100 includes a scraping edge 123 that is formed by a first juncture between the top 119 and front 113 faces. The scraping edge 123 is configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt in use (as will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, the scraping edge 123 and top face 119 may together engage the surface of the blade). The top face 119 of the blade 101 is parallel to the bottom face 117 of the blade 101. The front face 113 of the blade 101 is parallel to the rear face 115 of the blade 101. In this embodiment, the bevelled edge 121 of the blade assembly 100 is offset at an angle of around 1170 (internal angle, shown as B in Fig. la), or forms an angle of around 243 therebetween (external angle formed between the two surfaces), with the top face 119 of the blade 101 (i.e. the surface of the bevelled edge 121 is offset from the top surface of the blade 101 by around 630). In other words, a first plane that extends along the top face 119 of the blade 101 forms an angle of around 63 with a second plane that extends along the bevelled edge 121.

[0050] A first edge, in the form of trailing edge 125, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 121 and the top face 119 of the blade 101. A second edge, in the form of rear edge 127, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 121 and the rear face 115 of the blade 101. A third edge, shown as the scraping edge 123, is formed at a juncture between the top face 119 and the front face 113 of the blade 101. The trailing edge 125 is laterally spaced from the scraping edge 123 at a first spacing (1.5mm in the detailed embodiment). The front face 113 of the blade 101 is spaced from the rear face 115 at a second spacing (3mm in the detailed embodiment, although typically 3mm-5mm in most existing designs). In other words, the width of the blade 101 is less in the region of the bevelled edge (e.g. the upper portion of the blade) than it is for the remainder (i.e. lower portion) of the blade 101. Further, the trailing 125, rear 127 and scraping 123 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A (i.e. along the width of the conveyor belt in use).

[0051] The edges shown in the detailed embodiments are square edges. As would be appreciated by the skilled addressee, the edges could be any other shape (such as curved) that provides the same functional result (i.e. a blade having a narrow tip relatively to the body of the blade). Also, the disclosed embodiments include a singled bevelled edge (i.e. a single bevelled edge between top and rear faces of the blade). In other embodiments (not shown), multiple bevelled edges may be included between the top and rear faces of the blade (e.g. stepped angled surfaces that effectively reduce the width of the upper portion of the blade). In the preferred embodiment, the blade includes a single square bevelled edge disposed between the top and rear faces of the blade, as this is a relatively simple shape to manufacture and provides the described advantages.

[0052] In the detailed embodiment, the height (i.e. length of the rear face 115) of the blade 101 is 15mm, the height of the chassis is 40mm and the width of the chassis is 10mm. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternate dimensions could be implemented for the blade assembly shown in Figs. la-b to suit specific applications (e.g. material that is being cleaned from the surface of the conveyor belt) and the materials from which the blade assembly is formed (e.g. different steel types for the chassis and different hard wearing material types for the blade). For example, the first spacing could be between 1-3mm in length (i.e. the width of the blade 101 at the top of the bevelled edge could be between 1-3mm in length) and the second spacing could be between 2-6mm in length (i.e. the width of the lower portion of the blade 101 could be between 2-6mm in length). In the preferred embodiment, the first spacing is 1.5 2.5mm in length and the second spacing is 3-5mm in length. In certain embodiments, the second spacing is twice the length of the first spacing. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, the blade thickness may vary, however, is typically in the range of 2-6mm.

[0053] The blade assembly includes a fourth edge 129 formed at a juncture between the front face 113 and bottom face 117. The blade assembly includes a fifth edge 131 formed at a juncture between the bottom face 117 and rear face 115 of the blade 101. The fourth edge 129 is spaced from the scraping edge 123 at a third spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the front face 113 of the blade 101). The fifth edge 131 is spaced from the rear edge 127 at a fourth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the rear face 115 of the blade 101). The fourth edge 129 is spaced from the fifth edge 131 at a fifth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the width of the bottom face 117, or lower portion of the blade 101). The fourth 129 and fifth 131 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The third spacing is longer than the fourth spacing (i.e. the length of the front face 113 of the blade 101 is longer than the rear face 115 of the blade 101 as a result of the bevelled edge 121).

[0054] The support system of the conveyor belt cleaning system (not shown) corresponds with a P-Type, R-Type, J-Type, H-Type or variation thereof system. As will be evident to the skilled addressee, the P-Type, R-Type and H-Type systems have a distinct support structure and are often used in the Pilbara region of Australia for cleaning conveyor belts used to convey ore (e.g. iron ore). The systems include support structures, in the form of side anchors, that are spaced from each other and are disposed below the conveyor belt. The side anchors support an elongate base, in the form of an elongate tubular steel rod, that extends between the side anchors. The side anchors are each mounted to brackets that are able to support the cleaning system in use. The rod is connected to the chassis of the blade assembly. The chassis of the blade assembly is connected to a mounting plate and a cushion (a resilient pad) of the support system. The mounting plate and pad are elongate and may extend along the length of the rod. The mounting plate and pad each include several elongate connected structures that when mounted together extend the length of the rod. The pad acts as a cushion that allows for some, but minimal, flexibility in the conveyor belt cleaning system, and thus blade, against the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0055] As is shown in Fig. 1b, the chassis includes a plurality of apertures 133 (several apertures that are spaced along the length of the chassis 103). The apertures 133 are each configured to receive a fastener 135 to mount the blade assembly 100 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (i.e. to the mounting plate of the support system positioned below the blade assembly 100 in use). Each aperture 133 extends through the chassis 103 at an angle perpendicular to the front face 106 of the chassis 103. Further, each aperture 133 is spaced from an adjacent aperture along the longitudinal axis A of the chassis 103. Each aperture, shown in the form of a threaded bolt 135, includes a head 137 that is set-into (e.g. embedded) into the chassis 103. The head 135 of each bolt 135 is substantially flush with the front face 106 of the chassis. In this way, each bolt 135 is protected from material that is scraped from the surface of the conveyor belt in use.

[0056] Fig. 2 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. la and 1b, the P-Type blade assembly 200 includes a blade 201 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 203. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment described with respect to Figs. la-b is that the front face 213 of the blade 201 is offset from the front face 206 of the chassis 203 at an angle of around 30 (this is the typical angle utilised for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 201 and chassis 203 of the blade assembly 200 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. la-b.

[0057] Fig. 3 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for a R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. la-b and 2a-b, the R-Type blade assembly 300 includes a blade 301 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 303. The difference between this embodiment and the previously described embodiments is that the front face 313 of the blade 301 is parallel with the front face 306 of the chassis 303 (this is the typical angle utilised for a R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 301 and chassis 303 of the blade assembly 300 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. la-b and 2a-b.

[0058] The angle of the bevel described above with respect to Figs. 1-3 is around 63° (i.e. the surface of the bevelled edge is around 63° off being parallel with the top face). As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, the angle of the bevel may be'finer'than 63 and'blunter' than 63°, depending on several factors.

[0059] The more the conveyor belt is worn and the greater the variations across the lateral profile of the conveyor belt, a finer angle than 63° may present a longer profile of bevelled edge to wear into. Also, for some applications, it may be preferable to have a blunter angle (e.g. allowing for a softer material to be used while retaining the benefit of the bevel). Without a bevel, while using relatively softer wearing tungsten compounds to clean conveyor belts used to convey iron ore, a 3mm thick uniform tip starts to chip and wear prematurely. Therefore, if the angle is too fine, the tungsten tip will start to chip in use. For this application, with a relatively hard wearing tungsten compound, a 1.5mm thick upper portion and 3mm tall bevel is useful (i.e. it adequately profiles the belt while retaining strength). The angle of the bevel could vary depending on several factors including, at least, the material selection for the blade, the application (e.g. type of mined material), the speed of the conveyor belt and the number of blades used to clean the surface of the conveyor belt. As such, two further embodiments are described below with respect to Figs. 4-9 (a relatively fine angle, with respect to Figs. 4-6, and a relatively blunt angle, with respect to Figs. 7-9).

[0060] Fig. 4 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of the J-Type blade assembly according to another aspect of the present disclosure. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. la-b, the J-Type blade assembly 400 includes a blade 401 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 403, of the blade assembly such that the front face 413 of the blade is offset from the front face 406 of the chassis at an angle of between 10-30° (the embodiment of Fig. 4 shows an angle of 15°). This arrangement allows for the front face 413 of the blade to be substantially flush (i.e. form a single surface that is presented to oncoming material) with the front face 406 of the chassis. In the detailed embodiments, the front face of the blade and the front face of the chassis are shown as substantially planar surfaces. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternative face shapes could be implemented (e.g. a slightly convex or concave face).

[0061] The chassis 403 is configured to connect the blade assembly 400 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (not shown). The chassis 403 includes an elongate support body 409 that extends along a longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly 400. The blade, in the form of a tungsten scraper tip 401, is configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt. In use, the support system of the conveyor belt cleaning system to which the blade assembly 400 is connected is arranged such that the tungsten tip is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0062] The blade 401 is mounted to the chassis 403 and includes an elongate blade body 411 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The blade body 411 includes a front face 413 , a rear face 415 spaced from the front face 413, a bottom face 417 extending between the front 413 and rear 415 faces, a top face 419 extending between the front 413 and rear 415 faces and spaced from the bottom face 417, and a bevelled edge 421 disposed between the top face 419 and the rear face 415. The bevelled edge 421 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly.

[0063] The blade assembly 400 includes a scraping edge 423 that is formed at a first juncture between the top 419 and front 413 faces. The scraping edge 423 is configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt in use (again, this could be with the top face 419). The top face 419 of the blade 401 is parallel to the bottom face 417 of the blade 401. The front face 413 of the blade 401 is parallel to the rear face 415 of the blade 401. In this embodiment, the bevelled edge 421 of the blade assembly 400 offset at an angle of around 1120 (internal angle, shown as C in Fig. 4a) or forms an angle of around 2480 (external angle formed between the two surfaces) with the top face 419 of the blade 401 (i.e. the surface of the bevelled edge 421 is offset from the top surface of the blade 401 by a relatively fine angle of around 68°). In other words, a first plane that extends along the top face 419 of the blade 401 forms a relatively fine angle of approximately 680 with a second plane that extends along the bevelled edge 421.

[0064] A first edge, in the form of trailing edge 425, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 421 and the top face 419 of the blade 401. A second edge, in the form of rear edge 427, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 421 and the rear face 415 of the blade 401. A third edge, shown as the scraping edge 423, is formed at a juncture between the top face 419 and the front face 413 of the blade 401. The trailing edge 425 is laterally spaced from the scraping edge at a first spacing (1mm in the detailed embodiment). The front face 413 of the blade 401 is spaced from the rear face 415 at a second spacing (3mm in the detailed embodiment). In other words, the width of the blade 401 is less in the region of the bevelled edge (e.g. upper potion) than it is for the remainder (i.e. lower portion) of the blade 401. Further, the trailing 425, rear 427 and scraping 423 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A (i.e. along the width of the conveyor belt in use).

[0065] In the detailed embodiment, the height (i.e. length of the rear face 415) of the blade 401 is 25mm, the height of the chassis is 40mm and the width of the chassis is 149mm. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternate dimensions could be implemented for the blade assembly shown in Figs. 4a-b to suit specific applications (e.g. material that is being cleaned from the surface of the conveyor belt) and the materials from which the blade assembly is formed (e.g. different steel types for the chassis and different hard wearing material types for the blade).

[0066] The blade assembly includes a fourth edge 429 formed at a juncture between the front face 413 and bottom face 417. The blade assembly includes a fifth edge 431 formed at a juncture between the bottom face 417 and rear face 415 of the blade 401. The fourth edge 429 is spaced from the scraping edge 431 at a third spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the front face 413 of the blade 401). The fifth edge 431 is spaced from the rear edge 427 at a fourth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the rear face 415 of the blade 401). The fourth edge 429 is spaced from the fifth edge 431 and a fifth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the width of the bottom face 417, or lower portion, of the blade 401). The fourth 429 and fifth 431 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The third spacing is longer than the fourth spacing (i.e. the length of the front face 413 of the blade 401 is longer than the rear face 415 of the blade 401 as a result of the bevelled edge 421).

[0067] As is shown in Fig. 4b, the chassis includes a plurality of apertures 433 (several apertures that are spaced along the length of the chassis 403). The apertures 433 are each configured to receive a fastener 435 to mount the blade assembly 400 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (i.e. to the mounting plate of the support system position below the blade assembly 400 in use). Each aperture 433 extends through the chassis 403 at an angle perpendicular to the front face 406 of the chassis 403. Further, each aperture 433 is spaced from an adjacent aperture along the longitudinal axis A of the chassis 403. Each aperture, shown in the form of a threaded bolt 435, includes a head 437 that is set-into (e.g. embedded) into the chassis 403. The head 435 of each bolt 435 is substantially flush with the front face 406 of the chassis. In this way, the each bolt 435 is protected from material that is scraped from the surface of the conveyor belt in use.

[0068] Fig. 5 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. 4a and 4b, the P-Type blade assembly 500 includes a blade 501 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 503. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment described with respect to Figs. 4a-b is that the front face 513 of the blade 501 is offset from the front face 506 of the chassis 503 at an angle of around 30 (this is the typical angle utilised for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 501 and chassis 503 of the blade assembly 500 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. 4a-b.

[0069] Fig. 6 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for a R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. 4a-b and 5a-b, the R-Type blade assembly 600 includes a blade 601 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 603. The difference between this embodiment and the previously described embodiments is that the front face 613 of the blade 601 is parallel with the front face 606 of the chassis 603 (this is the typical angle utilised for a R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 601 and chassis 603 of the blade assembly 600 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. 4a-b and 5a-b.

[0070] Fig. 7 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of the J-Type blade assembly according to another aspect of the present disclosure. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. la-b, the J-Type blade assembly 700 includes a blade 701 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 703, of the blade assembly such that the front face 713 of the blade is offset from the front face 706 of the chassis at an angle of between 10-30° (the embodiment of Fig.7 shows an angle of 15°). This arrangement allows for the front face 713 of the blade to be substantially flush (i.e. form a single surface that is presented to oncoming material) with the front face 706 of the chassis. It also provides for a secure, rigid and robust connection between the blade 701 and the chassis 703 (i.e. the blade is secured to the chassis such that it is embedded into therefore securely supported by the rigid material of the chassis). In the detailed embodiments, the front face of the blade and the front face of the chassis are shown as substantially planar surfaces. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternative face shapes could be implemented (e.g. a slightly convex or concave face).

[0071] The chassis 703 is configured to connect the blade assembly 700 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (not shown). The chassis 703 includes an elongate support body 709 that extends along a longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly 700. The blade, in the form of a tungsten scraper tip 701, is configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt. In use, the support system of the conveyor belt cleaning system to which the blade assembly 700 is connected is arranged such that the tungsten tip is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0072] The blade 701 is mounted to the chassis 703 and includes an elongate blade body 711 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The blade body 711 includes a front face 713, a rear face 715 spaced from the front face 713, a bottom face 717 extending between the front 713 and rear 715 faces, a top face 719 extending between the front 713 and rear 715 faces and spaced from the bottom face 717, and a bevelled edge 721 disposed between the top face 719 and the rear face 715. The bevelled edge 721 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the blade assembly.

[0073] The blade assembly 700 includes a scraping edge 723 that is formed by a first juncture between the top 719 and front 713 faces. The scraping edge 723 is configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt (not shown) to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt in use (again, this may be with the top face 719). The top face 719 of the blade 701 is parallel to the bottom face 717 of the blade 701. The front face 713 of the blade 701 is parallel to the rear face 715 of the blade 701. In this embodiment, the bevelled edge 721 of the blade assembly 700 is offset at an angle of around 1640 (internal angle, shown as D in Fig. 7a) forms an angle of around 1960 (external angle formed between the two surfaces) with the top face 719 of the blade 701 (i.e. the surface of the bevelled edge 721 is offset from the top surface of the blade 701 by a relatively blunt angle of around 16). In other words, a first plane that extends along the top face 719 of the blade 701 forms a relatively blunt angle of around 16 with a second plane that extends along the bevelled edge 721.

[0074] A blunt angle provides a faster rate of wear through the bevelled section (relative to a non-bevelled section), and provides the resistance to chipping and structural failure. However a blunt angle provides a short bevelled profile that may be less than the lateral conveyor belt profile/shape variations and thus may not fully wear to the extent disclosed above with respect to the 'mid' and 'finer' angles.

[0075] As previously described, a sharper angle provides a longer bevelled profile to ensure the tip 'wears in' to the full extent of the variations across the lateral conveyor belt profile shape while cleaning more effectively with a sharper blade tip. However, a sharper angle increases the risk of premature tip failure through chipping and breaking due to the thinner profile. The finer angle also reduces service life due to the faster rate of wear through the longer associated bevelled profile as a portion of the total blade height. Therefore, as will be evident to the skilled addressee, there may be applications where a blunt angle is preferable.

[0076] A first edge, in the form of trailing edge 725, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 721 and the top face 719 of the blade 701. A second edge, in the form of rear edge 727, is formed at a juncture between the bevelled edge 721 and the rear face 715 of the blade 701. A third edge, shown as the scraping edge 723, is formed at a juncture between the top face 719 and the front face 713 of the blade tip 701. The trailing edge 725 is laterally spaced from the scraping edge 719 at a first spacing (1mm in the detailed embodiment). The front face 713 of the blade tip 701 is spaced from the rear face 715 at a second spacing (3mm in the detailed embodiment). In other words, the width of the blade 701 is less in the region of the bevelled edge than it is for the remainder (i.e. lower portion) of the blade 701. Further, the trailing 725, rear 727 and scraping 723 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A (i.e. along the width of the conveyor belt in use).

[0077] In the detailed embodiment, the height (i.e. length of the rear face 715) of the blade 701 is 24.5mm, the height of the chassis is 40mm and the width of the chassis is 149mm. As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, alternate dimensions could be implemented for the blade assembly shown in Figs. 7a-b to suit specific applications (e.g. material that is being cleaned from the surface of the conveyor belt) and the materials from which the blade assembly is formed (e.g. different steel types for the chassis and different hard wearing material types for the blade).

[0078] The blade assembly includes a fourth edge 729 formed at a juncture between the front face 713 and bottom face 717. The blade assembly includes a fifth edge 731 formed at a juncture between the bottom face 717 and rear face 715 of the blade 701. The fourth edge 729 is spaced from the scraping edge 731 at a third spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the front face 713 of the blade 701). The fifth edge 731 is spaced from the rear edge 727 at a fourth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the height of the rear face 715 of the blade 701). The fourth edge 729 is spaced from the fifth edge 731 and a fifth spacing (i.e. a spacing that corresponds with the width of the bottom face 717, or lower portion, of the blade 701). The fourth 729 and fifth 731 edges extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly A. The third spacing is longer than the fourth spacing (i.e. the length of the front face 713 of the blade 701 is longer than the rear face 715 of the blade 701 as a result of the bevelled edge 721).

[0079] As is shown in Fig. 7b, the chassis includes a plurality of apertures 733 (several apertures that are spaced along the length of the chassis 703). The apertures 733 are each configured to receive a fastener 735 to mount the blade assembly 700 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (i.e. to the mounting plate of the support system position below the blade assembly 700 in use). Each aperture 733 extends through the chassis 703 at an angle perpendicular to the front face 706 of the chassis 703. Further, each aperture 733 is spaced from an adjacent aperture along the longitudinal axis A of the chassis 703. Each aperture, shown in the form of a threaded bolt 735, includes a head 737 that is set-into (e.g. embedded) into the chassis 703. The head 735 of each bolt 735 is substantially flush with the front face 706 of the chassis. In this way, the each bolt 735 is protected from material that is scraped from the surface of the conveyor belt in use.

[0080] Fig. 8 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. 7a and 7b, the P-Type blade assembly 800 includes a blade 801 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 803. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment described with respect to Figs. 7a-b is that the front face 813 of the blade 801 is offset from the front face 806 of the chassis 803 at an angle of around 30 (this is the typical angle utilised for a P-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 801 and chassis 803 of the blade assembly 800 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. 7a-b.

[0081] Fig. 9 provides an elevation view (a) and a cross sectional side view (b) of a blade assembly that, other than the bevelled edge, corresponds with the set-up of a blade assembly for an R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system. Similar to the assembly described with respect to Figs. 7a-b and 8a-b, the R-Type blade assembly 900 includes a blade 901 that is set into (e.g. brazed) a cut-out section of a blade support, in the form of chassis 903. The difference between this embodiment and the previously described embodiments is that the front face 913 of the blade 901 is parallel with the front face 906 of the chassis 903 (this is the typical angle utilised for a R-Type conveyor belt cleaning system). Otherwise, the blade 901 and chassis 903 of the blade assembly 900 is the same as the blade assembly described with reference to Figs. 7a-b and 8a-b.

[0082] Fig 10. provides a plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1. The assembly includes a plurality of apertures 1033 (two are shown by way of example only), each being configured to receive a fastener to mount the blade assembly 1000 to the conveyor belt cleaning system (the fastener is shown in the form of threaded bolt 135 in Fig. lb). The assembly also includes is a plurality of embedded blades 1001 (three are shown by way of example only) which extend above the edge of the elongate support body 1009 of the chassis 1003.

[0083] As will now be described with respect to Figs. 11a-d, the above described bevelled blade is also able to be implemented for a H-Type cleaning system. The difference between a H Type cleaning system and the conveyor belt cleaning systems described above is that the chassis is 'L-Shaped' and the mounting bolt is substantially perpendicular to the front face of the blade as it is typically used as a primary conveyor belt scraper blade in a multi layered conveyor belt cleaning system while the other conveyor belt cleaning systems are more commonly used as 'Secondary', 'Tertiary' or 'Quaternary' cleaning applications. Fig. 11a provides an elevation view of a H-Type blade assembly 1101 having a 'mid-angled' bevelled edge (i.e. similar to the embodiments described above with respect to Figs. 1, 4 and 7). Fig. 1lb provides an elevation view of a H-Type blade assembly 1103 having a 'fine-angled' bevelled edge (i.e. similar to the embodiments described above with respect to Figs. 2, 5 and 8). Fig. 1Ic provides an elevation view of a H-Type blade assembly 1105 having a 'blunt-angled' bevelled edge (i.e. similar to the embodiments described above with respect to Figs. 3, 6 and 9). Fig. I1d provides a front view for each of the embodiments shown in Fig. 1la-c. The assembly includes a plurality of blades disposed along the length of the chassis, with mounting bolts being located in the lower portion of the 'L-shaped' chassis to mount the chassis to the underlying support structure.

[0084] As will be appreciated by the skilled addressee, while the blade design disclosed herein enables the use of a relatively hard wearing compound, the design could also be implemented with a relatively soft wearing material (such as tungsten carbide compounds commonly in use for conveyor belt cleaning systems) where desirable (e.g. where it is desirable to have the blade 'wear-in' more quickly than would occur using the same relatively soft material with known blade designs).

[0085] The word 'comprising' and forms of the word 'comprising' as used in this description and in the claims does not limit the invention claimed to exclude any variants or additions.

[0086] Modifications and improvements to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope of this invention.

Claims

Claims

1 A blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaning system, the blade assembly comprising;

a blade support configured to connect the blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system, the blade support comprising an elongate support body that extends along a longitudinal axis of the blade assembly; and

a blade configured to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material from the surface of the conveyor belt, the blade being mounted to the blade support, the blade comprising;

an elongate blade body extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade assembly, the blade body comprising an upper portion configured to engage the surface of the conveyor belt and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is integrally formed with the lower portion, and wherein the lower portion is wider than the upper portion.
2 A blade assembly according to claim 1, the blade body further comprising a front face, a rear face spaced from the front face, a bottom face extending between the front and rear faces, a top face extending between the front and rear faces and spaced from the bottom face, and a bevelled edge disposed between the top face and the rear face.
3 A blade assembly according to claim 2, wherein the bevelled edge is disposed such that it is offset at an obtuse angle with the top face of between 112 and 164 degrees.
4 A blade assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blade body is formed from rigid material, and the blade is mounted and set into the rigid material of the blade body such that it extends from the blade body.

A method of retrofitting a conveyor belt cleaning system comprising;

removing a blade assembly from the conveyor belt cleaning system; and

mounting a replacement blade assembly to the conveyor belt cleaning system, wherein the replacement blade assembly is in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

125 121 121 119 101 119 123 127 127 115 100 113 113 B 111 107 107 115 101 101 109 129 117 131 100 137 103 117 1/11

A 106 109 135 107 103 133

Fig. 1a Fig. 1b

201 201 213 213 200 2/11

203 203 206 206

Fig. 2a Fig. 2b

301 301 313 313 300 3/11

303 303 306 306

Fig. 3a Fig. 3b

425 425 421 421 401 419 401 419 427 423 427 415 C 411 413 400 413 415 407 407 401

409 429 431 417 4/11

400 A 417 403 406 437 409 435 403 407

433

Fig. 4a Fig. 4b

501 501 513 513 500 5/11

503 503 506 506

Fig. 5a Fig. 5b

601 601 613 613 600 6/11

603 603

606 606

Fig. 6a Fig. 6b

721 725 701 725 719 701 719 727 723 727 715 713 711 713 700 D 707 715 707 701 709 729 731 717 700 717 737 703 7/11

A 709 735 706 707 703 733

Fig. 7a Fig. 7b

801 801 813 813 800 8/11

803 803 806 806 Fig. 8a Fig. 8b

901 901 913 913 900 9/11

903 903

906 906 Fig. 9a Fig. 9b

1009 1001 1001 1001 10/11

1003

1033 1033 Fig. 10

1105

1101

Fig. 11a Fig. 11b Fig. 11c 11/11

Fig. 11d