US3004652A

US3004652A - Belt training troughing idler assembly for endless belt conveyors

Info

Publication number: US3004652A
Application number: US772384A
Authority: US
Inventors: Presti Roy F Lo
Original assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Current assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Priority date: 1958-11-06
Filing date: 1958-11-06
Publication date: 1961-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-17

Description

Oct. 17, 1961 R. F. o PRESTI 3,004,652 BELT TRAINING TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENDLESS BELT CONVEYORS Filed NOV. 6, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I N VEN TOR.

BY Roy F LoPresti A T TORNE Y Oct. 17, 1961 R. F. LO PRESTI 3,004,652

BELT TRAINING TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENDLESS BELT CONVEYORS Filed Nov. 6, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY Roy F [.0 Fresh TTORNEY Oct. 17, 1961 R. F. LO PRESTI 3,004,652

BELT TRAINING TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENDLESS BELT CONVEYORS Filed Nov. 6, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 rd PG I lj I 8 I- 54 i 46 5 48 57 5a 48 INVENT OR.

Roy F Lo Presti Q M United States Patent Ofitice 3,004,652 Patented Oct. 17, 1961 3,004,652 BELT TRAINING TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENDLESS BELT CONVEYORS Roy F. Lo Presti, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 772,384 8 Claims. (Cl. 198202) This invention relates generally to belt conveyors and more particularly to an improved troughing roller or idler assembly capable of exerting a centering bias on the load-carrying reach of a belt. This application is a continuation-in-part of Roy F. LoPresti United States application, Serial No. 689,720 filed October ll, 1957, now abandoned, for Belt Alignment Troughing Roller Assembly for Endless Belt Conveyors.

According to the present invention, (1) a troughing roller assembly is yieldably connected between a pair of spaced supports, (2) a center roller of the assembly is offset downstream from the yieldable connections in the direction of belt travel, and (3) a pair of downwardly and inwardly inclined troughing rollers are located one on each side of the center roller. Thus, when a load is imposed on the ofiset center roller the entire assembly is caused to turn about the yieldable connections, thereby moving the center roller and the inner ends of the wing rollers upstream opposed to the direction of belt travel. When the inner ends of the wing rollers are moved upstream while the outer ends remain substantially in place, the axis of rotation of each wing roller is canted at an angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the conveyor. The wing rollers, rotating about this canted axis, exert inward and downward force components on the respective edge portions of the belt, tending to center the belt about the longitudinal centerline of the conveyor.

In the prior art, a suspended idler roller assembly usually has the longitudinal axis of the center roller in alignment with the laterally spaced end connections which connect the assembly to the spaced supports. Where such an assembly is used on a downwardly sloping conveyor, the inner ends of the wing rollers are downstream from their outer ends, relative to the plane in which the belt travels, because the idler assembly tends to hang vertically downward. This condition results in an inherently detraining effect which, once the belt gets oifcenter, tends to drive it further oifcenter.

The present invention overcomes this difliculty in the prior art assemblies inasmuch as it displaces the inner ends of the Wing rollers upstream to a position above that which the roller would normally assume due to the influence of gravity.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object of this invention to provide a pendent troughing roller assembly exerting a centering bias to a belt responsive to load on the roller assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pendent troughing roller assembly eiiective to overcome the detraining tendency of a downwardly sloping conveyor belt responsive to load on the roller assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved troughing roller assembly having a pair of inclined wing rollers whose inner ends are movable up stream relative to the movement of the belt to exert a training force on the belt responsive to the weight supported by the roller assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent from a study of the specification, taken with the drawings which, together, describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view through an endless belt conveyor showing one embodiment of a troughing roller assembly according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the troughing roller assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the troughing roller assembly of FIGURES l and 2 applied to a downwardly sloping conveyor;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of another form which the invention may take;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the angular displacement of the wing rollers resulting from a load applied to the offset center roller; and

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In FIGURES 1 through 5, a troughing roller assembly embodying one form of the invention is indicated genorally at 10. The roller assembly 16 is employed for transmitting a load on a conveying reach 11, of a movable endless belt conveyor, into a pair of laterally spaced flexible rope strands 122-12, which are supported at intervals throughout their lengths upon vertical supports 1313. Each of the supports 13 has secured to the upper end portion thereof a U-shaped saddle 14 for receiving the respective rope strand 12 to train the strands along generally parallel courses.

The support 1313 are each telescopically received within a base socket 16 maintained in laterally spaced relationship to each other relative to the conveyor course by means of a strut 17, each of the base sockets 16 having a foot 18 resting upon a mine floor F or the like.

A return reach 21 of the conveyor belt is supported and guided by an idler roller assembly 22 which is in turn supported from the strut 17 by a pair of brackets 19.

The troughing roller assembly 10 includes a center load-supporting roller 23 turning upon a stationary idler shaft 24. Each end portion of the, idler shaft 24 is milled to provide a pair of parallel flats 26 which are received in slots 27 on spaced bracket arms 28. The two bracket arms 2828 extend downstream in the direction of belt movement from a strap 29 located up stream relative to the center load supporting roller 23, as best seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5.

A pair of inclined wing rollers 31-31 are each mounted upon an idler shaft 32 and each shaft 32 terminates at its inner end in a clevis 33 which is pin-connected by pins 34 to that end of the strap 29 that is immediately adjacent thereto. The other end of each of the shafts 32 projects beyond the outer end of the respective inclined or wing roller 31 and is. also provided with a clevis 36 which is connected by a pin connection 37 to a connector means such as a U-shaped bracket38 resting upon the adjacent rope strand 12. Each of the brackets 38 has a pair of aligned apertures 39 therein for receiving a wedge 41 to clamp the troughing roller assembly It) in place on the rope strand 12.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the clevis connection 33 to the strap 29 is such that the two wing rollers 31 have a limited amount of movement in a generally horizontal plane with respect to the strap 29 and the center roller 23, yet the connection provides tion of belt movement.

substantially free articulating movement in a generally vertical plane as would be occasioned by changes in load upon the conveying reach 11. The clevis connection 36 of the idler shafts 32 of the inclined wing rollers 31 to the mounting brackets 38 is such that the wing rollers 31 may have swinging movement in a generally horizontal plane substantially upstream and downstream relative to the movement of the belt conveyor across the roller assembly 16.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the conveying reach 11 is supported on the center roller 23 which can be positioned for support in any one of the slots 27 of the bracket arms 28. A load on the center roller 23 is eifective to swing or rock the roller assembly about a principal axis and move the center roller generally downwardly and backwardly in an arcuate path in an upstream direction relative to the movement of the conveying reach 11. Such upstream movement of the center roller 23 is transmitted to the adjacent inner ends of the wing roller 31 causing the inner ends of the wing rollers to also move upstream against the direc- If the conveying reach 11 of the conveyor belt becomes misaligned, as seen in FIGURE 2, the movement of the inner ends of the wing rollers 31 generally upstream results in one of the wing rollers 31 having a greater contact with the conveying reach 11 causing a corrective thrust to be applied to the conveying reach 11, as shown by thearrow in FIGURE 2.

If desired, the center roller 23 may be located selectively as in the slots 27 to move its axis of rotation still further from the line of centers through the connection -in order to increase the centering bias applied to the belt.

For example, if the conveyor shown in FIGURE 1 is operating on a very steep incline, it may be desirable to support the center roller 23 in the outermost notch 27 in order to counteract the inherent detraining effect of a pendent roller assembly.

Referring now to FIGURES 6 through 8, there is shown another embodiment of a troughing roller asand 54 which will yield to permit tipping or rocking of the assembly as a unit. When a load is applied to the center roller 52, the roller assembly 44 tips or turns slightly about a principal axis coinciding with the points of connection of the assembly to the strands. Where this turning or swinging has occurred, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the

wing rollers

49 and 51 are canted relative to the longitudinal centerline of the conveyor to exert a centering force component to the conveying reach of the belt.

It is to be noted that each modification of the improved

troughing roller assemblies

10 and 44, disclosed and described supra, includes a load-supporting part or portion that is disposed in laterally offset relationship to the remaining part or portion of the respective roller assembly in a direction that will be downstream relative to the direction of travel of the belt conveyor that may be supported thereby for movement thereacross.

In the modification, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5, the load-supporting laterally otfset part or portion of the roller assembly 10' includes the center roller 23 which is laterally offsetin such downstream direction to the remaining part of the roller assembly 10 such as the wing rollers 3131, connector means 38, etc.

In the modification, as illustrated in FIGURES 6 through 8, the load-supporting laterally offset part or portion of the roller assembly 44 includes the

wing rollers

49, 51 and the center roller 52 which are offsetin such downstream direction relative to the remaining part of the roller assembly '44 which includes the connector means 48--48, bar 46, etc.

Both the troughing roller assemblies 10 and 44 according to the present invention are especially adapted for use in conveyors running downgrade as seen in FIGURE 5. The conventional troughingroller assembly, in such cases, will hang pendently and the inner ends of the wing rollers will be downstream" from the outer ends thereof in the direction of belt movement, resulting in a tendency of the conveying reach to become detrained. By ottsetting a part of the load-supporting portion of each roller assembly It) or 44 in the direction of belt movement from a plane that is substantially normal to the inclined supports 12 and which also includes the respective connector means 38 and 48 at the outer ends of the wing rollers the inner ends of the wing rollers will be swung upstream or uphill. While FIGURE 5 illustrates the modification of the roller assembly 10, it is to be understood that the roller assembly 44 will also operate in substantially the same fashion and for the sake of brevity only the roller assembly 10 has been so illustrated.

While the invention has been shown and described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A troughingidler assembly for automatically centering a flexible conveyor belt on the assembly as it moves thereacross in an otfcenter condition, said assembly including, in combination, a center roller, at least a pair of wing rollers flanking the center roller and connected thereto whereby the rollers react as a unit when a load is imposed on the assembly, and means for connecting the assembly to spaced support means such as flexible strands to thereby enable at least a limited rotational movement of the assembly about an axis passing through the points of ing a flexible conveyor belt on theassembly as it moves thereacross in an offcenter condition, said assembly including, in combination, a center roller, at least a pair of wing rollers flanking the center roller, a substantially rigid roller supporting frame means connecting the wing rollers to the center roller to thereby restrain movement of the rollers with respect to one another in a generally vertical plane and enable the rollers to react as a unit when a load is imposed on the assembly, and means for connecting the assembly to spaced support means such as flexible strands to thereby enable at least a limited rotational movement of the assembly about an axis passing through the points of connection of the assembly to the support means, said center roller being offset downstream in the direction of the belt travel from the points of connection of the assembly to the support means to thereby enable at least the outer ends of the wing rollers to be oriented in a downstream direction relative to the inner ends in response to subsidence of the center roller under load.

3. A troughing idler assembly for automatically centering a flexible conveyor belt on the assembly as it moves rollers react as'a unit when a load is imposed onthe assembly, and means for connecting the assembly to spaced support means such as flexible strands to thereby enable at least a limited rotational movement of the assembly about an axis passing through the points of connection of the assembly to the support means, said center roller being offset downstream in the direction of belt travel from the points of connection of the assembly to the support means to thereby enable at least the outer ends of the wing rollers to be oriented in a downstream direction relative to the inner ends in response to subsidence of the center roller under load.

4. A troughing idler assembly for automatically centering a flexible conveyor belt on the assembly as it moves thereacross in an otfcenter condition, said assembly including, in combination, a center roller, at least a pair of wing rollers flanking the center roller and connected thereto whereby the rollers react as a unit when a load is imposed on the assembly, and means for connecting the outer ends of the wing rollers to spaced support means such as flexible strands to thereby enable at least a limited rotational movement of the assembly about an axis passing through the points of connection of the outer ends of the wing rollers to the support means, said center roller being offset downstream in the direction of belt travel from the wing rollers to thereby enable at least the outer ends of the wing rollers to be oriented in a downstream direction relative to the inner ends in response to subsidence of the center roller under load.

5. The troughing idler assembly of claim 4 further characterized by and including means for adjusting the amount of olfset of the center roller downstream from the wing roller to thereby vary the downstream orientation of the outer ends of the wing rollers with respect to their inner ends.

6. A troughing idler assembly for automatically centering a flexible conveyor belt on the assembly as it moves thereacross in an oifcenter condition, said assembly including, in combination, a center roller, at least a pair of wing rollers flanking the center roller and connected thereto whereby the rollers react as a unit when a load is imposed on the assembly, and means for connecting the assembly to spaced support means such as flexible strands to thereby enable at least a limited rotational movement of the assembly about an axis passing through the points of connection of the assembly to the support means, said center roller and said wing rollers being offset downstream in the direction of belt travel from the points of connection of the assembly to the support means in a loaded condition and generally aligned with one another in an unloaded condition to thereby enable at least the outer 6 ends of the wing rollers to be oriented in a downstream direction relative to the inner ends in response to subsidence of the center roller under load.

7. A troughing idler assembly for a flexible strand conveyor, said troughing idler assembly including, in combination, connector means adjacent each end portion thereof for connecting the troughing idler assembly be tween a pair of flexible strands, said connector means enabling the troughing idler assembly to rock about a generally horizontally disposed axis located generally parallel to the troughing idler assembly in response to load thereon, first roller means including a pair of wing rollers each extending generally toward each other from a respective one of the connector means, second roller means including a center roller operatively interconnected with the wing rollers, and offset means disposing at least one of the roller means in oifset relationship to the rocking axis to thereby cause the troughing idler assembly, upon imposition of a load thereon, to rock about the generally horizontally disposed axis in a direction to orient the outer ends of the wing rollers further downstream than the inner ends relative to travel of a conveyor belt that may be supported by the troughing idler assembly for movement thereacross.

8. A troughing idler assembly for automatically centering a conveyor belt as it moves across the troughing idler assembly in an oflcenter condition, said troughing idler assembly including, in combination, a center roller and a pair of wing rollers flanking the center roller, the axes of the wing rollers lying in substantially the same vertical plane in an unloaded condition, means for connecting the center roller to the Wing rollers whereby the center roller is generally perpendicularly offset from the wing rollers, the axis of the center roller lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the aforesaid vertical plane, and means for connecting the ends of the wing rollers, and consequently the troughing idler assembly, to a pair of spaced supports such as flexible strands which enable the troughing idler assembly to rotate about a generally horizontally disposed axis which is substantially parallel to the axes of the wing rollers to thereby orient the wing rollers in a conveyor belt centering position in response to imposition of a load on the idler assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,611 Stamos Feb. 24, 1949 2,195,159 Wood Mar. 26, 1940 2,880,851 Salmons Apr. 7, 1959