US3087601A - Troughing idler assembly having lim ited troughing movement for low clearance operations - Google Patents

Description

R. F. LO PRES Tl TROUGHING IDLER AS April 30, 1963 3,087,601

SEMBLY HAVING LIMITED TROUGHING MOVEMENT, FOR LOW CLEARANCE OPERATIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1959 .....U r mm M D: m0 4 .L f M w/ m April 30, 1963 R. F. LO PRESTI 3,087,601

vTROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY HAVING LIMITED TROUGHING MOVEMENT FOR LOW CLEARANCE OPERATIONS Filed Dec. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4 Roy F fi i sti BY Par/KW far/er fl/zameys United States Patent Ofi ice 3,087,601 TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY HAVING LIM ITED TROUGHING MOVEMENT FOR LOW CLEARANCE OPERATIONS Roy F. Lo Presti, Chicago, 111., assignor to Goodman bgalrlllufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation mois Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 862,815 8 Claims. (Cl. 198-192) This invention relates generally to flexible rope side frame conveyors, and particularly to a troughing idler assembly for low rope operations which retains substantially all the vertical flexibility of the conventional fully flexible sausage roller assembly utilized in high clearance and above ground operations.

Rope side firame conveyors of the type illustrated in the Craggs et al. Patent No. 2,773,257 have come into increasingly widespread use in recent years due to their many inherent desirable characteristics. Among these are low cost, high carrying capacity, ease of installation and maintenance, and easy adaptability to all conveyor environments.

This type of conveyor generally comprises a pair of rope side frames such as wire ropes which are supported in generally parallel relationship at predetermined intervals along a conveying course such as a mine run by a plurality of support structures. The support structures may take the form or ground engaging support stands or hanger structures connected to an overhead support such as the mine roof. A plurality of troughing idler assemblies are hung from the rope side frames at intervals to form a bed which supports the conveying reach of an endless flexible conveyor belt. Return roller assemblies are located at intervals along the conveying course to support the return reach of the belt. These return roller assemblies may be suspended directly from the rope side frames or carried by other suitable supporting structures such as the rope side frame support stands. In general, since the return roller assemblies carry no load other than the weight of the return reach of the belt, they are positioned at substantially greater'intervals along the conveying course than are the conveying troughing idler assemblies.

I he basic structure illustrated in the aforementioned Craggs et al. patent may be infiinitely varied to satisfy the demands of varying conveyor environments. For example, the fully flexible troughing roller assembly is well suited to operations in which head room is no problem, such as large vein coal mining and above ground operatoins. In low clearance operations, such as narrow seam coal mining, the fully flexible roller assembly may occasionally run into difliculty, especially if the rope tension is low. Under such conditions the conveying reach may drop tar enough to interfere with the return reach or the conveyor belt which invariably runs directly beneath the conveying reach.

In addition, it is sometimes diflicult in low clearance operations to build in to the fully flexible idler assembly the structure needed to properly reorient at least the wing rollers of the assembly to properly train the belt as it moves thereacross. Also, because of the cramped space condition, lubrication of the roller bearings may sometimes be inconvenient, particularly when the rollers are connected directly in line with one another.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a troughing idler assenrbly for low rope operation which retains all the desirable belt troughing characteristics of a fully flexible troughing roller assembly through at least a limited range of flexure of the rollers with respect to one another.

Another object is to provide a troughing idler assembly 3,087,601 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 2 for low rope operation which provides full flexibility of the individual rollers by displacing the rope side frames outwardly and even relatively slightly upwardly under load to thereby counteract the cumulative sag eifect of the strands under load conditions.

Another object is to provide a troughing idler assembly for low rope operations in which belt training is efiected by an automatic reorientation of the wing rollers in response to reversal of belt travel.

Yet a further object is to provide a troughing idler assembly for low rope operations which substantially eliminates the lifting of the outer ends of the wing rollers as they are swung from one training position to another.

Yet a further object is to provide a low rope troughing idler assembly which provides easy access to the individual roller bearings for lubrication and inspection.

Yet a further object is to provide a low rope troughing idler assembly as fully flexible as above ground sausage idler assemblies to a predetermined point beyond which further liexure of the individual rollers with respect to one another is prevented by a gradually stiffening fiexure limiting means which limits the troughing contour and prevents interference of the center roller with the return reach.

A further object of the invention is to provide a low rope troughing idler assembly fully as flexible as above ground troughing idler assemblies to a predetermined point beyond which further flexure of the rollers with respect to one another is prevented by positive limit means which take effect at or immediately before the limit of the gradually stiflening flexure limiting means is reached.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following descrip tion.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view through a rope side firame conveyor illustrating the invention in elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view with the belt omitted for clarity, taken substantially along the line 2. 2 or FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial left side view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the roller assembly illustrating the relative positions assumed by the roller sup porting structure in loaded and unloaded conditions.

Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts throughout the following description of the drawings.

The conveyor illustrated in cross section in FIGURE 1 consists essentially of a pair of flexible rope side frames 10 and 11 which are supported by a pair of telescoping vertically adjustable support stands 12 and 13 resting on the mine floor F. The rope side frames are received in a pair of U-shaped saddle members 14 and 15 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the top of the telescoping support stands. A rigid cross bar 16 welded to the telescoping support stands maintains the top of the stands, and consequently the gauge of the flexible rope side frames, a fixed distance apart. Since the details of the rope side frame supporting structure and the means for vertically maintaining the seats formed in the U-shaped saddle members in a common horizontal plane do not of themselves form an integral part of the invention, they are not further illustrated or described. The roof, which may for example be the roof of a coal mine, is indicated at R. From the relative closeness of the roof to the floor, it can be seen that the conveyor is installed in a low clearance environment.

A return roller 17, shown in this instance as secured to the telescoping support stands 12 and 13, supports the return reach 18 of a flexible conveyor belt. Since the details of the connection of the return roller to the support stands is not essential to an understanding of the invention, it is not further illustrated or described.

The unique conveying troughing idler assembly of the present invention is indicated generally at 20. The assembly includes essentially an intermediate or center primary load carrying roller 21 flanked by a pair of end or wing rollers 22, 23. The rollers form in effect a bed which supports the conveying reach 24 of a flexible conveyor belt. The rollers are serially disposed with respect to one another across the width of the conveyor, but, as is apparent from FIGURE 2, the center roller 21 is offset from the wing rollers 22, 23 along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor.

Means for supporting the rollers in a freely flexible relationship are indicated generally at 30. The roller supporting means comprises in effect a flexible frame consisting of a pair of side strut members 31, 32 which are pivotally connected at their inner ends to a center connecting brace member 33. The outer ends of the side strut members 31, 32 are welded or otherwise suitably secured as at 34 to means 35, 36 for connecting the roller supporting means and rollers to the flexible rope side frames. In this instance, the connecting means are illustrated as rope clamps, one part of which is welded to the side strut members, but it will be understood that any suitable connecting means may be utilized.

The side strut members and center connecting brace are illustrated in this instance as consisting of flat plates whose length is substantially longer than their width, and the width substantially greater than the thickness. As best illustrated in FIGURE 2, the strut members and connecting brace are joined for flexing movement with respect to one another by pivot pins 38, 39 passing through aligned collars 40 which in turn are welded to the ends of the brace and side struts. The wing rollers are supported on the side struts by structure which will now be described in detail. Since the mode of connection of each roller to its associated side strut is essentially the same, only right wing roller 23 will be described.

An upwardly extending roller supporting arm 42 is welded to the inner end of side strut 32, as best illustrated in FIGURE 4. The upper end of the arm is slotted to receive the right wing roller shaft 23a, and the arm may be slightly curved to provide adequate clearance between it and the lower inner edge of the roller. A second roller supporting arm structure extends upwardly from the right or outer end of side strut 32, as viewed in FIGURE 1. The outer supporting arm structure may be integrally formed with side strut 32, as best illustrated in FIGURE 4. The outer roller supporting arm includes a generally vertically upwardly extending lower portion 43 and an upper slightly inwardly directed portion 44. An elongated pivot arm 45 whose upper end is apertured to receive the outer end of wing roller shaft 23a is pivotally connected to the upper portion 44 of the outer arm by pivot pin 46. The pivotal connection 46 permits swinging movement of the outer end of the wing roller in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter. A tubular reinforcing member 47 is welded to the lower end of inner arm 42 and the upper end of upper portion 44 to provide additional rigidity to the structure. Cotter pins, not numbered, maintain pivot pin 46 in place and prevent unintended axial movement of pivot arm 45 along the outer end of roller shaft 23a. In FIGURE 3, which shows the supporting structure for left wing roller 22 but which is identical to that of right wing roller 23, a triangular reinforcing plate 48 has been welded along its short leg to the connecting means 35 and along its long leg to the lower portion 43 of the outer roller supporting arm. The illustrated support structure provides an effective flexure point between rollers at the pivot pin connections 38 and 39.

The center roller 21, which may be of somewhat greater length than the wing rollers 22, 23, is supported on a center connecting brace 33 by a pair of upstanding brackets 50, 51 which are slotted as at 52 to receive the ends of center roller shaft 21a. With the exception of the outer ends of the wing rollers, the connection of the roller shafts to its associated supporting structure rs affected by milling parallel flats onto the shaft ends and then slipping the shafts into the slots in the arms, the slots being narrower than the diameter of the shafts. A close tolerance between the milled flats and supporting arm slots is not desired. In the case of the wing roller shafts, a certain amount of looseness or play in the joint is necessary in order to permit the outer ends of the wing rollers to swing back and forth in a direction roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. relatively loose tolerance is also desirable to permit the rollers to be easily installed and removed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rollers are free to flex with respect to one another in a generally vertical plane, and as can be seen from FIGURE 1, there is a considerable overlap between the ends of the center roller and the inner ends of the wing rollers. This feature provides good belt contact with therollers in both loaded and unloaded conditions, even if the belt is relatively stiff.

Means for reorienting the wing rollers into a belt training position in response to reversal of belt travel is illustrated best in FIGURES 2 and 3. When the conveying reach 24 travels in the directoin of arrow 60, wing roller 22 will take the position illustrated in FIG- URE 3. A pair of opposed outwardly projecting flanges 6'1, 62, which in effect are merely the upturned edges of upper portion 44, act as stop means which define the path of traverse of the elongated pivot arm 45 about pivot point 46. In the position shown, flange 62 positions roller 22 a few degrees downstream, as can be best seen in FIGURE 2. When the direction of belt travel is reversed, as indicated by the phantom arrow 63, left flange 61 limits the position of pivot arm 45 to a position indicated diagrammatictlly by the radial arm 64 which similarly positions the roller 22 a few degrees in the opposite direction. Representative ranges of movement are on the order of 2 to 5 degrees.

Pivot arm 45 is so proportioned that the outer end of wing roller 22 will traverse a substantially straight path in its movement from one training position to the other. There will, of course, be a very small rise and fall of the wing roller shaft but the length of pivot arm 45 is such as to enable the repositioning force exhibited by belt 24 on the roller to easily swing the roller from one position to another.

Positive limiting means for limiting the amount of flexure between the wing and center rollers are illustrated best in FIGURES 2 and 4. A pair of blocks or checks 65, 66 are welded along their lower edges as at 67 to the upstream side of center reinforcing brace 33, as best shown in FIGURE 4. Each chock includes an abutment surface 68 which is aligned with the upper portion of arm 42 supporting the inner end of wing roller shafts 22a and 23a. When the wing rollers assume their point of maximum deflection with respect to center roller 21, arm 42 will impinge against abutment surface 68. The angle of abutment surface 68 is so designed that when the point of maximum deflection has been reached, the flexure points 38 and 39 will be at a vertically higher level than the points of connection of the side strut members 32, 33 to the flexible strands 10 and 11.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In FIGURE 1, the low rope troughing idler assembly of the present invention is shown in an unloaded condition. In this position, the flexure points 38, 39 between the wing and center rollers lie at considerable distance above the flexible strands 10 and 11 and the connecting means 35, 36. It will be understood that in some installations it may be convenient to extend the side strut members 31, 32 slightly outwardly beyond the flexible rope side frames. In this construction, the assembly should be so proportioned that the flexn- re points 38, 39 should be maintained above the points of connection of the roller supporting frame 30 to the ropes.

When a load is imposed on the assembly, the wing rollers 22, 23 flex to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4. In this position, the inner ends of the wing rollers substantially overlap the ends of the center roller 21. Similarly the flexu- re points 38, 39 drop vertically downwardly from their original position, indicated at X in FIGURE 4, to the illustrated position. At the same time the flexible strands 1'0 and 11 move from their original position, indicated at Y in FIGURE 4, to the illustrated position. Side strut member 32, of course, moves from the position, indicated at Z in FIGURE 4, to the illustrated position. In effect, the flexible roller supporting structure has been extended due to a flattening out resulting from the imposed load. Since the flexure points have not moved inwardly and the side strut members 32, 33 are substantially bodily rigid, the ends of the side struts actually n'se rather than fall as the rollers drop downwardly. This rise in elevation of the outer ends of the side strut members counteracts the sag effect of the flexible strands and thus the net downward displacement of the strands may be rather slight, especially in operations in which the strands are rather tight.

The amount of flexure between the rollers is limited in the first instance by the deflection limit of the flexible rope side frames. As a safety feature, the stop blocks 65, 66 are provided to insure that the side struts 32, 31 will not swing upwardly above center reinforcing brace 33. The abutment surface 68 on the stop blocks should be so designed however that arms 42 impinge against it only slightly before the deflection limit of the rope side frames is reached to thereby utilize the full upward movement of the ropes due to extension of the roller supporting means.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that further modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing specification. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as merely illustrative and not definitive, and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. A troughing idler assembly for a belt conveyor of the type in which an endless belt is supported by a plurality of troughing idler assemblies which are carried by a pair of rope side frames supported in parallel, coplanar relationship to one another along a conveying course, said troughing idler assembly including, in combination,

a conveyor belt supporting roller assembly, said roller assembly including at least an intermediate roller flanked by at least a pair of wing rollers,

extensible and retractible frame means supporting the rollers in fully flexible relationship to one another throughout at least a limited range of flexing movement, said frame means being extensible in response to imposition of load on the roller assembly and retractible in response to a decrease in load on the roller assembly, and

means for connecting the frame means and the roller assembly supported thereby to the rope side frames of a rope side frame belt conveyor.

2. The troughing idler assembly of claim 1 further characterized by and including means for repositioning at least the outermost Wing rollers into a belt training position automatically in response to reversal of the direction of belt travel.

3. The troughing idler assembly of claim 2 further characterized in that the wing roller repositioning means includes elongated pivot arms, the lower end portions of which are pivotally connected to the frame means and the upper end portions to the end portions of the outermost wing rollers, the inner end portions of the outermost wing rollers being non-rigidly connected to the frame means to thereby enable the wing rollers to flop to and fro along a path generally parallel to the direction of belt travel into a belt training position in response to passage of the belt thereover, said pivot arms being of a length sufficiently long to eliminate substantially all upward component of movement of the outer end portions of the rollers as the rollers move from one training position to another.

4. The troughing idler assembly of claim 3 further characterized by and including a pair of stop members carried by the roller supporting means lying in the path of movement of the pivot arms to thereby define a traverse of said pivot arms and consequently the belt training positions of the wing rollers.

5. A troughing idler assembly for a belt conveyor of the type in which an endless belt is supported by a plurality of troughing idler assemblies which are carried by a pair of rope sideframes supported in parallel, coplanar relationship to one another along a conveying course, said troughing idler assembly including, in combination,

a conveying belt supporting roller assembly, said roller assembly including at least an intermediate roller flanked by at least a pair of wing rollers,

an extensible and retractable frame supporting the rollers in fully flexible relationship to one another throughout at least a limited range of flex-ing movement, said frame having a generally central portion in raised position flanked by end portions, said central portion adapted to flex with the end portions to permit the frame to be laterally extended in response to imposition of a load on the assembly and frame, said frame retracted in response to a decrease in load on the assembly so that the raised portion is lowered during extension and raised during retraction,

and means for connecting the frame and the roller assembly supported thereby to the rope sideframes of a rope sideframe belt conveyor.

6. A troughing idler assembly for a belt conveyor, said troughing idler assembly including, in combination,

a plurality of generally serially disposed belt supporting rollers including at least an intermediate roller flanked by at least a pair of wing rollers,

and bodily extensible and retractible means for supporting the rollers in freely flexible relationship with respect to one another throughout at least a limited range of flexing movement, said bodily extensible and retractible roller supporting means including a Pair of substantially rigid side strut members, each of whose inner end portions are pivotally connected to the flexure point between a wing and intermediate roller, each of said side strut members being connectable at a point remote from its inner end portion to an associated rope side frame, said points of connection lying at a lower level than the flexure points in an unloaded condition of the assembly to thereby enable the side strut members to swing out.- wardly as the flexure points move downwardly under load.

7. The troughing idler assembly of claim 6 in which the length of the side strut members is so proportioned hat t e deflection l mit of the rope side frames will be reached before the points of connection of the side strut members to the rope side frames rise above the flexure points.

8. The troughing idler assembly of claim 7 further characterized :by and including limit means operatively engageable with the side strut members for positively References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Muller Sept. 11, 1934 8 Kendall Nov. 7, 1939 Wood Mar. 26, 1940 Hoeck Mar. 24, 1942 Salmons Apr. 7, 1959 Bergmann June 9, 1959

Claims (1)

1. 6. A TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY FOR A BELT CONVEYOR, SAID TROUGHING IDLER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY SERIALLY DISPOSED BELT SUPPORTING ROLLERS INCLUDING AT LEAST AN INTERMEDIATE ROLLER FLANKED BY AT LEAST A PAIR OF WING ROLLERS, AND BODILY EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTIBLE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE ROLLERS IN FREELY FLEXIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT AT LEAST A LIMITED RANGE OF FLEXING MOVEMENT, SAID BODILY EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTIBLE ROLLER SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID SIDE STRUT MEMBERS, EACH OF WHOSE INNER END PORTIONS ARE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE FLEXURE POINT BETWEEN A WING AND INTERMEDIATE ROLLER, EACH OF SAID SIDE STRUT MEMBERS BEING CON-

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