GB2195309A

GB2195309A - A belt for a tubular belt conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2195309A
Application number: GB08623497A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kunio Hashimoto
Original assignee: JAPAN PIPE CONVEYOR; JAPAN PIPE CONVEYOR CO Ltd
Current assignee: JAPAN PIPE CONVEYOR; JAPAN PIPE CONVEYOR CO Ltd
Priority date: 1986-09-30
Filing date: 1986-09-30
Publication date: 1988-04-07
Also published as: FR2604983A1; NL8602614A; GB8623497D0

Abstract

Powdered or granular materials are conveyed by a tubular belt conveyor without scattering. A belt employed for the conveyor includes a plurality of carcasses 2 in one or more layers so that the belt may be maintained in an exact tubular shape. The carcasses may be arranged with or without space. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A belt for a tubular belt conveyor BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a belt for a tubular belt conveyor and more particularly to a belt for a tubular belt conveyor in which a flat belt is guided through a plurality of shape maintaining rollers to form a tubular shape and is closed by overlapping or contacting upwardly projected side edges to each other to transfer powdered or granular materials.

By employing a tubular belt conveyor, powdered or granular materials can be easily conveyed without scattering, falling down or getting wet with rain, along with a curved line. The inventor had taken notice of the fact, and as a result of many studies and experiments, succeeded in practical use. At present, the tubular belt conveyor has been employed among the United States of America, Taiwan, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Sweden, Austria etc. as well as in Japan.

Also, all over the world, there are more than fifty patents which had been invented by the present inventor, were granted to the present applicants, and have been publicly known. For example, there are the following patents U.S.A. 3,338,383 4,402,395 United Kingdom 1,075,557 2,061,853 2,092,977 West Germany 2,944,482 3,122,664(subjected to opposition) 3,145,899 France 7927845 8120551 2,568,639 Canada 1,165,266 1,169,802 1,195,279 Australia 534,427 524,058 539,533 Japan 579,588(Pub.No.44-27774) 588,457(Pub.No.45-15536) 1,230;571(Pub.No.59-5481) The most important thing for smooth running of a tubular belt conveyor is that a flat belt is rolled up to an exact tubular shape through shape maintaining rollers and is restored to a flat shape easily in the return path.

However, in the belt made of rubber, its thickness and hardness are not always uniform at each product or each part of one product.

Therefore, the deformability is not equal at each belt or each part of the belt which is rolled up to a tubular shape. Thus, the load and resistance to which each shape maintaining roller is subjected are different.

If the shape maintaining roller is subjected to overload, its frictional resistance in rotation increases, the energy is lost and the wear becomes faster, so that the tubular belt does not smoothly run.

Also, if the frictional resistance of each shape maintaining roller arranged in a circle is different, the tubular-shaped belt is twisted around the longitudinal axis and the running causes overstrain, so that the upper closed portion deviate to cause leakage of the transferred material.

As the tubular belt becomes longer, or as the thickness is increased, such possibility increases.

In order to improve tensile strength of the belt, the thickness was increased, or a carcass or carcasses which comprise reinforcing woven fabrics etc. were contained. But, in such cases, it is difficult to bend the belt to a tubular shape, and flexing resistance increases and flexural rigidity is not uniform at each part, so that the shape maintaining rollers are subjected to overload to cause unsmooth running of the belt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a belt for a tubular belt conveyor which is long and large to run smoothly so that its life may be lengthened.

According to the present invention, the problem is solved by a belt for a tubular belt conveyor in which a plurality of narrow carcasses are embedded longitudinally of the belt in the same plane.

The carcass may comprise one or more plies of woven fabric or other material.

The carcasses may be arranged in one or more layers depending upon tensile strength required for the belt. In case bf two or more layers, the carcasses may be alternately arranged between adjacent layers.

A plurality of carcasses may be arranged with or without space.

At one or both sides of a wide carcass which is embedded on the most part of the width of the belt, narrow carcasses may be provided.

Some of the carcasses, for example, in the middle, may have larger width, while the other may have smaller width as mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a part or all of a plurality of carcasses of the belt comprises narrower ones spaced in width direction, and, therefore, it is easy to roll up a belt into a tubular shape by shape-maintaining rollers. The belt can be rolled up into an exactly circular form, and when it is taken off, it can be readily returned into a flat form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of one embodiment of a belt according to the present invention in which a plurality of carcasses constitute one layer, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the belt of Fig. 1 which is rolled up, Fig. 2a is a sectional view of another embodiment of a belt in which the carcasses constitute three layers, Fig. 2b is a sectional view of the belt of Fig. 2a which is rolled up, Fig. 3a is a sectional view of a belt showing another embodiment of a belt in which the carcasses are arranged in three layers different from in Fig. 2a in the arrangement, Fig. 3b is a sectional view of the belt of Fig. 3a which is rolled up, Fig. 3c is a sectional view of a belt in which carcasses above a wide middle carcass are arranged alternately with carcasses below the middle carcass, Fig. 4a is a sectional side view of a further embodiment of a belt in which the carcasses are arranged in two layers, Fig. 4b is a sectional view of the belt of Fig. 4a which is rolled up, Fig. 5a is a sectional view of a further embodiment of a belt similar to in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5b is a sectional view of the belt of Fig. 5a which is rolled up.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Fig. la shows one embodiment of a belt 1 made of rubber in which a plurality of narrow carcasses 2 are embedded longitudinally of the belt 1 in the same plane at fixed spaces 3. The carcass 2 may comprise one or more plies of woven fabrics or other material.

The rigidity at the spaces 3 of the belt 1 is lower than that at the carcasses 2. Therefore, at the spaces 3, the inner surface can be easily shrinked, while the outer surface can be easily extended. When the belt 1 is rolled up to a tubular shape as shown in Fig. 1b through a plurality of shape maintaining rollers (not shown), larger curvature in the spaces 3 can make a substantially uniform tubular shape with a relatively small force.

But, strictly speaking, when the belt 1 is rolled up to a tubular shape, the curvature at the carcasses 2 is larger than that at the spaces 3. So, the belt 1 is not formed in an exact circle, but is formed in a polygon corresponding to the number of the carcasses 2. But, in practical use, if the number of the carcasses 2 and the width of the spaces are properly selected, the disadvantage can be avoided.

Fig. 2a shows another embodiment in which the section of the tubular body is an exact circle.

Similar to Fig. 1a, the carcasses 12 are arranged in three layers at fixed spaces 13 in the same plane of the belt 11. If required, the carcasses 12 may be in contact with adjacent carcass 12 without space 13.

The space 13 is narrower than the carcass 12, and the space 13 in one layer is disposed in the substantially middle of the carcass 12 of adjacent layer.

Thus, when the belt 11 is seen from the thickness direction, the spaces 13 do not appear to exist, and as shown in Fig. 2b, the belt 11 can be rolled up with a certain curvature over the substantially entire width.

Fig. 3a shows a belt in which the middle layer in Fig. 2a comprises one wide carcass 14.

The belt 11 is easily rolled up, and the tubular shape is maintained in an exact circle as shown in Fig. 3b.

In Fig. 3c, in order to keep a better circular shape, carcasses 12 above a wide middle carcasse 14 are arranged alternately with carcasses 12 below the carcass 14.

Fig. 4a shows a belt 21 which is easily rolled up in an upward direction. In the belt 21, below the layer of plurality of carcasses 22 having the spaces 23 similar to those in Fig. la, there is provided a wide carcass 24 which is substantially equal to the width of the belt 21 and is flexible longitudinally.

Thus, compared with the belt in which the narrow carcasses are arranged at the upper and lower parts, the belt 21 as shown in Fig. 4b may be rolled up upwardly with relatively small force.

Generally, when a belt is rolled up, the rigidity of the side edges is usually higher and is difficult to bend, so that the side edges are pushed up to each other to cause unsmooth running, and the ends of the belt may be worn out.

Such problem is solved by a belt shown in Figs. 5a and 5b, which can be easily bent at the side ends. In the middle of the width of a belt 41, a relatively wide carcass 44 is embedded, and a plurality of narrow carcasses 42 are embedded at both sides of the carcass 44 in the same horizontal plane with spaces 43.

Therefore, the rigidity at both sides of the belt 41 is lower than that in the middle, and when the belt 41 is rolled up, it can be easily bent without pushing up to each other.

While preferred embodiments have been described, variations thereto will occur to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present inventive concepts which are delineated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor wherein a plurality of narrow carcasses are embedded in the longitudinal direction of the belt.

2. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein the carcass comprises one or more plies of woven fabric.

3. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of carcasses are embedded with spaces.

4. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of carcasses are embedded with no space.

5. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the carcasses are arranged in one layer.

6. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 5 wherein a plurality of narrow carcasses are arranged at both sides of the wide carcass disposed in the middle of the width of the belt.

7. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the carcasses are embedded in a plurality of layers.

8. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein the carcasses are alternately arranged between adjacent layers.

9: A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein the belt includes two layers, and one layer comprising a plurality of narrow carcasses is disposed above the other layer of the carcass substantially equal to the width of the belt.

10. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein the belt includes three layers, and a layer of the carcass substantially equal to the width of the belt is disposed between two layers each of which comprises a plurality of narrow carcasses.

11. A belt for a tubular belt conveyor as defined in claim 10 wherein the carcasses are alternately arranged between the two layers each of which comprises a plurality of carcasses.