GB2282115A

GB2282115A - Interconnecting conveyor modules

Info

Publication number: GB2282115A
Application number: GB9319504A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kelvin Taylor Robertson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-09-22
Filing date: 1993-09-22
Publication date: 1995-03-29
Also published as: GB9319504D0

Abstract

With a hook portion 13 of one module connected to the bar 14 of another module a limited amount of relative tilting movement from the position shown by 10a to the position shown by 10b is permitted with the bar 14 being unable to pass through the gap 17. When the module moves to the position shown in 10c at which it is perpendicular to trailing module 10d then the hook portion can be lifted off the bar 14 as, in that position, the narrower cross-sectional dimension of the rod 14 extends across the opening 17. Connection is a reversal of the disconnection procedure. <IMAGE>

Description

CONVEYORS The present invention relates to a conveyor arrangement, a method of connecting a plurality of modules together to form a conveyor arrangement, a kit of parts to form a conveyor and a conveyor module adapted to be included in a conveyor arrangement.

According to one aspect of the present invention a conveyor arrangement includes a plurality of modules, the modules being adapted to be attached to each other by causing relative movement between the modules.

Adjacent modules may be movable relative to each other between a first position in which they can be attached or detached from each other and a second position. In the second position the modules may be arranged to be prevented from being detached from each other by relative translational movement.

Movement from the first to the second position may be arranged to be achieved by causing relative turning movement between the modules, for instance by causing relative pivotal movement which turning or pivotal movement may be arranged to be about an axis extending transversely to the intended direction of travel.

Adjacent modules may be adapted to turn or pivot relative to each other when they are connected to a position intermediate the first and second positions in which intermediate position the adjacent modules are prevented from being detached from each other by relative translational movement.

Adjacent modules, when moving from the first to the second position may be arranged to have adjacent portions move relative to each other towards each other.

A hook portion in one module may be arranged to cooperate with a rod portion of an adjacent module. The rod portion may have a cross section other than circular and may include one cross dimension less than or equal to the smallest dimension across the opening of the hook portion and may have another cross dimension greater than the smallest dimension across the hook portion. The centre of the rod portion may be located further from the supporting surface of the module than it is from the opposed surface. The hook portion may be of increased depth at a region located between the opposed ends defining the opening to the hook portion.

The rod portion may be formed integrally with the conveyor module or may be connected thereto.

One module may be arranged to be attached to two adjacent modules on a leading or trailing side or both.

One module may be arranged to be attached to another module of different width, for instance of half width.

The present invention also includes a conveyor arrangement including a plurality of modules as herein referred to connected to each other.

The present invention also includes a method of connecting a plurality of modules together to form a conveyor arrangement, the method comprising causing relative movement between adjacent modules to effect their connection.

The present invention also includes a kit of parts comprising a plurality of conveyor modules as herein referred to which are adapted to be connected to each other by causing relative movement between the modules to form a conveyor.

The kit of parts may be arranged to form conveyors of different widths, for instance by locating modules sideby-side.

The kit of parts may include modules of different widths, for instance one module may be twice the width of another.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways but several embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures la to le are plan views showing the relationship between various interconnected conveyor modules; Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing how modules are connected together, and Figure 3 is a detailed side view of two connected modules.

Figure la shows two modules 10 which are intended to travel in the direction shown by arrow 11. The modules are of equal width and each includes two spaced leading hook portions 12 and two axially spaced and co-axially aligned bars 14. The hook portions 13 of the trailing module 10 are engaged with the bars 14 of the leading module 10 to connect the modules together. The way that the modules are connected will be described later.

Figure lb is a view of two modules 15 of twice the width of the modules 10 with each of the modules 15 including four leading hook portions 13 and four spaced co-axial bars 14. Again the leading hook portions of the trailing module 15 hook over and cooperate with the bars 14 of the leading module 15.

Figure 1c shows a leading line of modules made up of two adjacent modules 15 and a module 10 at one end with a line of trailing modules also including two modules 15 and a module 10 at one end. The module 10 of the leading line of modules is at the opposite end to the module 10 of the trailing line of modules. In this way, both the lines of modules are of equal width. However, one of the trailing modules 15 cooperates with the hook portions from the leading module 10 and two of the hook portions from one of the leading modules 15 in order to strengthen the conveyor belt and help prevent any tendency for the modules 10 and 15 in the leading line of modules to move away from each other in a direction transverse to the intended direction of travel.Similarly, the hook portions of the other trailing module 15 cooperate with two of the hook portions of each of the leading modules 15 in order to assist in preventing those leading modules 15 from coming away from each other in the direction transverse to the intended direction of travel. Conversely, the leading modules also cooperate with the joints between the aligned trailing modules to help prevent them from coming apart.

Figure ld shows a conveyor of less width than the conveyor shown in Figure ic with the conveyor shown in Figure ld having a leading row of modules comprising one module 15 and one module 10 and a corresponding trailing row of modules with the leading and trailing modules cooperating with each other to assist in preventing any tendency for the modules in any row coming part in a direction transverse to the intended direction of travel.

Figure le shows a conveyor having a width between the widths of the conveyors shown in Figures lc and ld with a leading row including two modules 15 and a trailing row including, in series, a module 10, a module 15 and a further module 10. Again the modules in the leading and trailing rows cooperate with each other to help prevent them from coming apart in the direction transverse to the intended direction of travel.

It can be seen that a large variety of widths of conveyors can be built up using the modules 10 and 15.

The modules 10 are of half the width of the modules 15.

The upwardly facing surface of the conveyor is presented by a substantially flat surface formed by each of the modules and by the joints between each of the modules in both the leading and trailing direction and in a direction across the conveyor.

The bars 14 can be formed integrally with the modules 10 or 15, for instance by moulding. Alternatively, the bars 14 can be comprised by a separate rod which can be pushed in to openings in the associated module or alternatively or additionally which can be secured thereto, for instance by adhesion or welding.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the way in which leading and trailing modules cooperate with each other, be they modules 10 or modules 15. The rod 14 is non circular in cross-section with the rod having a greater dimension in a direction parallel to the flat supporting surface 16 with which the rod is associated and having a lesser direction in a direction transverse thereto. The hook portions include an opening 17 which faces away from the flat supporting surface 16 with the opening 17 being narrower than the widest cross-sectional dimension of the bar 14 but the same as, or slightly bigger than the narrowest cross-section of the bar 14.

When the hook portion 13 of one module is connected to the bar 14 of another module, a limited amount of relative tilting movement from the position shown by 10a to the position shown by 10b is permitted with the bar 14 still being unable to pass through the gap 17. That limited amount of movement allows the conveyor to go around an end drive to travel on a reverse run without there being any chance that the adjacent modules can become detached from each other.

When the module moves to the position shown in lOc, at which it is perpendicular to the trailing module lOd, then the hook portion can be lifted off the bar 14 as, in that position, the narrower cross-sectional area of the rod 14 extends across the opening 17.

Thus the conveyor modules can be quickly and conveniently assembled or disassembled and any faulty module can be quickly repaired.

It can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that the centre of the opening in the hook portion is spaced further from the upper surface of the module than it is from the lower surface and accordingly, as the module is moved from the position shown in Figure 10c to the figure shown in Figure 10a, the outer surface of the hook portion moves from the position shown at 13c to the position shown in 13a via the position shown at 13b and accordingly any opening between the adjacent surfaces of the module is closed up upon assembly.

The off centre arrangement of the opening in the hook portion has a further effect. The maximum bending moment is exerted on the hook portion, when one conveyor module pulls on another, about a line extending vertically upwards from the centre of the opening (when viewed in Figure 2). Accordingly, the modules are formed with a considerable depth of and thus great strength of material at that region where the maximum force occurs and is thus better designed to resist any such bending moments.

Claims

1. A conveyor arrangement including a plurality of modules, the modules being adapted to be attached to each other by causing relative movement between the modules.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 in which adjacent modules are movable relative to each other between a first position in which they can be attached or detached from each other and a second position.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 in which, in the second position, the modules are arranged to be prevented from being detached from each other by relative translational movement.

4. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which movement from the first to the second position is arranged to be achieved by causing relative turning movement between the modules.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4 in which movement from the first to the second position is arranged to be achieved by causing relative pivotal movement between the modules.

6. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the relative turning or pivotal movement between the modules is arranged to be about an axis extending transversely to the intended direction of travel.

7. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 4 to 6 in which adjacent modules are adapted to turn or pivot relative to each other when they are connected to a position intermediate the first and second positions in which intermediate position the adjacent modules are prevented from being detached from each other by relative translational movement.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 7 in which adjacent modules, when moving from the first to the second position, are arranged to have adjacent portions moved relative to each other towards each other.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which a hook portion in one module is arranged to cooperate with a rod portion of an adjacent module.

10. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 in which the rod portion has a cross-section other than circular.

11. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 10 in which the rod portion has one cross-section dimension less than or equal to the smallest dimension across the opening of the hook portion.

12. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 11 in which the rod portion has another cross-section dimension greater than the smallest dimension across the hook portion.

13. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 12 in which the centre of the rod portion is located further from the supporting surface of the module than it is from the opposed surface.

14. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 13 in which the hook portion is of increased depth at a region located between the opposed ends defining the opening to the hook portion.

15. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 14 in which the rod portion is formed integrally with the conveyor module.

16. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 14 in which the rod portion is connected to the conveyor module.

17. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which one module is arranged to be attached to two adjacent modules on a leading side.

18. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which one module is arranged to be attached to two adjacent modules on a trailing side.

19. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which one module is arranged to be attached to another module of different width.

20. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 19 in which one module is arranged to be attached to another module of half width.

21. A conveyor arrangement substantially as herein referred to with reference to, and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.

22. A conveyor including a plurality of modules as herein referred to when connected to each other.

23. A method of connecting a plurality of modules together to form a conveyor arrangement, the method comprising causing relative movement between adjacent modules to effect their connection.

24. A method of connecting a plurality of modules together to form a conveyor arrangement, the method being substantially as herein referred to with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

25. A kit of parts comprising a plurality of conveyor modules as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 21 which are adapted to be connected to each other by causing relative movement between the modules to form a conveyor.

26. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 25 which is arranged to form conveyors of different widths.

27. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 26 which are arranged to form conveyors of different widths by locating modules side by side.

28. A kit of parts as claimed in any of Claims 25 to 27 including modules of different widths.

29. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 28 including one module of twice the width of another module.