GB2111935A

GB2111935A - Conveyor apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2111935A
Application number: GB08234581A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James William Angus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-12-18
Filing date: 1982-12-03
Publication date: 1983-07-13
Also published as: GB2111935B

Abstract

For a conveyor of powdered or particulate materials of the type comprising a plurality of plate members disposed in spaced relation along a rope which is moved longitudinally of a tube, there is provided a plate member which may be readily assembled on the rope whilst the rope is in situ. The plate member comprises two identical plate segments (10) secured together by screws passing through apertures (19). Each segment (10) has a composite abutment surface (16, 17, 18) for contact with a like abutment surface of the other segment, which comprises at least two axially extending plane surfaces (16, 17) and two diametrically opposed segmental surfaces (18) lying in a plane transverse to the axis of the plate member. The axially extending surfaces (16, 17) are preferably diametral surfaces angularly displaced by between 60 DEG and 90 DEG . <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyor apparatus This invention relates to conveyors and in particular to conveyors for powders and particulate materials of the type in which the material to be conveyed is moved along a tube by a plurality of plate members, conventionally discs, secured in spaced apart disposition along a rope which extends axially of the tube and is traversed therealong.

In such apparatus the rope, which conventionally is a wire rope, is endless and passes around a pair of sprockets located at opposed ends of the tube. Each plate member comprises an assembly of two plates which are joined face to face with a ferrule, which is crimped onto the rope, secured in between.

The plate members are a close but not tight fit within the tube and must withstand the forces acting on them due to the propelling force of the rope and the resistance to motion of the material being conveyed. Also, particularly in the case of abrasive materials being conveyed, the plate rims are subjected to friction caused by particles of the conveyed material being entrained between the plate rim and the tube.

Due to these operating conditions frequent breakages of plate members occur and the broken plate members must be replaced.

Such replacement is a time consuming and laborious task and necessitates down-time for the conveyor. In order to thread new plate members onto the rope without a complete disassembly of the apparatus, it is necessary to slit each of the plates and deform them from the planar configuration. This leads to weakened discs which are therefore prone to subsequent breakage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate member for a conveyor of the abovementioned type which can be mounted on a rope without the need to disassemble the apparatus or slit the plate member.

The invention provides a plate member for attachment to the rope of a conveyor of the aforementioned type, said plate member comprising two plate segments adapted to be secured together to form said plate member, each segment having composite abutment surface for contact with a like surface of the other segment, said composite abutment surface comprising at least two axially extending plane surfaces and two diametrically opposed segmental surfaces lying in a plane transverse to the axis of the plate member.

With the plate members of the invention a broken plate member may be readily replaced in a simple and quick manner without the need to slit or deform any parts of the new plate member. Since part of the abutting surfaces of the plate segments lie in an axially transverse plane the segments may be easily secured to each other in a reliable manner.

Preferably the axially extending surfaces are diametral surfaces. Such diametral plane surfaces may have an angular displacement of between 30 and 150 , preferably between 60 and 90 .

Preferably the axially transverse plane is the axially central plane of the plate member.

The plate segments may be secured to each other by an adhesive or by means of screws, rivets or the like extending through apertures formed in each segment in said segmental surfaces. Alternatively or additionally the abutment surfaces of the two segments may be provided with cooperating formations thereon whereby disassembly of the assembled plate member is prevented or at least resisted. Such formations may comprise or include a cooperating spigot and bore or dovetailed rib and groove.

The plate member may be in the form of a disc which may have a central axially extending boss thereon, in which case the boss may have an axial bore therethrough and an axially extending recess of larger diameter than said bore.

The invention also provides a conveyor for powered or particulate materials comprising a rope extending along a tube, said rope having a plurality of plate members as aforesaid mounted thereon, and means for moving said rope lengthwise of said tube.

Embodiments of plate member in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a plate segment of a first embodiment, Figure 2 is a elevation of the assembled plate members comprising two of the segments of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view on line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1, Figures 4 to 6 are scrap elevations and vertical sections of other embodiments of plate segment showing alternative means of securing the segments to form the plate member, Figure 7 is an elevational and plan of a fifth embodiment of plate segment, and Figures 8 and 9 are elevations of further embodiments of plate segments.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3 there is shown a plate segment 10 which when secured to an identical segment forms a disc 11 as shown in Fig. 2. The segment 10 may be formed as a single moulding, for example of a plastics material. Alternatively a single discshaped moulding having the cross-section shown in the sectioned parts of Fig. 3 may be slit across a diameter and the two parts formed thereby secured to each other in faceto-face but angularly displaced disposition to form the segment 10 shown in Fig. 1.

In this latter case the two parts are preferably secured to each other by means of an adhesive.

The segment 10 comprises a central boss 1 2 and a radially extending flange 1 3. Boss 1 2 has an axial aperture 1 4 therethrough and concentric therewith a recess 1 5 of greater diameter than aperture 1 4. In use the rope of the conveyor (not shown) passes through aperture 14 and a ferrule (also not shown) which is crimped onto the rope is retained within recess 1 5. Each segment has an abutment surface comprising two axially extending angularly displaced diametral plane surfaces 16, 1 7 and two diametrically opposed segmental surfaces 18.The segmental surfaces 1 8 extend through an angle defined by the angular displacement of the planes of surfaces 1 6 and 1 7. Apertures 1 9 are formed through the flange 1 3 in the region of segmental surfaces 1 8 whereby the two segments 10 may be secured to each other by screws 20 as shown in Fig. 2, the apertures 1 9 in one of the segments 10 being tapped for this purpose. Alternatively nuts and bolts, rivets or adhesive may be used to secure the two segments 10 to each other.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 6 there are shown alternative methods of securing the two segments 40 to 60 respectively to each other without or in addition to the use of adhesive or further items such as screws, rivets or the like. In Fig. 4 there is shown a segment 40 having a dovetail shaped rib 21 as well as a wedge shaped rib 22. The segment (not shown) which is to be joined to the segment shown in Fig. 4. is provided with corresponding shaped grooves which cooperates with ribs 21 and 22 on assembly of the plate member to prevent or at least resist subsequent separation. In Fig. 5 the disc segment 50 has a ratchet or saw-tooth shaped rib 23, whereas in Fig. 6 the segment 60 has a spigot 24. In the former case the rib 23 cooperates with a correspondingly shaped groove in another segment whilst in the latter case the spigot 24 cooperates with an aperture in another segment.The spigot 24 is provided with an enlarged head 25. In each case once the plate member 11 is assembled, unintentional separation of the segments is prevented or strongly resisted.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a plate segment 70 which is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 3 except in respect of being oppositely handed and being provided with spigots 26 and blind bores 27. The spigots 26 are received in the bores of the cooperating plate segment 1 and the bores 27 receive the spigots of the cooperating plate segment on assembly of the plate member. The spigots 26 and bores 27 serve as location means for the two plate segments and also resist separation thereof. Screws, or rivets if preferred, are inserted through aligned apertures 1 9 in the two plate segments after initial assembly.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a plate segment 80 which is similar to that shown in Fig. 7 except in that the axially extending planes 16, 1 7 are angularly displaced by 90 instead of 60" In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 one axially extending plane surface 1 7 is a diametral surface as in the previous embodiments.

However, in this case the other axially extending surface is a composite surface comprising parts 16a, 16b. Two diametrically opposed segmental surfaces 1 8 are still provided in this embodiment, in which apertures 1 9 are located, and assembly of a plate member from two such plate segments is as with the previous embodiments. Other configurations will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Assembly of a plate member on a rope is readily accomplished in situ without having to slit or deform the segments. Except possibly in the case of the segments being secured to each other by adhesive, a broken or worn plate member may be readily disassembled and removed. Consequently the down-time of the conveyor in such an event is considerably reduced by comparison with such an event occuring with conventional plate members.

Instead of, or in addition to the screws 20 shown in Fig. 2, or the alternative nuts and bolts, rivets or adhesive referred to as being used to connect the plate segments 10, 70, 80 or 90 together, collars 26 may be used as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After assembly of the two disc parts 10, 70, 80 or 90 the collars 26 are pushed onto the central bosses 1 2 so as to retain the disc parts in the assembled configuration. Such an arrangement is of particular use in the case of the disc which encloses the two ends of the rope.

Claims

1. A plate member for attachment to the rope of a conveyor, said plate member comprising two plate segments adapted to be secured together to form said plate member, each segment having a composite abutment surface for contact with a like abutment surface of the other segment, said composite abutment surface comprising at least two axially extending plane surfaces and two diametrically opposed segmental surfaces lying in a plane transverse to the axis of the plate member.

2. A plate member according to claim 1 wherein the axially extending surfaces are diametrical surfaces.

3. A plate member according to claim 2 wherein said diametral surfaces are angularly displaced by an angle of between 30 and 150'.

4. A plate member according to claim 3 wherein said angular displacement is between 60 and 90 .

5. A plate member according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said axially transverse plane is the axially central plane of the plate member.

6. A plate member according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein cooperating formations are provided on said plate segments which are operable to resist separation of said segments from an assembled condition.

7. A plate member according to claim 6 wherein said formations comprise at least one spigot and a bore adapted to receive said spigot therein.

8. A plate member according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said formations comprise a cooperating dovetailed rib and groove.

9. A plate member according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in the form of a disc.

1 0. A plate member according to claim 9 having a central, axially extending boss thereon.

11. A plate member according to claim 10 wherein said boss has an axial bore therethrough.

1 2. A plate member according to claim 11 wherein said boss has an axially extending recess therein of larger diameter than said bore.

1 3. A plate member according to any one of claims 1 to 1 2 comprising means securing said plate segments together.

14. A plate member according to claim 1 3 wherein said securing means comprise screws.

1 5. A plate member according to claim 1 3 wherein said securing means comprise rivets.

1 6. A plate member according to claim 1 3 wherein said securing means comprise an adhesive.

1 7. A plate member according to claim 14 or claim 1 5 wherein said securing means extends through apertures provided in each plate segment in said segmental surfaces.

18. A conveyor for powered or particulate materials comprising at least one plate member according to any one of claims 1 to 1 7.

1 9. A conveyor according to claim 1 8 comprising a rope extending along a tube, said rope having a plurality of like plate members in spaced disposition thereon, and means for moving said rope lengthwise of said tube.

20. A plate member comprising two plate segments substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 or in Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig.

7, Fig. 8 or Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A plate member according to claim 1 3 wherein said securing means comprises at least one collar, the or each collar surrounding a pair of adjacent central bosses of the two plate segments forming said plate member.