IE47016B1

IE47016B1 - Conveyor system

Info

Publication number: IE47016B1
Application number: IE1322/78A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Baker Perkins Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1977-06-30
Filing date: 1978-06-30
Publication date: 1983-11-30
Also published as: ES472022A1; IT1103802B; SE7807400L; FR2395920A1; NL7807097A; IT7812685A0; BE868644A; NO782277L; IE781322L; GB1602113A; DE2828795A1; ZA783759B; DK298878A

Abstract

The conveyor according to the invention is formed of links 1 which support each of the support members 12 which extend laterally and each of which is formed of a head 3 and two arms 2 secured to the head. Pivot elements and support 4 can rotate in the head 3 and are held in position by transverse shafts 5 which are attached to the arm 2. The elements 4 comprise parts 7 which are guided by guide rails 9 and 11 with portions which engage a drive element 18 formed of a worm screw and serving to drive the conveyor. Applications: treatment of food products. [FR2395920A1]

Description

The present invention provides conveyor systems as set forth in Claims 1 and 13, apparatus as se forth in Claim 14 and a method as set forth in Claim 15. Preferred features of the invention are set fort.i in Claims 2 to 12.

The conveyor system o. the invention can be used for example in conveying food product: during heating, cooling, freezing, drying, baking or other processes.

Thus, according to the spec! ic use, the conveyor system can be arranged to permit access of toe ambient atmosphere to the food products, to function in conditions of extreme heat or cold as appropriate, to negotiate changes of direction in both horizontal and vertical planes (in the preferred construction of Claim 3, the pivot members control the movement of the chain in both the horizontal and vertical planes), and/or to run satisfactorily without contaminating the conveyed products with lubricant or suffering excessive wear. The conveyor system can be arranged to be of relatively economical construction.

The track may conveniently be formed from metal rails whose edges may be covered with U-sc ction plastics strip to reduce wear, if the temperatures expected are not too high, or with extruded metal strip. In general, the track may be of any desired confijura .ion to suit particular requirements, and may include bends in both '»υ 1 g vertical and horizontal planes. The track can serve to continues sly guide the links and keep the conveyor aligned with the configuration of the traci; over the entire length of the track.

The invention will ie further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a conveyor system in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the conveyor system to an enlarged scale; Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a link of the conveyor system with associated carrier members; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a length of a chain formed by the links of the conveyor system; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view of part of the conveyor and track, showing a drive sprocket for the conveyor system.

The conveyor system shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a chain (Figure 4) of links 1 which are of fork-like configuration with arms 2 extending from a generally cylindrical head 3. Each link head 3 has a vertical bore rotably accommodating the upper end of a respective pivot member in the form of a spigot 4, which in turn has a transverse bore rotatably accommodating a respective tubular connecting pin 5, each end of which passes through and i ; fixed to a respective arm 2 of the adjacent link.

In an alternative (not shown), the connecting pins 5 cou id be fixed to the respective spigots 4 and be rotably accaimodhtad in the arms 2. The connecting 7 016 - 4 pins 5 locate the spigots 4 in the heads and interconnect the links 1. The connecting pins 5 provide for relative pivoting of the links 1 about a horizontal axis, while to permit relative pivoting about a vertical axis, openings 6 in the side of the link heads 3 accommodating the connecting pins 5 are elongated to allow eacii pin 5 and associated spigot 4 to rotate in the respective link head 3 (see Figures 3 and 5). The upper part of the spigot 4 provides a relatively large wear surface for the relative movement between the two adjacent links 1, and this reduces wear and reduces the gradual extension of the chain v ith use. The links 2 may be of d:.e cast aluminium and the spigots 4 of oil-filled piastres so as to be self-lubricating if the operating temperatures permit.

Tne spigots 4 extend downwardly from the links 1 and are each provided with a neck formation 7 (Figure 2) so as to be local able in the gap between a pair of stationary parallel, opposed guide rail edges 8 serving as a track to support ami guide the linics 1. The edges 8 are formed on steel angle rails 9 and may be covered with Usection plastics strip 10 to reduce wear, if the operating temperatures permit, or with extruded metal strip. Beneath the neck formation 7, each spigot 4 has a base portion 11 wh ch can be of elongated form as :en in plan so as to permit the base portion 11, when in a longitudinal orientation, to be passed through the gs, between the r iii edges 8. The spigot is then rotates through a rig it angle to locate the neck formation 7 securely in t le gap with the base portion 11 in a transverse orients iron relative to the track.

Carrier members 12 foi' carrying the products to be conveyed extend from the links 1 transversely of the chain on each side thereof. The carrier members are formed of lengths of wire, and in the preferred arrangement shown, are of an elongated U-shape or hair-pin 7 016 - 5 shape with the end of one limb of each U received in the tubular connecting pin 5 of the associated link 1, and the end of the other limb being received in a similar tubular pin 13 extending through the link arms 2 (see Figures 2 and 3). As may be seen in Figure 5, the arms 2 of the links 1 are each formed with a pair of spaced recesses 14 on their upper edges to accommodate respective limbs of the carrier members 12, which extend across the links 1 and have their ends bent over as shown in Figure 2 to be received in the opposite ends of the tubular pins 5 and 13 to the direction of extent of the major portion of the members 12. As may be seen in Figure 3, one limb of each carrier member 12 is formed with a protuberance 15 arranged to engage between the two arms 2 of the associated link 1 and hold the member 12 in place. This arrangement provides a releasable retaining means. The members 12 may be simply replaced individually by disengaging the protuberances 15 from the arms 2 of the associated link 1 and sliding the ends of the limbs of the members 12 out of the tubular pins 5, 13 in which they are received.

As shown in Figure 2, the carrier members 12 are supported at or near their ends remote from the chain on support rails 16 extending parallel to the guide track formed by the rails 9. Like the rails 9, the edges of the rails 16 may be covered with plastics strip 10 to reduce wear if the operating temperatures permit, or with extruded metal strip. The rails 9 and 16 are connected together to form a rigid track by suitable means such as transversely extending bolts 17 spaced along the length of the track.

Figure 5 shows one form of drive means for the conveyor system, which consists of a driven sprocket wheel 21 rotating on a horizontal axis 22 extending transversely of the conveyor and adapted to engage with the tubular pins 13. There are preferably two such 7016 sprocket wheels, one arranged on each side of the chain of links 1, and these wheels are preferably formed with shallow notches 23 so as to engage smoothly with the tubular pins 13.

The conveyor system particularly described above can be incorporated in apparatus for processing food products, for example in a cooler or in an oven, for conveying food products through the apparatus.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A conveyor system comprising: a chain of links each pivotable relative to the adjacent link about substantially mutually perpendicular first and transverse axes which, when the link is in a horizontal run of the conveyor, are respectively substantially vertical and substantially hori zontal and transverse; tubular pins projecting transversely from the links; carrier members formed of lengths of wire which extend from the links, the lengths of wire being received in the tubular pins; a stationary track for supporting she conveyor and for providing lateral guidance for the motion of the chain and also preventing substantial movement parallel to the first axis in each sense; and a sprocket wheel bes.de the path of the links for engaging projecting portions of the tubular pins and driving the links along.

2. The conveyor system of Claim 1, wherein members depend from the links and engage the track for the guidance of the links.

3. The conveyor system of Claim 1 or 2, wherein each link comprises a head and at least one generally longitudinally-extending arm fixed to the her d ? the head receiving a pivot member which can pivot relative to the head about the first axis and which is connected to the arm of the adjacent link for relative pivoting movement between the pivot member and the arm, about the transverf e axis, 4. 7 016 - 8 by means of a transverse connecting pin carried by the pivot member, the track guiding the pivot members.

4. The conveyor system of Claim 3, wherein the pivot members have depending neck formations locat5 able in the gap between a pair of opposed guide rail edges forming part of the track.

5. The conveyor system of Claim 3 or 4, wherein the head of each link is of hollow, generally cylindrical shape with its axis substantially coincident with 10 said first axis, and has two arms fixed thereto ind passing on either side of the head of one of the adjacent links, the pivot member being received in the head, and said connecting pin passing through transverse hales in the pivot member,in the sides of the head and in the 13 end portions of the arms of the adjacent link, to connect the adjacent link to the pivot member and hence to the head, the holes in the sides of the head being elongated in t.he longitudinal sense to allow pivoting movement about said first axis between the pivot member 20 and the head, no substantial pivoting movement ibout an axis parallel to said first axis occurring between the pivot member and the adjacent link.

6. The conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein at least one end of each length 25 of wire is received in the end of a said tubular pin.

7. The conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein releasable retaining means are provided for holding the lengths of wire in position with respect to the links. 30

8. The conveyor system of Claim 7, wherein each link has two transversely-spaced, longitudinallyextending arms, and the respective carrier member is 4 'ί υ ι ο - 9 formed of two engths of wire, each length projecting out a respecti/e side of the link and the lengths of wire each havi lg one end received in the end of a said tubular pin th? top edges of the arms being formed with recesses for receiving parts of the carrier member where the lengths of wire pass over the arms, each length of wire being of elongated U-shape as seen from above and both limbs of the length being of J-shape, lying on its side, as seen looking longitudinally, each limb extending from its respective end, up and over the top of the link, extending through the respective recess, and out the other side of the link where it is connected to the other limb at the remote end of the carrier member to forn the U-shape, at least one 1 .mb of each length being deformed adjacent the link to ensure that the part of the length which passes over the top of the link must be moved out of position by movement normal to the transverse direction before the end of the length can be removed from the hole by movement in the transverse direction.

9. The conveyor system of Claim 8, wherein, in addition to tie hole in the end of said tuiular pin, there is a further transversely-extending lole position ed on the outer side of each arm, these t-ro holes receiving the two ends of each respective length of wire, there being t-Ό recesses in the top edge of each arm, in the same vertical transverse planes as the holes.

10. Th? conveyor system of Claim 9, wherein the further holes are provided in the arms by means of the ends of a said connecting pin, which is εIso tubular.

11. Th? conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the tubular pins whf ch are engaged by the sprocket wheels are spaced longitudinally from the transverse pivot axes between the links. 4 7 016 - 10

12. The conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the carrier members extend from the links transversely of the chaii and support rails extend parallel to the track for supporting the carrier 5 members at positions remote from the chain.

13. A conveyor system, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

14. Apparatus for processing food products and 10 having the conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims for conveying food products therethrough.

15. A method of conveying food products during processing, comprising using the conveyor system of any one of the preceding Claims.