GB2183584A - Support structure for a conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

Flat slider bed type conveying apparatus comprises an endless belt 18 which moves around an endless path, and over the upwardly facing planar surface 14 of a bed section 12. The latter has an inverted channel section. Belt support, adjusting, snubbing, drive and tail rollers 36, 38, 46, 48, 50 are mounted within the channel section, on the return path of the belt 18. The rollers are mounted by means of tubular members 20 located in the channel section. The bed section may be made up of plural sections joined end-to-end by tubular members 20 acting as fish-plates. Consequently the upper and side surfaces of the bed section 12 can be smooth and planar, and this reduces the risk of snagging of articles being conveyed and facilitates cleaning of the conveyor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to conveying apparatus This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to conveying apparatus and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with apparatus known as a "flat slider bed " conveyor.

Conveyors of the flat slider bed type incorporate belt support, adjusting, snubbing, drive and tail rollers. Heretofore such rollers have been provided with adjusting screws and have been mounted within the bed by means of laterally projecting brackets. Projections of any sort on conveyors have the disadvantage of making the apparatus difficultto clean, which isa major problem especiallyinthe food industry, and also have the disadvantage in allowing snagging which can be a problem particularly in the textile industry.

According to the present invention there is prov- ided conveying apparatus comprising conveying means, support means overwhich the conveying means is movable in an endless path, guide means fortheconveying means, and meanswithinthesup- port means for mounting the guide meanstherein.

Preferablythe support means comprises a channel member of substantially rectangular cross section which is inverted in useto presentan upwardlydir- ected planarface. The conveying means may be in theform of an endlessbeltwhich is arranged in one pass to travel over the planar face and in the retu rn pass to travel within the channel member.

Preferably also the guide means comprises a plurality of rollers over the circumferential surfaces of which the conveying means is arranged to pass.

The mounting means for the rollers may comprise respective pairs oftubular members between which the rollers extend, each tubular member being arran- ged to be mounted internally on the channel memberwherebythe latter can provide an external planarface at each side ofthe apparatus.

Each tubular member may be in the form of are- ctanguiar box section which is provided with apertures in one side face. Each pair ofthe tubular members is mounted on the channel member with said one side faces inwardly directed such that respective ones ofthe apertures are in alignment,wherebythe ends of a shaftforeach respective roller maylocate through a respective pairofthe aligned apertures.

The shafts of the rollers which act as tracking and return rollers may havetheirends extending through the respective apertures to be secured to clamping brackets located within the respective tubular members and secured there to. Each of the tubular mem- bers preferably is provided with apertures in a lower faceforalignmentwith apertures in inwardlyturned flanges of the channel member so as to receive securing meanstherethrough.The lowerfaceapertures may be in the form of elongate slots to enable adjustment of the position ofthetubular memberwithin the channel member.

An embodiment ofthe present invention will now be described byway of exa m pie on y with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a conveying apparatusaccordingtotheinvention; and Figure2 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring tithe drawings, aflatslider bed con- veyor 10 has a bed formed of a pair of bed sections 12 each having an inverted channel section presenting an upwardly directed planarface 14 and inwardly turned lowerflanges 16. The bed sections 12 are in end-to-end alignmentto be secured together as hereinafterdescribed and provide a supportfora belt 18. The latter informed of flexibly interconnected beltsectionsandtravels in an endless path, in one passtravelling acrossthe planarsurfaces 14 of the belt sections 12 and in a return pass travelling within the channel sections there of.

At each end of the bed there is provided a pair of tubular members 20 of box section and dimensioned to locate longitudinally within the respective bed section 12 between a respective one of the flanges 16 and the base thereof. Each tubular member 20 is formed on one face 22, the inwardly directed face in use, with a horizontally extending slot 24 between a pairof cirular holes 26. Between each ofthe holes26 and the respective end of the member 20 there is formed a circular hole 28 of substantially greaterdia- meterthan the hole 26 and between one of the holes 28 and the respective end of the member 20 there is formed a substantially vertically extending slot30 in the face 22.On an edge face 32 which is arranged to be lowermostin use, teach ofthe members20 is formed with a pair of spaced longitudinally extending slots 34.

Afirstpairofthe members 20 mounts a drum motor 36, the respective shaft ends being located through the aligned apertures30 and the motor36 being retained therein by any suitable means.A snubbing ortracking roller38 extends between the pair of members 20 with the rollershaft ends exten ding through the aligned slots 24 to be retained by clamping brackets40, each of which has a central aperture 42 forthe respective shaft end and open ended slots 44 which al ig n with the apertures 26 so thatfixing means can be secured thereto. The open ended slots 44 and the mounting slots 24 allowfor adjustment of the position of the roller 38 longitudinally ofthe member 20.A respective pair of members 20 to be utilised atthe other end ofthe bed similarly mount a tail pulley 46 and a tracking or return roller 48. A pairofthetubular members 20 extend longitudinally across the junction pointofthe bed sections 12 and mount a return roller 50 by means ofthe slots 24 and the brackets 40. Each of thetubular members is fixed to the respective flange 16 ofthe bedwiththe aid of fixing means extending through apertures in the flange 16 and the aligned slots 34 in the lower face 32 of the respective tubular member 20. The holes 28 enable access to the internal fixing meansfortheroller38andthemember20Onthe flange 16. Electrical power for driving the motor 36 is provided through an appropriate electrical lead 52 extending from one shaft end ofthe motor36 throughthe respective bed section 12 to a power supply arrangement 54 mounted by any suitable means on a lower side of the respective bed section 12.

The belt 18 is led across the planar surfaces 14of the bed sections 12, is wrapped around the drum motor 36, passes overthe snubbing ortracking roller 38, passes overthe return roller 50, passes over the returnortracking roller 48 and wraps round the tail pulley 46. An end cover 56 is provided for each end of the bed, oralternativelyan end plug 58 (Figure 1) may be provided instead of an end cover 56 where a "drop-off" transfer conveyor is in use. The slider bed is retained art a suitable height above a floor by means of leg assemblies 60 longitudinally spaced apart and mounted on the underside of respective ones ofthe bed sections 12. The leg assemblies 60 have adjustablefeetfor adjustment of the height of the slider bed.

The rectangular box section members 20 enable the projecting shafts and the securing means forthe rollers to be all retained within the box sections, with the result that, on the external vertical side faces of the bed sections 12there are no projectionswhatsoever, enabling the conveyor to be easily cleaned which is especially important in the food industry, and also enabling the conveyor to be snag-free which is particularly useful in the textile industry.

The box section members 20 are also used to join the bed sections 12 together and these joining sections orfishplates can be located if necessary anywhere along the length of the bed. Long lengths of the box section can be used along the entire length ofthe bed if necessary, making the bed very strong withoutthe necessity for any welded joints where the bed has to be centilevered or slung between its two ends without any support in the middle. In addition the slotting ofthe underside ofthe box sections enables the box sections to be adjusted lengthwise to take up slack in the belt 18.Adjustment can be made by means of a threaded rod 62 which passes through a bracket 64fixed to the respective flange 16 and a threaded hole in an end plate 66 on an adjacent end of the respective member 20., The rod 62 has an end nut 68so that adjustment by a spanner can effect movementofthe member 20.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the design of the box sections may differ from that described and shown provided the overall design is in accordance with the invention. Also the invention may be utilised with otherthan the specific design offlat bed as described and shown.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing Specifica- tion to draw attention to those features of the inven tionbelievedto beofparticularimportanceitshould be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features herein before referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims (16)

1. Conveying apparatus comprising conveying means movable in an endless path, support means over which the conveying means is movable, guide meansforthe conveying means, and means within the support means for mounting the guide means therein.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support means comprises an upwardly directed planar surface over which the conveying means is movable.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2,whereinthe support means comprises a channel member of substantially rectangular cross-section and which is inverted, in use, whereby the floor of the channel provides the planar surface, and wherein the conveying means so arranged to move over the planarsurface in one pass and to move within the channel member in a return pass.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the guide means comprises a plurality of rollers mounted within the channel member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mounting means for the rollers comprises respective pairs oftubular members between which the rollers extend.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each tubular member is arranged to be mounted inter nally on the channel member whereby the latter can provide an external planar face at each side ofthe apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each tubular member is in the form of a rectangular box section having apertures in one side face.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tubular members of each pair are mounted on the channel memberwith said one side faces being opposed and inwardly directed, and with corresponding ones of the apertures in alignment,wherebythe ends of a shaft for each respective roller locates through a respective pair of the aligned apertures.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least some ofthe rollers have their ends extending through the respective apertures, and are secured to clamping brackets located within the respective tubular members and secured thereto.

10. Apparatusaccordingtoanyofclaims5to9 wherein each ofthe tubular members is provided with apertures in a lower face for alignment with apertures in an inwardly turned flange of the channel member,forreceiving securing meanstherethrough.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lower face apertures are in the form of elongate slots which allow adjustment of the position ofthe tubular member within the channel member.

12. Apparatus according to any of ciaims3to 11, wherein the support means comprises a plurality of the channel members aligned end-to-end and secured together.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, when dependent on any of claims 5to 11, wherein adjacent ones ofthe channel members are secured together by respective ones ofthetubular members.

14 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying means comprises an endless belt.

15. Conveying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of relating to the same invention as any ofthe preceding claims.