AU3520201A

AU3520201A - Skirt clamping system

Info

Publication number: AU3520201A
Application number: AU35202/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Christopher P. Geach
Original assignee: CONS PLASTICS AND EPOXY Pty LT
Current assignee: CONSOLIDATED PLASTICS AND EPOXY Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-04-12
Filing date: 2001-04-12
Publication date: 2001-10-18

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "SKIRT CLAMPING SYSTEM" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 THIS INVENTION relates to a skirt clamping system. The invention particularly relates, but is not limited, to a corrosion free skirt clamping system for materials handling equipment.

Throughout the specification, the term "plastics" shall include plastics which may be fibre-reinforced; and the term "rubber" shall include other elastomeric materials.

In many materials handling applications, rubber skirts are provided at (or around) the outlets of discharge equipment such as chutes, hoppers, tubes, pipes and the like. The term "chute" shall be used hereinafter to include such equipment.

In many of these materials handling applications, the *OoOO materials handled are of a corrosive nature and it is essential to oooo° design the equipment of corrosion-resistant materials plastics, rubber, stainless steel) to minimise corrosion. In other applications, 15 eg., food handling, the elimination (or at least minimisation) of ooo• corrosion is important.

o It is an object of the present invention to provide a skirt clamping system (for such materials handling equipment) which is easy to install.

It is a preferred object to provide such a system which can be easily adjusted, without the requirement for tools.

It is a further preferred object to provide such a system which enables accurate and safe skirt adjustment.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a system which can be easily manufactured from (readily available) corrosionresistant materials.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

In one aspect, the present invention resides in a skirt clamping system to clamp a skirt to a chute (as hereinbefore defined) including: a clamping bridge having a body with a foot at, or 10 adjacent, one end to engage the chute and a clamping bar at, or oo adjacent, the other end; o rail means mountable on the chute and extending substantially transversely to the clamping bridge; screw means having a head operably engaged in the rail means and a screw-threaded shank operably engageable by a complementary pin or nut in handle means operably engageable with the body of the clamping bridge; so arranged that by rotation of the handle means, the clamping bar applies a variable clamping force to a rubber skirt interposed between the clamping bar and the chute.

Preferably, the clamping bridge is of substantially Lshape and a distal end of the foot is in pivotal engagement with the external surface of the chute.

4 Preferably, the clamping bar is releasably (preferably slidably) received in a holder at the other end of the body of the clamping bridge. The clamping bar may be received in the holders of the clamping bridges of two or more adjacent skirt clamping systems.

Preferably, the rail means is welded or otherwise fastened to the external surface of the chute and extends substantially parallel to, but spaced from, a discharge outlet of the chute. Preferably, the rail means has a pair of inwardly-directed flanges. Preferably, the screw means extends through a slide block slidably received in the rail means, the slide block preferably being of substantially U-shape, with side flanges engageable with the inwardly-directed flanges of the rail means.

Preferably, the pin or nut is received in a head portion of the handle means, the head portion being preferably bifurcated to 15 allow the screw means to extend through the handle. Preferably, the handle means has a handle member extending substantially laterally from the head portion and operable to rotate the head portion about an axis defined by the screw means.

In an alternative aspect, the screw means is engaged with the handle means and is operably engaged by the pin or nut, the pin or nut being slidably engaged in the rail means.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the skirt clamping system; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof; FIG. 3 is a schematic front elevational view of a typical installation; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the handle means; and FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the rail means and S• screw means.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the skirt clamping system is operable to releasably clamp a rubber skirt 100 to a materials handling chute 200 adjacent a discharge outlet 201. The skirt 100 is of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material and the chute 200 is formed of stainless steel, or other suitable material.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3, a plurality of the skirt clamping systems 10 maybe provided along the skirt 100 at the spacings indicated. The spacings are indicative only and are not limiting to the invention.

Each system 10 has a clamping bridge 20 (of plastics material) which is of substantially (inverted) L-shape, with a foot 21 having its distal end 22 in pivotal engagement with the external surface 202 of the chute 200.

At the outer end of the body 23 of the clamping bridge a clamping bar 30 (also of plastics material) has a head portion 31 slidably engaged in a socket or holder 24 in the clamping bridge The body 32 of the clamping bar 30 has a pair of spaced, inwardly-directed "lips" 33 operable to engage the external face 101 of the skirt 100.

A stainless steel rail 40 (see also FIG. 5) has its web 41 welded to the external face 202 of the chute 200 spaced from, but parallel to, the discharge outlet 201. The side walls 42 of the rail 9e 10 are terminated by inwardly (and downwardly) directed flanges 43.

A screw 50 has a screw-threaded shank 51 and a head 52. The screw 50 passes through, and is operably engaged with, a •slide block 60 slidably received in the rail 40. The slide block 60 has a web 61, engaged by the head 52 of the screw 50, and side walls oo 15 62 "hooked" under the flanges 43 of the rail A pin or nut 70 extends transversely to the head portion 81 of a handle 80 and is screw-threadably engaged with the screwl threaded shank 51 of the screw 50. The pin or nut 70 is received in aligned bores 82 in the bifurcated head portion 81, and the shank 51 extends through a slot 83 in the head portion 81. A handle member 84 extends laterally relative to the rotational axis of the handle (defined by the longitudinal axis of the shank 51 of the screw The upper end 102 of the skirt 100 is interposed 7 between the clamping bar 30 and the external surface 202 of the chute 200 and by rotation of the handle 80, the pin or nut 70 travels along the shank 51 of the screw 50 towards the chute 200. The engagement of the head portion 81 of the handle 80 with the outer face 25 of the clamping bridge 20 causes the latter to pivot about its leg 21 to apply an increasing clamping force onto the skirt 100 via the clamping bar 32.

If the relationship of the skirt 100 to the chute 200 :requires adjustment, the handle 80 is rotated in the opposite direction o••o S to reduce the clamping force applied to the skirt 100.

S.

By manufacture of the rail 40, screw 50, sliding block and pin or nut 70 from stainless steel, and the manufacture of the •clamping bridge 20, the clamping bar 30 and the handle 80 from plastics material, the clamping system 10 is corrosion resistant.

It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that a single clamping bar 30 may be supported by two or more of the 5*4 clamping bridges 20, and that the clamping bar 30 may be made integral with the clamping bridge The sliding engagement of the sliding block 60 in the rail 40 enables the position of the clamping system 10, relative to the skirt 100/chute 200, to be varied.

In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, the screw is mounted in the handle 80 and engages the pin or nut 8 slidably engaged by the sliding block 60) in the rail Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

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Claims

1. A skirt clamping system to clamp a skirt to a chute (as hereinbefore defined) including: a clamping bridge having a body with a foot at, or adjacent, one end to engage the chute and a clamping bar at, or adjacent, the other end; rail means mountable on the chute and extending substantially transversely to the clamping bridge; screw means having a head operably engaged in the rail 10 means and a screw-threaded shank operably engageable by a complementary pin or nut in handle means operably engageable with the body of the clamping bridge; so arranged that by rotation of the handle means, the clamping bar applies a variable clamping force to a rubber skirt interposed between the clamping bar and the chute.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: the clamping bridge is substantially L-shape and a distal end of the foot is in pivotal engagement with an external surface of the chute.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: the clamping bar is integral with the clamping bridge or is releasably (optionally slidably) received in a holder at the other end of the body of the clamping bridge.

4. The clamping bar is received in the holders of the clamping bridges of two or more adjacent skirt clamping systems.

A system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein: the rail means is welded or otherwise fastened to an external surface of the chute and extends substantially parallel to, but spaced from, a discharge outlet of the chute.

6. A system as claimed in Claim 5 wherein: the rail means has a pair of inwardly-directed flanges.

7. A system as claimed in Claim 6 wherein: the screw means extends through a slide block slidably received in the rail means, the slide block being of substantially U- shape, with side flanges engageable with the inwardly-directed flanges of the rail means.

8. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein: the pin or nut is received in a head portion of the handle oe°•° means, the head portion being bifurcated to allow the screw means to extend through the handle.

9. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein: the handle means has a handle member extending substantially laterally from the head portion and operable to rotate the 11 head portion about an axis defined by the screw means.

A system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: the screw means is engaged with the handle means and is operably engaged by the pin or nut, the pin or nut being slidably engaged in the rail means.

11. A skirt clamping system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A chute (as hereinbefore defined) fitted with a skirt clamped by the system of any one of Claims 1 to 11. DATED this twelfth day of April 2001. CONSOLIDATED PLASTICS AND EPOXY PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY