GB2052417A - Conveyor belt cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for cleaning a conveyor belt (1) comprises a plurality of scraper blade units mounted in series along a resilient cylindrical component (14) supported by a rigid elongate trough (15), each scraper blade unit having a scraper blade (7) for contacting the belt surface to be cleared, supported by an inclined arm (8) from a saddle member (13) slidably engaging the side walls of the trough for vertical movement relatively to the trough under the action of the resilient component. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyor belt cleaning equipment This invention relates to conveyor belt cleaning equipment.

In particular the invention relates to conveyor belt cleaning equipment comprising a scraper blade assembly having at least one scraper blade urged to contact a surface of the conveyor belt thereby tending to scrape from that surface any material conveyed by the conveyor belt and adhering to the surface.

A prior known conveyor belt cleaning equipment comprised a scraper blade assembly having a plurality of scraper blades arranged transversely across the conveyor belt and resiliently urged to contact the moving belt surface, the aim of the resilient mounting being to try and ensure that the scraper blades continue to be urged to contact the belt surface throughout progressive wear of the scraper blades.

Unfortunately, all the blades were urged to move in unison and as blades associated with different transverse portions of the conveyor belt tended to wear at different rates some of the blades were prevented from contacting the belt surface by the action of their neighbours.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved conveyor belt cleaning equipment.

According to the present invention, conveyor belt equipment comprises an elongate member mountable adjacent to a conveyor belt surface to be cleaned, a plurality of scraper blade units mounted in series along the elongate member and at least some of which comprise scraper blades adapted, in use, to present an effectively continuous scraper blade extending transversely across at least a portion of the conveyor belt, and resilient means adapted, in use, to urge the at least some of the scraper blade units to contact the conveyor belt surface, the scraper blades being restricted to substan tially vertical movement.

Preferably, the resilient means comprises a resilient cylindrical component supported by a rigid elongate member.

Conveniently, the resilient cylindrical component is inflatable or pressurisable.

Advantageously, the rigid elongate member is a trough.

Preferably, each scraper blade unit comprises an inverted generally 'U' shaped saddle member bridging the resilient means.

Conveniently, each saddle member has two downwardly extending limbs slidably engaging opposite sides of the rigid elongate member, respectively.

Preferably, feet are provided on the downwardly extending limbs.

Preferably, the scraper blade of each scraper blade unit is supported at the uppermost end of an upwardly inclined arm secured at its lowermost end to the associated saddle member.

Advantageously, the scraper blades are adapted, in use, to present at least two effectively continuous scraper blades extending transversely across at least a portion of the conveyor belt.

Preferably, adjustable mounting means are provided on the rigid elongate member.

The present invention also provides a conveyor belt installation including conveyor belt cleaning equipment as defined above.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an incomplete diagrammatic side view of a discharge end of conveyor belt equipment including cleaning equipment constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an incomplete front view of a portion of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an incomplete plan of a portion of the conveyor belt cleaning equipment of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows an incomplete diagrammatic side view of a discharge end of an endless conveyor belt 1 which, in use, conveys, for example, broken rock or mineral material. The broken material is conveyed along the upper run of the belt towards a driven roller 2 drivably engaging the conveyor belt such that substantially all the broken material is ejected from the belt as it passes around the driven roller. The lower run of the conveyor belt leaves the drive roller and passes over a guide roller 4 before continuing its journey to a return roller (not shown) situated at the remote end of the conveyor where the conveyor belt is returned to the upper run travelling towards the driven roller.

Although substantially all the broken material is ejected over the discharge driven roller on to further conveyor means (not shown) a relatively small amount adheres to the conveyor belt surface and passes around the driven roller towards the lower run. In orderto try and ensure that the broken material adhering to the belt surface does not travel along the lower run to be deposited somewhere along the length of the conveyor belt, cleaning equipment 5 is provided beneath the drive roller.

The conveyor belt cleaning equipment (which is shown in more detail in Figure 2,3 and 4) comprises a scraper blade assembly having a plurality of scraper blades 7 arranged in two rows extending transversely across the conveyor belt, the scraper blades in one row being staggered compared to the scraper blades in the other row.

Each scraper blade 7 constitutes part of a scraper blade unit in which the blade is carried on the uppermost end of an upwardly inclined support arm 8, the lowermost end of the support arm 8 being fixedly mounted on an inverted generally 'U' shaped saddle member 13 resting on a resilient cylindrical component 14 which in turn is supported in an elongate trough 15 extending transversely across the conveyor belt and having adjustable mounting blocks 16 (see Figure 2) adjacent to its ends enabling the cleaning equipment to be mounted to conveyor belt support framework (not shown).

In Figure 4 the resilient cylindrical component 14 is shown as an inflated or pressurised tube containing pressure fluid, for example;air or water. Alterna tively, the resilient cylindrical component may be made of resilient material, for example, rubber or a rubber type material.

The effect of the resilient cylindrical component 14 is to urge the saddle members 13 upwards so that each scraper blade 7 is continuously urged for movement in a substantially vertical plane into contact with the conveyor belt surface tending to scrape off any broken material adhering to the surface. During vertical movement of the saddle members 13 the downwardly projecting limbs of the inverted generally 'U' shaped members slidably engage and are guided by, the adjacent vertical side surfaces of the elongate trough 15, upward movement of the saddle members 13 beyond a desired maximum extent is limited by two inwardly directed feet 19 (see Figure 4) provided on the end of the two downwardly projecting limbs.The saddle members 13 are supported so that the scraper blades substantially are prevented from moving in a substantially horizontal direction, ie in the direction of conveyor belt travel.

The scraper blades 7 are provided with support backing strips 20.

In use, the assembled conveyor belt cleaning equipment is mounted directly beneath the driven roller 2, the adjustable mounting blocks 16 being secured to the conveyor belt support framework so that the elongate trough extends transversely across the conveyor belt with the resilient cylindrical component located and extending along the full length of the elongate trough and with the saddle members bridging the cylindrical component. Priorto mounting the cleaning equipment in position beneath the driven roller the saddle members are slid along the elongate trough until two parallel effectively continuous rows of scraper blades are formed. As will be seen in the drawings alternate saddle members are arranged such that alternate scraper blades lie in the two rows, respectively.The series of saddle members are retained in position along the elongate trough by two clamps or retaining members 18 releasably fixedly secured to the elongate trough (see Figure 2).

Once, the cleaning equipment is assembled the cylindrical component is inflated or pressurised to slide the limbs of the saddle members overtheverti- cal side walls of the trough until the feet 19 abut the base of the trough.

The cleaning equipment then is mounted beneath the driven roller 2 as previously stated and the adjustable mounting blocks adjusted to urge all the scraper blades 7 into contact with the conveyor belt surface, the adjustment continuing until the saddle members 13 are urged downwardly with respect to the elongate trough by a desired amount, the saddle members 13 being urged downwardly against the action of the resilient cylindrical component.

As each scraper blade unit including the associ ated saddle member can move vertically against the action of the resilient cylindrical component inde pendently of its neighbours the scraper blades assembly can accommodate any non linear deflection in the driven roller. Consequently, the cleaning equipment is suitable for use with crown driven rol lers having a shallow convex form to aid conveyor belt alignment.

In use, as the conveyor belt conveys broken material the two effectively continuous scraper blades tend to scrape off any material adhering to the belt surface as it passes beneath the driven roller and thereby tend to prevent material being carried towards the return end of the conveyor. The material is allowed to fall onto the previously mentioned, further conveyor means. Alternatively, a small conveyor (not shown} is provided to collect the material and convey itto the previously mentioned further conveyor means for the material discharged from the main conveyor belt 1.

In extended use, asthe individual scraper blades progressively wear at different rates each blade is maintained in scraping contact with the conveyor belt surface, each scraper blade being maintained in scraping contact with the conveyor belt surface throughout its operational life until the feet 19 abut the base of the elongate trough. At this stage the blade is replaced by a new blade.

With the embodiment of resilient cylindrical component 14 shown in Figure 4 of the drawings ie the component being constituted by an inflated or pressurised tube, all of the scraper blades on the cleaning equipment will be urged towards the conveyor belt surface with the same thrust.

In other versions of the cleaning equipment resi lient '0' rings are provided between adjacent saddle members.

From the above description it will be appreciated that the present invention provides effective conveyor belt cleaning equipment. As the scraper blades are not pivotally mounted the cleaning equipment has the added advantage that it can efficiently operate irrespective of conveyor belt direction. In addition, the cleaning equipment is not liable to damage upon reversal of the conveyor belts running direction.

Claims (12)

1. Conveyor belt cleaning equipment comprising an elongate member mountable adjacent to a conveyor belt surface to be clenaed, a plurality of scraper blade units mounted in series along the elongate member and at least some of which comprise scraper blades adapted, in use, to present an effectively continuous scraper blade extending transversely across at least a portion of the conveyor belt, and resilient means adapted, in use, to urge the at least some of the scraper blade units to contact the conveyor belt surface, the scraper blades being restricted to substantially vertical movement.

2. Equiipment as claimed in claim 1, in which the resilient means comprises a resilient cylindrical component supported by a rigid elongate member.

3. Equipment as claimed in claim 2, in which the resilient cylindrical component is inflatable or pressurisable.

4. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the rigid elongate member is a trough.

5. Equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each scraper blade unit comprises an inverted generally 'U' shaped saddle member bridging the resilient means.

6. Equipment as claimed in claim 5 when depen dent upon claim 2,3 or4, in which each saddle member has two downwardly extending limbs slidably engaging opposite sides of the rigid elongate member, respectively.

7. Equipment as claimed in claim 6, in which feet are provided on the downwardly extending limbs.

8. Equipment as claimed in claim 4,5,6 or 7, in which the scraper blade of each scraper blade unit is supported at the uppermost end of an upwardly inclined arm secured at its lowermost end to the associated saddle member.

9. Equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the scraper blades are adapted, in use, to present at least two effectively continuous scraper blades extending transversely across at least a portion of the conveyor belt.

10. Equipment as claimed in claim 2,3 or 4 or claims 5, 6,7,8 or 9 when dependent upon claims 2, 3 or 4, in which adjustable mounting means are provided on the rigid elongate member.

11. Conveyor belt cleaning equipment substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. A conveyor belt installation including conveyor belt cleaning equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.