MXPA00009220A - Conveyor gallery lateral restraint system - Google Patents

Abstract

A conveyor gallery lateral restraint system (26) for a reticulated dome structure (22) includes a pair of load transfer pads (38, 40) integrated into the conveyor gallery (20) and dome structure. Only loads normal to the outer surfaces of the load transfer pads (38, 40), and thus loads along the reticulated surface of the dome structure (22), are transferred to the dome structure by the load transfer pads. Because of characteristics of the load transfer pads and their orientation relative to the dome surface, substantially no loads that are normal to the surface of the dome structure are transferred to the dome structure by the conveyor gallery (20).

Description

SIDE FIXING SYSTEM FOR CONVEYOR GALLERY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to systems of f 5 lateral fastening of conveyor gallery, and more particularly, to a lateral fastening system of conveyor gallery, in which a corresponding dome structure towards which penetrates the conveyor, provides lateral support for the gallery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION fp Domes and other enclosed structures are widely used around the world in a variety of applications, in which material handling systems are required. For example, bulk storage facilities typically require a management system for material that is capable of penetrating the dome or enclosed structure to transport material to and from the structure. These bulk storage facilities can be used to store salt, coal, sand, fertilizer, etc. The material handling system generally • includes a transporter and a gallery that surrounds and encloses, at least in part, the transporter. The gallery penetrates the dome or structure enclosed at some elevated level above the surface. An exemplary embodiment of such dome 10 and material handling system 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1 . The raised gallery 14 is supported at one end by a stacker / reclaimer system 16 located in the center of the dome. Outside the dome, the raised gallery is supported by a system of vertical support frames or columns 18, which extends upwards towards the gallery from the surface 21. For a normal dome structure, the path between the stacker / reclaimer system and the exterior frame system may be in • anywhere between 30 meters to 80 meters. One of the burdens that can be taken into consideration when designing a material handling system for a dome structure is the wind load in the gallery section outside the dome structure. This section of the gallery can be exposed to wind loads horizontals that must be resisted. Because the gallery ^ is usually isolated from the structure of the dome, the horizontal wind load is completely resisted by the external frame system and by the stacker / reclaimer system within the dome. However, it can be expensive to design or reinforce the system stacker / reclaimer to take the horizontal wind load from the conveyor gallery. Additionally, reinforcing existing framework systems, or installing additional frame systems outside the dome, increases the overall cost of the material handling system. Moreover, if the additional frame systems are placed inside the dome or structure enclosed, the effective internal storage capacity of the dome is reduced. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved gallery conveyor side fixing system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides a conveyor gallery side fastening system that utilizes, and takes advantage of, the characteristics of the existing enclosed dome or structure into which the gallery penetrates. More particularly, the present invention • takes advantage of the high strength exhibited by cross-linked dome structures along its surface, by providing connections, or load transfer means, which do not transfer any load from the conveyor gallery to the dome structure that is normal to the surface of the dome. In one embodiment, the lateral fixation system includes a plurality of pairs of load transfer bearings. One of the load transfer bearings of each pair is coupled to the conveyor gallery and the corresponding load transfer bearing is coupled to the dome structure by itself. The bearings of The load transfer are aligned so that the outer surfaces of each of the load transfer bearings are substantially adjacent, and are in contact with each other as the conveyor gallery penetrates the dome structure. The outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings are preferably aligned parallel to a radial plane through the dome, which coincides with a central axis of the conveyor gallery. Therefore, the bearings are aligned substantially normal to the basic dome curvature at the location in the dome, in which the gallery passes through the dome. The outer surfaces of the transfer bearings of The load also has a substantially low coefficient of friction, so that only normal loads to the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings are transferred from the conveyor gallery to the dome structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated as they are better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial, elevated, lateral cross-sectional view of a dome schematically illustrating a conveyor gallery of the prior art penetrating the dome; FIG. 2 is a high plane view of a dome schematically illustrating the conveyor gallery side fixing system 15 according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a detailed view of one of the corner lateral stabilizers of the conveyor gallery side fastening system of FIG. 1; and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lateral corner stabilizer of FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4, with the upper conveyor gallery armor rope illustrated in broken lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE I NVENTION Referring now to FIG. 2, a raised conveyor gallery 20 is illustrated by penetrating a reticulated dome structure 22.

The conveyor gallery 20 contains a conveyor (not shown), which functions as a material handling system for the dome, and penetrates the dome 22 through an opening 24 in the dome structure 22. The conveyor gallery consists of a generally rectangular frame structure enclosing the conveyor, and is formed of an upper wall, lower wall and a pair of side walls. The walls of the conveyor gallery are joined to form a upper right corner, one upper left corner, one corner | f lower right and a lower left corner of the gallery. The conveyor gallery is usually formed of steel or stainless steel, although other suitable materials known in the art may be used alternatively. A system of lateral fixation of gallery of conveyor 26 according to the present invention is integrated into the conveyor gallery and dome structure, as will be discussed below. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the conveyor gallery • normally supported at one end by a system stacker / reclaimer located in the center of the dome, and by a system of vertical frames extending upwards towards the gallery from the surface, as described above in connection with the prior art system illustrated in FIG. 1 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the dome structure is a geodesic dome in the form of a partial spheroid, however, those skilled in the art should realize that other configurations and shapes of cross-linked structures may alternatively be used in connection with the present invention. See, for example, US patents nos. 5,704, 169, 4,71 1, 063 and 4,61 1, 442, all for • Richter. Preferably, the dome structure 22 is formed from a network of structural members or struts 28 attached at the splices 30. The struts are connected to subdivide the network into several polygonal openings. The shapes of the openings in the present invention are defined by triangulating the curved surface that defines the configuration of the. { f structure and when placing splices in the knots and struts in the grid lines of the network. FIG. 2 shows the dome in structurally simplified terms by schematically illustrating the geometrical aspects of the struts and splices of the network. The structure of the dome illustrated in the figures and described in this application is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention could alternatively be used with other dome structures. • An exemplary mode of struts and network splices is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3. The splice 30A comprises a circular upper nodal plate 32 and a circular lower nodal plate (not shown) with struts 28 interposed between the plates. The preferred strut cross section is that of a wide flange beam I. Each strut of vitga I has a central weft 34 with a flange 36 in each end of the frame to form an "I" configuration. The struts 28 are secured to the plates with conventional fasteners, which extend through holes in the nodal plates and the flanges of the beam struts I. See, for example, US Pat. 3,909,994 for Richter. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the struts and splices of the dome structure are made of aluminum. The advantage of aluminum over other conventional construction materials depends mainly on its resistance to corrosion, its high ratio of force to weight, and its manufacturing capacity. However, those skilled in the art should realize that other suitable materials can alternatively be used with the dome and lateral fixation system associated with the present invention. One of the characteristics of the resulting dome structure is that it exhibits a significantly high force along its reticulated surface. Therefore, the present invention recognizes this feature of cross-linked dome structures and uses the dome structure itself cross-linked to provide the necessary lateral support for the conveyor gallery, by providing means for transferring horizontal loads from the conveyor gallery to the dome structure in directions on and along the surface of the dome. However, because any reticulated dome structure is relatively weak in normal to its surface, the lateral fixation system according to the present invention must do so without substantially transferring any additional normal load to the surface of the dome.

Another characteristic of reticulated domes is that they experience radial deviations and displacements due to thermal expansion and applied loads. The lateral fixation system described herein accommodates these displacements without inducing stresses on the members of the • dome In a currently preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lateral attachment system 26 includes a plurality of pairs of load transfer bearings. A load transfer bearing 38 of each pair is coupled to the structure of the dome 22 and the other corresponding load transfer bearing 40 of that pair is coupled to the conveyor gallery 20. The corresponding load transfer bearings are aligned , preferably, so that the outer surface 38A of the load transfer bearing 38 coupled to the dome structure is adjacent to, and substantially in contact with with, an outer surface 40A of the load transfer bearing 40 coupled to the conveyor gallery, where the conveyor gallery penetrates the dome structure. In addition, the bearing surfaces 38A and 40A are aligned, preferably, parallel to a radial plane through • of the dome, which coincides with a central axis of the gallery conveyor. The bearing surfaces 38A and 40A are preferably in a plane in which the structure of the dome also rests, so that no moments are transferred from the conveyor gallery to the dome structure. Preferably, a pair of transfer bearings is provided load at each corner of the conveyor gallery. Because the The lateral fixation system according to the present invention is identical in each corner of the transport gallery, for ease of illustration, the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 with respect to only one corner, the upper left corner, of the conveyor gallery. Each pair of the load transfer bearings is capable of transferring horizontal loads from the conveyor gallery 20 along the surface of the dome 20, although it does not transfer substantially any normal load to the surface of the dome 20. To achieve these dual objectives , the outer surfaces 38A, 40A of the load transfer bearings have a very low coefficient of friction for normal load to the surface of the dome. In one embodiment of the present invention, the coefficient of friction of the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings is less than about 0.1, and preferably less than about 0.05. In a presently preferred embodiment, the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings are coated with a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene. Alternatively, the bearings can not carry polytetrafluoroethylene inserts; The bearings can be components of a LUBRON support available from Lubron Bearing Systems, Huntington Beach, California. The bearings form a flat bearing, which are defined so that the lateral fixing system is capable of transferring essentially only normal load to the outer surface of the bearings, and thus along the surface of the dome structure .

As can be seen better in FIG. 3, the load transfer bearing 40 coupled to the conveyor gallery in its upper left corner includes a bearing coupled to, and extending outwardly of, the upper conveyor frame chord 42. The load transfer bearing f. 40 can be coupled to the upper rope of the conveyor gallery by conventional fasteners, welding or other means well known in the art. Preferably, the main body of the load transfer bearing 40 is made from the same material as the transport gallery. A surface material of The low friction or support plate is carried by the main body to (provide the desired characteristics described above.) In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.3 and 4, the load transfer bearing 38 is coupled to the dome structure through of the use of a load transfer beam 44. The transfer beam of The load is carried by and connected to the dome structure near the adjacent junctions 30A and 30B of the dome, and rests on the reticulated surface of the structure. The load transfer beam partially frames the opening 24 in the dome structure 22 through which • penetrates the conveyor gallery 20. One end 44A of the beam of load transfer 44 is coupled by conventional means to a strut 31 which is connected to a splice 30A and the other end 44B of the load transfer beam is coupled by conventional means to a stop strut 33, which is connected to the splice 30B. The transfer beam has its weft 34 arranged essentially on the surface of the dome, so that its flange 36 forms a mounting surface for the load transfer bearing 38. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the strut 31 also partially frames the opening 24 in the dome structure. The load transfer bearing 38 is coupled to the side of the load transfer beam 44 which looks at the • 5 corresponding load transfer bearing 40, so that it is adjacent to, and substantially in contact with, the load transfer bearing 40 when the conveyor gallery penetrates the dome structure. In a currently preferred embodiment, the transfer beam of The load is a wide beam of aluminum flange I, similar to the struts 28 of the dome structure. The resulting configuration of the lateral fixation system is such that the corresponding bearing surfaces of the load transfer bearings at each corner of the conveyor gallery are adjacent, and substantially in contact, with each other when the conveyor gallery penetrates the dome structure. As a result of the characteristics of the bearing surfaces, only normal loads to the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings, and thus loads along the lattice surface of the structure of the load bearing. dome, are transferred to the dome structure. Due to the very low coefficient of friction of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a preferred support surface material, substantially no load that is normal to the crosslinked surface of the dome structure is transferred to the dome structure.

The lateral conveyor gallery fastening system according to the present invention is easily installed during the construction of the dome structure by itself. The load transfer bearings 40 are coupled to the conveyor gallery in the locations • appropriate as the conveyor gallery is installed in the dome structure. Then, at each appropriate splice, a stop strut 33 is installed to receive a corresponding load transfer beam. Once the stop strut is installed, a load transfer beam that carries the transfer bearing is installed. load 38, and is aligned between the stop strut 33 and the strut 31, so that the load transfer bearing 38 is adjacent to, and substantially in contact with, the load transfer bearing 40. For a structure of normal reticulated dome, the system The lateral attachment of the conveyor gallery according to the present invention is capable of transferring, at least in the order of 3515 kg / cm2, to the dome structure. In fact, the greater the loads induced by the conveyor gallery, the more economical the present invention will be, due to the relative ease with which these charges can be accommodated by the dome structure. Although various embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concept herein. For example, although the present invention has been described in In connection with application to bulk storage, the conveyor gallery side fastening system may be used in any application where it is necessary for a material handling system or other gallery structure to penetrate the enclosed dome or structure, such as , in some water storage and treatment facility, • wastewater treatment facilities and petroleum storage facilities. Additionally, although the present invention has been described primarily as using polytetrafluoroethylene on the exterior surfaces of the load transfer bearings, other suitable materials capable of transferring substantially only normal loads to the outer surfaces of the ^ P load transfer bearings, and thus charges may alternatively be used along the reticulated surface of the dome structure. Therefore, it will be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, this invention may be practiced otherwise than as described specifically. •

Claims (10)

1 . A lateral fixing system for a gallery that penetrates through a surface of a dome structure, comprising the system of

^ lateral fixation: a load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery; and a load transfer bearing coupled to the dome structure for transferring loads from the gallery to the dome structure, wherein the load transfer bearing coupled to the dome structure is substantially adjacent to, and in contact with, the dome structure. ? the load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery, and wherein the load transfer bearings do not transfer substantially any normal load to the surface of the dome. The lateral fixation system according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery has a sufficiently low coefficient of friction, so that substantially only loads along the surface of the dome structure are transferred by the load transfer bearings to the structure from the dome of the gallery. 3. The lateral fixation system according to claim 2, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery has a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.1.

4. The lateral fixation system according to claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. The lateral fastening system according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the load transfer bearing to the dome structure has a sufficiently low coefficient of friction, so that substantially only loads along the The surface of the structure of the dome is transferred by the load transfer bearings to the dome structure from the gallery, 6. The lateral fixing system according to claim 5, wherein the outer surface of the transfer bearing Load coupled to the dome structure has a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.1. The lateral fixation system according to claim 6, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer pad coupled to the dome structure includes polytetrafluoroethylene. 8. A conveyor gallery side fastening system for use with a conveyor gallery that penetrates a cross-linked dome structure, the lateral fastening system comprising: a pair of load transfer bearings, a load transfer bearing adapted for connection to the conveyor gallery and the other load transfer bearing adapted for connection to the dome structure, each of the load transfer bearings having an outer surface, the outer surfaces of the bearings being substantially normal to the curvature of the dome at the penetration location of the dome by the gallery, where the outer surface of each of the load transfer bearings has a sufficiently low coefficient of friction, so that the load transfer bearings load essentially only normal to the outer surfaces of the transfer bearings load, when the outer surfaces are in contact with each other. 9. The lateral fastening system according to claim 8, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer bearing f 'adapted for connection to the conveyor gallery has a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.1. The lateral fixation system according to claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer bearing

15 adapted for connection to the conveyor gallery includes polytetrafluoroethylene. eleven . The lateral fixation system according to claim 8, wherein the outer surface of the load transfer bearing

• Adpated for connection to the dome structure has a coefficient of

20 friction less than about 0.1. 12. The lateral fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the load transfer bearing adapted for connection to the dome structure includes polytetrafluoroethylene. 13. A conveyor gallery side fastening system for use with a dome structure having a conveyor gallery that penetrates through a surface of the dome structure, the lateral fastening system comprising: a plurality of pairs of bearings of load transfer, including each of the plurality of pairs of load transfer bearings, a load transfer bearing coupled to the conveyor gallery and. a corresponding load transfer cushion coupled to the dome structure, so that an outer surface of the load transfer bearing coupled to the dome structure is substantially adjacent to, and in contact with, an outer surface of the transfer bearing. load coupled to the gallery, the outer surfaces of the bearings being arranged in each pair substantially normal to the curvature of the dome at the location of the penetration of the dome by the gallery; and means on the outer surfaces of the bearings in each pair to transfer substantially only normal loads to the outer surfaces of the bearings. The lateral fixation system according to claim 13, wherein each of the load transfer bearings coupled to the dome structure are coupled to a respective load transfer beam of the structure of the dome. The lateral fixation system according to claim 14, wherein the dome structure comprises a plurality of splices and a plurality of struts corresponding to each splice, and wherein each of the load transfer beams is carried between a pair of splices adjacent to the dome structure. 16. The lateral fixation system according to claim 13, wherein the means comprises providing the exterior surfaces of the

• Bearings with a sufficiently low coefficient of friction, so that substantially only normal loads to exterior surfaces of the load transfer bearings are transferred from the conveyor gallery to the dome structure. 17. The lateral fixation system according to claim 16, wherein the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings f have a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.1. 18. The lateral fixation system according to claim 17, wherein the outer surfaces of the load transfer bearings include polytetrafluoroethylene. 19. The lateral fixation system according to claim 13, wherein the conveyor gallery comprises a plurality of corners, wherein one of the plurality of pairs of load transfer bearings is provided in each of the plurality of corners of the

• conveyor gallery. 20. A lateral fixing system for a gallery penetrating through a surface of a dome structure, the lateral fixing system comprising: a load transfer bearing coupled to the gallery; and a load transfer bearing coupled to the structure of

25 dome to transfer loads from the gallery to the dome structure,

ÜBßto ^ i ^ riMrtÉá ^ M * where the load transfer bearing is oriented in relation to the surface of the dome structure, so that substantially no normal load to the surface of the dome structure is transferred to the structure of the structure. Dome from the gallery. F 5 •

#