GB2145683A - Conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

A belt conveyor which can run in a flat or tubular configuration. When running flat the belting (50) is supported between and driven by two cables (10,20) which engage with grooves (30,40) at each longitudinal edge of the belting. In this configuration the belting can be loaded on unloaded. In the tubular configuration the belting is supported by only one cable (10) and a further groove (90) engages over the outside of the groove (30). In this configuration the belting fully retains the contents and enables negotiation of horizontal and vertical bends. In a modification the two cables are replaced by a single cable and the omitted cable is substituted by a plurality of guide rollers which engage the groove (40) lying adjacent the further groove (90). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyors This invention relates to conveyors in which the load is carried by belting and the drive to the belting is imparted through cables at each longitudinal edge of the belting.

Conveyors for particulate loads are conventionally kept open over the whole length of a conveying run and hitherto conveyors of the kind in which the drive is imparted by cables have suffered from a number of disadvantages. Any fine particulate matter is liable to blow away under windy conditions thus causing loss and unpleasant environment, any large conveyed items such as pieces of rock are liable to roll when the conveyor passes over even a modest incline and changes in direction either vertically or horizontally give rise to substantial problems. Bends in horizontal planes give rise to especial difficulty.

According to the present invention, there is provided a conveyor comprising belting, a pair of cables and corresponding support and/or drive pulleys serving to support the belting in an open configuration in which loads can be applied and removed, a single cable and corresponding support and/or drive pulleys serving to support the belting in an open configuration in which loads can be applied and removed, a single cable and corresponding support and/or drive pulleys serving to support the belting when the latter is in a closed, generally tubular, configuration, said belting being formed at each longitudinal edge with groove-defining portions capable of engaging respective ones of said pair of cables and being formed at one edge with a further groove-defining portion which, in the closed configuration, engages over the outside of the opposite groove-defining portion, and guide means which serve to maintain the belting in the closed configuration.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a conveyor comprising flexible belting, a pair of cables extending longitudinally of the belting and corresponding support and/or drive means for the cables together serving to support the belting in a generally flat, open, configuration to enable loading and unloading a single cable and corresponding support and/or drive means for the single cable serving to support the belting with the latter in a substantially tubular configuration, the said belting being provided at each longitudinal edge with groove-defining means, each groove co-operating with a respective said cable in the open configuration, and being provided with further groovedefining means along one edge, the further groove engaging over the other of the groove-defining means with the latter engaging said single cable in the closed configuration of the belting.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided a conveyor comprising flexible belting, at least one cable for the support and/or drive of the belting, groove-defining means at each longitudinal edge of the belting which engage a said cable at each edge of the belting with the latter in a generally flat, open, configuration, and further groove-defining means at one longitudinal edge of the belting, the inner face of the further groove engaging over the groove-defining means at the other longitudinal edge with the groove thereof engaging said one cable when the belting is in a closed, generally tubular, configuration.

A conveyor embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which: Figure lisa cross-section of the conveyor in an open configuration; Figure 2 is a cross-section of the conveyor in a transition configuration; Figure 3 is a cross-section of the conveyor in a closed or tubular configuration; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the conveyor.

Referring now to the drawings, a conveyor embodying the invention comprises belting 50 having at each longitudinal edge, means 30, 40 defining longitudinal grooves, slots or channels having internal surfaces which conform to support and drive cables 10,20. The cables 10,20 are held spaced apart by a series of pulleys 60, 70 respectively (only two shown). These pulley series will extend for as far as is necessary to maintain the belting in the open configuration required for loading or unloading.

They will, of course, be mounted on a framework, not shown.

At one edge only, the belting is provided with further means 90 defining a longitudinal groove or channel, the internal surface having a radius of curvature which corresponds to the outer radius of curvature of the groove-defining means 30. Belting of the kind in question has only a limited degree of flexibility since multiple layers of reinforcing fabric are incorporated. The further groove defining means 90 may have a reduced amount of reinforcing fabric since otherwise undesirable stiffness will be imparted which will render negotiation of bends (horizontally and vertically) more difficult. A load is indicated at 80.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that at a transition configuration (whether from open to closed or vice versa) pulleys 100, 110 are provided which progressively bring the cables 10, 20 closer together and eventually so that groove 90 lies above the groove-defining means 30.

Finally, as illustrated in Figure 3, the groove 90 is lowered on to means 30 and the engaged position is maintained by rollers 140, 150 while the cable 20 is omitted so long as the closed configuration is to be maintained. The cable will be supported by pulleys 60 as illustrated in Figure 1, but the orientation, will, of course, differ. Figure 4 illustrates the transition as well as open and closed configurations.

The belting. pulley supporting frameworks, and drives will be generally conventional, but the further groove-defining means 90 may incorporate articulated reinforcement separate from the main rein forcementofthe belting in order to avoid an excessive longitudinal stiffening effect.

The reinforcement must, however, be sufficiently stiff to ensure that in the engaged configuration the substantialy loads will not give rise to distortion and consequent disengagement. The guide rollers 140, 150 will, however, provide the primary forces required to maintain engagement.

In the embodiment hereinbefore described those portions of the upper run of the conveyor which serve to receive and to discharge conveyed material are supported and driven by two cables 10,20. The provision of two cables involves appropriate framework and drive pulleys (not shown) but in a modification the cable 20 is wholly omitted and the pulleys 70 which have a concave section periphery are replaced by pulleys or rollers having a convex section periphery which matches the corresponding groove. Such pulleys will be merely idler pulleys and will not have any driving function. To provide additional security the series of pulleys with a convex section periphery maybe extended into the location along the conveyor run as illustrated in Figure 3.

It will be apparent that the advantages of a closed conveyor are achieved without the need for complex arrangements at the transition sections. Conveyors in accordance with the invention may be adapted for high carrying capacity even where the conveyor route includes steep inclines since the material carried cannot roll down such an incline. This applies particularly where large pieces of rock are conveyed.

The single support and drive cable in the closed configuration makes possible negotiation of fairly tight bends in a horizontal plane.

Conveyors in accordance with the invention are believed to have one or more of the following advantages: 1. Curves in a horizontal plane can be readily negotiated when the belting is in the tubular configuration; 2. Inclines can be incorporated in a conveyor run as the material does not slip when in the closed configuration; 3. The closed configuration enables large pieces of material to be conveyed without damage resulting from contact with static support rollers; 4. Tensile traction forces are sustained by one cable; 5. Dust is avoided and additional loading cannot arise by accumulation of rain water as in an open conveyor.

Claims (7)

1. A conveyor comprising belting, a pair of cables and corresponding support and/or drive pulleys serving to support the belting in an open configuration in which loads can be applied and removed, a single cable and corresponding support and/or drive pulleys serving to support the belting when the latter is in a closed, generally tubular, configuration, said belting being formed at each longitudinal edge with groove-defining portions capable of engaging respective ones of said pair of cables and being formed at one edge with a further groove-defining portion which, in the closed configuration, engages over the outside of the opposite groove-defining portion, and guide means which serve to maintain the belting in the closed configuration.

2. A conveyor comprising flexible belting, a pair of cables extending longitudinally of the belting and corresponding support and/or drive means for the cables together serving to support the belting in a generally flat, open, configuration to enable loading and unloading, a single cable and corresponding support and/or drive means for the single cable serving to support the belting with the latter in a substantially tubular configuration, the said belting being provided at each longitudinal edge with groove-defining means, each groove co-operating with a respective said cable in the open configuration, and being provided with further groovedefining means along one edge, the further groove engaging over the other of the groove-defining means with the latter engaging said single cable in the closed configuration of the belting.

3. A conveyor comprising flexible belting, at least one cable for the support and/or drive of the belting, groove-defining means at each longitudinal edge of the belting which engages a said cable at each edge of the belting with the latter in a generally flat, open, configuration, and further groovedefining means at one longitudinal edge of the belting, the inner face of the further groove engaging over the groove-defining means at the other longitudinal edge with the groove thereof engaging said one cable when the belting is in a closed, generally tubular, configuration.

4. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein guide means act on the co-operating groove-defining means at least when the belting is supported by one cable to hold the engaged groovedefining means in tight contact.

5. A conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the guide means comprise a plurality of rollers.

6. A conveyor comprising flexible belting, a single cable for the support and/or drive of the belting, groove-defining means at each longitudinal edge of the belting one of which engages the cable over the whole of a conveying run of the conveyor, guide means which engage the other groove over at least a part of the run, and further groove-defining means adjacent the groove-defining means which engage said guide means, the guide means being so located that they serve at one part of the conveying run to maintain the belting, in cooperation with the cable, in an open configuration and at another part of the run in a closed, generally tubular, configuration with the groove of the further groove defining means engaged over the outer surface of that one of the first-mentioned groove-defining means which engages the cable.

7. A conveyor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.