GB2140369A - Supports for belt conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

A belt conveyor 1 of the extendable type in which following insertion of stools 3 into the conveyor as a batch in nested relation, those stools are movable, successively, away from their nested relation under the control of linking means 58, 59 each of which is pivotally-connected between adjacent stools. The linking means each comprise at least two rigid elements 60, 61; 69, 70 themselves pivotally-connected together and movable from a folded condition to a generally in-line condition, and vice versa. Locking means prevents each stool from leaving its nested position until the linking means ahead of it has reached its generally in-line condition, or substantially so. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Belt conveyors This invention relates to belt conveyors.

A belt conveyor usually includes an endless belt, a series of devices known as "stools" which are required to be spaced apart one from another lengthwise of the conveyor, a plurality of upper elements, for example rol lers or sets of rollers, over which the upper or conveying run of the belt will pass in use, and a plurality of lower elements, also for example rollers or sets of rollers, over which the lower or return run of the belt will pass in use.

Certain such belt conveyors are so constructed that they are permitted to extend in length, each upon movement for example of a respective machine which is connected to one end portion of the conveyor and which is intended to cut mineral or other material as it proceeds in its movement. The material so cut can be discharged by the machine directly onto the extending end portion of the conveyor and be transported by the conveyor to a position for bulk-collection at the opposite end of the conveyor.

With such extendable conveyors it is necessary for stools, each carrying upper and lower beltsupporting elements, to be introduced to the conveyors at their end portions where extension is to be effected to provide adequate support for the material being discharged thereupon. It is desirable for such stools, together with their elements, to be introduced to the conveyors while the conveyors are operating.

In the specification of our United Kingdom Patent No. 2,031,829 each stool disclosed is provided with a gap at one side thereof and between the said upper and lower elements to enable it to be inserted, during operation of the conveyor, in an upright attitude into the run of the conveyor in a direction transversely thereof and wholly from one side, or alternatively wholly from the other side thereof, as a complete unit for support of the belt at that end portion of the conveyor at which extension is to be effected. When so inserted the stool is disposed with its said upper element above the lower run of the belt and with its said lower element below the lower run of the belt.

Also in that specification provision is made for a number of stools to be inserted into the run of the conveyor in nested relation as a batch, and, as the conveyor is thereafter increased in length the stools are caused, by the length-increasing movement and one-by-one, to move away from their nested relation and to take up appropriate positions along the run of the conveyor. Linking means, in the form of a pair of cables, are provided which com ect the stools of the batch together with the intention of correctly placing the stools and holding them in their said appropriate positions along the run of the conveyor.

It has been found in practice that in certain conveyor installations the use of such cables as the linking means is inadequate to ensure desired stability of the stools when spaced out along the run of the conveyor.

The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy. It solves the problem of how to design a belt conveyor having linking means which has desired rigidity for satisfactorily spacing the stools apart in such conveyor installations.

According to this invention a belt conveyor, which is extendable in length, includes an endless belt, and a plurality of stools which are together insertable into the conveyor as a batch in nested relation, which each carry upper and lower elements respectively for supporting upper and lower runs of said belt and which, following such insertion of said stools and upon extension of the conveyor, are movable, successively, away from their nested relation, so as to be spaced apart one from another lengthwise of the conveyor, under the control of linking means each of which is pivotally-connected between adjacent stools, said linking means each comprising at least two rigid elements themselves pivotallycom ected together and movable from a folded condition to-a generally in-line condition, and vice versa, and locking means provided in association with the two pivotal connections of said linking means to each stool to prevent the stool from leaving its nested position until the linking means ahead of it has reached its generally in-line condition, or substantially so.

Preferably, each of said two pivotal connections to each stool includes a disc or like member which is rotatable with respect to the stool and which has upstanding formations which are interengage-able with those of the disc or like member of the other pivotal connection to said stool, the formations of those two members thereby providing said locking means.

Preferably also, said linking means having locking means associated therewith are provided on one side of the stools, and further linking means similar to the first-mentioned linking means, but without locking means, are provided on the other side of the stools.

The advantages offered by the invention are mainly that during entry of the stools into the run of the conveyor, during operation of the conveyor with the stools correctly spaced out along the length thereof, and, during removal of the stools from the run of the conveyor, there is less likelihood of the stools toppling over or becoming undesirably asymmetrically positioned which might otherwise adversely effect the correct running operation of the conveyor particularly when loaded with material.

One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate only one specific embodiment, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of an endless belt conveyor of extendable type, Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a front elevation of a stool such as used in the construction of Figures 1 to 4, Figure 6 is a plan view of part of one of the stools shown in Figures 1 to 5 and part of linking means associated therewith, Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 6, Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 but in a different operating condition, and Figure 9 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow IX on Figure 8.

The belt conveyor 1 which is partly shown in the drawings and which is extendable in length includes an endless belt 2, a plurality of stools 3 arranged to be spaced apart one from another lengthwise of the conveyor, a plurality of upper elements 4 over which the upper run 5 of the belt 2 will pass in use, and a plurality of lower elements 6 over which the lower run 7 of the belt will pass in use.

One or more of stools 3 each carries respective said upper and lower elements 4, 6 and is provided with a gap 8 at one side thereof and between said elements to enable is to be inserted, during operation of the conveyor, into the run of the conveyor in a direction transversely thereof, for support of the belt 2 at that end portion 9 of the conveyor at which extension is to be effected. The gap 8 is a permanent gap and those stools 3 so provided are each formed with a base member 10, which carries the respective lower element 6, and with a leg 11 at the other side of the stool which is mounted, for example as by welding, at right-angles upon the base member. A support member 12, which carries the respective upper element 4, is welded to leg 11 and extends therefrom in cantilever manner.At its end portion 1 3 the member 1 2 is inclined with respect to the main portion 14 as shown in Figure 5.

Each of the upper elements 4 of the conveyor comprises a set of rollers, which includes three rollers 16, 17, 18. Preferably belt 2 is of rubber or other suitable flexible material. The relative disposition of the rotational axes 19, 20, 21 of rollers 16, 17, 18 is such that the upper run 5 of belt 2 passing over these rollers assumes a cross-sectional shape of trough-like form. Each of the lower elements 6 of the conveyor comprises a single roller 22, the rotational axis 23 of which is parallel to axis 20 of roller 77.

Since Figures 1 and 2 only show the righthand end portion 9, that is the end portion of the conveyor at which extension can be effected, a large number of stools and rollers of the conveyor are not shown. However, certain of these stools may be of similar form to those shown in the drawings while others may be of different form and may be connected to "stringers" which space them apart. Further, all of the rollers not shown may be carried by respective stools, or, some of the rollers not shown may be carried by respective stools and some by "stringers", or, all of those rollers not shown may be carried only by "stringers", as is convenient in the particular conveyor structure.The conveyor is also provided with means (not shown) for the storage of a predetermined length of belt 2 and for paying out appropriate amounts of this length as required to permit the necessary extension in length of the conveyor.

The stools 3 shown in the drawings are so shaped that before insertion into the run of the conveyor they can be disposed closely adjacent each other in nested relation as a batch 24 enabling them to be inserted in their nested relation. A belt-lifting frame 25 operable by a jack 26 and carrying a set 27 of upper rollers is provided as shown to so hold the upper run 5 of the belt as to give adequate clearance, as at 28 in Figure 1, for insertion of batch 24 into the conveyor run.

It is intended that as the conveyor is increased in length the stools 3 of batch 24 are caused, by the length-increasing movement, and one-by-one, to move away from their nested relation and to take up appropriate positions along the conveyor run. Each of the stools 3 of the batch is provided with feet 31, 32 which are set at such an angle to the base member 10 as to facilitate nesting together of the stools and which assist in ensuring that each stool stands substantially upright on floor 33 of the mine when in its appropriate position after being caused to move away from its nested relation.

A first sledge 34 is provided for support of batch 24. As well as being slidable along floor 33 lengthwise of the conveyor this sledge is movable, together with the batch, transversely of the conveyor run from a first position as shown in broken lines at 35 in Figure 2 alongside the lower run 7 of the belt to a second position in which the stools of the batch are all inserted into the conveyor run with their upper elements 4 disposed above the lower run 7 and their lower elements 6 disposed below the lower run.

A hopper 36, which has a base slot 37, is provided in association with the extendable end portion 9 of the conveyor and is so shaped and positioned as directly to receive material cut by a mineralcutting machine 38 itself provided with a small belt unit 39. The hopper 36 is carried by second sledge 40, which at its forward end portion is provided with a V-shaped plough 41 intended to clear floor 33 of loose material and debris prior to the laying of stools 3 of batch 24 upon the floor during conveyor extension.

The sledge 40 comprises two slider ele ments 42, 43 which together support structu ral elements 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 for mounting the hopper 36. Sevensets 50 of upper rollers are arranged in association with the base of the hopper, and the slot 37 is placed above the middle of the upper run 5 of the belt. The sets 50 each comprise three rollers which, like the rollers 16, 17, 18, are so relatively-disposed as to cause the upper run 5 of belt 2 to assume the cross-sectional shape of trough-like form. The sets 50 are suitably supported by the hopper. The main right-hand conveyor roller is shown in broken lines at 51. The rearward end of element 46 pivotally supports frame 25 at 52.

The first sledge 34, second sledge 40 and machine 38 are com ected together so that as the machine proceeds in its cutting operation the sledges are towed thereby and the conveyor is thus extended in length, the means (not shown) which stores a length of the belt 2 permitting the paying out of the belt by an appropriate amount as such extending movement occurs, whilst maintaining desired tension in the belt.

The transverse movement of sledge 34 away from and back to its first position is effected by means which comprises a parallelogram linkage 53 and jack 54 diagonally disposed in that linkage. This linkage and its jack are connected between sledge 34 and element 44 of sledge 40 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A further parallelogram linkage 55 with a jack 56 diagonally disposed in that linkage, and also a further jack 57, are provided between machine 38 and sledge 40 to afford a degree of steerability which ensures that the conveyor can be maintained in the required substantially straight-line relationship.

Linking means 58, 59 are provided which com ect all the stools 3 of the batch 24 in the manner shown in Figures 1 to 4, the last stool in the batch being suitably anchored to the sledge 34. The linking means 58 are each pivotally-connected between adjacent stools of the batch and each comprises two rigid elements 60, 61 pivotally-com ected together as shown at 62. At their ends remote from com ection 62 these elements are each secured as by welding to a respective disc 63, 64. Each of these discs is rotatably-mounted on the leg 11 of a respective stool, so that the leg of each stool of the batch has two discs 63, 64 so pivotally-mounted with their axes parallel as to overlap in the manner shown more clearly in Figures 6 to 9.

As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 each disc 63 is provided in the region of its edge with an arcuate and upstanding projection 65 and, circumferentially spaced therefrom, an upstanding projection 66 of relatively short arcuate length. Each disc 64 is also provided in the region of its edge with an arcuate and upstanding projection 67 and, circumfferenti ally spaced therefrom, an upstanding projection 68 of relatively short arcuate length.The projections of the disc 63 and those of the disc 64 are so interengageable on relative rotation of the discs that when the rigid elements 60, 61 of a linking means are for example moving from their folded condition towards their unfolded condition the disc 63 of the linking means between the following stools, which are still on the sledge 34 and which are the next in line to move off from the sledge, is locked by its projection 66 being engaged by the projection 67 of the adjacent disc 64, thereby preventing that linking means from commencing to unfold until the linking means ahead of it has reached its completely unfolded, in-line, position, or substantially so.

The linking means 59 are each pivotallycom ected between adjacent stools of the batch and each comprise two rigid elements 69, 70 pivotallyconnected together at 71. At their ends remote from the connection 71 the elements of each means 59 are simply pivotally-connected, one at 72 to the member 10 of a respective stool 3, and the other at 73 to the member 10 of the adjacent stool 3. Thus, unlike the linking means 58 no locking means in the form of interengaging discs is provided in association with the elements of the linking means 59. During operation of the conveyor and with the machine 38 cutting mineral material and depositing this on to its belt unit 39, the material is discharged into the hopper 36 and through the slot 37 on to the upper run 5 of belt 2, the portion of the belt beneath the slot and its load being adequately supported by the sets 50 of upper rollers.As the machine proceeds to the right in Figure 1 in its cutting motion and thus commences to effect extension of the conveyor, the jack 54 is operated to move the sledge 34 and its batch 24 of stools 3 into the run of the conveyor. With such extension the first stool of the batch leaves its nested relation, the linking means 58, 59 associated with that stool accordingly unfolding. The elements 60, 61 and elements 69, 70 quickly reach their in-line, or substantially inline, condition. With such unfolding movement the disc 64,which is mounted on the second stool of the batch, turns about its axis until with the elements 60, 61 so in line projection 67 of that disc 64 moves out of the arcuate path of projection 66 of disc 63 of the second stool.Up until now projection 66 has been blocked by projection 67 on the adjacent disc 64 of that stool and prevented disc 63 from turning and thus its associated linking means from unfolding. Since the disc 63 of the second stool is now free to turn that stool is able to leave the batch, the elements 60, 61 and 69, 70 forming the linking means 58, 59 between the second and third stools now unfolding until they are in line, or substantially so, and the second stool is placed in the desired position in the conveyor run. The disc 64 of the third stool has by now turned sufficiently as to permit disc 63 of that stool to turn, this permitting unfolding of the linking means between the third and fourth stools of the batch.

Thus the third stool now leaves the batch.

In this way all the stools of the batch are permitted successively to leave their nested relation on sledge 34 and all are appropriately positioned, as determined by the lengths of the linking means 58, 59 between them, along the conveyor run, thereby supporting the upper and lower runs 5, 7 of belt 2. By the arrangement of folding elements 60, 61; 69, 70 the linking means, with those elements in the in-line or substantially in-line condition, rigidly space the stools apart avoiding the risk of toppling over of the stools during conveyor operation.

When all the stools of the batch are so positioned, jack 54 is operated to move sledge 34 transversely outwardly from the conveyor, whereupon a further batch of stools is placed on the sledge. The jack 54 is then operated to move the sledge and its further batch into the conveyor run, whereupon the linking means 58, 59 extending from the first stool of that batch are connected to the last stool of the previous batch. As thereafter machine 38 moves further to the right and conveyor extension proceeds, the stools of the further batch are appropriately positioned along the conveyor run.

When it is required to shorten the conveyor the linking means are caused to fold up so that in converse manner successively the stools can be stacked on to the sledge into batches and thereafter removed from the conveyor run.

Although not disclosed in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the linking means may each be provided with a locking device associated with the hinge 62 which is automatically operated upon the elements of the linking means reaching their in-line or substantially in-line condition and which is automatically released to permit folding up of the linking means when on shortening of the conveyor it is required successively to stack the stools into batches for removal from the conveyor.

Claims (14)

1. A belt conveyor, which is extendable in length, including an endless belt, and a plurality of stools which are together insertable into the conveyor as a batch in nested relation, which each carry upper and lower elements respectively for supporting upper and lower runs of said belt and which, following such insertion of said stools and upon extension of the conveyor, are movable, successively, away from their nested relation, so as to be spaced apart one from another lengthwise of the conveyor, under the control of linking means each of which is pivotally-connected between adjacent stools, said linking means each comprising at least two rigid elements themselves pivotally-connected together and movable from a folded condition to a generally in-line condition, and vice versa, and locking means provided in association with the two pivotal connections of said linking means to each stool to prevent the stool from leaving its nested position until the linking means ahead of it has reached its generally in-line condition, or substantially so.

2. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said two pivotal connections to each stool includes a disc or like member which is rotatable with respect to the stool.

3. A conveyor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said disc or like member has upstanding formations which are interengageable with those of the disc or like member of the other pivotal connection to said stool, the formations of those two members thereby providing said locking means.

4. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said linking means having locking means associated therewith are provided on one side of said stools.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim 4, wherein further linking means similar to the firstmentioned linking means, but without locking means, are provided on the other side of said stools.

6. A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, wherein two of said upstanding formations are provided on each said disc or like member.

7. A conveyor as claimed in claim 6, wherein both said upstanding formations are disposed in the region of the edge of the respective said disc or like member and are of arcuate form.

8. A conveyor as claimed in claim 7, wherein one of said two upstanding formations is of substantially shorter arcuate length than the other.

9. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said upper elements comprises a set of rollers.

10. A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said set includes three rollers and the relative disposition of the rotational axes of these rollers is such that said belt when passing over the rollers assumes a cross-sectional shape of trough-like form.

11. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said lower elements comprises a single roller.

1 2. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein certain at least of said stools are of inherently rigid basic construction and are each provided with a gap at one side thereof and between said upper and said lower elements to enable it to be inserted, during operation of the conveyor, into the run of the conveyor from one side or from the other side thereof in a direction substantially at right angles thereto in an upright attitude.

1 3. A conveyor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said gap is a permanent gap.

14. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said stools of said batch is provided with feet which are set at such an angle to the main part of the stool as to facilitate the nesting together of those stools, and which at least assist in ensuring that each stool stands substantially upright when in its appropriate position after being caused to move away from its nested relation.

1 5. A belt conveyor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.