WO2009143536A1

WO2009143536A1 - A vertical conveyor

Info

Publication number: WO2009143536A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2008/000093
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Jackobus Grobler; Hendrik Frederick Grobler
Original assignee: David Jackobus Grobler; Hendrik Frederick Grobler
Priority date: 2008-05-23
Filing date: 2008-10-13
Publication date: 2009-11-26

Abstract

The invention provides a conveyor (10) for vertical conveying of material, such as building material. The conveyor includes an elongate conveyor element (12) having a passage (14) for a column of material defined along its length and which element is configured for vertical mounting. The conveyor further includes a material loading station (22) located at an operatively lower end of the conveyor element and a material offload station (24) located at an operatively upper end of the conveyor element. The conveyor also includes a mechanical advantage means (26) for forcing loaded material, in stacked manner, upward, in use. The conveyor may be of modular construction and can be used to convey building materials such as bricks and sand up the side of a building as the building progresses upward for several storeys.

Description

Title: A Vertical Conveyor

Technical field of the invention

This invention relates to a conveyor for vertical conveying of material or items.

Background to the invention

The applicant is aware that conveyor belts and cranes are used to convey building material such as bricks, sand, concrete and cement toward the top of the building as the building progresses upward. Conveyor belts can, for practical and safety reasons, only reach the second floor of a building. For higher applications, a crane is required. A crane requires substantial space close the building works to mount the crane, requires three-phase electricity, and carries a high cost to transport, erect, certify and operate.

It is an object of this invention to provide a conveyor for vertical conveying of materials, in particular building material, which conveyor can reach up to about 10 floors per conveyor, and in multiples of 10 up to an unlimited number of floors if multiple conveyers are used, in a cost effective manner and requiring a small operating space close to a building or structure and requiring only one operator.

General description of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a conveyer for vertical conveying of material, which conveyor includes: an elongate conveyor element having a passage for a column of material defined along its length and which element is configured for vertical mounting; a material loading station located at an operatively lower end of the conveyor element; a material offload station located a an operatively upper end of the conveyor element; and a mechanical advantage means for forcing loaded material upward, in use.

It will be understood that vertical also means near vertical however, it will be appreciated that perfectly vertically conveyed material will move upward in the passage with the least amount of friction.

The material may be preferably conveyed in a stacked column state.

The elongate conveyor element may be configured to moveably receive building material such as bricks or containers filled with building material such as sand or cement.

The elongate conveyor element may include a plurality of modular elements and may be modularly constructible from modular elements. Each modular element may be provided with a male and female end or a sleeve to fit one on top of the other up to the required height. The length of each modular element may be selected to correspond to a standard height of a storey of a building. The modular element may include a pair of opposed braces for bracing against a floor and roof of a floor. The modular element may be provided with a braking system for braking a stacked column. The braking system for bricks may be a cam and the braking system for containers may be a spring loaded catch.

The conveyor may include a base. The base and the modular elements may be constructed to me advantageously transportable in a light truck. The base may be provided with a levelling system. The levelling system may include four independently adjustable legs.

Preferably, the conveyor may include a flat base for bearing against a lower flat surface and a brace for bearing against an opposed underside of a floor, i.e. its roof, of a building to anchor the conveyor in a vertical position, for use. The modular elements, apart from the lower first element having the loading station, may be provided with a pair of opposed braces for anchoring each element, in use, to a story of a building, which opposed braces are configured to brace against the floor and opposed roof of the story.

The conveyor may include a plurality of off-loading stations, which can be selected to be used as required. It will be appreciated that, for multi story buildings, inner walls of lower floors may be required while upper floor construction is on the way and that material can be selectively transported to any of the floors past which the elongate conveyor elements extends. Each modular element may be provided with an off-loading station.

Although other mechanical advantage means can be envisaged, preferably the mechanical advantage means may include a push rod. Material may be loaded into the loading station onto a working surface of the push rod up to the lower end of a previously stacked column of the material and then pushed upward together with the previously stacked column. The push rod may be mechanically, pneumatically, electrically or preferably hydraulically operable. The conveyor may include a hydraulic pump and an electrical motor to drive the pump, preferably a single phase motor. It will be appreciated that three phase electricity is not always available as required for cranes.

The loading station may be configured for batch loading. The push rod may lower a certain distance to receive a predetermined number or quantity of material. An opening may be provided into the passage of the elongate conveyor element. The opening may be closable by means of a door or gate.

The door or gate may swing open along a vertical plane to a horizontal position and the door or gate may then provide a platform for placing the predetermined number of material, which can be loaded into the conveyor by closing the door or gate.

The conveyor may include a braking assembly for preventing the material from sliding downward in use. For uniformly shaped solid material such as bricks, the braking assembly may include an off centre wheel, which is configured to allow one directional upward movement of the column while being forced upward and which braces, in a cam manner, the lower item of the column when the force is removed, i.e. when the push rod is moved downward for receiving a further batch of the material thereon in the material loading station. Each modular element may be provided with braking systems, one for bricks and one for containers.

For fluid or finely grained material such as building sand, the conveyor may include a lifting element connected to a push and pull rod and the lifting element may extend the length of the passage of the elongate conveyor element and the lifting element may be provided with a series of spaced apart plungers. The plungers may include two hingedly connected leafs, which is configured to be open and plunge the material upward during an upward push and to close during a downward pull. It will be appreciated that the spacing of the plungers less than about 1 meter apart, batch sizes, lowers the compressive forces of the material.

Alternatively, and preferably, for fluid material such as sand, concrete, mortar, gravel and the like, the material can be loaded and conveyed in containers. The containers may be of similar shape and dimension. The elongate conveyor element may be in the form of a round pipe of steel, or plastic such as PVC, and the containers may also be of tubular shape having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the elongate conveyor element. The conveyor may then also include a down conveying element, simply a pipe with a similar inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the containers for returning the empty containers down to the loading station after it has been emptied at the top of the container. The down conveying element may include a shock absorber at the bottom of the element to prevent damage to the containers when it is dropped down the pipe. It will be appreciated that a fixed number of containers can be used to convey material to a pre-selected height, which containers can be conveniently recycled to the bottom of the conveyor for re-use. The elongate element may be tubular, preferably, for safety reasons, enclosed. The channel may be cross-sectionally shaped to have a channel for bricks and a channel for containers, so that either both or either one of bricks or containers can be conveyed.

The material offload station may be, in the case of uniformly shaped solid material such as bricks or containers, a wedge or cam for forcing a batch of material or a container out of an opening provided in the conveyor during upward movement of the material. A cam may be provided for bricks and a cam may be provided for containers. Both cams may be fixed to a frame, which frame is removably attachable to the elongate element at an off-loading station. The material offload station may further be provided with a chute for directing the flow of the off loaded material. The chute may be mounted on a swing arm to enable the operator to vary the flow and off load position of the material.

The conveyor may be configured to be mountable to a vehicle, such as a brick delivery vehicle and the invention also extends to a vehicle fitted with a conveyor in accordance with the invention.

The invention also extends to a method of vertical conveying of material, which method includes the steps of: loading material in a stacked column in a passage of a conveyer element; pushing the material upward; and off loading the material at an upper position.

The material may be loaded in a batch manner.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows schematically a front perspective view of a first lower element of a conveyer for vertical conveying of material, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows schematically a rear perspective view of the first lower element;

Figure 3 shows schematically a rear perspective view of an upper modular element of a conveyer for vertical conveying of material, in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows schematically a front perspective view of the upper modular element;

Figure 5 shows schematically a front perspective view of the off load station of an upper modular element, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 6 shows schematically a front perspective view of a first lower element and an upper modular element, side by side;

Figure 7 shows sectional detail of the braking system, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 8 shows the cams of the off loading station, in accordance with the invention; and Figure 9 shows a container for conveying fluid like material, in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the conveyor, in accordance with the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The conveyor 10 includes a vertically mounted lower elongate conveyor element 12.1 and an upper modular conveyer element 12.2, each having a tubular passage 14 shaped for a stacked column of bricks 16 and a container 17, in this example, defined along its length. The brick 16 and container is shown outside the channel, for clarity purposes. The element 12.1 is mounted on a steel plate base 18. The element 12.1 also includes a threaded brace for bracing the element against a roof 21. The passage 14 is defined by two sections of bent steel welded together to form a tube. The conveyor 10 further includes a material loading station 22 located at a lower elongate conveyor element 12.1 and a material offload station 24 located at each modular upper conveyor element 12.

The conveyor 10 further includes a mechanical advantage means in the form of a hydraulic cylinder and piston push rod 26 for forcing the loaded column of bricks 16 or containers 17 upward, in use. The conveyor 10 includes a hydraulic pump 19 and a single phase electrical motor 27 to drive the pump. The conveyor also includes a hydraulic control 29 for controlling the push rod 26.

The loading station 22 is configured for batch loading of 6 bricks or a container 17, as required by a user, and the push rod 26 contracts to lower a certain distance to receive a predetermined number of 6 bricks in a batch or the container 17. An opening 28 is provided into the passage 14 of the elongate conveyor element for receiving the batch of bricks or the container 17. The opening 28 is closable by means of a door 30, for safety reasons. The door swings open in a vertical plane and provides a loading platform for the bricks, which is loaded into the conveyor by swing the door to a closed position.

The elongate conveyor element 12 is modularly constructible from modular elements 12.2. Each modular element is provided with a sleeve (not shown) to fit one on top of the other up to the required height. Each modular element 12.2 includes a pair of opposed threaded braces 23 and 25 for bracing respectively a roof 27 and floor 29 of a story of a building.

The conveyor 10 also includes a braking assembly at each elongate element 12.1 and 12.2 for preventing the bricks or containers from sliding downward in use, when the push rod 26 contracts. The brick braking assembly 31 includes an off centre steel wheel 35, which is configured to allow one directional upward movement of the column while being forced upward and which braces the lower brick of the column contained in the element when the upward force is removed. The braking assembly 31 also includes a release lever 37 in case the column of bricks needs to be released and lowered. The container braking assembly includes a spring loaded latch, which can also be released, if needed.

The material offload station 24 is provided with a chute 36 for directing the flow of the off loaded bricks 17. The material offload station 24 also includes a cam or deflector 25 for deflecting the bricks 16 out of the passage 14 and a cam or deflector 41 for deflecting containers out of the passage. The deflectors can be removed to allow the bricks or container to pass by the opening to the next modular elements to the required height.

The conveyor also includes a down conveying element 43; simply a PVC pipe clamped to the elongate element 12 with a similar inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the containers 17 for returning the empty containers though the opening 45 down to the loading station after it has been emptied at the top of the container, or off-load station. The down conveying element includes a shock absorber at the bottom of the element to prevent damage to the containers when it is dropped down the pipe.

In use, for bricks, an operator will load a batch of 6 bricks 16 on the open door 30 and close the door to load the batch into the passage 14. The operator then activates the push rod by means of the control 29 to push the batch upwards thereby also moving the rest of the column of bricks upward. When the push rod pushed the batch up to a position where the brake assembly can engage the bottom brick of the batch, the push rod 26 retracts. The process is repeated until the column 16 reaches the off-load station, where it is forced out of the passage 14 onto a chute 36 at a desired height. The force output of the push rod is typically 1.5 tons to reach at least 7 floors high.

In use, for building sand, a fixed number of containers will be required to reach a certain height to the off-load station. One labourer will fill the containers as they are returned via the down conveying element with building sand, for example, and passed on to an operator, who loads the container and activates the push-rod to move the column of containers upward. Typically the diameter and length of the container is selected to allow manageable filling and handling of the containers by labourers and operators.

The inventor believes that the ease of use and the compact and modular design makes the conveyor, in accordance with the invention, a versatile and cost effective machine a versatile and cost effective machine to convey building material up to the required levels as a building progress upward. The conveyor requires little skill to operate safely and the conveyor is also easily transportable.

It shall be understood that the examples are provided for illustrating the invention further and to assist a person skilled in the art with understanding the invention and are not meant to be construed as unduly limiting the reasonable scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A conveyer for vertical conveying of material, which conveyor includes: an elongate conveyor element having a passage for a column of material defined along its length and which element is configured for vertical mounting; a material loading station located at an operatively lower end of the conveyor element; a material offload station located a an operatively upper end of the conveyor element; and a mechanical advantage means for forcing loaded material upward, in use.

2. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the elongate conveyor element includes a plurality of modular elements.

3. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, which includes a base provided with a levelling system.

4. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the levelling system includes four independently adjustable legs.

5. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which includes a flat base for bearing against a lower flat surface and a brace for bearing against an opposed underside of a floor of a building to anchor the conveyor in a vertical position.

6. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mechanical advantage means includes a push rod provided with a working surface.

7. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the push rod is hydraulically operable and the conveyor includes a hydraulic pump and an electrical motor to drive the pump.

8. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the loading station is configured for batch loading or container loading and the push rod is configured to lower a certain distance to receive a predetermined number or quantity of material forming a batch.

9. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the opening is provided into the passage of the elongate conveyor element for loading a batch of material or container.

10. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the opening is closable by means of a door, which door is configured to swing open along a vertical plane to a horizontal position to provide a platform for placing a batch of material or container, which can, in use, be loaded into the conveyor by closing the door.

11. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, which conveyor includes a braking assembly for preventing the material from sliding downward in use.

12. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 11 , wherein the braking assembly includes an off centre wheel or a latch.

13. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the material offload station is in the form of a cam for forcing a batch or container out of an opening provided in the passage of the elongate conveyor element during upward movement of the material.

14. A conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, which is configured to convey both batches of bricks and fluid material in containers.

15. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the containers are of similar shape and dimension.

16. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the elongate conveyor element is tubular.

17. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 14, which includes a down conveying element in the form of a pipe.

18. A method of vertical conveying of material, which method includes the steps of: loading material in a stacked column in a passage of a conveyer element; pushing the material upward; and off loading the material at an upper position.

19. A method as claimed in Claim 18, which includes the step of loading the material in a batch manner.

20. A vehicle fitted with a conveyor as claimed in any one of claims

1 to 17.

21. A conveyer for vertical conveying of material substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of vertical conveying of material substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.