GB2283721A

GB2283721A - Foldable belt conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2283721A
Application number: GB9323279A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick O'neill
Original assignee: NEILL PATRICK O
Current assignee: NEILL PATRICK O
Priority date: 1993-11-11
Filing date: 1993-11-11
Publication date: 1995-05-17
Also published as: GB9323279D0

Abstract

A foldable trough-belt conveyor has a four-bar pin-jointed linkage of beams which consist of a fixed member 4, 11 on the chassis of the bulk processing machines 1 and a first 4, 7 and second 7, 12 conveyor section and a link arm 13 all proportioned so that, when working, the first and second sections are aligned end-to-end and sloping upwards but when in the folded mode the first section 4, 7 lies horizontal and the second section 7, 12 is constrained to project upwards above the first section and where the first section has a king-pin 16 and rubbing plate 15 secured to its underside so that the processing unit and the conveyor sections can be hitched to and drawn by a tractor unit with a standard fifth wheel coupling. <IMAGE>

Description

A FOLDABLE TROUGHED-BELT CONVEYOR This invention relates to a troughed-belt conveyor for handling bulk materials and, in particular, it relates to foldable conveyors intended for use with mobile bulk processors such as screeners, crushers, stockpilers and the like which are constructed in the form of articulated semi-trailers for ease of transportion on the public highway.

Mobile bulk processors commonly incorporate troughed belt conveyors in order to move processed material to a stockpile or to some other secondary process located some distance away so the conveyor needs to be reasonably long.

The space available for such a long conveyor is constrained by Road Transport Regulations which limit the dimensions of road vehicles to it is well known to incorporate hinges, slides or links into conveyor frames in order to render them foldable.

There is need for a foldable discharge conveyor with a large extendable reach and which acquires this potential without adding greatly to the overall dimensions of the semi-trailer when it is folded for use on the public highway and which also incorporates the king-pin and rubbing plate which would otherwise have to be provided at considerable expenditure of space.

Such requirements are the subject of the present invention where there is provided a foldable throughed-belt conveyor comprising a four-bar pin-jointed linkage of beams which consists of a fixed member on the processing machine, a first conveyor section, a second conveyor section, and a link arm, all so proportioned and configurated that in a working position the first conveyor section and the second conveyor section are substantially aligned end-to-end and sloping upwardly, and in a folded position the first conveyor section lies in a substantially horizontal plane above ground level where the second conveyor section is constrained to project generally upwards above the first conveyor section and where the first conveyor section has a standard king-pin and rubbing plate secured to its underside in such a position that the processing machine and the conveyor assembly can be hitched and drawn by a tractor unit equipped with a standard fifth wheel coupling.It will be apparent that considerable space is saved by incorporating the king-pin into the conveyor unit and that in the working position the king-pin is raised clear of the working area and does not hinder access to the process but nevertheless a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a two section conveyor in its working position.

Figure 2 shows the same conveyor of Figure 1 in its folded mode.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a three section conveyor in its folded mode and Figure 4 shows the conveyor of Figure 3 in its working position.

Referring to the drawings the foldable troughed-belt conveyor comprises a processing machine, 1, supported on road wheels 2, and semi-trailer landing legs 3 and whose chassis incorporates two pairs of pivot points 4 and 11.

The foldable conveyor consists of a tail section 5 and a head section 6 which are hinged connected at 7 and in the working position illustrated they are axially aligned endto-end and upwardly sloping at a typical angle of 200 to the horizontal. At the tail end of the tail section 5 there is mounted a conveyor tail drum 8 and at the head end of the head section 6 there is mounted a motorised head drum 9 and over these drums there is stretched a conveyor belt 10 which is supported at intervals along its length by troughing idlers in the usual manner.This conveyor assembly is pivotally support adjacent to its lowermost end upon the pivots 4 in the chassis of the processor 1 and it is supported adjacent to the tail end of its head section 6 by a pair of link arms 13 which are pivotally connected at their innermost ends to the chassis of the machine 1 at the points 11 and at their outermost ends to the pivot points 12 on the head section 6 of the assembly. It will be apparent that bulk processed material may be arranged to fall on to the tail section of the conveyor belt 10 where it will be carried and elevated over the head drum 9 and hence to the stockpile 14. The described assembly is actually a four-bar linkage where the links are: (l)a fixed link comprising the processor chassis between the pivot points 4 and 11.

(2)a moveable linkcomprising the tail section of the conveyor between pivot points 4 and 7.

(3)a moveable link comprising the head section of the conveyor between pivot points 7 and 12.

(4) a movable link comprising the link arms 13 between pivot points 11 and 12.

Referring particularly to Figure 2 the same described assembly is shown in its folded mode wherein the tail section 5 of the conveyor is seen to be constrained by the four-bar linkage to lie in a horizontal plane beween 600mm and 1200mm above the surface of the ground and the head section 6 is seen to be folded upwards above the tail section 5 in such a way that the highest point of the head drum 9 is substantially level with the highest point of the processor 1. A semi-trailer rubbing plate 15 and a king-pin 16 are secured to the underside of the tail section 5 of the conveyor and it is arranged that in the folded mode the whole assembly can engage with a fifth wheel coupling of a tractor unit so that it can be transported as a conventional articulated semi-trailer.

Movement of the linkage between its folded mode (Figure 2)and its operating position (Figure 1) may be effected with assistance from a loading shovel,crane or other external means but preferably such movement can be effected using hydraulic cylinders fitted across the pivot connections between any pair of adjacent links but preferably across the pivot connection 7 between links the described links 2 and 3. Figure 3 shows an identical linkage in its folded mode but in this embodiment the head section 6 has been replaced by an intermediate section 17 which is identical with the head section 6 except that at its head end it carries, not the head drum 9, but a pivot connection 19 to a new head section 18 which is folded so as to lie along the top of the processor 1.As previously described the rubbing plate 15 and the king-pin 16 are positioned so that the whole assembly can be engaged with a fifth wheel coupling of a tractor.

This three section conveyor in its working position is depicted in Figure 4 and it is apparent that the assembly 5,17 and 18 are now exceptionally long in relation to the processor 1 and that the stockpile 21 contains considerably more material that the stockpile 14. The head section 18 of the three section conveyor may be moved between its folded mode (Figure 3) and its working position (Figure 4) relative to the intermediate section 17 by means of external assistance from a loading shovel or a crane but preferably it may be actuated by a pair of hydraulic cylinders fitted across the pivot connection 19 between the sections 17 and 18 or if desired it may be actuated by a secondary four-bar linkage made up of the conveyor sections 5, 17 and 18 and a pair of links running between pivot connections(not shown) on the sections 5 and 18. Because of the exceptional reach of the conveyor in its working position a pair of guy wires 20 which reach from the chassis of the processor 1 to some point roughly one third up the length of the head section 18 are preferably provided in order to stabilise and support the assembly and remove the bending stresses from the lowermost components.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments of the present invention are possible, for example if two folding sections of conveyor were used somewhat as shown in Figures 1 and 2 but a preliminary permanently sloping section was rigidly fixed to the chassis of the processor to the rear of the landing legs this would enable material to be collected from the process at a lower and more central locaiton under the machine.

Claims

1. A foldable troughed-belt conveyor comprises a fourbar pin-jointed linkage of beams which consists of a fixed member on the processing machine,a first conveyor section, a second conveyor section and a link arm,all so proportionated and configurated that in a working position the first conveyor section and the second conveyor section are substantially aligned end-to-end and sloping upwardly, and in a folded position the first conveyor section lies in a substantially horizontal plane above ground level where the second conveyor section constrained to project generally upwards above the first conveyor section and where the first conveyor section has a standard king-pin and rubbing plate secured to its underside in such a position that the processing machine and the conveyor assembly can be hitched and drawn by a tractor unit with a standard fifth wheel coupling.

2. A foldable troughed-belt conveyor as in Claim 1 wherein the folding and unfolding operations are achieved by the use of one or more hydraulic cylinders which operate between any pair of adjacent links.

3. A foldable troughed-belt conveyor according to any of the above Claims which forms part of transportable screening or or processor of bulk materials.

4. A foldable troughed-belt conveyor substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.