GB2096560A

GB2096560A - Connecting elements for interconnecting machine carrying parts

Info

Publication number: GB2096560A
Application number: GB8207088A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Gebr Eickhoff Maschinenfabrik u Eisengiesserei GmbH
Current assignee: Gebr Eickhoff Maschinenfabrik u Eisengiesserei GmbH
Priority date: 1981-04-11
Filing date: 1982-03-11
Publication date: 1982-10-20
Also published as: DE3114728A1; GB2096560B

Abstract

The connecting element 2, preferably for the pans 1 of a scraper conveyor or accessories secured thereto, comprises a toggle 9 which bridges the junction between adjacent parts and whose cylindrical shank 10 merges at each of its two ends into a head 11 and has a one-piece collar 12 disposed around it with radial clearance. The connecting element 2 is retained at each end face by a discoid retainer 13 which preferably comprises two halves held together by a removable ring clip 15, <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to connecting elements for interconnecting machine carrying parts This invention relates to a connecting element for interconnecting the pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts. Such interconnections need to have a degree of flexibility to allow for non-linear displacements between the parts being interconnected, whilst ensuring that the parts will not become disconnected accidentally.

It is an object of the invention to provide, for the pans of a scraper conveyor or accessories secured thereto, such as side brackets or machine ways, a connecting element adapted to receive the longitudinal and transverse forces acting on the pan connection.

The invention accordingly provides a connecting element for interconnecting the pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts, comprising a toggle for bridging the junctions between adjacent parts and whose cylindrical shank merges at each of its two ends into a head, the toggle shank having a one-piece collar disposed around it with radial clearance and the collar being enclosed on each of its end faces by a disc which serves as a retainer, extends around the toggle shank and has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the shank heads and the collar.

The only function which the toggle of a connecting element of this kind has to perform is to deal with forces arising lengthwise of the face conveyor or of the attachments, while the collar around the toggle shank deals with transverse forces and centres relatively to one another the pan ends to be interconnected. The load to be dealt with by the toggle is therefore completely separate from the load to be dealt with by the collar, and so the collar and the toggle do not hamper one another, nor is their angular mobility impaired.

Conveniently, not only for manufacturing reasons but because of the angular mobility of the componenets which the connecting element joins together, the collar is slit longitudinally and is in the form of a curved sheet-metal member disposed around the toggle shank. In this event, not only can the toggle be a unitary device and the sheet metal used for the collar be wrapped hot around the toggle shank, but also a collar of this kind has increased radial resilience, a feature which is advantageous for the connection, more particularly in conveyor curves.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the disc can be in two parts and comprise releasably connectable halves split along their diameter and held by a removable retaining member. A disc of this nature can readily be introduced through the recess in the toggle-receiving part and fitted to the toggle shank even in conditions underground, then secured in position, e.g. by means of a ring clip or of clamping pins.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will not be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a partial perspective view of an opened junction between pans.

Toggle-receiving members 4 each formed with a lateral recess 5 and a bore 6 are welded into side walls 1 of pans 3, and are held together by connecting elements 2. An end face 7 of each part 4 is flush with end face 8 of the respective pan side walls 1.

The bore 6, which extends lengthwise of the pans 3, terminates at the end face 7. The connecting element 2 comprises a toggle 9 whose cylindrical shank 10 terminates at each of its two ends in a cylindrical head 11,A one-piece collar 12, whose outer diameter corresponds to the diameter of the toggle heads 11, extends around the shank 10 with radial clearance.

The length of the collar 12 is such as not to exceed the distance between the consecutive recesses 5 when the pans 3 abut one another. Between the collar 12 and the two toggle heads 11 there is a gap to receive a retainer 13. The collar 12 can be either a closed tubular portion or longitudinally divided.

To assemble the conveyor 3, the connecting element 2 can have one of its two heads 11 introduced into the bore 6 in the parts 4 either by way of the aperture or recess 5 in one of the two parts 4 or from the end face 7 of one of the parts 4.

The abutting ends 8 of the pans 3 then extend not only around the toggle 9 (which projects from both ends of the bore 6 in the parts 4 only by way of its two heads 11 and a short portion of its cylindrical shank 10) but also around the whole length of the collar 12. The collar 12 has sufficient radial clearance in the bore 6 for the conveyor 3 to have the necessary possibility of angular movement both vertically and horizontally as it advances. The connection is secured by a discoid retainer 13 which is in two halves. This retainer is fitted to the toggle shank 10 between the head 11 and the collar 12 at both ends of the toggle 9 and transmits to the heads 11 the forces acting lengthwise of the conveyor 3. The outer diameter of the retainer 13 is greater than the diameter of the bore 6 in the parts 4.A ring clip 15 is pushed over the retainer 13, whose periphery is formed with an annular groove 14 to receive the clip 15. The clip 15 holds the two halves of the retainer 13 together and can readily be fitted and removed even in conditions underground when it is required to release and close the connection.

1. A connecting element, for interconnecting the pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts, comprising a toggle for bridging the junctions between adjacent parts and whose cylindrical shank merges at each of its two ends into a head, the toggle shank having a one-piece collar disposed around it with radial clearance and the collar being enclosed on each of its end faces by a disc which serves as a retainer, extends around the toggle shank and has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the shank heads and the collar.

2. A connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the collar is slit longitudinally and is in the form of a curved sheet-metal member disposed around the toggle shank.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to connecting elements for interconnecting machine carrying parts This invention relates to a connecting element for interconnecting the pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts. Such interconnections need to have a degree of flexibility to allow for non-linear displacements between the parts being interconnected, whilst ensuring that the parts will not become disconnected accidentally. It is an object of the invention to provide, for the pans of a scraper conveyor or accessories secured thereto, such as side brackets or machine ways, a connecting element adapted to receive the longitudinal and transverse forces acting on the pan connection. The invention accordingly provides a connecting element for interconnecting the pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts, comprising a toggle for bridging the junctions between adjacent parts and whose cylindrical shank merges at each of its two ends into a head, the toggle shank having a one-piece collar disposed around it with radial clearance and the collar being enclosed on each of its end faces by a disc which serves as a retainer, extends around the toggle shank and has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the shank heads and the collar. The only function which the toggle of a connecting element of this kind has to perform is to deal with forces arising lengthwise of the face conveyor or of the attachments, while the collar around the toggle shank deals with transverse forces and centres relatively to one another the pan ends to be interconnected. The load to be dealt with by the toggle is therefore completely separate from the load to be dealt with by the collar, and so the collar and the toggle do not hamper one another, nor is their angular mobility impaired. Conveniently, not only for manufacturing reasons but because of the angular mobility of the componenets which the connecting element joins together, the collar is slit longitudinally and is in the form of a curved sheet-metal member disposed around the toggle shank. In this event, not only can the toggle be a unitary device and the sheet metal used for the collar be wrapped hot around the toggle shank, but also a collar of this kind has increased radial resilience, a feature which is advantageous for the connection, more particularly in conveyor curves. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the disc can be in two parts and comprise releasably connectable halves split along their diameter and held by a removable retaining member. A disc of this nature can readily be introduced through the recess in the toggle-receiving part and fitted to the toggle shank even in conditions underground, then secured in position, e.g. by means of a ring clip or of clamping pins. The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will not be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a partial perspective view of an opened junction between pans. Toggle-receiving members 4 each formed with a lateral recess 5 and a bore 6 are welded into side walls 1 of pans 3, and are held together by connecting elements 2. An end face 7 of each part 4 is flush with end face 8 of the respective pan side walls 1. The bore 6, which extends lengthwise of the pans 3, terminates at the end face 7. The connecting element 2 comprises a toggle 9 whose cylindrical shank 10 terminates at each of its two ends in a cylindrical head 11,A one-piece collar 12, whose outer diameter corresponds to the diameter of the toggle heads 11, extends around the shank 10 with radial clearance. The length of the collar 12 is such as not to exceed the distance between the consecutive recesses 5 when the pans 3 abut one another. Between the collar 12 and the two toggle heads 11 there is a gap to receive a retainer 13. The collar 12 can be either a closed tubular portion or longitudinally divided. To assemble the conveyor 3, the connecting element 2 can have one of its two heads 11 introduced into the bore 6 in the parts 4 either by way of the aperture or recess 5 in one of the two parts 4 or from the end face 7 of one of the parts 4. The abutting ends 8 of the pans 3 then extend not only around the toggle 9 (which projects from both ends of the bore 6 in the parts 4 only by way of its two heads 11 and a short portion of its cylindrical shank 10) but also around the whole length of the collar 12. The collar 12 has sufficient radial clearance in the bore 6 for the conveyor 3 to have the necessary possibility of angular movement both vertically and horizontally as it advances. The connection is secured by a discoid retainer 13 which is in two halves. This retainer is fitted to the toggle shank 10 between the head 11 and the collar 12 at both ends of the toggle 9 and transmits to the heads 11 the forces acting lengthwise of the conveyor 3. The outer diameter of the retainer 13 is greater than the diameter of the bore 6 in the parts 4.A ring clip 15 is pushed over the retainer 13, whose periphery is formed with an annular groove 14 to receive the clip 15. The clip 15 holds the two halves of the retainer 13 together and can readily be fitted and removed even in conditions underground when it is required to release and close the connection. CLAIMS

3. A connecting element according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the collar is in two parts and comprises releasably connectable halves split along their diameter, and held by a removable retaining member.

4. A connecting element substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

5. The combination of pans of a scraper conveyor or other machine carrying parts whose junctions between adjacent parts are interconnected by connecting elements as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 passing through bores in those parts.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein the collar on the shank of each connecting element extends through the presenting bores of the adjacent toggle-receiving parts secured in the side walls of the parts, each of the latter parts being formed with a lateral recess for the introduction into the toggle-receiving part of a retainer which extends around the toggle shank, the toggle being received by way of both of its heads in the recesses for universal movement as provided by radial clearance between the collar and the bores.

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of the bores is greater than the diameter of the shank heads, and the collar which bridges the junctions between the two togglereceiving parts to be interconnected has a length not exceeding the distance between consecutive recesses when the parts abut one another.

8. The combination according to claim 5 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.