AU639453B2 - Link for a chain-type conveyor - Google Patents

Description

b39453 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: PJ4261 Lodged: 18 May 1989 Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: 0*0, Priority: Related Art:

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TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: JOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY PTY LIMITED Address of Applicant: Vale Road, Moss Vale, New South Wales 2577, Australia Actual Inventor: Address for Service: GRIFFITH HACK CO 71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: LINK FOR A CHAIN-TYPE CONVEYOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 9330A/rs This invention relates to a link for a flexible chain-type conveyor and has been devised particularly though not solely for the conveying of minerals in a mining situation.

There are many applications where chain-type conveyors are used to convey particulate material such as metal ores or manufactured goods. The conveyors typically comprise an elongate flat bed having a central chain disposed down the centre of the bed and a number of flights protruding outwardly from either side of the chain across the width of the bed. The chain is moved down the length of the bed and ,0:0 the flights push against particulate material such as mineral ores landing on the bed and push or drag the ores Ssee along the length of the bed to a disposal point. The chain for such a conveyor is shown in Fig. 1 wherein it can be seen that the chain is typically formed from metal connecting links engaged with further metal links by way of pins At intervals along the chain flight links are inserted incorporating universal joints and transversely extending flights adapted to push material along the surface of the conveyor bed The chain links are engaged over drive sprockets and idlers at each end of 0" the conveyor bed and driven in the conventional manner. It is necessary to provide the universal joints to enable the chain to bend or curve in the plane of the conveyor bed in order to negotiate curves or corners that are turned o 4. by the conveyor bed.

Such chains are normally made entirely of metal and S° typically of steel in order to have sufficient strength to move heavy materials dumped on to the conveyor bed and also to provide suitable bearing surfaces for the pins (3) between the links and and in the universal joints The metal conveyor has the disadvantage that it is heavy in weight causing high impact loadings between the chain links and flights and the conveyor bed leading to a high degree of wear and potential damage. Furthermore the 0090s/rs 2 all metal nature of the chain wherein the metal links and flights scrape over the metal surface of the conveyor bed make the conveyor extremely noisy in use leading to an unpleasant working environment and operator fatigue. The noise level could be considerably reduced if the chain could be made of a plastics material but in the past it has not been possible to design chain links and flights of plastics material which have sufficient strength and which also allow the movement provided by the prior art link pins and universal joints In one aspect the present invention therefore provides a link for a chain-type conveyor, said link comprising a yoke of moulded plastics material having a stem and

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bifurcated legs extending therefrom, the legs having a space therebetween adapted to receive the stem of an adjacent similar link, a metal pin extending between the legs, and a metal ball retained within a socket within the stem and able to rotate therein, said ball having a transverse hole therethrough adapted to engage the metal pin of an adjacent similar link.

Preferably the sides of the stem adjacent the ball are •gee provided with oval-shaped openings allowing an engaged pin 0" to pass therethrough and permitting the engaged pin a predetermined degree of pivotal movement with the ball in 0 •25 the plane containing both the pin of that link and also the engaged pin of the adjacent link.

00. Preferably the metal ball is encapsulated in the stem 00 during moulding of the yoke and provided with a release 0S00@0 S agent allowing pivotal movement of the ball within the stem.

Preferably the metal pin is an interference fit within transverse holes in the legs of the yoke.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a chain-type conveyor incorporating a plurality of links of the type defined in the preceding four paragraphs, the pin of each link being engaged through the metal ball of the adjacent link.

Preferably some of the links of the conveyor, known as 0090s/rs 3 flight links, have elongated pins extending outwardly on either side beyond the legs and the yoke incorporates moulded flights extending outwardly with the pin adapted to engage and move material placed on the conveyor.

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a prior art metal link type conveyor chain; Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section through a number of links for a chain-type conveyor according to the o°°0S invention; Fig. 3 is a side elevation in partial cross section of some of the links shown in Fig. 2 with the section lines referred to as III-III; and o Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line IV-IV of Fig.

0 •2.

In the preferred form of the invention a number of links for a chain-type conveyor are formed from yokes *ee of moulded plastics material and typically from injection moulded polymers. Each yoke has a stem (11) and bifurcated legs (12) extending therefrom, the legs having a space (13) So•. therebetween adapted to receive the stem of an adjacent similar link and a tooth of a drive sprocket. Each link further incorporates a metal pin (14) extending between the o legs and a metal ball (15) retained within a socket in the stem (11) and able to rotate therein. The metal ball is S preferably a steel ball encapsulated within the stem during moulding of the yoke and provided with a release agent on the surface of the ball allowing pivotal movement of the ball within the stem once the yoke has been moulded.

The ball is provided with a transverse hole therethrough adapted to engage the metal pin (14) of an adjacent similar link. On either side of the ball the stem is provided with oval shaped openings (16) allowing an engaged pin to pass therethrough and permitting the engaged 0090s/rs 4 pin a predetermined degree of pivotal movement with the ball in the plane of Fig. 2, i.e. the plane containing both the pin of that link and also the engaged pin of the adjacent link. The oval nature of the opening can clearly be seen surrounding the middle pin shown in Fig. 3.

A plurality of links as described above are joined end to end forming a conveyor chain, and at predetermined intervals along the chain a flight link of the type shown at (17) is inserted. Each flight link is generally similar to the links (10) but has an elongated metal pin (18) extending outwardly on either side beyond the legs The yoke of each flight link also extends outwardly in moulded flights (19) which at least partially surround the pin (18) and are supported by the elongated pin. The flights (19) may be shaped as desired for the efficient conveying of material on the chain conveyor.

able In use the conveyor chain according to the invention is able to bend out of the plane of the conveyor, e.g. around a drive sprocket or idler roller by the rotation of the ball (15) and engaged pin (14) within the stem of the yoke permitting the chain to be entrained around sprockets as

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'66' required.

The oval openings (16) also permit a predetermined degree of movement of the chain in the plane of the conveyor bed through 50 at each link) permitting the conveyor bed to curve and pass around corners as required.

The shape of the yokes (10) permits the maximum amount of moulded plastics material to be incorporated to give the S required tensile strength to the chain whereas the metal components such as the balls the pins and elongated flight link pins (18) give strength where required for the operation of the conveyor with heavy materials such as metal ores or coal.

It is a particular feature of the chain that all of the link components which are in contact with the conveyor bed, e.g. the upper and lower surfaces of the links and the ends of the flights (20) are of plastics material which 0090s/rs 5 considerably reduces the noise of the operation of the chain-type conveyor. It is a further feature that the links are light in weight due to the nature of the moulded plastics material, and this reduced weight reduces the impact of the links and flights against the conveyor bed which reduces wear and further reduces the noise of operation of the conveyor.

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Claims (4)

1. A link for a chain-type conveyor, said link comprising a yoke of moulded plastics material having a stem and bifurcated legs extending therefrom, the legs having a space therebetween adapted to receive the stem of an adjacent similar link, a metal pin extending between the legs, and a metal ball retained within a socket within the stem of the said link and able to rotate therein, said ball having a transverse hole therethrough having an axis orientated in a plane defined by the metal pin and the centre of the ball, the transverse hole being adapted to engage the metal pin of a further adjacent similar link.

2. A link for a chain-type conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein the sides of the stem adjacent the ball are provided with oval-shaped openings allowing an engaged pin to pass therethrough and permitting the engaged pin a °predetermined degree of pivotal movement with the ball in e o. the plane containing both the pin of that link and also 20 the engaged pin of the adjacent link. e S

3. A link for a chain-type conveyor as defined in claim g1 wherein the metal ball is encapsulated in the stem go during moulding of the yoke and provided with a release agent allowing pivotal movement of the ball within the stem.

4. A link for a chain-type conveyor as defined in claim *1 wherein the metal pin is an interference fit within transverse holes in the legs of the yoke. A link for a chain-type conveyor as defined in claim 30 1 wherein the metal pin extends outwardly on either side of the link beyond the legs, and the yoke incorporates moulded flights extending outwardly integrated with the C. pin adapted to engage and move material placed on the o• conveyor. DATED this 19th day of MAY 1993 JOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO S:17922T/419