GB2213451A

GB2213451A - Roller arrangement for endless belt conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2213451A
Application number: GB8830297A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Dring
Original assignee: Dale
Current assignee: Dale
Priority date: 1988-01-04
Filing date: 1988-12-28
Publication date: 1989-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-28
Also published as: GB2213451B; GB8830297D0; GB8800011D0

Abstract

A roller arrangement for an endless belt conveyor (B) has an extra roller assembly which, like the usual roller assembly, is mounted on the conveyor support structure (14) by a carrier (20) which enables the extra assembly to be brought into an operative position while the usual arrangement is taken out of the operative position. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in or relating to Conveyors The present invention concerns inprovements in or relating to endless conveyors and especially but not exclusively to roller arrangements for endless conveyors.

There is a tendency to provide ever longer endless belt conveyors and in a recent development a conveyor of 12 kilometers length hos been provided ii a coal mine. Obviously conveyors of this lcnqth are of high capital and operating cost and any stoppage of the conveyor can be expensive in cost and time. One of the most vulnerable components of a conveyor is the rollers on which the upper and return belt runs are supported. Normally such rollers are mounted in arrangements comprising a framework mounted on the support structure of the conveyor and carrying the freely rotatable rollers over which the conveyor moves.

If a roller bearing becomes damaged then it must be replaced and this normally involves stopping the conveyor, supporting g the belt or at least one side of the arrangement including the damaged roller, removing the arrangement and either replacing the roller with a new or refurbished roller or repairing it.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the disadvantages arising from this repair technique.

According to the present invention there is provided a roller arrangement for an endless belt conveyor comprising two roller assemblies, an assembly carrier fixed to the conveyor support structure and having the roller assembly mounted thereon and means for moving one of said assemblies out of engagement with the conveyor and the other into engagement with the conveyor.

Preferably the roller assemblies are mounted to a carrier pivotally mounted to the conveyor support structure. They may be linked together by a linkage so that movement of one assembly is accompanied by movement of the other assembly.

Preferably the pivolal axis about which the carriers are mounted to the structure is substantially midway between the top and bottom runs of the conveyor.

Preferably each roller assembly comprises a plurality of rollers mounted on a frame having guide rails slideably mounted in channels provided on the carrier, whereby the rollers and the frame can be removed from the carrier when the assembly is out of contact with the belt.

Preferably the roller assemblies and carriers are mounted on the structure in such a way that one assembly and carrier counterbalances the other. it is further preferable that the roller assemblies are mounted so that as one assembly is moved out of contact with the belt the other assembly comes into contact with the belt, thus ensuring that the belt is supported at all times.

Preferably a linkage connects the carriers for the roller assemblies and incorporates a screw threaded member, operation of which causes a simultaneous pivoting of both roller assemblies with their carriers about their pivot axis.

in an alternative arrangement both roller assemblies are mounted on a single carrier pivotally mounted on the support framework of the structure about an axis midway between its end, a roller assembly beiny mounted at each end of the carrier.

As before, each roller assembly comprises a plurality of rollers mounted in a frame having guide rails slideably mounted within the channels on the carrier.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows an elevation of a roller allarlgement for an endless conveyor.

An endless conveyor comprises an endless flexible belt having a top run 10, on which material to be conveyed is carried, and a bottom or return run 12. The conveyor is driven at its drive end by a powered drum (not shown) and its return end is provided with an idler return drum (again not shown). To support the conveyor between its ends there are provided, at regular spaced intervals, a plurality of roller arrangements, one of which is shown in the drawing. The roller arrangement comprises support structure 14 fabricated from channel sections and angle irons, as appropriate, and including a pair of plates 16 located at each side of the conveyor and supporting a pair of pivot pins 18, the axes of which are arranged midway between the top and bottom conveyor runs iO, 12. Each pivot pin pivotally mounts an identical roller assembly and carrier 20.The assembly carrier comprises a pair of end plates 22 mounted on the pivot pins 18 and supporting a pair of channel members 24 and a pair of angle members 26 which extend across the conveyor between the end plates 22, and are so mounted that they define a pair of tranverser channels 28 in which the bottom flanges of a pair of outwardly facing channel members 30, said bottom flanges fri 1' liii quide ra i 1 s , are slidably mounted, means, not shown being provided to lock the channel members 30 in position within the channels 28. The channel members 30 with support members 32 for the rollers 34 fixed thereto form a roller assembly which can be readily disengaged from the assembly carrier by a transverse sliding movement.

It will be appreciated that the roller assembly on the right hand of the drawing, that is the assembly in the vertical position, is S in an operative position supporting the top run 10 of the belt B, whereas the assembly on the left hand of the drawing is disposed at 900 to the first assembly and is out of engagement with the belt so that it can readily be replaced, simply by removing the locking means and sliding in a transverse direction away from the conveyor in its mounting channels 28. This means that replacement of the roller assembly can be carried out while the conveyor remains in operation.

The inactive roller assembly with its carrier can be rotated in a clockwise direction into engagement with the belt B and the active assembly can be rotated, also in a clockwise direction out of engagement with the belt. Conveniently, to enable this operation to be carried out manually, the assemblies and their carriers are interconnected by a linkage whereby each counterbalarlces the other and it is ensured that as one assembly moves out of engagement with the blt, the other r-lsscmbly moves i into o engagement with t he be 1 t , t hu s facilitating roller maintenance without interruption of belt operation.

The linkage comprises a cranked limb 36 pivoted at its ends about axes 38 and 38' to the first and second assembly carriers. A threaded rod 40 is pivotally mounted about an axis 42 to the second carrier the rod 40 passing through a block 44 pivotally mounted on the support structure 14. Nuts 46, 46' are theadably mounted on the rod 40 on each side of the block 44 such that by slackening off and tightening respective nuts 46, 46' the rod can be caused to move through the block 44 to pivot the roller assemblies and their carriers about the axes 18 out of and into engagement with the upper run 10 of the belt B.

An alternative arrangement is provided for supporting the return run 12 of the belt B. This alternative arrangement comprises a singly carrier assembly 50 pivolally mounted about pivot piri 52 carried by the support structure 14. the carrier 50 comprises a pair of plates, one on each side of the conveyor, between which entend pairs of channel members 54 and angles 56 defining inwardly facing channels 58 in which the lower flanges of a pair of channel members 60 of the roller assemblies are slideably accommodated, the channel members 60 supporting the frames 62 carrying the lower rollers 64 of the roller assemblies.As before, there is provided a pair of roller assemblies, one on each side of the pivot axis 52 such that rotation of the carrier 50 moves one roller assembly out of engagement with the lower run 12 of the belt B as the other assembly moves into engagement with the belt.

In this instance the means for pivoting the carrier comprises a block 66 pivotally mounted on a bar 68 fixed to the carrier 50 and movable by a pair of opposed bolts 70 theadably mounted in blocks 72 fixed to the support structure 40 on each side of the block 66. Thus by slackening off one bolt 70 as the other is tightened the carrier assembly 50 pivots about the axis 52 to bring one assembly out of engagement with the be 1 t as the other moves into engagement with the belt.

As with the upper roller arrangement, a roller assembly can be readily removed for repair or refurbishment by sliding it transversely through the channels 58.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example the means for moving the roller assemblies may be hydraulic rather than manual.

The roller assemblies can be mounted in any convenient means which permits ready removal thereof when they are out of engagement with the belt. It is preferable, however, that the means are such that the rollers can be removed transversely from one side of the belt only, as this is of considerable importance when the belt is operating in a confined space, for example a mine roadway.

The structural assembly supporting the roller assemblies can take any convenient form.

Claims

CLAIMS:-

1. A roller arrangement for an endless belt conveyor comprising two roller assemblies, an assembly carrier fixed to the conveyor support structure and having the roller assembly mounted thereon and means for moving one of said assemblies out of engagement with the conveyor and the other into engagement with the conveyor.

2. A roller arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, in which the roller assemblies are mounted on a carrier pivotally mounted to the conveyor support structure.

3. A roller arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, in which the roller assemblies are linked together by a linkage so that movement of one assembly is accompanied by movement of the other assembly.

4. A roller assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, in which the pivotal axis about which the carriers are mounted to the structure is substantially midway between the top and bottom runs of the conveyor.

5. A roller assembly as cliamed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which each roller assembly comprises a plurality of rollers mounted on a frame having guide rails slideably mounted in channels provided on the carrier, whereby the rollers and the frame can be removed from the carrier when the assembly is out of contact with the belt.

6. A roller assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, in which the roller assemblies and carriers are mounted on the structure in such a way that one assembly and carrier counterbalances the other.

7. A roller assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6, in which the roller assemblies are mounted so that as one assembly is moved out of contact with the belt the other assembly comes into contact with the belt, thus ensuring that the belt is supported at all times.

8. A roller assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, in which a linkage connects the carriers for the roller assemblies and incorporates a screw threaded member, operation of which causes a simultaneous pivoting of both roller assemblies with their carriers about their pivot axis.

9. A roller assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, in which both roller assemblies are mounted on a single carrier pivotally mounted on the support framework of the structure about an axis midway between its end, a roller assembly being mounted at each end of the carrier.

10. A roller assembly arrangement as claimed in Claim 9, in which each roller assembly comprises a plurality of rollers mounted in a frame having guide rails slideably mounted within the channels on the carrier.

11. A roller arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

12. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.