Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
  • B65G15/02—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration for conveying in a circular arc
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
  • B65G2201/02—Articles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a curved conveyor belt, intended to be inserted in a transfer chain between two rectilinear conveyors whose directions make an angle relative to each other.
• Such a device described in French patent 1 275721, comprises frustoconical rollers of motor ends mounted on a support at each end of the conveyor path; support means are arranged between the rollers and define a substantially flat running surface along the curved path of the conveyor; a guide device, arranged along the internal radial edge of the curved path of the conveyor, makes it possible to guide an endless curved belt mounted on the rollers so as to form two superimposed crown sectors limited by the rollers; this guide device includes rollers swiveling on axes integral with the chassis and on which the inner edge of the curved mat rests; rigid stiffening means are arranged substantially like radial elements of the curved mat to give it lateral rigidity.
• the object of the present invention is in particular to obviate these drawbacks by proposing a curved conveyor, the bearing surface of which is flat and continuous, and the inner radius of curvature of which is reduced.
• another object of the present invention is to provide such a conveyor, the angle of rotation of which can be large, for example 130 °.
• Another object of the invention is to provide such a conveyor, the carpet of which is subjected to minimal stresses in order to improve its longevity.
• the guiding device comprises a continuous support surface integral with the support frame on which the internal ends of the rigid stiffening means come to bear, these stiffening means being secured to the flexible strip forming the mat in several zones distributed over the width of the strip.
• the stiffening means are made of a more rigid material which better supports contacts and friction with the bearing surface; this continuous bearing surface is able to produce continuous pressure on the stiffening means, avoiding the movements of transverse oscillations of the belt, stress generators and considerably reducing its longevity.
• the mat comprises an endless core of flexible material in which are provided radial housings to contain rigid rods constituting the stiffening means, the rods being secured to the endless core by means of their two end zones, and extending at least to the inner edge of the carpet.
• the mat comprises an endless core of flexible material on the surface of which are fixed rigid radial pallets forming stiffening means and upper bearing surface.
• the continuous bearing surface is a fixed conical surface with a central vertical axis, the tip of the cone being directed downwards, and the angle of the cone being substantially equal to the angle of roller cone; rollers are mounted idly on axes perpendicular to the surface of the mat and integral with the inner end of the stiffening means for rolling on the conical surface.
• the continuous bearing surface is formed by the lateral surface of a central rotary cylinder mounted idly on the vertical central axis of the conveyor and comprising an annular upper shoulder; reinforcements are formed on the inner ends of the stiffening means to come into abutment against the lateral surface of the cylinder and under the annular shoulder.
• the mat is also held in its direction of vertical movement.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a conveyor according to the present invention in a first embodiment
• - Figure 2 shows a partial sectional view of the conveyor of Figure 1 along axis II;
• FIG. 3 shows a partial sectional view of the conveyor of Figure 1 along the axis II-II;
• - Figure 4 shows a top view of the conveyor of Figure 1 in which the tread has been removed;
• - Figure 5 and Figure 6 are intended to illustrate an embodiment of the flexible strip constituting the conveyor belt of the present invention
• - Figure 7 shows a top view in partial section of the conveyor of the present invention according to a second embodiment
• FIG. 8 shows a partial sectional view of the conveyor of Figure 7 along the axis III-III.
• the curved conveyor shown in the figures is intended to divert 180 ° the unit loads arriving on a first conveyor and leaving on a second parallel and opposite direction.
• the conveyor 1 comprises a chassis cc ⁇ portant an outer part 2 semi-cylindrical and an inner part 3 in the cylinder portion or in the cone portion.
• the inner part 3 is conical.
• the conveyor comprises two conical rollers of the same dimensions, arranged in the vicinity of the ends of the path of the conveyor between the outer part 2 and the inner part 3 of the chassis.
• a first end roller 4 is arranged at the inlet, facing the straight conveyor bringing the objects to be transported, and a second end roller 5 is arranged at the outlet, opposite the second straight conveyor taking up the objects after transport, the upper generators rollers are included in the same horizontal plane forming the plane of transport of the objects, and the axes of the rollers are inclined and compete at a central point situated above the plane of transport.
• the output roller 5 is driven in rotation about its axis by a motor unit 6.
• the axis of rotation of the rollers turns freely in ⁇ aliers with ball bearings 7 formed in the inner part 3 of the frame, while the rollers 8, mounted idly on the axis of the tapered roller, hold the latter in position by locking between three tabs 9 secured to the outer part 2 of the frame.
• the conical or frustoconical rollers 4 and 5 have a cone angle of between 10 and 20 °, for example close to 14 °.
• the roller 4 is slightly deflected horizontally relative to the transverse direction of the corresponding input conveyor by an angle between 2 and 3 °, for example 5 °, while the roller 5 is inclined by the same angle with respect to to the transverse axis of the corresponding outlet conveyor.
• the axes of the end conical rollers form an angle less than the angle of the inlet and outlet conveyors. This arrangement makes it possible to rotate the objects bringing them onto the outlet conveyor in the same transverse position as they had on the inlet conveyor.
• Spacers 10 interconnect the internal conical part 3 and the external cylindrical part 2 of the chassis, a conveyor belt, comprising an endless core of flexible material 11, is mounted on the end rollers 4 and 5 so as to close substantially two circular crown sectors, a first upper sector 12 and a second lower sector 13.
• the two sectors 12 and 13 are superimposed and limited by the two end rollers 4 and 5 which hold them in position *
• FIGS. 5 and 6 show schematically an embodiment of the endless curved carpet: in a plate of flexible material, for example a fabric of synthetic fibers coated with a plastic material such as the material commonly called PVC, cuts a circular crown sector 14, the outside diameter of which is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the outer cylindrical part 2 of the frame, and the inside diameter of which is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the inside part 3 of the frame.
• the crown sector makes an angle equal to twice the rotation angle of the conveyor, aligned with a sector whose surface is substantially equal to the developed surface of a conical roller such as 4 or 5.
• the two ends are welded of the crown sector one over the other so as to form an endless curved band.
• the crown sector 14 forms an angle of 180 °, to which a sector 16 whose size is substantially equal to the surface is added developed from an extreme taper roller 4 or 5.
• the endless curved strip thus produced is folded in half to wrap the end rollers and form the two upper 12 and lower crown sectors 13.
• These crown sectors have an inner fringe 17 arranged opposite the internal part 3 of the chassis, and an outer fringe 18 disposed opposite the outer part 2 of the chassis.
• the carpet thus formed is kept under tension by the end rollers 4 and 5.
• this mat with stiffening means: according to this first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 6, several radial housings 21 are housed in which are rigid rods 22 forming stiffening elements .
• the rods 22 extend over the entire width of the strip, from the inner fringe 17 to the outer fringe 18, and are secured to the strip at at least two points, a first zone close to the inner fringe 17 and a second zone adjacent to the outer fringe 13.
• rivets or any other means of attachment may be used.
• the inner part 3 of the chassis has a conical outer surface with a vertical central axis, the top of the cone being directed downwards; the angle of the cone formed is substantially equal to the cone angle of the tapered rollers 4 and 5.
• the axes of rotation of the rollers 4 and 5 are substantially perpendicular to the conical surface 3.
• Rollers 19 are mounted idly on axes 20 at the end of the rigid rods 22, at their inner end, that is to say the end closest to the inner frame 3. The axes of the rollers 19 are held in a direction perpendicular to the general surface of the mat.
• the upper crown sector 12 is supported by a plate 23 in the form of a circular crown sector, secured to the chassis by radial spacers 24 distributed under the surface of the plate 23.
• This support plate 23 may in particular be made of a slippery material, for example a plastic material usually designated by the name of PVC.
• the upper sector 12 of the belt slides on this plate 23, so that the upper transport surface is substantially flat.
• the lower crown sector 13 of the carpet has its inner fringe 17 kept pressed against the conical surface 3 of the chassis, and its outer fringe 18 can be left free, so that the band adopts a slightly curved foras facilitating its tension under the effect. of its own weight.
• the curved strip can be driven by a single tapered output roller 5, the tapered input roller 4 being left free.
• the two rollers 4 and 5 are arranged so that they can be inserted after positioning the flexible strip, to allow this strip to be stretched.
• Eotammeut the cleats 9 can be arranged after engagement of the rollers, and their position adjusted to obtain a good tension of the strip.
• a rim 25 can be provided on the outer cylindrical part of the chassis, this rim partially covering the upper crown sector 12 to avoid the insertion of objects. between the strip and the chassis.
• a central cover not shown in Figure 1, but shown in the figures in section 2 and 3, this neck central circle 26 partially covering the carpet and hiding the rollers 19.
• rollers 19 have been shown arranged on the outer surface of the mat. This arrangement makes it possible to use rollers of relatively large dimensions, without this interfering with the folding of the strip at the level of the tapered rollers between the upper crown sector 12 and the lower crown sector 13. However, it is possible to use rollers 19 of smaller dimensions and these can be arranged on the inner surface of the strip, so that the central cover 26 can be of smaller radius; then a recess will be provided in the rollers to ensure the passage of these rollers.
• FIGS. 7 and S another embodiment of the device of the present invention is shown, in which the stiffening means of the endless belt consist of rigid pallets 27 fixed on the external surface of the strip 11. These pallets 27 have a substantially trapezoidal planar shape, and, when the carpet portion is planar, are substantially jcintants relative to each other.
• the belt drive means and support for the upper ring sector 12 comprise a plurality of conical drive rollers distributed regularly along radial axes around the inner frame 3. These drive rollers allow a good drive of the belt , even when the latter is slightly tensioned to facilitate rotation of the pallets 27 at the level of the extreme rollers 4 and 5.
• rollers are driven by a central drive crown 28 of vertical axis, cooperating with rollers 29 integral with the axes of the rollers .
• Intermediate rollers 30 can be inserted between two drive rollers 31, these rollers 30 being mounted idly on their axes.
• the lower ring sector 13 can be held in position by rollers 32 arranged on the periphery of the inner and outer parts of the chassis, because the flexible strip is less taut than in the previous embodiment.
• Reinforcements 34 are provided at the inner end of the pallets 27, and come to bear on the lateral surface of a central rotary cylinder 33 mounted idly on the vertical central axis of the conveyor and comprising an annular upper shoulder 35 avoiding vertical movement of the pallets.
• This second embodiment makes it possible to produce a conveyor whose bearing surface is particularly rigid and hard, consisting of rigid pallets 27.
• it has the disadvantage of being relatively noisy, of being more difficult to implement due to the rigidity of the pallets 27 hampering the folding of the strip at the level of the extreme rollers, and present risks of blockage by inserting transported elements of small dimensions between the pallets.
• the central rotary guide cylinder 33 is circular, and one half protrudes from the conveyor in directing the linear inlet and outlet conveyors, so that the size of this device is slightly increased.
• the two embodiments can be combined, for example by providing a pallet conveyor 27 according to the second embodiment provided with rollers such as the rollers 19 according to the first embodiment, arranged on the inner end of the pallets, and by support on the inner central conical part 3 of the chassis.
• a flexible belt conveyor provided with radial rods as in the first embodiment, the rods of which comprise reinforcements 34 bearing on a central rotary guiding cylinder 33 according to the second embodiment.
• such a conveyor belt provided with rods can be provided with several conical r ⁇ . ⁇ leaux motors 31, replacing the support plate 23.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rollers For Roller Conveyors For Transfer (AREA)
• Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9255639

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1981
  • 1981-02-20 FR FR8103810A patent/FR2500418A1/fr active Granted
• 1982
  • 1982-02-17 EP EP19820900548 patent/EP0072824A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-02-17 WO PCT/FR1982/000029 patent/WO1982002870A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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