WO2000059814A1

WO2000059814A1 - Conveyor belt

Info

Publication number: WO2000059814A1
Application number: PCT/IB2000/000326
Authority: WO
Inventors: Massimo Franzaroli
Original assignee: Pulsar S.R.L.
Priority date: 1999-04-01
Filing date: 2000-03-21
Publication date: 2000-10-12
Also published as: ITBO990152A0; ITBO990152A1; AU3185900A; IT1309955B1

Abstract

A conveyor belt for conveying items, comprising a belt (12) for supporting and advancing the items, a shaft (14) for driving said belt (12) and a transmission organ (16), provided between said drive shaft (14) and said belt (12). The transmission organ (16) comprises a first annular portion (18), circumferentially positioned and integral with said drive shaft (14), and a second annular portion (20), coaxially positioned about said portion (18) integral with the drive shaft (14) and operatively connected to said belt (12) to drive it in rotation. Means (22, 24) are provided for connecting in driving action said first portion (18) integral with the drive shaft (14) and said second portion (20) operatively connected to said belt (12). Said first annular portion (18) presents an exterior surface (26) having convex profile which is coupled, with friction, to a corresponding interior surface (28), concave in shape, of the second annular portion (20), in such a way as to allow said belt (12) to be oriented according to a pre-selected spatial direction.

Description

Conveyor Belt

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a conveyor belt for conveying items.

Background Art

Current conveyor belts are generally constituted by an actual belt, which supports and advances the items to be conveyed, a shaft for driving said belt, which controls the rotation for the advancement of the belt, and by a transmission organ which serves to transmit the rotatory motion of the drive shaft to said belt for supporting and advancing the items.

Said transmission organ is generally constituted by a driving drum, which is coaxially mounted on said control shaft, with which it is integral, and which presents an external profile for driving in rotation the belt supporting and advancing the items.

A problem encountered in relation with belts known heretofore concerns the fact that said belt cannot be oriented in an effective manner to provide the conveyed material to different and desired reception points, located in a certain area of space.

Disclosure of Invention

To solve the aforementioned problem, a conveyor belt having the characteristics of claim 1 has therefore been provided.

In particular, a conveyor belt is provided in which an organ for transmitting the motion from said control shaft to said belt for supporting and advancing items comprises at least a first annular portion circumferentially positioned and integral with said drive shaft and at least a second annular portion coaxially position about said portion integral with the drive shaft and operatively connected to said belt to drive it in rotation; means being provided for connecting in driving rotation said first portion integral with the drive shaft said second portion operatively connected to said belt, and said first annular portion presenting an exterior surface having a convex profile which is coupled to a corresponding interior surface with concave profile of said second annular portion, in such a way as to allow said belt to be oriented according to a pre-selected spatial direction.

The employment of such a transmission organ allows the conveyor belt of the present invention to be oriented in a suitable manner, in a pre-selected spatial direction, in such a way that the belt can deliver the conveyed product substantially in any desired reception point.

The secondary claims refer to particular and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Further features and particular advantages of the invention shall become more readily apparent in the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent an embodiment provided purely by way of non limiting example.

Description of the Drawings - Figures 1 A, IB, 1C show different horizontal working positions of the conveyor belt according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows different vertical working positions of the conveyor belt according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 3 and 4 show the organ for transmitting motion to the belt, respectively, in accordance to a first and to a second horizontal working position of the conveyor belt.

Description of the Illustrative Embodiment

In accordance with Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a conveyor belt for conveying items comprises an actual belt 12 for supporting and advancing articles, which is supported on a frame 12', a rotating shaft 14, which provides the advancing motion to said belt 12, and an organ 16 for transmitting the rotatory motion from said drive shaft 14 to said belt 12, which is situated between said drive shaft 14 and said belt 12, in correspondence with a longitudinal extremity 13 of said belt.

The belt of the present invention can advantageously be used in association with a corresponding belt 30, positioned upstream, wherefrom it receives the items to be conveyed in correspondence with its extremity 13, an in association to a plurality of belts 31, 31', 33, positioned downstream, to one of which it conveys, following a suitable orientation, said items.

As shown in Figures 1A, IB, 1C, according to the present invention, it is provided for the present belt 12 to be able to be rotated in a horizontal plane, with appropriate means exemplified, in Figures 1A, IB, 1C, by a preferably pneumatic actuator, indicated with the numerical reference 9, thereby allowing to move the longitudinal unloading extremity 11 of said belt 12 in correspondence with a first belt 31 or with a second belt 33 whereto the product needs to be sent as the case may be. It is further provided for the present belt 12 to be able to be rotated lying in a vertical plane, with appropriate means exemplified, in Figure 2, by an actuator, preferably pneumatic, indicated with the numerical reference 8, thereby allowing to move the unloading extremity 11 of said belt 12 in correspondence with a first belt 31, at an upper level, or with a second belt 31 ', located at a lower level, as shown in said Figure 2. Obviously the aforesaid actuators could also be hydraulic, mechanical or electrical instead of pneumatic.

For this purpose, the transmission organ 16 comprises, as the subsequent Figures 3 and 4 better illustrate, a first annular portion 18, circumferentially positioned and integral with said drive shaft 14, and a second annular position 20, coaxially positioned about said first portion 18 and operatively connected to said belt 12 to drive it in rotation.

In particular, advantageously, the first annular portion 18 presents an exterior surface 26 which is provided with a convex profile coupling, with friction, to a corresponding interior surface 28 with concave profile of said second annular portion 20, in such a way as to allow said belt 12 to be oriented according to a pre-selected spatial direction. Said second annular portion 20 supports the frame 12' supporting said belt 12 by means of respective ball bearings 21, 23, which allow the rotation of the portion 20, relative to the frame 12', to provide for driving the belt 12.

By means of said ball bearings 21, 23, a rigid connection is also obtained between said frame 12' supporting the belt and said second portion 20, which allows to orient the belt towards a desired point, to move angularly said portion 20, together with the frame 12', relative to the fixed portion 18.

Means are provided to connect in motion transmission said first portion 18, integral with the drive shaft 14, and said second portion 20 which is operatively connected to said belt 12. Said means for connecting in motion transmission said first portion 18 integral with the drive shaft 14 and said second portion 20 comprise an extension or pin 22 extending radially from the interior surface of said second annular element 20. Said radial pin 22 extends within a corresponding seat 24 extending in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said drive shaft 14, and presenting a first and a second surfaces angularly distanced relative to each other, in a direction radial to the axis of the same drive shaft 14. Only one of said angularly distanced surfaces - indicated with the numeric reference 25 - being shown in Figures 3 and 4. Said angularly distanced surfaces can be engaged by said pin 22 to obtain the transmission of the driving motion from said first annular portion 18 to the second annular portion 20. The extension of the seat 24 in a direction parallel to the axis of said drive shaft 14 allows the free displacement in that direction of the pin 22 within said seat 24, guaranteeing the rotation, at least for a certain angle, of the second portion 20, and of the belt 12, relative to the first portion 18.

When the present device is mounted, the pin 22 is inserted into a through hole 26' which extends radially within said annular portion 20. The pin 22 presents an enlarged head

25 and is advantageously inserted into said through hole 26' from the external side of said second portion 20.

The reference number 29 in Figures 3 and 4 indicates a rubber layer, integral with the exterior surface of said second annular portion 20, which is able to favour the driving of the belt 12. The use of this rubber layer 29 would in any case be optional.

The present transmission organ thus defines a sort of ball joint which allows to drive the advancement of the belt 12 and, simultaneously, the rotation of said belt 12, relative to a virtual centre of rotation, indicated as C in the aforementioned figures, according to a horizontal plane and according to a vertical plane. The invention thus conceived can be subject to numerous modifications and variations, without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all components can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt for conveying items, comprising a belt (12) for supporting and advancing items; a shaft (14) for driving said belt (12); and a transmission organ (16), provided between said drive shaft (14) and said belt (12) in correspondence with an extremity of said belt (12); characterised in that said transmission organ (16) comprises at least a first annular portion (18), circumferentially positioned and integral with said drive shaft (14); and a second annular portion (20) coaxially positioned about said portion (18) integral with the drive shaft (14) and operatively connected to said belt (12) to drive it in rotation; in that means (22, 24) are provided for connecting in motion transmission said first portion (18) integral with the drive shaft (14) and said second portion (20) operatively connected to said belt (12); and in that said first annular portion (18) presents an exterior surface (26) presenting a convex profile which is coupled, with friction, to a corresponding interior surface (28), presenting a concave profile, of the second portion (20), in such a way as to allow said belt (12) to be oriented according to a pre-selected spatial direction.

2. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said second annular portion (20) supports the frame (12') supporting said belt (12).

3. A conveyor belt as claimed in any of the previous claims, characterised in that said means for connecting in rotation said first portion (18) integral with the drive shaft (14) and said second portion (20) comprise at least a pin extending radially from the interior surface of said second annular element (20), said radial pin (22) extending within a corresponding seat (24) having a first and a second surfaces (25) angularly distanced from each other and able to be engaged by said pin (22) to obtain the driving rotation of said second annular portion (20).

4. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said engagement and driving pin (22) is inserted into a through hole (26'), extending radially, within said annular portion (20).