GB2227703A

GB2227703A - Conveyor belt cutting device

Info

Publication number: GB2227703A
Application number: GB9002017A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Charles Ball
Original assignee: Mato Maschinen und Metallwarenfabrik Curt Matthaei GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Mato Maschinen und Metallwarenfabrik Curt Matthaei GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1989-02-02
Filing date: 1990-01-30
Publication date: 1990-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-30
Also published as: AU4864390A; DE4002116C2; DE4002116A1; AU616338B2; GB2227703B; GB9002017D0

Abstract

A cutting device 10 cuts a layer of material 34 from an end of a conveyor belt 36 in order to permit the cut ends then to be joined together. The device 10 is provided with a blade (32, Fig 2) that cuts off the layer 34 when the device 10 is moved along the conveyor belt end. The device 10 can be slidably mounted on an existing lacing machine 18 that is used to join together the conveyor belt ends after the cutting operation. The device is moved by a handle 30 via a pinion (20, Fig 2) and a rack 24. <IMAGE>

Description

CONVEYOR RFI-T CUTTING WVICF This invention relates to a cutting device

for cutting a layer of material frorn a conveyor belt.

According to the present invention, a cutting device for cutting a layer of material from a conveyor belt clamped to a support prior to joining two ends of the conveyor belt together, comprises: a body; engaging means for engaging the support so that the device can be moved along the support; and a blade for cutting a layer of material from the conveyor belt as the cutting device is moved along the support.

The support may comprise a frame upon which a longitudinally extending clarnp is mounted for clamping the conveyor belt in position. A longitudinally extending bed may also bp. mounted on the support frame. In a preferred form of the invention, when the conveyor belt is clamped to the frame.by the clarnp, the free transverse end of the belt lies on the bed. The bed may be adapted to receive a lacing head for securing the fastener to the belt. Preferably the support means is a lacing machine without its lacing head.

The engaging means may engage the bed of the lacing machine, and preferably the engaging rneans is a slide which can slide within a slideway provided in the bed.

The cutting device may include drive means for drivingly engaging the lacing machine. Preferably the drive r-neans is a pinion which can engage the bed in rack and pinion fashion, with the rack being provided on the bed. Thus as the pinion is rotated, the cutting device moves along the bed with the slide sliding within the slideway. The slide may include an aperture through which part of the pinion projects.

The pinion may be rotated via a gear train. Preferably the gear train provides a reduction ratio of approximately 3 to 1. A crank handle may be provided for rotating the gears of the gear train and the crank handle may be able to be disengaged from the gear train.

The blade may he adjustably mounted to the body of the cutting device so that the thickness of the layer of material skimmed from the conveyer belt can be varied by adjusting the position of the blade relative to the body.

- 2 A shoe may be mounted on the body for sliding along the top of the belt as the cutting device moves along the lacing machine. Preferably the shoe is located on the body in front of the blade so that the thickness of the layer of material cut from the belt can be determined by the gap between the shoe and the blade.

The invention will now be described by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the cutting device in use; and Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the cutting device.

Referring to the drawings, a cutting device 10 includes a body 12 and a slide 14 engageable with a slideway 16 of a lacing machine 18. The cutting device 10 has a pinion 20 which partially protrudes through a slot 22 in the slide 14. The pinion 20 engages with a rack 24 provided on a bed 26 of the lacing machine. The rack 24 comprises a plurality of spaced holes in the bed.

The pinion 20 is driven by a gear train 28 which provides a reduction ratio of 3:1. The gears of the gear train 28 are rotated via a handle 30 which can be disengaged from the gear train to prevent the handle rotating when the skimming device is placed in position on the lacing machine.

A blade 32 for skimming a layer of material 34 frorn a conveyor belt 36 is mounted on a bracket 38. The bracket 38 is adjustably mounted on a pressure shoe 42 via bolts 40. The pressure shoe 42 is r-nounted on the body 17 in front of the blade 32. The pressure shoe 42 is located in position via a bolt 44 and a triangular block 46, and also secured to the body via the bolt 44.

The conveyor belt 36 is clamped to the lacing machine 18 by a clamp 48. Legs 50 support the lacing machine in a raised position.

When it is desired to join two conveyor belts together, the cutting device is used in conjunction with the lacing machine to remove a layer 34 of the conveyor belt. The handle 30 is rotated and the cutting device moves along the lacing machine 18 with the blade removing the layer 34 from the conveyor belt. This reduces the thickness of the belt to enable belt fastening clips to be fitted over the end of the belt once the cutting device has been removed frorn the lacing machine. The fasteners are then secured to the belt by a lacing head (not shown) used in conjunction with the lacing machine.

The invention has the advantage that a lacing machine which was previously used only to fasten the fastening clips to the belt can now also be used for cutting a layer of material from the conveyor belt.

It can be appreciated that many modifications or variations of the invention are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a suitable support other than a lacing machine could be used to support the cutting device. Such a support could consist of a bed for the cutting device, a clarnp for clamping the conveyor belt, and legs for supporting the bed and the clamp in a raised position.

Claims

1. A cutting device for cutting a layer of material from a conveyor belt clamped to a support prior to joining two ends of the conveyor belt together, comprising: a body; engaging means for engaging the support so that the device can be moved along the support; and a blade for cutting a layer of material from the conveyor belt as the cutting device is moved along the support.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the engaging rneans comprises a slide for slidably engaging a slideway of the support.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising drive means for moving the device along the support.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the drive means is a gear for engaging a rack on the support.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a handle for rotating the gear to cause the device to move along the rack.

6. The device of claim 5, whorein a reduction gear train is interposed between the handle and the gear.

7. The device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the blade is adjustably mounted on the body so that the thickness of the layer of material skimmed from the conveyor belt can be varied by varying the position of the blade relative to the body.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a shoe mounted on the body and located in front of and above the blade so that the shoe can slide along the surface of the belt in front of the blade, with the vertical gap between the bottorn of the shoe and the blade determining the thickness of the layer of material cut from the belt.

9. The device of any one of claims 1 to 8 in combination with a support comprising a bed having a slideway and a rack extending therealong, and a clarnp for clamping the conveyor belt to the bed.

10. The device and support of claim 9, wherein the support is a lacing machine without its lacing head.

11. A cutting device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A cutting device and support substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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