GB2050280A

GB2050280A - A bunker conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2050280A
Application number: GB8013478A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 1979-05-10
Filing date: 1980-04-24
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: FR2456058B3; FR2456058A3; GB2050280B; DE2918840A1; IT8021747V0

Abstract

A bunker conveyor is proposed which serves for the conveying and the storage of material to be conveyed. The apparatus comprises a plurality of deflection rollers (11 to 14) which are so arranged and are so displaceable that the conveyor belt (10) is not only adjustable into an upper level position but also into a downwardly looped U- shaped position. In the upper position, the conveyor belt (10) serves as a conveying device, in the lower, looped position, it serves as a storage device, material being retained at each side by walls 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATiON A bunker conveyor The invention originates from an apparatus for conveying and temporarily storing conveyed material according to the type set forth in the main claim.

Such devices are continuous conveyors and are also known as "bunker conveyors which not only serve for conveying material but also for temporarily storing material.

Many types of storing and running transport systems are known. The nearest to the present invention appears to be a known bunker conveyor, that is to say a conveyor which serves for the temporary intermediate storage of delivery material within an entire installation. Such bunker conveyors can be provided with or without drives. Non-driven bunker conveyors are generally gravity conveyors (sliding chutes, gravity tracks with rollers or miniature rollers). Driven conveyors which can be used as storage conveyors, either operate with friction de pendent entraining of the material to be delivered (for example sliding chain conveyors, belt conveyors etc.) provided with automatic switching off of the conveyor driven under the influence of the effect of jamming.

Such systems have the disadvantage that they require considerable room in the entire installation according to the quantities of material to be stored.

This can be reversed with smaller constructions which are noted for the disadvantage of their lower storage capacity. Furthermore, expensive switching devices are required in order to effect the automatic switching off of the conveyor drive at the correct instant.

Advantages of the invention As opposed to this, the arrangement in accordance with the invention comprising the characteris ing features of the main claim has the advantage that a high storage capacity can be achieved with less length of bunker conveyor. By changing from a continuous conveying to a discontinuous drive or vice versa the apparatus in accordance with the invention facilities on optimal storage of material to be conveyed with a very small construction and an economical application. By changing from the conveying condition to the storage condition, the storage condition of the material being conveyed is changed from one of lying adjacent on the conveyor belt to one of lying superposed on the conveyor belt.

The U-shaped despression in the conveyor belt in the storage condition facilitates a higher storage effect without greater spatial needs being required.

Thus, a conveyor system which is required in any event for interlinking working stations, can also be used as a storage station in an advantageous manner.

An advantageous further development and im provement of the device set forth in the main claim is possible with the measures set forth in the subclaims. A looping of the conveyor belt for providing a storage zone can take place in many ways. The number and arrangement of the movable deflection rollers can be vaired according to the type of application. The displacement of the roller or rollers must always take place so that a relaxing of the conveyor belt for storing the material occurs and the material arrives in a downwardly looped U-shaped store.

Drawing An embodiment of ths invention is illustrated in the drawing and is described in detail in the following specification.

Description ofthe invention First of all, the bunker conveyor is constructed on normal commercial lines, that is to say an endless conveyor belt 10 runs over two fixed displacement rollers 11, 12 wherein one of the displacement rollers can receive the conveyor drive 16. The embodiment in the figure shows two further displacement rollers 13, 14 which are so arranged that, in the position "A" of the displacement rollers 13, 14, the conveyor belt 10 is in the tensioned condition. In this condition, the upper part of the conveyor belt 10 runs horizontally, when the apparatus is setup level, and is driven by the fixed displacement roller 12 with the aid of the driving motor 16. In this case, the device serves purely as a conveying means from one station to another.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the rollers 13, 14 are made displaceable horizontally.

The horizontal displaceability can take place with spindles 17 having a spindle drive 18 arranged at the ends of the axles which displace the rollers during rotation.

In the longitudinal direction, the bunker conveyor is surrounded on both sides by a respective longitudinal wall 15; only the rear wall has been illustrated in the figure for the purpose of better visibility. These longitudinal walls project above the upper edge of the conveyor belt and serve as lateral limits of the "storage container".

The bunker conveyor operates as follows: 1. Conveying: the displaceable rollers 13,14 are located in the position "A" in which the conveyor belt is substantially tensioned in the upper region. In the tensioned condition, the endless conveyor belt is driven and conveys the material to be conveyed. In this condition, the conveyor belt can only accept a small quantity of material to be conveyed.

2. Storing: if it is required, for example, that continuously arriving material to be conveyed must be temporarily stored, because a discontinuous further treatment is involved, the displaceable rollers 13, 14 are brought into the position "B". Thereby, the drive is switched off and the endless conveyor belt is brought out of its upper horizontal position into a downardly looped U-shaped position. The material to be delivered arriving on one side, then falls into the depression in the U-shaped bunker conveyor and gradually fills the latter up. Due to the side limits 15, no parts introduced into the store can again fall out laterally. The spatial volume within the U-shaped conveyor belt is a measure of the storage capacity of the bunker conveyor. Thus, the length of the conveyor belt and the arrangement of the deflection rollers can be selected in accordance with requirements.

After storage has ended, the conveyor belt is once again switched on and the displaceable rollers 13, 14 are brought slowly from the position "B" into the position "A". In so doing, the store is emptied by the raising of the conveyor belt and can once again serve as a store art a latertime.

The arrangement of the displaceable rollers 13, 14 can be very varied. Instead of the horizontal movement from the position "A" to the position "B", a vertical movement of the rollers is also possible.

Likewise, the arrangement of only one displaceable roller is possible which, together with the two fixed rollers 11, 12, would form a triangle standing on its head. The raising ofthis one displaceable roller would likewise result in a looping of the conveyor belt. Conversely, the lowering of the said one displaceable roller would result in a raising of the upper part of the conveyor belt.

Finally, a mutual displacement of the rollers 11, 12 with respect to each other would also be possible in order to achieve looping of the conveyor belt thereby. However, for this purpose one side would always need to be arranged in the position in which the conveyed material to be stored is supplied.

Claims

1. Apparatus for conveying and/or storing mate rial to be conveyed comprising an endless conveyor belt running over at least two deflection rollers, characterised in that for storing the material to be conveyed, the conveyor belt is adjustable from an upper substantially levei position into a downwardly looped position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that at least two fixed upper rollers and at least one displaceable lower roller are provided whereby looping of the conveyor belt can be produced by displacement of the lower roller.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 characterised in that at least two lower rollers arranged parallel to each other and displaceable in a horizontal plane are provided in which moving the rollers apart produces a tensioning of the conveyor belt.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that two rollers arranged parallel to each other are displaceably arranged in a vertical plane.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the displacement of the lower rollers is produced by electrically driven spindles provided with a spindle drive (18).

6. Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the conveyor belt is bounded on both sides in the conveyor direction by a respective longitudinal wall.

7. Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 6 characterised in that the drive for the endless conveyor belt takes place through at least one of the fixed upper rollers by means of a driving motor.

8. A bunker conveyor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.