MX2007001858A - Tube conveyer with sealing belt edges. - Google Patents

Abstract

A tubular conveyor for conveying grain or seed includes an intake end having a first roller and a discharge end having a second roller. A tubular portion is disposed between the intake end and the discharge end. A continuous flexible conveyor belt is coupled with the first and second rollers. Seal means are provided for sealing edges of the conveyor belt at a point approximately where the conveyor belt meets at least one of the first and second rollers.

Description

TUBULAR CONVEYOR WITH SEAL OF THE BORDERS OF THE BAND Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a conveyor system for a grain or seed load carrier. More particularly, the present invention relates to a band-driven tubular conveyor system having sealed edges on the rollers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Transporter systems for moving grains, seeds, etc. are well known. Screw systems are used to rapidly move grains such as food or the like, while belt driven conveyors are often used to move more expensive loads, such as seeds. Pipe conveyors are widely used in many applications, including agriculture, where they are used to transport seeds or grains from the containers that contain them to planting equipment or other containers. Band-driven tubular conveyors are known. In a typical configuration, a conveyor belt is wrapped around two rollers, one at a first end of the tube and another at the second end of the tube. On the rollers, the strip will begin to come out flat but will be hollowed out in a tubular shape within a portion of the conveyor tube and subsequently flattened again on the other roller. When used with grains or seeds, however, this configuration suffers from the problem that when the band is flattened out of the discharge end of the conveyor, there is a great potential for the grain or seed to fall off the edge of the belt especially. on steep inclinations. The grain or seed that falls on the edge can be collected between the upper and lower portions of the belt or "sandwiched" between the final pulley, belt and conveyor frame, resulting in severe damage to the grain or seed, as well as potential damage to the band. This is especially undesirable with expensive loading such as seeds.

Therefore, there is a need for new and improved conveyor systems.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a belt driven conveyor which has an intake end having a first roller or pulley, a discharge end having a second roller or pulley, a tube section connected to the intake end and the discharge end, and a conveyor belt installed around the first and second rollers or pulleys. A motor or other drive means may be provided to rotate one or both of the rollers or pulleys or to cause the belt to move load from the intake end to the discharge end in some other way. Seal means are provided at the discharge end to prevent the moving load from falling off the side of the belt. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving means includes a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor may be coupled with the first or second roller or pulley. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the seal means includes a pair of channel members coupled with sides of the discharge end of the conveyor. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, tooth or shoulder means are provided on the band at selected positions to improve grain movement. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the seal means includes a pair of discs coupled with the rollers or pulleys and extending beyond the band to seal the point at which the band travels around the roller or pulley. According to another embodiment of the present invention, brush seals may be employed at the intake end of the conveyor to prevent the load from moving away from the end of the belt. Additional applications and advantages of various aspects and embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures of the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 illustrates a seed loading carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a view of a seed loading carrier in a discharge position according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a view of a seed loading carrier in a loading position according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a view of a base system for the seed loading carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a view of a lever mechanism for the base system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a view of a seed loading carrier in a transport position according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a view of a band conveyor for the seed loading carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a view of the discharge end of a conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a front view of a wrapping of the conveyor belt around a roller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is a view of the hopper of the conveyor in a discharge position according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 illustrates the receiving end of the conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Modes While the present invention can be embodied in many different ways, a number of illustrative embodiments are described herein with the understanding that the present description and the examples are not intended to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments described herein and / or illustrated herein. In embodiments of the present invention, the novel conveyor pivoting system can be implemented with seed loading machines or seed loading carriers. The following section describes non-limiting examples of illustrative seeding equipment according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the following examples are provided for illustration and the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described herein. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a seed loading carrier having a tube conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The seed loading carrier 100 includes a main hopper 105 coupled to a frame 107 by legs 106. A conveyor 104 is supported by a support arm 102 coupled with a pivoting mechanism 101 fixed to the frame 107. The conveyor 104 is pivotally coupled to the frame 107. the support arm by a coupling 103 at a point that is preferably near or at the center of gravity of the conveyor 104. The conveyor 104 is also coupled to the support arm 102 by a bolt (not shown) in the lower part of the conveyor. The bolt allows the conveyor 104 to be uncoupled from the support arm 102 in the lower part so that the conveyor is free to rotate about the coupling 103. By placing the coupling 103 at or near the center of gravity of the conveyor 104, the The conveyor 104 is swung over the pivoting coupling 103 in such a way that little effort is required to rotate the conveyor 104. The conveyor 104 includes a conveyor hopper 108 in its base, which is shown in the discharge position under the conveyor 104. discharge 110 by gravity of the main hopper 105. At the other end of the conveyor 104 is the discharge 112. The seeds can be fed by gravity from the main hopper 105 into the conveyor hopper 108, which can then be moved to the discharge 112 of the conveyor 104 by an internal elevator (not shown). In a modality, the elevator is a belt type elevator driven by motor and coupled on rollers at both ends of the conveyor. The seed loading carrier 100 can be transported by conventional means such as in a trailer. Figure 2 illustrates the seed loading carrier 100 in a three-axle trailer 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the conveyor 104 is in the unloading position.

Figure 3 illustrates the seed loading carrier 100 in the loading position. As shown, the conveyor 104 is disengaged from the support arm 102 at its base and is rotated 180 degrees about the pivot coupling 103 so that the conveyor hopper 108 is positioned at a convenient location away from the load carrier while the conveyor hopper 108 is positioned at a convenient location away from the load carrier. the discharge 112 of the conveyor 104 is located on the main hopper 105. An upright 307 is provided to hold the conveyor hopper 108 in place. The upright 307 can be integrated with the conveyor 104. Accordingly, in the loading position, grain, seed or the like can be fed into the conveyor hopper 108 to be moved towards the discharge 112 for filling the main hopper 105 Figure 4 is a view of the pivoting base of the support arm 102. As shown, the support arm 102 can be pivotally coupled to a base 401 at a central point so that the support arm 102 is rotatable. around a vertical axis. The wheels 403 provide support and can run along a rail 402 to facilitate movement of the support arm 102 around the perimeter of the base 401. The support arm 102 can be locked in a selected position of the base 401 by the one-bolt clutch (not shown) with one of a plurality of holes 407 distributed around the base 401. The bolt is uncoupled from a hole by the actuation of a lever mechanism 404, which lifts the bolt out of the hole. The lever mechanism 404 can be spring operated to drive the bolt into the holes, so that simply releasing the lever will allow the bolt to engage with one of the holes 407. Also shown is a hydraulic plunger 405 that is coupled with the support arm 102 for adjusting the height of the support arm 102. Figure 5 is an alternative view of the base of the support arm. As shown, the lever mechanism 404 includes a handle 504 coupled with a crossbar 505 and 506. The crossbar 506 is coupled to the crossbar 505 at one end and to a plate 508 having a pin 509 at the other end, and with a pivot coupling 502 at a point near the plate. By rotating the handle 504 a downward force is applied to the crossbar 506 which causes it to rotate about the coupling 502 to raise the plate 508 to uncouple the bolt 509. While uncoupled, the base 401 is free to rotate about its vertical axis. Springs may be provided to urge the bolt 509 towards the holes 407 for coupling thereto, or the bolt 509 may be coupled by gravity. Figure 6 is a side view of a seed load carrier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the conveyor 104 includes an elongate discharge nozzle 602 and is positioned in a transport position. The support members 604 may be mounted on or integral with the legs 106 to hold the conveyor 104 in a forward travel transport position, or a reverse travel transport position. As shown, the load carrier 100 is fixed to a double axle trailer 606. Figure 7 illustrates a basic belt driven conveyor according to one embodiment of the present invention. The conveyor 104 comprises a flexible and continuous band 702 which is entangled around a pair of rollers 704. The rollers are positioned outside the tube section 706. A first roller is placed in the discharge 112, and a second roller is located underneath of hopper 108 of the conveyor. A motor (not shown) or other means for rotating the rollers at either end of the conveyor may be provided. There is a vacuum 707 below the rollers 704 to allow the web 702 to travel on its return path. Figure 8 is a view of a conveyor belt according to an embodiment of the present invention. The intake end (conveyor hopper) of a conveyor is shown at the point where the conveyor belt is wrapped around a motor-driven roller 802. The motor can be a hydraulic motor and therefore, hydraulic hoses 804 provide hydraulic fluid flow to and from the engine. Teeth or ridges 806 are provided to push the grain or seed up the conveyor. As shown, the conveyor belt is hollow or semi-circular in the tube section but is flattened when it reaches the roller 802. Channeling members (seals) 808 are provided on each side of the band to form a seal and avoid that the grain or seed falls off the edges of the band as the band begins to conform to the tubular portion of the conveyor 104. Figure 9 is a front view of the band as it travels over the roller 802. The channeling members ( seals) 902 are provided on each side of the band to form a seal and prevent the grain or seed from falling off the edges of the band as the band flattens on the roller. As shown, the channel members 902 may be fixed to the bolt carrier 112, but may be fixed with other means or may be integral with the discharge. Discs 904 may also be provided in the rollers at the edge of the band to provide additional sealing / channeling means. The discs 904 are preferably integral with the rollers or are coupled thereto so that they can rotate and have a sufficiently large diameter so that the discs extend beyond the surface of the band. The band and the shoulders can be manufactured from conventional materials, such as nylon, rubber or plastic. Figure 10 is a side view of the hopper end of the conveyor 104. As shown, the hopper 108 of the conveyor sits on the inlet 1003 to the conveyor 104. When it is coupled to the support arm 102, as shown, the hopper 108 of the conveyor is placed under a discharge of the main hopper 106. The discharge 110 can be opened by conventional means. As shown, a wheel handle mechanism 1004 is provided for the opening of the discharge doors 1006. The hopper 108 of the conveyor is preferably made of light weight materials such as plastic, canvas, nylon, rubber or vinyl. As shown, the hopper 108 may include a mechanism for opening and closing the hopper. In this embodiment, a flexible coupling or hinge is provided at one end 1008 of the hopper 108 and a mechanism 1010 is provided at the end of the hopper 108 and engages the conveyor 104, such that the hopper 108 can be made so that it has an appropriate fit with the discharge 110 of the main hopper 105. A flap 1012 may be provided at the bottom of the discharge 110. The hopper 108 may be susceptible to collapse. Figure 11 is a schematic view of the hopper end of the conveyor. As shown, a brush seal 1101 can be placed through the web 702. The brush seal 1101 retains the material transported within the hopper and does not allow the material to penetrate the recess 707 (shown in Figure 7) under the roller. Such an arrangement is desirable because it prevents the transported material from being subjected to mechanical agitation, which would result in damage to the transported material. The brush seal 1101 allows the teeth 806 of the conveyor to pass, but not the conveyed material.

In this way, above and with reference to the figures of the drawings, a number of preferred embodiments have been fully described. While the invention has been described on the basis of these preferred embodiments, it would be clear to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations and alternative constructions could be made to the embodiments described within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

Claims

1. A tubular conveyor, which comprises an intake end having a first roller, a discharge end having a second roller, a tubular portion disposed between said intake end and said discharge end, a flexible conveyor belt and continuous, coupled with said first and second rollers, and seal means for sealing the edges of said conveyor belt at a point approximately where the conveyor belt encounters at least one of said first and second rollers. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said seal means includes at least one lateral seal coupled with the discharge end of said conveyor. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said seal means includes a brush seal at said intake end to prevent the transported material from falling on an edge of the conveyor belt. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said seal discs include first and second discs coupled with at least one of said first and second rollers. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said intake end includes a brush seal to prevent the material from penetrating into the space beneath the first roller. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor belt includes a plurality of separate teeth. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said intake end includes a position of the brush seal through a vacuum under said first roller to allow said teeth to pass therethrough without allowing the material to pass through. move from said admission to said void.