GB2532045A

GB2532045A - A frame for a conveyor, and associated parts and systems

Info

Publication number: GB2532045A
Application number: GB1419797.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Toye Edward
Original assignee: Conveyor Units Ltd
Current assignee: Conveyor Units Ltd
Priority date: 2014-11-06
Filing date: 2014-11-06
Publication date: 2016-05-11
Also published as: GB201419797D0

Abstract

A conveyor frame (10, fig.1) features a projecting portion 30 extending from an end of a cross member 22, and an engagement arrangement 32 extending transversely from the end of the cross member 22. This dual engagement system may be repeated at a second end of the cross member 22. The projecting portion 30 may be received in a receiving means such as a channel (16, fig.1) of a first side portion (12, fig.1) of the frame (10, fig.1). The engagement arrangement 32 may further be attached to the first side portion (12, fig.1), such as by a screw. The dual engagement system is intended to use less materials than, and reduce the time of assembly when compared to, two bracket engagement systems, and to prevent rotation of the cross member 22, relative to the frame (10, fig.1).

Description

Title: A frame for a conveyor, and associated parts and systems

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a conveyor frame including a cross member, the cross member, a conveyor including the conveyor frame, and a conveyor system including the conveyor.

Conveyors such as belt conveyors, powered roller conveyors, gravity conveyors, and the like, are well known.

A typical conveyor frame, of a conveyor, has two side portions connected by a cross member (often known as a cross-brace'). It is well known for conveyor frames to have cross members to keep the side walls from moving relative to one another. Such cross members are typically held in position and connected to the side walls of the conveyor frame with a pair of brackets at both ends.

A problem with this method is that to connect bolts through each bracket and into the cross member and into the side walls is time consuming. Another problem is that using two brackets on each end of the cross member uses a lot of materials, and requires additional parts to be made especially for the conveyor frame.

The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more problems associated with the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a conveyor frame comprising a first side portion, having a first receiving arrangement; a second side portion, having a second receiving arrangement; and a cross member, configured to connect the side portions together; wherein the cross member includes a main body, with a first end and a second end, a projecting portion which extends from the first end of the main body in a direction substantially aligned with a first longitudinal axis of the main body, the projecting portion being configured to engage the first receiving arrangement, and an engagement arrangement transverse of the first end of the main body configured to engage the first side portion.

The first longitudinal axis may be a central longitudinal axis of the main body.

A second projecting portion may extend from the second end of the main body which may be in a direction substantially aligned with a second longitudinal axis of the main body and may be configured to engage the second receiving arrangement, and there may be a second engagement arrangement transverse of the second end of the main body of the cross member may be configured to engage the second side portion.

The main body may be elongate. The main body may be substantially uniform along its length.

The first projecting portion, and the first engagement arrangement may engage the first receiving arrangement of the first side portion.

The first and/or second projecting portion may be inserted into a receiving configuration of the cross member.

The first receiving arrangement of the first side portion and/or the second receiving arrangement of the second side portion may be defined by a channel.

The first projecting portion may be a spigot which is inserted into the first end 30 of the main body of the cross member.

According to a further aspect of the invention we provide a cross member including a projecting portion in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention we provide a conveyor including a conveyor frame in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

The conveyor may further include one or more belts, rollers or ball units.

According to a further aspect of the invention we provide a conveyor system including at least one conveyor with a conveyor frames in accordance to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the conveyor frame may further include one or more belts, rollers or ball units.

The conveyor system may further include a control system for controlling an aspect of the operation of the at least one conveyor.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a conveyor frame, Figure 2 shows a partial view of the conveyor frame, where a side portion has been removed, Figure 3 shows an expanded view of a first end of a cross member of the conveyor frame, and Figure 4 shows an expanded view of a projecting portion.

With reference to the figures, a conveyor frame 10 of a conveyor comprises a first side portion 12 and a second side portion 14, which are connected together by a cross member 20. All of which are typically aluminium metal extrusions, but may be manufactured of another material, such as a plastics material, or made using a different method to extruding.

Typically, a conveyor frame 10 is supported on legs to raise it to the desired height, and supports a conveyor belt, skate wheels, rollers, or other desired conveying mechanisms of the conveyor.

The first side portion 12 and the second side portion 14 are generally parallel to one another, and define the sides of the conveyor. The second side portion 14 may be generally a mirror image of the first side portion 12. Typically, the first and second side portions 12, 14 are elongate and substantially uniform along their length. They each have a receiving arrangement 16, which when the frame is assembled for use, faces inwardly and is located towards a lower portion. Extending upwardly from the receiving arrangement 16 is a substantially flat inner surface 40. The inner surface 40 typically defines apertures or another attaching arrangement 42 to allow rollers, skate wheels, belts or other desired conveying mechanisms to be supported on the conveyor frame 10. It should be appreciated that the receiving arrangement 16 could be located at many different heights along the inner surface 40 of the first and second side portion 12, 14.

The conveyor frame 10 has at least one cross member 20, configured to connect the first and second side portions 12, 14 together. Typically the conveyor will have multiple cross members 20 spaced apart along a length of 25 the conveyor frame 10.

One or more of the at least one cross members 20 each includes a main body 22. The main body 22 has a first end 24, and a second end 26 which opposes the first end 24 across a length of the main body 22. The main body 22 has a substantially uniform cross-section along its length, and may have an outer wall 48 with a substantially square or rectangular cross-section defined by four sides. The four sides define the general outer shape of the cross member 20. In some embodiments (such as that shown in figure 3), the inner cross-section 44 of the main body 22 is defined by four limbs 44a,b,c,d, forming a substantially X-shaped cross-section, extending away from a generally central aperture 46. Three of the sides of the outer wall 48 have a respective cut out portion 50. The cut out portions 50 and the X-shaped limbs 44a,b,c,d define channels 52 around the outside of the main body 22 and extending along the length of the main body 22.

One or more of the at least one cross members 20 include a projecting portion 30 extending from the first end 24 of the main body 22. The projecting portion 30 extends in a direction substantially aligned with a first longitudinal axis of the main body 22.

In some embodiments (shown in figure 3), the projecting portion 30 extends from a central axis of the main body 22. The projecting portion 30 may not be integral with the main body 22. The main body may have a receiving configuration defined by the central aperture 46. The projecting portion 30 may be a spigot with a cylindrical bottom portion 60 and a smaller cylindrical top portion 62. The cylindrical bottom portion 60 of the projecting portion 30 is, in such embodiments, configured to be inserted into the receiving configuration 46 of the main body 22, such that the top portion 62 extends outwardly from the main body 22.

It should be appreciated that the projecting portion 30 could be integral with the first end 24 of the main body 22, or the projecting portion 30 could be inserted into a different receiving configuration of the first end 24 of the main body 22. It is understood that the projecting portion 30 need not necessarily be aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the main body 22 (but is so aligned in some embodiments).

A portion of the projecting portion 30, which extends outwardly of the first end 24 (e.g. the top portion 62), is configured to engage the first receiving arrangement 16 of the first side portion 12. In some embodiments, the first receiving arrangement 16 is a channel 17, an open slot which is defined by a pair of opposing, inwardly extending, lips 18a,b. The projecting portion 30 is configured to be inserted into the channel 17.

It should be appreciated that the receiving arrangement 16 of the first side portion 12 need not be a channel, it could be an aperture designed to accommodate the projecting portion 30, or another means of engagement between the projecting portion 30 and the receiving arrangement 16.

The cross member 20 also includes an engagement arrangement 32 which is transverse of the first end 24 of the main body 22. In some embodiments, the engagement arrangement 32 has a first and a second surface 33, 34 which are substantially perpendicular to one another, and a brace portion 35. The brace portion 35 is a substantially triangular shaped joint member between the first and second surfaces 33, 34. The first surface 33 is configured to engage one of the channels 52 of the main body 22. It will be appreciated that any suitable means of engagement could be used to secure the engagement arrangement 32 to the main body 22 of the cross member 20 such as a nut and bolt, a screw, or a suitably strong adhesive.

The engagement arrangement 32 is configured to engage the first side portion 12. In some embodiments, the engagement arrangement 32 engages the receiving arrangement 16 of the first side portion 12. In this instance both the projecting portion 30 and the engagement arrangement 32 are substantially aligned with the receiving arrangement 16 in the first side portion 12 (in some embodiments the projecting portion 30 and the engagement arrangement 32 may be generally aligned in a horizontal plane with the receiving arrangement 16 also aligned).

The engagement arrangement 32 is configured to be secured to the first side portion 12 using a securing arrangement (not shown) extending through an aperture 36 defined in the second surface 34. The securing arrangement may be inserted into the receiving arrangement 16 in the first side portion 12. An anchoring portion (not shown) can be attached to the securing arrangement to hold the engagement arrangement 32 to the first side portion 12. It should be appreciated that this could be done with a bolt, or screw combination, or many other known securing arrangements.

However, it should be appreciated that the engagement arrangement 32 does not necessarily need to engage the receiving arrangement 16. The engagement arrangement 32 could easily be engaged using an aperture defined in the first side portion 12, or similar.

In some embodiments, the cross member 20 includes a second projecting portion (not shown) extending from the second end 26 of the main body 22, and a second engagement arrangement 64 extending transversely of the second end 26. The described arrangements above for how the first projecting portion 30 and the first engagement arrangement 32 engage the first side portion 12, apply analogously to the second projecting portion and second engagement arrangement 64 engaging the second side portion 14.

There are many advantages associated with using only one engagement arrangement 32, 64 at each of the first and second ends 24, 26 of the cross 30 member 20.

To assemble a standard conveyor frame, the cross member is assembled by positioning each engagement arrangement in the correct location, and holding the the engagement arrangements in place while they are secured (i.e. two engagement arrangements at each end of the cross member). Once the cross member is assembled it must then be fitted to the side portions of the conveyor frame. This is done manually and as such is a time consuming process.

The present invention, in embodiments, seeks to overcome this issue by removing one of the two standard engagement arrangements and using the projecting portion 30 with a view to reducing the fitting time of each cross member, whilst overcoming the problem of unacceptable rotation of the cross member 20 once the conveyor frame 10 is assembled.

Another advantage of using the projecting portion 30 is that it reduces the material used in constructing the conveyor frame 10. Thus making conveyor frames 10 of some embodiments cheaper to manufacture and more environmentally friendly than a standard conveyor frame.

In some embodiments, the conveyor may be part of a conveyor system. The conveyor system may include one or more conveyors and, in some embodiments may be controlled by a control system. The control system may be configured to control one or more aspects of the conveyor system, such as the speed of the conveyor belts, or rollers or the like, or the direction of the conveyor belt or roller movement.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

Claims: 1. A conveyor frame comprising: a first side portion, having a first receiving arrangement; a second side portion, having a second receiving arrangement; and a cross member, configured to connect the side portions together; wherein the cross member includes: a main body, with a first end and a second end, a projecting portion which extends from the first end of the main body in a direction substantially aligned with a first longitudinal axis of the main body, the projecting portion being configured to engage the first receiving arrangement, and an engagement arrangement transverse of the first end of the main body configured to engage the first side portion.
2. A conveyor frame according to claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal axis is a central longitudinal axis of the main body.
3. A conveyor frame according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a second projecting portion extends from the second end of the main body in a direction substantially aligned with a second longitudinal axis of the main body and is configured to engage the second receiving arrangement, and a second engagement arrangement transverse of the second end of the main body of the cross member is configured to engage the second side portion.
4. A conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body is elongate.
5. A conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body is substantially uniform along its length.
6. A conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first projecting portion, and the first engagement arrangement, engages the first receiving arrangement of the first side portion.
7. A conveyor frame according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or second projecting portion is inserted into a receiving configuration of the cross member.
8. A conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first receiving arrangement of the first side portion and/or the second receiving arrangement of the second side portion is defined by a channel.
9. A conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first projecting portion is a spigot which is inserted into the first end of the main body of the cross member.
10. A cross member including a projecting portion for use as part of a conveyor frame according to any one of the preceding claims.
11. A conveyor including a conveyor frame according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
12. A conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the conveyor further includes one or more belts, rollers or ball units.
13. A conveyor system including at least one conveyor according to claim 11 or claim 12.
14. A conveyor system according to claim 13, wherein the conveyor system further includes a control system for controlling an aspect of the operation of the at least one conveyor.
15. A conveyor frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A cross member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. A conveyor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
18. A conveyor system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.