GB2334012A

GB2334012A - Belt cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2334012A
Application number: GB9902538A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Gerard Keenan; Kevin Michael Keenan; Richard Thomas Seymour
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-02-04
Filing date: 1999-02-04
Publication date: 1999-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 2019-02-04
Also published as: GB9902538D0; GB2334012B; IES980072A2; IES81019B2; IE990079A1

Abstract

A belt cleaner for cleaning a belt of a conveyor comprises an enclosure 20 adapted to be fitted to the underside of the conveyor and through which the belt is passed in use. The apparatus has a leading edge seal 25, a trailing edge seal 26, two side edge seals 27 and spray bar 28 for directing one or more jets of water at a surface of the belt contained between the sealing elements 25,26,27. The belt is cleaned by action of the jets of water on the surface of the belt. The enclosure 20 may be mounted on the conveyor using a support frame and mounting brackets 22 provided with spring-loaded fasteners 24. The belt cleaner is particularly useful for cleaning chevron type belts which are used in material conveyors to convey materials such as sand up a slope.

Description

BELT CLEANER The present invention relates to apparatus for cleaning the belts of material conveyors, in particular chevron belts which are used in material conveyors to convey material such as sand up a slope, as for example in stockpilers.

Chevron belts are belts having raised formations generally in the shape of chevrons which retain material such as sand on a belt. The formations may of course be in other shapes but the term chevron belt will be used throughout the specification. Material such as sand whether it is wet or dry will slide on a smooth belt which is sloped, unless there are formations to hold it. The difficulty with chevron belts is that sand, particularly wet sand, will stick to the formations so that all of the sand is not dislodged from the chevron belt at the end of a conveyor. However, the sand then dislodges from the belt all along its return cycle and collects on the support framework and at the tail end of the conveyor. No satisfactory system of cleaning chevron belts is currently available.

The invention seeks to alleviate the difficulties in cleaning chevron belts.

The present invention provides apparatus for cleaning a belt of a conveyor comprising an enclosure adapted to be fitted to the underside of the conveyor and through which the belt is passed in use, the apparatus having a leading edge sealing element, a trailing edge sealing element, two side edge sealing elements and water jet means for directing one or more jets of water at surface of the belt contained between the sealing elements whereby the belt is cleaned by action of the jets of water on the surface of the belt.

Preferably the enclosure is mounted on the conveyor by mounting means comprising a support frame and conveniently the mounting means further include mounting brackets.

Ideally, the mounting brackets are provided with spring loaded fasteners.

Advantageously the water jet means include a water feed pipe, a water return pipe and at least one spray bar or water jet means extending through the enclosure for directing water at the surface of the belt and the spray bar includes a plurality of spray jets for directing water under pressure at the surface of the belt. Conveniently, the enclosure includes a water outlet which is connected to the water return pipe for directing water back to a water inlet.

The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only two embodiments of a belt cleaning apparatus according to the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a conveyor with a first embodiment of a belt cleaner attached to its underside; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the belt cleaner of Figure 1 on a larger scale; Figure 3 is a plan view of the belt cleaner of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of a belt cleaning apparatus according to the invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of the apparatus of the second embodiment with the apparatus shown disassembled; Figure 6 is a plan view of the steel blank from which the apparatus of the second embodiment is manufactured.

Referring to Figure 1 to 3 of the drawings, the belt cleaner 10 of the first embodiment is mounted on the underside of conveyor 1, with the return cycle of belt 2 passing through the belt cleaner. The belt 2 is a chevron belt and conveys sand from the tail end 3 to the head end 4 of the conveyor where the sand falls from the conveyor to be transferred to another conveyor (not shown) or stockpiler. Connected to the belt cleaner 10 are water feed pipe 11 and water return pipe 12.

Referring to Figure 2, the belt cleaner 10 comprises an enclosure 20 which is mounted on the conveyor 1 to a support frame 30 by mounting brackets 22 having spring loaded fasteners 24. A rubber seal 25 is located at the leading edge of the belt cleaner 10 and a rubber seal 26 is located at the trailing edge. A pair of side rubber seals 27 completes the sealed area about the belt 2 passing through the cleaner. A spray bar 28 extends through the enclosure 20 and has a plurality of spray jets 29 which direct water under pressure at the belt to clean any sand lodged on the chevrons 5. The water is then directed out of the enclosure 20 by a water outlet 35 to which is connected the water return pipe 12.

Due to the nature of the chevron belt 2, the outer edges do not have any chevrons 5, therefore the side rubber seals 27 are made from hard wearing skirting rubber, with the rubber seals 25 and 26 being manufactured from a more flexible softer rubber allowing it to seal in and around the contours of the chevron belt.

As the belt 2 passes through the belt cleaner 10, the action of the water jets 29 and the rubber seals 25 and 26 removes the sand from the belt 2.

Removal of the sand from the chevron belt 2 lubricates the belt and rollers and prevents them from clogging up.

One side benefit from the apparatus of the present invention, is that water may be diverted by an adapter (not shown) from the enclosure 20 be directed onto the underside of the belt which removes any frost or ice which has collected thereon on winter mornings.

The second embodiment of the belt cleaner of the present invention, is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The belt cleaner of the second embodiment is indicated generally by reference numeral 210. The main chassis of the conveyor is indicated by reference numeral 201.

The conveyor includes a chevron belt 202 which is moving in the direction of arrow A indicated in Figure 4. The belt cleaner 210 includes an enclosure 220 which is mounted on the conveyor 201 by a support bracket 230. Adjustment means 231 are provided to assist the secure attachment of the belt cleaner 210 to the conveyor 201. The adjustrnent means comprises studs which can be inserted through slots provided in the support frame 230.

Rubber seals 225, 226 and side rubber seals 227 are provided on the belt cleaner 210. The side rubber seals 227 are secured to steel support plates 230 by bolts 231. An outlet pipe 212 leads from outlet hole 213. Two elongate spray bars 232 and 233 extend transversely across the enclosure 220, the spray bars 232 and 233 having a plurality of spray jets 234 arranged along the length thereof. The spray bars 232 and 233 are joined by a flexible hose 235 through which the water supply is fed under pressure as in the first embodiment.

The steel blank from which the enclosure 220 is made from is shown in Figure 3. The dimensions of the blank are shown in that drawing but are to be taken as illustrative examples only. The dimensions of the enclosure and of the belt cleaner itself can vary in scale and proportion depending on the particular size and construction of the conveyor apparatus.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for cleaning a belt of a conveyor comprising an enclosure adapted to be fitted to the underside of the conveyor and through which the belt is passed in use, the apparatus having a leading edge sealing element, a trailing edge sealing element, side edge sealing elements and water jet means for directing one or more jets of water at a surface of the belt contained between the sealing elements, whereby the belt is cleaned by action of the jets of water on the surface of the belt.

2. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure is mounted on the conveyor by mounting means comprising a support frame.

3. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting means further include mounting brackets.

4. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mounting brackets are provided with spring-loaded fasteners.

5. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the water jet means include a water feed pipe, a water return pipe and at least one spray bar extending through the enclosure for directing water at the surface of the belt.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the water jet means comprises a plurality of elongate spray bars extending transversely across the enclosure.

7. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the or each spray bar includes a plurality of spray jets for directing water under pressure at the surface of the belt. s. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the elongate spray bars are joined by a flexible hose which is connectable to a water supply.

9. An apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the enclosure includes a water outlet which is connected to a water return pipe for directing water back to a water inlet.

10.Apparatus for cleaning the belt of a conveyor substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.