CA3023876A1 - Tubular cradle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a tubular cradle for fixing the return rollers applied to belt conveyors, wherein the cradle comprises a tubular structure (1) positioned parallel to the return rollers, thereby increasing the service life of the return rollers, since the cradle was developed in order to eliminate the problem of accumulating material in the equipment.

Description

TUBULAR CRADLE
Field [001] The present utility model refers to a tubular cradle to support the return rollers in belt conveyors, increasing the service life of the rollers due to their design that eliminates the problem of material accumulation in the equipment.
Background

[002] The belt conveyors are an important transport means employed in various fields of the industry, consisting of an arrangement of mechanical and electrical components and metal structures, comprising a horizontal or inclined device (ascending or descending) or curves (concave or convex), or a combination of any of these profiles intended for moving or transporting bulk materials.

[003] The movement of the material occurs by a generally continuous belt with reversible or non-reversible movement, which moves on drums, rollers and/or sliding tables, in a trajectory determined by the design conditions, having characteristic loading and unloading parts or regions.

[004] These equipment basically consist of an endless belt, which is extended between two drive drums (drive and return) and an internal structure constructed of plated profiles and juxtaposed rollers, installed on cradles, on which the belt slides, enabling the movement of a material, usually ore.

[005] The return rollers are the set of rolls on which the return section of the belt is supported, and may be smooth or provided with rings. In the case of the roller with rings, the rolls are made of rubber rings to prevent the accumulation of material on the roller and promote the release of the material adhered to the belt during the movement of the material. The rolls can rotate freely around their own axes and are installed to support the belt drive and guide it in the work direction.

[006] The impact rollers are located at the belt loading points that act on the load movement. They are responsible for absorbing the impact caused by the material when dumped on the belt. The load rollers are the type of rollers on which the loading side of the conveyor belt is supported, to lift and guide the material.

[007] In general, the rollers have metal bodies for loading, metal bodies and coated with rubber for return and bodies coated with rubber for impact. However, for specific applications, the tube material may be polyurethane or other materials.

[008] The cradles or supports are responsible for supporting and sustaining the rollers, either in the belt return or loading region. The cradles are dimensioned according to the use (load capacity), thus having a specific cradle for each use and also according to the standardized dimensions of the belts, for example, flat/double/triple/self-aligning fixed load; dual/flat/self-aligning return; transition, etc.

[009] The cradle/roller assembly is essential for the correct operation of belt conveyors, since it exerts influence on the resistance in extreme working conditions, as well as on their alignment, both crucial factors for a good production performance.

[010] The return cradle is used with flat rollers and, in some cases, depending on the belt width, "V" cradles or supports are manufactured to facilitate the replacement of the roller and to avoid oversizing the roller, facilitating the maintenance of the area.

[011] The prior art contemplates a series of documents referring to cradles for supporting the return rollers.

[012] In order to illustrate the state of the art, reference is made to Brazilian patent application P11100481-9, filed on February 3rd, 2011, which describes a cradle for return rollers having a turning and alignment system for belt conveyors.

[013] The cradle under discussion comprises a turning system of up to 80 , which is performed using a wrench, and an alignment formed by two support bases with a supportive roll support arm, hinged on a connecting and turning axis with bearings to support the return roll axes and auxiliary roll or other spare return roll.
The support allows the rolls to be replaced and allows the assembly of two rolls in difficult to reach environments, one for immediate use and one spare. Although this patent application refers to a cradle for bearing return rollers, it differs from the present utility model in that it has a fixed tubular base which has two rollers positioned in parallel, with a slot that facilitates the maintenance or replacement of the return roller.

[014] A well noted prior art issue relates to the accumulation of material on the impact, return and load rollers, which are essential components for the belt conveyor and can cause operation losses due to wear on the locked drums and rollers.

[015] The accumulation of material on the return rollers is mainly due to the design of the cradles that support the rollers. The cradles usually installed to support the return rollers have a straight structure, which compromises the flow of material that is spilled from the belt, which accumulates on the cradles and halts it.

[016] These hindrances greatly reduce the service life of the conveyor and rollers and causes economic and productivity losses due to the constant operation interruptions to remove accumulated material and/or to maintain and replace the rollers.

[017] The halting of rollers may also compromise the safety of the operation since, when locked, friction between the belt conveyor and the roller results in accelerated wear of the conveyor belt rubber and may cause a fire. Friction can also result in wear of the roller body, providing a cutting surface with may cause severe damage to the conveyor belt. Therefore, the rollers cannot operate hampered.

[018] This technical problem is solved with the development of the tubular cradle of the present utility model, since there is not in the state of the art a specifically designed tool to act in support of the return rollers without causing the accumulation of material therein, increasing their service life and eliminating the constant stops in the operation to remove the accumulated material.
Objectives

[019] The present utility model aims to provide a tubular cradle for supporting and attaching the return rollers on belt conveyors.

[020] The present utility model also aims to provide a novel and effective tool whose design avoids the accumulation of material on the cradle structure, promoting an increase in the service life of the return rollers and an increase in the efficiency of operation of the belt conveyors.
Brief Description of the Drawings

[021] The present utility model is drafted based on the respective figures:

[022] Figure 1 - shows a perspective view of the main parts of the tubular cradle for securing the return rollers.

[023] Figure 2 - shows a perspective view of the tubular cradle comprising the return rollers mounted thereon.

[024] Figure 3 - shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the tubular cradle, designed to support a return roller.
Summary

[025] The present utility model, in its preferred configuration, discloses a cradle comprising: i) a tubular structure positioned parallel to the at least one return roller; ii) at least two bearing plates, wherein two of said bearing plates are fixed at each end of the cradle, being arranged transversely to the tubular structure, wherein one side of each bearing plate comprises a bore of suitable diameter for engaging the tubular structure, and the upper portion of the side opposite the bore has a U-shaped slot for receiving and supporting the protrusions located at the ends of each of the return rollers;
iii) triangular fixing plates fixed to each of the bearing plates at the ends of the cradle, which extend vertically relative to the tubular structure, wherein a rectangular plate in the perpendicular position is welded to the upper portion of each fixing plate, so that, when welded, the fixing plate and the rectangular plate form a L.

[026] Accordingly then, in one aspect there is provided a tubular cradle comprising: a tubular structure positioned parallel in relation to at least one return roller; at least two bearing plates, wherein two of the bearing plates are fixed one at each end of the cradle, being arranged transversely to the tubular structure, wherein one side of each bearing plate comprises a bore of suitable diameter for engaging the tubular structure, and the upper portion of the side opposite the bore has a U-shaped slot for receiving and supporting the protrusions located at the ends of each of the return rollers;
two fixing plates, fixed to each of the bearing plates of the ends of the cradle, which extend vertically relative to the tubular structure, wherein in the upper portion of each fixing plate a rectangular plate is welded in the perpendicular position, so that, upon being welded, the fixing plate and the rectangular plate form an "L"; wherein the rectangular plate has two U-shaped cavities, the cavities being disposed on each side edge of the plate, by means of which the cradle is fixed.
Detailed Description

[027] Although this utility model may be achieved in other ways, preferred embodiments are shown in the figures and in the following detailed description with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principles of utility model, and is not intended to limit what has been currently illustrated and described.

[028] The main approach of the present utility model discloses a tubular cradle for securing the return rollers applied to general belt conveyors, and is intended to secure the return rollers supporting the belt, as shown in figure 1.

[029] In a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, the cradle comprises a tubular structure 1 positioned parallel to the return rollers, wherein said tubular structure 1 has a length suitable to support two longitudinally aligned return rollers, there being sufficient spacing between them to perform their functions without friction between the ends of the rollers.

[030] The tubular cradle provides support to the return rollers by four bearing plates 2, two of which being fixed at each end of the equipment and two arranged in the central portion of the cradle. The bearing plates are secured transversely to the tubular structure 1, one side of each plate 2 comprising a bore of suitable diameter for engaging the tubular structure 1, and the upper portion of the side opposite the bore having a U-shaped slot for receiving and supporting the protrusions located at the ends of each of the return rollers.

[031] The two central bearing plates 2 have a spacing between them which is sufficient to prevent friction between the return rollers.

[032] Triangular bearing plates 3 are fixed to each of the plates of the ends of the cradle, which extend vertically in relation to the tubular structure 1. In the upper portion of the fixing plate 3, a rectangular plate 4 is welded in the perpendicular position so that, when welded, the fixing plate 3 and the rectangular plate 4 form an "L". Said rectangular plate 4 has two U-shaped cavities, which are arranged on each side edge of the plate 4, through which the easel is fixed in the appropriate place.

[033] In an alternative embodiment of the present utility model, the tubular cradle for securing and supporting the belt return rollers comprises a tubular structure 1', whose length is suitable to support a return roller, as it is shown in figure 3.

[034] In that alternative embodiment, the cradle comprises a tubular structure 1' positioned parallel to the return roller, wherein said cradle supports the return roller through two bearing plates 2', each being secured at the ends of the equipment. In addition to the apparatus dimensions, the only difference between the tubular cradle of this alternative embodiment and the preferred embodiment of the present utility model lies in the fact that the alternative embodiment does not comprise the central bearing plates.

[035] The rational for developing the cradle in question was due to the fact that the cradles commonly used for fixing the crate-like return rollers cause the accumulation of materials, culminating in halting the rollers and, consequently, the need for interrupting the operation.

[036] Due to its tubular structure, the cradle in question eliminates the problem related to the accumulation of material that is spilled from the belt conveyor, since its design favors the flow of that material.

[037] This flow of material provided by the tubular cradle of the present utility model minimizes the damages to the belt, rollers and conveyor structure, mainly caused by corrosion and failure of the bearings as a result of accumulation of dust and dirt.

[038] Advantages of this utility model were the increase in the service life of the return rollers, an ergonomic improvement of the maintenance procedures for the working professionals, a reduction of employee's exposure to risks due to the increased safety of the operation and increased equipment availability.

[039] Thus, the present utility model mitigates the inherent problems of this activity in the state of the art, besides of promoting improvements in safety and increasing productivity, constituting a novel and effective tool whose tubular design avoids the accumulation of material on the cradle structure.

[040] Thus, although only some embodiments of the present utility model have been shown, it will be understood that several omissions, substitutions and changes can be carried out by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. The embodiments described should be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as limitative.

[041] It is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of this utility model. The substitution of elements in an embodiment described to another is also fully comprised and contemplated.

[042] It should be also understood that the drawings are not necessarily in scale, and are only conceptual in nature. The intention is, therefore, to be limited, as indicated by the scope of the attached claims.

Claims (5)

9

1. A tubular cradle comprising:
a tubular structure (1, 1') positioned parallel in relation to at least one return roller;
at least two bearing plates (2, 2'), wherein two of said bearing plates (2, 2') are fixed one at each end of the cradle, being arranged transversely to the tubular structure (1, 1'), wherein one side of each bearing plate (2, 2') comprises a bore of suitable diameter for engaging the tubular structure (1, 1'), and the upper portion of the side opposite the bore has a U-shaped slot for receiving and supporting the protrusions located at the ends of each of the return rollers;
two fixing plates (3, 3 '), fixed to each of the bearing plates (2, 2') of the ends of the cradle, which extend vertically relative to the tubular structure, wherein in the upper portion of each fixing plate (3, 3') a rectangular plate (4, 4') is welded in the perpendicular position, so that, upon being welded, the fixing plate (3, 3') and the rectangular plate (4) form an "L";
wherein said rectangular plate (4, 4') has two U-shaped cavities, the cavities being disposed on each side edge of the plate, by means of which the cradle is fixed.

2. The tubular cradle according to claim 1, wherein said tubular structure (1, 1') has a length suitable to support a return roller.

3. The tubular cradle according to claim 1, wherein said tubular structure (1, 1') has a length suitable to support two return rollers.

4. The tubular cradle, according to claim 3, wherein the return rollers are aligned longitudinally.

5. The tubular cradle according to claim 3, further comprising two central bearing plates (2, 2').