GB2211808A

GB2211808A - Chain conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2211808A
Application number: GB8725527A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Shewring
Original assignee: JS ENGINEERING
Current assignee: JS ENGINEERING
Priority date: 1987-10-30
Filing date: 1987-10-30
Publication date: 1989-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-30
Also published as: GB2211808B; GB8725527D0

Abstract

A conveyor for carrying animals such as pigs in an abattoir, includes a chain (23) trained between sprockets (22) and carrying a succession of saddle plates (30) for supporting the pigs (P). At each side of the chain is a slide rail (32) for slidably supporting a respective side limb (31) of the plate. The weight of the pig (P) may be transferred through an enlarged chain roller (26) which rolls on a horizontal track plate (18). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Chain Conveyors DESCRIPTION Field of invention This invention relates to chain conveyors, and more particularly to such a conveyor for use in conveying animals for stunning or slduyhter in an abattoir.

Background to the invention Chain conveyors for use in conveying animals in abattoirs are known, but are of a somewhat complicateå design, and therefore expensive to produce.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified and cheaper chain conveyor, particularly for use in abattoirs.

Summary of the invention According to the invention there is provided a chain conveyor comprising a chain trained between a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket, each sprocket being rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis,a succession of saddle plates carried at regular intervals by the chain, each plate having a limb projecting from each side, and a slide rail mounted at each side of the chain for slideably supporting the respective limb of each plate.

The limb of each plate preferably includes a raised portion, under which the respective slide rail is positioned.

A runner may be mounted under the return run of the conveyor for supporting the empty conveyor. There may be a pair of runners each supporting the raised portion of the respective limb of the plate at the outside surface opposite the side engaged by the slide rail.

The rails and the runners may be made of a plastics material.

Advantageously the chain comprises hollow bearing pins on which the plates are carried. An enlarged chain roller may be provided on each pin of the chain, the rollers being engageable with a rolling track mounted on fixed structure and disposed under the operating run of the chain.

Brief description of drawings An example of a chain conveyor in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the end part of the chain conveyor, and Figure 2 is a section taken through the conveyor and through the end idler sprocket along the line II-II of Figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention Referring to the drawings, there is shown generally at 10 part of a box girder structure one end of which is supported by mounting feet 12. As best seen in Figure 2, the box structure 10 includes side platcs 14, a base plate 16 and a top plate 18. The side plates 14 support a horizontal stub shaft 20 on which an idler sprocket 22 is rotatably mounted on roller bearings 21.

Trained around the idler sprocket 22 and a driven sprocked (not shown) is a chain 23 having hollow bearing pins which connect together respective inner and outer chain links 24. Mounted on the hollow pin between the links 24 is a chain roller 26.

Also mounted from the hollow pins by means of nut and bolt fasteners 28 are a succession of saddle plates 30. As shown in Figure 1, the saddle plates 30 are mounted at their leading and trailing ends on the chain 23 at regular intervals so that they form a substantially continuous surface along the linear operating run of the chain. This surface is adapted to carry a succession of animals, such as pigs, one being shown at reference P in Figure 2.

A platform 34, mounted on legs 36, is provided adjacent the idler sprocket 22 for operators to perform the stunning or slaughter of the pigs P. The top plate 18, which terminates just before the idler sprocket 22, provides a rolling track along which the rollers 26 can run. At each side of such track the plate 18 supports plastic skids or slide rails 32 which are adapted to slidably engage with the undersurface of the respective raised portion of each side limb 31 of the saddle plate 30.

It will be seen that the weight of a pig P is mainly transferred through the roller 26 onto the top plate 18, any out of balance weight being supported by one or other of the plastic rails 32.

On the return run of the chain 23 the saddle plates 30 travel close to the bottom plate 16 within the box girder structure 10, and slide upcn plastic runners 38 mounted on the bottom plate. The structure 10 thus almost completely encloses the chain conveyor 23 and the sprockets, thereby also acting as a safety guard.

It will be observed that the operating run of the chain is upwardly inclined by an angle of approximately 5XC. The spacing between the driven and idler sprockets may typically be about 13ft (3.96 metres) the chain conveyor being driven at a speed of between 8 to 35ft per minute (2.6 to 10.7 metres per minute), allowing a throughput of from 100 to 400 pigs per hour at a pitch of approximately 5ft.

The chain conveyor described has improved accessibility, and is of a simpler construction, and hence cheaper to manufacture, than known chain conveyors.

Claims

1. A chain conveyor particularly for carrying animals, comprising a chain trained between a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket, each sprocket being rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis,a succession of saddle plates carried at regular intervals by the chain, each plate having a limb projecting from each side, and a slide rail mounted at each side of the chain for slideably supporting the respective limb of each plate.

2. A conveyor according to claim 1 in which the limb of each plate includes a raised portion, under which the respective slide rail is positioned.

3. A conveyor according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which a runner is mounted under the return run of the conveyor for supporting the empty conveyor.

4. A conveyor according to claim 3 in which there are a pair of runners, each supporting the raised portion of the respective limb of the saddle plate at the outside surface opposite the side engaged by the slide rail.

5. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the rails and the runners are made of a plastics material.

6. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the chain comprises hollow bearing pins on which the saddle plates are carried.

7. A conveyor according to claim 6 in which an enlarged chain roller is provided on each hollow pin of the chain, the rollers being engageable with a rolling track mounted on fixed structure and disposed under the operating run of the chain.

8. A chain conveyor particularly for conveying animals substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.