AU747382B2

AU747382B2 - Conveyor skirtboard sealing system

Info

Publication number: AU747382B2
Application number: AU22547/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Giangregorio Massarotto
Original assignee: PENTAGON HOLDINGS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Dragox Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-11-22
Filing date: 1999-03-25
Publication date: 2002-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2011-11-22
Also published as: AU7047296A; AU2254799A

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: PENTAGON HOLDINGS PTY LTD GIANGREGORIO MASSAROTTO WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Conveyor Skirtboard Sealing System" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- THIS INVENTION relates to skirt seals for belt conveyors.

Skirt seals are used with belt conveyor systems which carry particulate material such as coal, ores or the like. The skirt seals are used at locations where material is delivered onto the conveyor belt, typically by way of a loading chute or a transfer chute at which material from one belt is transferred onto another belt. The purpose of the skirt seal is to prevent the conveyed material from leaking between the bottom of the chute and the conveyor belt.

It is usual for the skirt seal to have a sealing element in contact with the upper surface of the conveyor belt. The lower edge of the sealing element is prone to wear due to abrasion and so the sealing element is periodically required to be lowered and eventually replaced.

Conventional skirt seals typically comprise a sealing element in the form of a thick rubber sheet which is adjustably mounted in some fashion onto a skirtboard. There are three common arrangements by which the sealing element can be mounted and they are distinguished by the orientation of the sealing element. In the first arrangement the sealing element is disposed vertically. In the second arrangement, the sealing element is perpendicular to the section of the belt with which it is in contact. In the third arrangement, the sealing element is disposed obliquely with respect to the belt. In each case, the bottom edge of the sealing element is in contact with the belt. A common feature of these arrangements is that the resilient nature of the sealing elements is utilised to maintain sealing contact with the belt but does not really accommodate vertical displacement of the belt.

Due to the shortcomings of the above three arrangements and so to attempt to 25 accommodate movement in the belt a still further arrangement has also been used. This further arrangement is such that the lower edge of the sealing element tucks inwardly and to some extent along a top surface of the belt. This method provides mixed results and is dependent upon the troughing angle of the '.t -3conveyor belt and other factors common to the three arrangements noted above the strength of that attachment.

The mounting means or connecting means employed to attach the skirt to the skirtboard is required to facilitate charging or replacement of the skirt seals but to do so without compromising.

The present invention provides a connecting means for releasably securing a skirt seal for a belt conveyor, the connecting means comprising a cam member, a link and a bridging member, the link having two ends, one end of the link being pivotally located with respect to a skirtboard or other longitudinal member and the other end thereof having the cam member rotatably located thereat, the bridging member being adapted to clamp the skirt seal to the skirtboard or other longitudinal member, the link being pivotally movable to and from a position in which the cam member engages the bridging member, the bridging member w being configured for location of the cam member at said position, and the cam i 15 member being rotatable in said position to apply force through the bridging member to the skirt seal and effectively clamp same.

The cam member preferably comprises a substantially cylindrical element mounted eccentrically at one end of the link. Further, the cam member preferably has at least one opening therein to receive a tool to facilitate rotation 20 of the cam member.

Preferably, the link is formed in a generally U-shape having two arm portions and a central portion in interconnecting the arm portions, the free ends of the arm portions supporting a shaft on which the cam member is mounted.

The present invention further provides a clamping device for releasably clamping and supporting a resiliently flexible sealing element of a skirt seal for a belt conveyor, the clamping device comprising a connecting means as described -4above wherein a first clamping element is provided on the bridging member and the skirtboard or other longitudinal member forms a second clamping element.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a belt conveyor on which there are installed skirt seals according to the embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic end view of one of the skirt seals; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the skirt seal with the clamping device shown in a condition prior to clamping engagement of the sealing element; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the exception that the clamping device is shown clampingly engaging the sealing element; and Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the skirt seal.

15 In the drawings there is shown a skirt seal 10 for a belt conveyor 11 having an endless belt 13 and a loading chute 15 for loading particulate material, such as ore, onto the load carrying face of the belt 13. The loading chute incorporates skirtboards 17 of conventional form having a lower edge 19 positioned a small distance above the load carrying face of the belt 13, best seen in Fig. 1.

One of the skirt seals 10 according to the embodiment is associated with each skirtboard 17 for sealing the gap between the bottom edge 19 of the skirtboard 17 and the load carrying face of the belt 13 to prevent leakage of material.

Each skirt seal 10 comprises a flexible sealing element 21 carried by support means 23 for contact with the travelling belt 15. The sealing element 21 is of generally rectangular form and has an inner face 25, an outer face 27 and a peripheral edge 29 extending between the inner and outer faces. It is formed of resiliently flexible elastomeric material such as rubber and can be formed in sections for convenience. Channels 28 are formed in the outer face 27 of the sealing element 21 to provide passageways by which material which has been spilled or has leaked passed the sealing element 21 can return to the region of the conveyor belt disposed between the skirt seals The support means 23 supports the sealing element 21 in such a way that the lower portion 21a thereof extends inwardly and is in overlapping contact at an outer side face 27 thereof with the upper face of the belt 13 to provide a seal therebetween, as best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper portion 21b of the sealing element 21 extends downwardly and inwardly at an angle of about 500 with respect to the conveyor belt. The lower and upper portions 21a and 21b respectively are disposed at an oblique angle with respect to each other of about 1300. Each of the aforementioned angles have a variation of plus or minus 2.50 before performance is adversely affected.

.o.o So. The support means 23 comprises a plurality of clamping devices 30 for o° 20 clampingly engaging the upper end section of one flexible sealing element 21, as is best seen in Figs. 1 to 5. The clamping devices 30 are spaced apart at regular intervals along the length of the skirt seal 10. Each clamping device comprises a first clamping element 31 and a second clamping element 32 each defining a clamping face 33.

25 The first clamping elements 31 are defined by a longitudinal member mounted on the skirtboard 17. The longitudinal member is of generally channel form, having an inner wall 37, an outer wall 39 and a web 41 extending between the inner and outer walls. The inner wall 37 is adapted to be bolted or otherwise -6secured to the skirtboard 17. The outer wall 39 defines one of the clamping faces 33. For convenience, the longitudinal member may be formed in sections.

Each second clamping element 32 comprises a member having a pair of side walls 43, 45 disposed angularly with respect to each other, the side wall 43 defining the other of the clamping faces 33.

The clamping devices 30 each further comprises a coupling means 50 for coupling the first and second clamping elements together with the flexible sealing element 21 clamped between the clamping faces thereof. The coupling means 50 comprises a bridging member 51 adapted to extend between the first and second clamping elements. The bridging member 51 comprises a metal bar shaped to define a central portion 52 and a pair of wing portions 53 which diverge with respect to each other. One of the wing portions 53 is bonded to the second clamping element 32 and the free end of the first wing portion is adapted to bear on the web 41 of the other clamping element 31.

15 A connecting means 55 is provided for releasably connecting the central region 52 of the bridging member to the first clamping element 31. The connecting means 55 comprises a cam member 57 mounted on one end of a link 59 the other end of which is pivotally connected to the first clamping element. The link :eo: 59 is of generally U-shape, comprising two arm portions 61 and a central portion i 20 63 interconnecting the arm portions. The cam 57 is rotatably mounted onto a shaft 65 which is in the form of a bolt and which is supported between the free Sends of the arm portions 61 of the link. The arm portions 61 extend through S°slots 67 each of which is formed in the inner wall and web of the longitudinal member defining the first clamping member 31 at the junction therebetween.

The central portion 63 of the link 59 is disposed within the interior of the longitudinal member 35 defining the first clamping element 31. With this arrangement, the link 59 is pivotally connected to the first clamping element 31 so that it can swing about the first clamping element to move the cam 57 into ,contact with the central portion 51 of the bridging member (as shown in Fig. 4 of -7the drawings) and away from such position so that the cam is clear of the bridging member to allow the first and second clamping elements to be separated (as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings).

The cam member 57 comprises a cylindrical element mounted eccentrically on the shaft 65. The cylindrical element has a circumferential recess 71 intermediate its ends and an opening 75 for receiving a tool to rotate the cam 57.

The central portion 52 of the bridging member 51 is configured to define a recess 77 which functions as a cradle to receive the cam when such is in the engaging position, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The cam 57 is provided with stops 79 for limiting the extent of rotation thereof in the locking direction.

The clamping devices 30 enable the sealing element 21 of each skirt seal 10 to be easily installed, periodically adjusted and eventually replaced, as necessary.

For each clamping device 30 to clamp the sealing element 21 in position, the i sealing element 21 is placed between the clamping faces of the clamping device and the link 59 is pivoted into a position at which the cam 57 contacts the recess .o 77 in the bridging member 51. At this stage, the cam 57 is rotated about the o :shaft in the locking direction to positively engage against the bridging member 51 and in so doing apply an inwardly directed force onto the outer side of the bridging member 51. This force urges the free end of the bridging member 51 into pressing engagement with the web 41 of the first clamping element 31. The Io resilient nature of the bridging member 51 allows some deflection thereof to ensure positive engagement between the bridging member 51 and the cam .57.

At this stage, the sealing element 21 is tightly clamped between the clamping faces of the first and second clamping elements. When it is desired to adjust or replace the sealing element 21, it is simply necessary to rotate the cam 57 in the unlocking direction so as to move it out of positive engagement with the bridging -8/1member 51 so that it can be pivoted clear thereof by way of the link 59. This allows the first and second clamping elements to be separated and so release the sealing element 21.

When the sealing element 21 is in position, the lower portion 21a thereof is in sliding contact with the load carrying face of the conveyor belt 13. This contact is along the outer face 27 of the sealing element 21 adjacent the lower edge thereof. Because of the contact between the sealing element 21 and the belt 13 along the outer face of the sealing element 21 and the orientation of the sealing element 21 such that it extends downwardly and inwardly with respect to the belt 13 at an angle of about 500, the resilient nature of the sealing element 21 maintains the sealing element 21 in sealing contact with the belt 13 while also .allowing the sealing element 21 to rise and fall to accommodate any vertical displacement which may occur in the belt 13. Despite any vertical displacement of the belt 13 the arrangement of the sealing element 21 is such that the angle 15 between the upper portion thereof and the conveyor belt 13 is maintained. In other words, the resilient nature of the sealing element 21 is utilised to maintain sealing engagement with the belt 13 while allowing vertical movement of the sealing element 21 as necessary. This provides particular advantages over conventional arrangements for sealing elements where the resilient nature of the S: 20 sealing elements while tending to maintain sealing engagement with the belt also tends to resist rise and fall to accommodate vertical displacement in the belt.

The preferred angles defined between the upper and lower portion of the sealing element 21 and between the upper portion of the sealing element 21 and the upper face of the belt have been shown to produce a consistency in performance and efficiency.

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

-8/2- Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

a *a 9

Claims

1. A connecting means for releasably securing a skirt seal for a belt conveyor, the connecting means comprising a cam member, a link and a bridging member, the link having two ends, one end of the link being pivotally located with respect to a skirtboard or other longitudinal member and the other end thereof having the cam member rotatably located thereat, the bridging member being adapted to clamp the skirt seal to the skirtboard or other longitudinal member, the link being pivotally movable to and from a position in which the cam member engages the bridging member, the bridging member being configured for location of the cam member at said position, and the cam member being rotatable in said position to apply force through the bridging member to the skirt seal and effectively clamp same.

2. A connecting means according to claim 1, wherein the cam member Ie comprises a substantially cylindrical element mounted eccentrically at one end of the link. S3. A connecting means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cam member has at least one opening therein to receive a tool to facilitate rotation of the cam member. S4. A connecting means according to any one of the preceding claims, 20 wherein the link is formed in a generally U-shape having two arm portions and a 0o* central portion in interconnecting the arm portions, the free ends of the arm portions supporting a shaft on which the cam member is mounted. A connecting means according to claim 4, wherein the central portion of the link is retained within the skirtboard or other longitudinal member and the arm portions project through slots provided therein, the slots allowing pivoting of the link. I 1.

6. A connecting means according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridging member is configured for location of the cam member at said position by provision of a recess in the bridging member to facilitate location of the cam member thereon.

7. A connecting means according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridging member is resilient in nature allowing some deflection thereof to thereby ensure positive engagement between the bridging member and cam member.

8. A connecting means according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridging member comprises a central portion and a pair of diverging wing portions, one wing portion being adapted to bear directly or indirectly on the skirt seal whilst the other wing portion is adapted to bear on the skirtboard or other longitudinal member.

9. A clamping device for releasably clamping and supporting a resiliently flexible sealing element of a skirt seal for a belt conveyor, the clamping device comprising a connecting means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a first clamping element is provided on the bridging member and the skirtboard or other longitudinal member forms a second clamping element.

10. A connecting means substantially as hereinbefore described with 20 reference to the accompanying drawings. S11. A clamping device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this twenty-fifth day of March 1999 PENTAGON HOLDINGS PTY LTD Applicant WRAY ASSOCIATES FR rth, Western Australia tent Attorneys for Applicant