GB2201391A

GB2201391A - A tubular belt conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2201391A
Application number: GB08800698A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kunio Hashimoto; Haruo Okazaki
Original assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Current assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Priority date: 1987-02-26
Filing date: 1988-01-13
Publication date: 1988-09-01
Also published as: GB8800698D0; JP2526050B2; JPS63262317A

Abstract

A tubular belt conveyor wraps and conveys powdery or granular material without leakage. The conveyor comprises a plurality of shape-maintaining frames spaced apart along the length of the belt to support a tubular belt. Some of the shape-maintaining frames comprises an upper half guide member 11 such as an arcuate pipe and lower half shape- maintaining rollers 8 to guide the tubular belt, whereby the number of the shape-maintaining rollers can be reduced. <IMAGE>

Description

A TUBULAR BELT CONVEYOR The present invention relates to a tubular belt conveyor and more particularly to a tubular belt conveyor which comprises improved shape-maintaining frames.

U.S. Patent No. 4,402,395 filed by K. Hashimoto describes a conventional tubular belt conveyor for transporting powdery-or granular material without leakage. The tubular belt conveyor comprises a plurality of support rollers to support a tubular belt within each of a plurality of support frames spaced apart along the length of a tubular belt. But, it is costly to provide a number of support rollers within each support frame.

It is therefore a primary object to provide a tubular belt conveyor which is less expensive for manufacturing by saving the number of support rollers in a support frame.

According to the present invention there is provided a tubular belt conveyor which comprises an endless conveyor belL which is rolled up into a tubular shape which wraps and transports material continuously, a front end roller around which one flattened end of the belt is wound, a rear end roller around which the other flattened end of the belt is wound so that the belt may circulate between the two end rollers and a plurality if shape-maintaining frames spaced apart along the length of the belt, at least some of the shape-maintaining frames comprising an upper half arcuate guide member and a lower half shape-maintaining rollers to support the tubular belt between the guide member and the lower shape-maintaining rollers.

These and other objects as well as advantages of the present invention will become clear by the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Il-Il in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is å plan view illustrating the principle part of a shape-maintaining frame in a tubular belt conveyor of the first embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a shape-maintaining frame of a second embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5;; Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a shapemaintaining frame in a third embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 isaverticalsectional view of another embodiment of a conveyor belt to which the present invention is applicable; Fig. 10 is a side view of a conventional tubular belt conveyor; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line X-X in Fig. 10 ergs. 1 to9 illustrate embodiments according to the present invention in which the numerals identify parts identical with the parts in Figs. 10 to 12 showing a conventional apparatus.

Figs. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment according to the present invention. Fig. 1 is a side view of a tubular belt conveyor A. In Fig. 1, a flexible endless conveyor belt 1 is rolled up by a shape-maintaining frame 6 to form a tubular belt conveyor A. Flattened parts at the front and rear ends are wound around a front end roller 2 and a rear end roller 3 so that the belt 1 may circulate. At the beginning end of a forward path la of the conveyor belt 1, the belt 1 wraps and conveys bulk material 9 which is thrown from hopper 4.

A plurality of shape-maintaining frames 6 are disposed between the two rollers 2 and 3, and connected by a connecting member 6e. A belt guide device 7 is disposed between a front end shapemaintaining frame 6 and the flattened part at ttifr- beginning end of the return path 1B of the conveyor belt 1 called "a trough converting portion lc". As shown in Fig. 2, each shape-maintaining frame 6 comprises an upper chamber 6b and a lower chamber 6c, the conveyor belt 1 passing through the middle of the chamber. The upper and lower chambers 6b and 6c have the same shape and are connected by side plates 6d.

With resepct to the upper chamber 6b, at a vertical support plate 6f in its lower half, there is provided a semicircular opening 6g which is surrounded by three shape-maintaining rollers 8. The numeral 8a represents a support frame 8 for the shape-maintaining roller 8 which is fasteneed to the support plate 6f by screws 8b.

As shown in Fig. 3, both of the upper side ends of the support plate 6f are bent horizontally to form bent portions 6h, on which securing ends'lla of guide member such as arcuate pipe 11 are fastened by clamping plates 12 and screws 13, the pipe being the upper half of the upper chamber 6b.

A lower semicircle (not shown) having the same curvature as the upper semicircle pipe 11 is tangent to the peripheries of the three shape-maintaining rollers 8. Accordingly, between the upper pipe 11 and the lower shape-maintaining rollers 8 in the upper chamber 6b, there is provided an annular guide path 6a through which the tubular conveyor belt 1 passes. The diameter of the guide path 6a has a length enough to overlap one side end id on the other side end le so as to prevent opening completely.

The function of the tubular belt conveyor A will be described as below. When material 9 is thrown onto the beginning end of the forward path la of the conveyor belt 1 in Fig. 1, the forward path la containing the material 9 is guided by the shape-maintaining rollers 8 provided at the lower half of the upper chamber6b'in the shape-maintaining frame 6 and the conveyed material 9 is wrapped within the side ends id and le by flexibility of the conveyed belt la.

When the belt meets with a blast of wind to open the side ends id and le, an arcuate pipe 11 forming the upper chamber 6b prevents,the belt from opening, so that the conveyed material cannot escape to the outside. The return path ib with an overlapping portion of the side ends id and le is supported and guided by the shape-maintaining rollers 8 arranged at the lower half of the lower chamber 6c, and, when the belt meets with a blast of wind, the upper arcuate pipe 11 prevents opening of the overlapped portion and movement of the return path ib.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the upper half is composed of an upper half arcuate pipe, while the lower half 14b of the pipe 14 is provided with the lower shape-maintaining rollers 8. The lower half 14b of the pipe 14 is fixed by a clamp 15 at the back of the support plate 6f on which the shape-maintaining rollers 8 are arranged. The effects are similar to that exhibi-ted by the first embodiment, but it is advantageous for the guiding of the forward belt la to be stabilised. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a third embodiment according to the present invention. In this embodiment, instead of the upper arcuate pipe, there is provided a guide member 16 the front and rear ends of which are enlarged.Between the inner surface of the intermediate portion 16c of the guide member 16 and the lower shapemaintaining rollers 8, a circular guide path 6a is provided. At the lower ends of both sides of the intermediate portion 16c, there is provided.outwardlY projecting securing parts 16d under which horizontallybent upper ends 6h of the support plate 6f are fastened.

The effects are similar to that in the first and second embodiments, but it is advantageous to prevent two side ends 1d and le from opening more surely.

Further, the present invention is applicable to a belt conveyor wherein one of forward and return paths is rolled up into a tubular shape, the other being a flat belt, or a belt conveyor which is rolled up into a tubular shape partially.

The present invention is applicable to a tubular belt conveyor coniprising a projection in which the inner surfaces of the side ends'of a belt contract each other in Fig. 9 or a tubular belt conveyor in which the longitudinal edges contact each other or get close.

A shape-maintaining frame in the present invention may be employed together with a conventional shapemaintaining frame in which a tubular belt is guided by a plurality of shape-maintaining rollers which encircles the whole periphery of the belt. In this case, two types of shape-maintaining frames may be arranged alternately.

The present invention can decrease the number of the shape-maintaining rollers in the frame, so that the cost for manufacturing can be reduced.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a conventional tubular belt conveyor wherein an-endless conveyor belt 1 is rolled up into a tubular shape, flattened parts at the front and rear ends being wound around a front end roller 2 and a rear end roller 3 so that the belt may circulate, the belt continuously conveying material thrown from a hopper 4 onto the beginning end of a forward path la, to the terminating end where the conveyed material is discharged onto a receiver 5.

In the conventional tubular belt conveyor, between-two rollers 2 and 3, there is provided a plurality of shape-maintaining frames 6 comprising upper and lower chambers 6b and 6c each of which has an opening 6a through which conveyor belt 1 passes, a plurality of shape-maintaining rollers 8 are arranged around the opening 6a in each chambers 6b and 6c.

It should be noted that the foregoings relate only to preferred embodiments of the present invention and that any modification or variation may be made by person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tubular belt conveyor which comprises an endless conveyor belt which is rolled up into a tubular shape which wraps and transports material continuously, a front end roller around which one flattened end of the belt is wound, a rear end roller around which the other flattened end of the belt is wound so that the belt may circulate between the two end rollers and a plurality of shape-maintaining frames spaced apart along the length of the belt, at least some of the shape-maintaining frames comprising an upper half arcuate guide member and a lower half shape-maintaining rollers to support the tubular belt between the guide member and the lower shape-maintaining rollers.

2. A tubular belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the upper half arcuate guide member comprises a substantially semicircular pipe which is attached at the side ends to the shape-maintaining frame.

3. A tubular belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the upper half arcuate guide member comprises a part of a circular pipe which is overlapped to the shape-maintaining rollers at the lower half.

4. A tubular belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the upper half arcuate guide member has enlarged front and rear ends, the guide member being attached at the side ends to the shap'e-maintaining frame.

5. A tubular belt conveyor according to any of the preceding claims wherein the tubular belt comprises an overlapped portion in which one side end puts on the other side end along its entire length.

6. A tubular belt conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the tubular belt comprises a projection in which the inner surface of one side end contacts the inner surface of the other side end along its entire length.

7. A tubular belt conveyor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.