AU8334187A - Endless belt for belt conveyor - Google Patents

Description

"Endless Belt for Belt Conveyor"

THIS INVENTION relates to an endless belt for an endless " belt conveyor and to an endless belt conveyor fitted with such a belt.

It has been proposed to provide an endless belt conveyor with an endless belt supported at its longitudinal sides between a pair of endless cables, with the cables (and the endless belt supported thereby) passing around end rollers one of which is driven. The belt has a thickened bead extending along each of its longitudinal sides. The beads engage in corresponding grooves provided in the end rollers. Each bead is provided with a longitudinal bore which receives one of the endless cables. Each bead has a slot extending outwardly through the bead from the bore through which slot the respective cable can pass for installation of the belt onto, and removal of the belt from, the cables.

A deficiency which with such endless belt conveyors is that in certain load conditions there is tendency for the belt to separate from the endless cables.

The present invention seeks to provide a belt construction for an endless belt conveyor of the above-mentioned type, which belt construction is less likely to separate from the cables when under such load conditions.

In one form the invention resides in a belt for an endless s belt conveyor having a pair of cables or like flexible elongated elements for supporting the belt therebetween, the belt comprising a central portion and two longitudinal side portions, each side portion having a thickened bead provided with a longitudinal bore extending therealong to receive a respective one of the cables, each bead having means to provide an opening extending both outwardly through the bead from the bore and along the length of the bead through which opening the cable can pass, and a retaining means for releasably retaining together the portions of the bead on the opposed sides of said opening.

With this arrangement, the retaining means serves to resist unintended opening of the bead and so assists in retaining the cables within the bores.

Preferably, said means to provide said opening in each bead comprises a slit in the bead.

Preferably, the retaining means comprises interlocking means provided on opposed sides of the split. The interlocking means may be formed integral with the bead and may comprise a male element provided on one side of the slit and a complementary female element provided on the other side of the slit. Preferably, the male element includes a head portion and a neck portion of reduced size relative to the head portion, and the female element includes a cavity having an entry of reduced size relative to the cavity.. With, this arrangement, the head portion of the male element can be snugly received in the cavity of the female element, with the entry of the female element expanding by virtue of the resilient nature of the bead to allow entry of the head portion of the male element into the cavity of the female element subsequently returning to its original condition around the neck of the male element so as to retain the male element in the female element.

In another form the invention resides in an endless belt conveyor comprising a pair of end rollers, a pair of spaced endless cables or like flexible elements passing around the end rollers, and an endless belt supported between said cables and passing around the end rollers, the endless belt being constructed in accordance with the first-mentioned form of the invention.

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 schematic perspective view of an endless belt conveyor having an endless conveyor belt according to the embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a section of the endless belt;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a longitudinal side portion of the endless belt, showing the slit in the bead in a closed condition; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that the slit is shown in an opened condition.

The embodiment is directed to an endless belt 1 for an endless belt conveyor 2 of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The endless belt conveyor 2 comprises a pair of end rollers 3 around which the endless belt 1 passes to provide a load carrying run and a return run between loading end unloading ends of the conveyor. One of the end rollers 3 is driven and the belt is tensioned between the end rollers. Each end roller 3 has a periphery 4 in which there are provided two spaced substantially V-shaped grooves 5, one adjacent each end of the roller.

The conveyor 2 further comprises a pair of spaced endless cables 7 which also pass around the end rollers 3 and between which the endless belt 2 is supported in a manner which will be explained later. The conveyor 2 further comprises rollers 8 which act on the longitudinal sides of the endless belt to bring them closer together after leaving the loading end of the conveyor and to maintain them in such a position until the belt resumes a flat condition for unloading at the unloading end of the conveyor. When the longitudinal sides of the belt are brought together, the belt assumes a condition in which it is partially closed upon itself, as best seen in Fig. 3.

The belt 1 comprises a central portion 11 and two longitudinal side portion 12 each provided with a thickened bead 13. The bead 13 is of trapezoidal configuration ^'and has a bottom face 14 and an inner face 16 which together define an inner longitudinal edge 18. The central portion 11 of the belt engages against the peripheries 4 of the end rollers and the two beads 13 engage in the grooves 5, as best seen in Fig. 2. More particularly, the longitudinal edges 18 of the beads are received in the grooves 5. The belt is caused to deflect to accommodate engagement of the longitudinal edges in the grooves and the deflection creates sufficient additional tension in the belt to transmit drive from the driven end roller to the belt.

Each bead 13 is provided with a circular bore 15 to receive one of the cables 7. Each bead 13 is slit at 17 to provide an opening 19 (as best seen in Fig. 5) which extends outwardly through the bead from the bore 15 and also along the length of the bead. The opening 19 provides a passage through which cable 7 can be inserted into, and removed from, the bore 15,

A retaining means 21 is provided for releasably retaining together the portions of each bead on opposite sides of the slit. The retaining means 21 includes an interlocking male and female elements 23 and 25 respectively, each of which is continuous along the length of the belt and is formed integral with the bead. The male element 23 is provided on one side of the slit and includes a head portion 27 and a neck portion 29 of reduced size relative to the head portion. The female element 25 is provided on the other side of the slit and includes a cavity 31 and an entry 33 opening into the cavity, the entry being of reduced size relative to the cavity. The male and female elements are so arranged and dimensioned that the head portion 27 of the male element can be snugly received in the cavity 31 of the female element, with the entry 33 of the female element expanding by virtue of the resilient nature of the bead to allow entry of the head portion of the male element into the cavity of the female element. The expanded entry subsequently returns to its original condition and locates against the neck portion 29 of the male element so as to lock the male element into the female element. The interlocking male and female elements serve to maintain the opening 19 in a closed condition and so resist untimely separation of cables received in the bores 15 of the belt.

A particular benefit of maintaining opening 19 in a closed condition by the interlocking action of the male and female elements is that the load carrying run of the conveyor can be passed through a circuitous path (such as a vertically spiralling path) without separation of the cables from the belt.

When it is desired to replace the conveyor belt or remove it from the cables for any other reason, the interlocked male and female elements can be separated by pulling them apart, so as to bring the slit into an open condition.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiment described.

Claims (12)

THE CLAIMS defining the invention are as follows:-

1. A belt for an endless belt conveyor having a pair of cables or like flexible elongated elements for supporting the belt therebetween, the belt comprising a central portion and two longitudinal side portions, each side portion having a thickened bead provided with a longitudinal bore extending therealong to receive a respective one of the cables, each bead having means to provide an opening extending both outwardly through the bead from the bore and along the length of the bead through, which opening the cable can pass, and a retaining means for releasably retaining together the portions of the bead on the opposed sides of said opening.

2. A belt according to claim 1 wherein said means to provide said opening in each bead comprises a slit in the bead.

3. A belt according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said retaining means comprises interlocking means provided on opposed sides of the opening.

4. A belt according to claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprises a male element provided on one side of the slit and a complementary female element provided on the other side of the slit.

5. A belt according to claim 4 wherein the male and female elements are continuous along the length of the belt.

6. A belt according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the male and female elements are formed integral with the bead.

7. A belt according to claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein the male element includes a head portion and a neck portion of reduced size relative to the head portion, and the female element includes a cavity having an entry of reduced size relative to the cavity whereby the head portion of the male element can be snugly received in the cavity of the female element, with the entry of the female element being expandable by virtue of the resilient nature of the bead to allow entry of the head portion of the male element into the cavity of the female element subsequently returning to its original condition around the neck of the male element so as to retain the male element in the female element.

8. An endless belt conveyor comprising a pair of end rollers, a pair of spaced endless cables or like flexible elements passing around the end rollers, and an endless belt supported between said cables and.passing around the end rollers, the endless belt being constructed as set forth in any one of the preceding claims.

9. An endless belt conveyor according to claim 8 wherein each end rollers 15 provided with a pair of grooves to receive the two beads provided on the endless belt, each groove being substantially V-shaped in profile, the beads each presenting a longitudinal edge of complementary shape to its respective groove for engagement in the groove.

10. An endless belt conveyor according to claim 9 wherein said longitudinal edge of each bead is an inner longitudinal edge whereby the adjacent side portion of the belt caused to deflect outwardly away from the end roller to accommodate engagement of said longitudinal edge in the groove.

11. A belt substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. An endless belt conveyor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.