NL2012775B1

NL2012775B1 - A slat-band conveyor, conveyor segment and method for making the same.

Info

Publication number: NL2012775B1
Application number: NL2012775A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Hendrik Mijndert Menke Cornelis; Maria Bal Franciscus; Adrianus Catharinus Cornelissen Leonardus
Original assignee: Rexnord Flattop Europe Bv
Priority date: 2014-05-07
Filing date: 2014-05-07
Publication date: 2016-02-23

Description

Title: A slat-band conveyor, conveyor segment and method for making the same

The invention relates to a slat-band conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments providing a conveying surface and engaging with one another at their neighboring side edges with hinge eyes, connected to one another by means of hinge pins, wherein at least one hinge eye comprises a hinge eye forming tube portion at least partially enclosing the hinge pin and positioned at a level at least partially below the conveying surface.

The invention further relates to a conveyor segment of such a conveyor and a method for making such a conveyor segment.

Above slat-band conveyors and their conveyor segments are generally known and are used for conveying products. Usually, the segments are manufactured by means of mold formation or die-casting. Often, the modules are manufactured from plastic material and/or a metal or metal alloy. A customary conveyor segment comprises a conveying surface for supporting articles to be conveyed, the conveying surface being preferably located at a top side of the segment. At a bottom side of the segment, a supporting face is provided, which is arranged to be supported by a support member, such as a conveying track. Further, the segments comprise connectors arranged such that front and rear sides of successive conveyor segments can be hingedly coupled to each other. With the above mentioned slat-band conveyors the conveyor segments are engaged with one another at their neighboring side edges via hinge eyes, connected to another by means of hinge pins.

Conveyor segments successive in conveying direction can be coupled to form a modular conveyor mat or chain of, i.e. a slat-band conveyor of a desired length.

Generally, a conveyor system comprises such a conveyor, usually of endless design so that it can be led over a conveying track, e.g. by means of return wheels.

Normally, a conveyor and its respective conveyor segments wear during use. When products are sliding on that conveyor segments and its respective conveying surfaces, the bottom of the product conveyed will affect the surface finish of the conveyor. According to recent tests it has been shown that during the first days after a new installation of a conveyor, the initial surface finish is changing to a lower level that is maintained during the normal life of the conveyor. At a certain moment, the conveyor segments need to be replaced in order to counteract unperforming of a conveyor system.

On the market there are multiple conveyor and conveyor systems available, all serving different needs and providing different quality, especially with regard to their wear resistance, frictional resistance, sliding properties, working loads, conveying performance etc. It is therefore necessary to provide exact information of the conveyor and conveyor segments respectively a conveyor system is equipped with. This information has to be available in an easy and durable manner and especially also when the conveyor is installed.

As mentioned above, especially the conveying surface wears due to contact with the products to be conveyed within a short time. As furthermore conveying segments are exposed to high loads, acting on multiple axes, in the past, satisfactory solutions for labeling and marking the conveyor and conveyor segments respectively were not provided.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor and conveyor segments respectively being identifiable especially with regard to its manufacturer or type, in an easy, reliable and durable manner.

This object is solved by a slat-band conveyor according to claim 1, a conveyor segment according to claim 10 and a method of making a conveyor segment according to claim 11.

In general the object is solved by a slat-band conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments providing a conveying surface and engaging with one another at their neighboring side edges with hinge eyes, connected to one another by means of hinge pins, wherein at least one hinge eye comprises a hinge eye forming tube portion at least partially enclosing the hinge pin and at least partially positioned at a level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface, and wherein a tube portion of at least one conveyor segment comprises a marking element on the tube portion at a marking area arranged at or below said level Lm.

Further the object is solved by a conveyor segment for a slat-band conveyor, the conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments providing a conveying surface and engaging with one another at their neighboring side edges with hinge eyes, connected to one another by means of hinge pins, wherein at least one hinge eye of the conveyor segment comprises a hinge eye forming tube portion for at least partially enclosing the hinge pin, wherein the tube portion is positioned at least partially at a level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface, comprising a marking element at a marking area arranged at or below said level Lm.

Additionally the object is solved by a method of making a conveyor segment for a conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments providing a conveying surface and engaging with one another at their neighboring side edges with hinge eyes, connected to one another by means of hinge pins, comprising the following steps: Die stamping a raw conveyor segment out of a sheet material and especially a metal sheet material having a raw hinge eye portion to be bend to a tube portion of a hinge eye in a further step and comprising an even marking area; providing a marking element in the marking area; and bending the raw hinge eye portion to the tube portion providing a hinge eye in such way that the tube portion is positioned at least partially at a level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface and that the marking element at the marking area is arranged at or below said level Lm.

Arranging a marking element on the tube portion of at least one conveyor segment at a specifying marking area arranged at a level below the level of the conveyor surface, which is the surface where the products to be transported are arranged, provides a reliable marking without running into danger of the marking element getting erased e.g. by impacts resulting from the conveying process.

Preferably, the tube portion is arranged in such a way that the marking area and the provided marking element is viewable from the above of the conveyor surface. By such an arrangement, marking of the conveyor is possible identifiable even after long lasting operation and in an installed status.

Preferably it holds that the marking element is recessed into the tube portion.

After extensive testing cycles it turned out, that arranging a marking element on the high loaded hinge eyes and their respective tube portions has almost no negative affect on the durability and resistance of the conveyor and its conveyor segments respectively, even when the conveyor segment is part of a steel slat band under high tensile fatigue load.

With Fig. 5 a diagram representing test results of a fatigue load test is shown. It is obvious that in direct comparison conveyors having the above marking element, either with a light inscription or with a heavy inscription of the marking element didn't fall short of a conveyor without the marking element. It can therefore be said that a conveyor or a conveyor segment respectively with a marking element does not a have a lower fatigue strength than a conveyor or a conveyor segment without such a element.

Such recessing could be provided by a marking element, which is at least partly engraved or stamped into the tube portion. Such engraving or stamping or in general the providing of the marking element is performed preferably during the making process of the conveyor segment and preferably after a raw conveyor segment has been prepared, for example die-cut out of a sheet material. Of course, it is also possible to provide the marking element after the raw conveyor segment has been prepared and especially its hinge eyes and tube portion respectively have been bent or otherwise provided respectively.

It preferably holds that the marking element is arranged on an outside surface of the tube portion. Such outside surface is preferably arranged at a level below the level of the conveying surface so that transported products are not coming into contact with the marking element.

In general the marking element is preferably arranged on the tube portion in such a way that products conveyed on the conveying surface are not coming into contact with the marking element.

It preferably holds that the tube portion is a tubular bend metal plate coupled to and especially integrally formed with the conveyor segment. Such a conveyor segment can for example be a conveyor segment stamped, die-casted or otherwise produced from a sheet material and especially a metal sheet material, wherein a raw hinge eye portion is bent to form the tube portion of the hinge eye. It is possible to provide such bend tube portions with one or multiple hinge eyes of the respective conveyor segment.

As mentioned above, in generally it preferably holds that the conveyor segments are die-cut from a sheet material and especially from a metal sheet material. It is however possible especially with a plastic conveyor and conveyor system respectively to provide the conveyor segments made out of a plastic material and especially molded, spray-molded, etc.

Preferably it holds that said conveyor segments each comprising at least two front hinge eyes spaced apart from each other perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveyor by a rear hinge eye receiving space and at least one rear hinge eye complementary to said rear hinge eye receiving space, wherein the rear hinge eye of a first conveyor segment is received within the rear hinge eye receiving space of a following conveyor segment and fixed by the hinge pin extending between the hinge eyes. In general at least one of such a front hinge eye of a conveyor segment is preferably arranged in direction of the main conveying direction.

Preferably it holds that at least one rear hinge eye comprises the marking element.

It is possible to provide the marking element in such a way that it comprises a wear indicator arranged at a wear level of the conveying surface. The wear level lies below the level of the conveying surface at delivery status. As soon as the surface level reaches the wear level due to wear, the conveyor and its conveying segments respectively are in a replacement status where they have to be replaced. A marking element provided as a wear indicator shows that the wear level and the replacement status are reached. Such a wear indicator can for example be a marking element to be visually grinded away from the products conveyed when the conveyor reaches its wear level. A wear indicator could be one or more projections arising from the marking element and especially marking element borders resulting from a stamping, graving or similar making process of the marking element, arranged at the wear level. Also, additional color elements could be provided as wear indicators.

As mentioned above, the invention also relates to a conveyor segment for a slat-band conveyor, wherein the before mentioned specification referring to the conveyor are applicable. They are however not mentioned here for redundancy reasons but referred to. The same applies for the method of making a slat-band conveyor segment as mentioned.

All the specifications and embodiments mentioned herein and especially with regard to the inventive conveyor do also apply for the above conveyor segment and the above method and can be transferred respectively.

The aforementioned and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention.

In the Figures:

Fig. 1 shows an isometric view of one embodiment of a conveyor according the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a plain view of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 arranged on a guide track;

Fig. 4 shows another side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 a diagram representing test results of a fatigue load test.

In the following for identical parts same reference signs are used, wherein indices might be set.

Figs. 1 - 4 show one embodiment of a conveyor 1 and its conveying segments 2 respectively according to the invention. The conveyor 1 comprises multiple conveyor segments 2, wherein here three of these segments are shown. The segments 2 are engaging with one another at neighboring side edges 6 with hinge eyes 8 connected to one another by means of hinge pins 10.

Here, each conveyor segment 2 comprises three hinge eyes 8, wherein two hinge eyes are provided as front hinge eyes 8a spaced apart from each other perpendicular to a conveying direction R (see fig. 1) of the conveyor 1 by a rear hinge eye receiving space 18. A third hinge eye, a rear hinge eye 8b, is provided complementary to said rear hinge eye receiving space 18, wherein the rear hinge eye 8b of a first conveyor element 2 is received within the rear hinge eye receiving space 18 of a following conveyor segment 2’ and fixed by the hinge pin 10 extending between the hinge eyes 8.

In detail and as can be seen with fig. 1 and 4, the hinge eyes 8 comprise a hinge eye forming tube portion 12 at least partially enclosing the hinge pin 10.

With this embodiment the tube portions 12 of the hinge eyes 8 are tubular-bent especially metal plates coupled to and especially integrally formed with the respective conveyor segment 2. The conveyor segments 2 are preferably die-cut from a sheet material and especially from a metal sheet material.

The hinge eye forming tube portion 12 of the conveyor segments 2 are at least partially positioned at a level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface 4.

For identification of the conveyor and its conveyor segments respectively, a tube portion 12 of at least one conveyor segment 2 comprises a marking element 14 on the tube portion 12 at a marking area 16 arranged at or below said level Lm. As can be seen with figs. 2 - 3, said level Lm is arranged in such a way, that products arranged on the conveying surface 4 of the conveyor and its conveying segments 2 respectively are not coming into contact with the marking area 16 and the provided marking element 14. Even due to wear of the conveyor surface 4, the marking element will be provided after long term conveying process. As the marking element 14 and the marking area 16 is arranged in a recess portion, preferably here provided by the rear hinge eye receiving space 18, it is viewable from above the conveying surface 4 of the conveyor 1, even in an installation status of the conveyor 1 as shown with Fig. 3, where the conveyor 1 is arranged on a guiding track 30.

With this embodiment the marking element 14 is provided on an outside surface of the tube portion 12. It is preferably engraved or stamped into the tube portion 12. Preferably, the marking element 14 is provided on the tube portion 12 of the rear hinge eye 8b. It turned out that with regard to a conveying direction R opposite to the direction of the rear hinge eye 8b, providing a marking element at a marking area as mentioned above has almost no impact on the durability of a respectively equipped conveyor 1.

With a special embodiment the marking element is provided as a wear indicator arranged at a wear level, which is here the level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface. The wear level is the level the conveying surface will be reduced down to after a defined conveying period or number of conveying cycles respectively.

Especially in this regard, the marking element 14 is provided in such a way that, when the conveyor 1 reaches replacement status, that is a status where the conveying surface 4 has been reduced down to the wear level, the marking element 16 is visibly showing that wear status, for example having a wear indicator element being at least partially grinded away by the products transported on the conveyor 1. With regard to the wear indicator it is referred to the above passages.

As explained before, the method of making a conveyor segment 2 for a conveyor 1 comprises the steps of die-casting, stamping etc. a raw conveyor segment (not shown) out of a sheet material and especially a metal sheet material having a raw hinge eye portion to be bent to the tube portion 12 of the hinge eye 8 in a further step and comprising a preferably even marking area 16. This marking area is provided with the marking element 14, and in a further step, the above raw hinge eye portion is bent to the tube portion 12 providing the hinge eye 8 in such a way that the tube portion 12 is positioned at least partially at a level Lm below the level Ls of the conveying surface 4 and that the marking element 14 at the marking area 16 is arranged at or below said level Lm-

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment of the invention. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

It has to be mentioned that all the features mentioned and especially the features mentioned in the claims could be provided with an embodiment of the invention in combination or on their own. The combination of features as brought forward with the above embodiments is not necessarily required.

However, other modifications, variations and alternatives are also possible. The specifications, drawings and examples are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other features or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the words ‘a’ and ‘an’ shall not be construed as limited to ‘only one’, but instead are used to mean ‘at least one’, and do not exclude a plurality.

Reference signs 1 conveyor 2 conveyor segment 4 conveying surface 6 edges 8 hinge eyes 8a front hinge eye 8b rear hinge eye 10 hinge pin 12 tube portion 14 marking element 16 marking area 18 rear hinge eye receiving space 30 guiding track

Ls level of the conveying surface

Lm level of the marking element

Claims

A hinged belt conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments (2) providing a conveying surface (4) and cooperating with each other at their adjacent side edges (6) with hinge eyes (8), and being coupled to each other by hinge pins (10), wherein at least one hinge eye (8) comprises a hinge-eye-forming tube part (12) which surrounds the hinge pin (10) at least partially and is positioned at least partially at a height Lm that is lower than a height Ls of the conveying surface (4), and wherein a tube part ( 12) of at least one transport segment (2) comprises a marking element (14) on the pipe part (12) in a marking area (16) arranged at or below the height Lm.

A hinge band pasteurizer according to claim 1, wherein the marking element (14) is recessed in the tube part (12).

A hinge band pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the marking element (14) is engraved or stamped into the tube part (12).

A hinge band pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the marking element (14) is arranged on an outer surface of the tube part (12).

A hinged belt pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular member (12) is a tubular bent, in particular metal plate, which is coupled to and in particular integrally formed with the conveyor segment (2).

A hinged belt pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor segments (2) are punched from a plate material, in particular from a metal plate material.

A hinged belt pasteurizer according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor segments (2) each comprise at least two front hinge eyes (8a) spaced apart perpendicular to a conveying direction R of the conveyor belt (1) by a rear hinge receiving space (18), and at least one rear hinge eye (8b) which is complementary to the rear hinge eye receiving space (18), the rear hinge eye (8b) of a first transport segment (2) being received in the rear hinge eye receiving space (18) of the next transport segment (2 ') and confirmed by by means of a hinge pin (10) extending between the hinge eyes (8).

A hinged belt pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims and in particular claim 7, wherein the rear hinge eye (8b) comprises the marking element (14).

A hinged belt pasteurizer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the marking element (14) is provided as a wear indicator arranged at a wear height Lm of the conveying surface (4) which is lower than the height Ls of the conveying surface (4) .

A conveyor segment for a hinge belt conveyor, the conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments (2) providing a conveying surface (4), and cooperating at their adjacent side edges (6) with hinge eyes (8) with each other, and by means of hinge pins ( 10) are coupled to each other, wherein at least one hinge eye (8) of the transport segment comprises a hinge-eye-forming tube part (12) to at least partially surround the hinge pin (10), the tube part (12) being positioned at least partially at a height Lm that is is lower than a height Ls of the conveying surface, and comprises a marking element (14) in a marking area (16) arranged at or below the height Lm.

A method of manufacturing a conveyor segment for a conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor segments (2) providing a conveying surface (4) and cooperating with each other and coupled together at their adjacent side edges (6) with hinge eyes (8) by means of hinge pins (10), comprising the following steps: - punching a raw transport segment from a material plate and, in particular, a metal plate material with a raw hinge eye part that is bent into a tube part of a hinge eye in a next step and comprises a smooth marking area ; - provided with a marking element in the marking area; and - bending the raw hinge eye part into a tube part to provide a hinge eye in such a way that the tube part is positioned at least partially at a height Lm that is lower than the height Ls of the conveying surface and that the marking element is arranged in the marking area on or below Lm height.