Vibratory cleaner for an endless conveyor belt

The cleaning of conveyor belts has been a problem since their widespread acceptance and adoption for the transporting of materials. Many materials so conveyed have a tackiness or an affinity for the outer surface of the belt of the conveyor. When this occurs the cleaning or removal of this material from the surface of the belt becomes a problem. Prior to the present invention scrapers, brushes and similar devices have been widely used for removing this material or residue adhering to the conveyor belt. In the present invention there is shown a vibration device which is attached so as to vibrate a roller. This device is carried on the under and inner side of the conveyor belt so that this vibration occurs shortly after the discharge of the material from this belt. Shortly after passing over the discharge roller the conveyor belt is brought in way of a vibrated roller whereby any residual material on the exterior of the belt is loosened and knocked free by means of the localized vibrations. Two embodiments are shown. In both embodiments the vibrator directly actuates the free-turning roller which is carried on the end of a pair of swinging arms. The weight of the vibrator and the roller is not excessive and is locally applied to the inner side and under extent of the belt. In one embodiment the vibrator is carried below the belt and the roller is carried on a bracket pivotally supported at the end of a pair of swining arms. In the other embodiment the roller and vibrator are both carried on a pair of swinging arms with the vibrator and roller within the confines of the upper and lower extents of the belt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
With reference to the classification of art as established in the United 
States Patent and Trademark Office the present invention pertains to the 
Class entitled, "Conveyors, power driven" (Class 198) and particularly to 
the subclass entitled, "cleaners" . 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Scrapers, brushes and spoked wheels imparting a fixed amount of vibration 
to the belt are shown in prior art devices. Insofar as is known, these 
prior art devices do not provide an adjustability or high frequency 
vibrations which are provided in the present devices. It is anticipated 
that either air or electric vibrators may be provided and that the cycle 
of vibrations imparted to the belt is from twelve hundred to nine thousand 
vibrations per minute. 
Among the conveyor belts commonly used to transport materials particularly 
up and down slopes are belts having toothed or corrugated surfaces. 
Scrapers and/or brushes often are unsatisfactory in removing items from 
these belts. Among the many reasons is size and fragile construction or 
composition. The vibrating apparatus of this invention is particularly 
useful for removing items from the contoured surfaces of the conveyor 
belt. The frequency and amplitude of the vibrator is adjusted to 
accommodate the particular item and belt. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention may be summarized at least in part with reference to its 
objects. 
It is an object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a 
variable speed vibrator which transmits vibrations to a free-turning 
roller which is in gravitational contact with the inside of a conveyor 
belt. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a 
vibrating roller which engages the inside of a conveyor belt on the lower, 
inner extent thereof with the vibrating roller and vibrator carried on the 
end of a pair of swinging arms and with a vibrator adjustable from twelve 
hundred to nine thousand cycles per minute. 
This invention provides a vibrating apparatus which may be adjusted to the 
desired frequency and force of from twelve hundred to nine thousand cycles 
per minute. These vibrations are transmitted to a free-turning roller 
which is in gravitational engagement with the inside of a conveyor belt on 
the returning extent of this belt near to the discharge pulley. Two 
embodiments are shown. In both embodiments it is desired to carry the 
vibrating roller close to the discharge pulley and for removal of the 
attracted material as close to the discharge end as practical. The 
vibrator is below the belt in one embodiment. In both embodiments the 
vibrator is carried by a bracket so that if required or desired additional 
weight may be placed upon this bracket to increase the intensity of the 
vibrations of the freely turning pulley against the belt. In the other 
embodiment the bracket, vibrator and roller are carried between the 
longitudinal extents of the belt and the freely turning roller is directly 
vibrated by the vibrator which is adjusted as to speed to effectively 
remove the material adhering to the belt surface. 
In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is detailed to 
insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention. This 
disclosure, however, is not intended to cover each new inventive concept 
therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or 
additions of further improvements. For this reason there has been chosen 
two specific embodiments of the vibrating assembly as adopted for use with 
a conveyor belt and showing a preferred means for vibrating the freely 
turning roller. These specific embodiments have been chosen for the 
purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying two 
sheets of drawings wherein:

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 1 and 2 
Referring now in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is to be noted that this 
embodiment is a more-or-less diagrammatic representation of a vibrator as 
mounted on a conveyor belt frame. As depicted, a discharge or tail-end 
pulley 10 is carried on a shaft 12 which may be powered or unpowered as 
the particular conveyor construction or operation dictates. This pulley 10 
may be covered by an appropriate resilient material or lagging as 
determined by the use of the belt. This belt 14 is shown with both a 
forward and return extent portion. This belt is utilized to carry items or 
articles and, as depicted, is moving leftward on its upper extent and 
counterclockwise around the pulley 10. 
On the lower or return extent of this belt 14 is provided the vibrating 
cleaner assembly of this invention. Pulley 10 is carried by a frame 16 
which carries the pulley by supports, not shown. On this frame 16 is 
mounted pillow blocks 18 which are adapted to carry pivoted brackets 20. 
These brackets include pivot pins 21 which are mounted and retained in 
pillow blocks 18. Rubber isolator members 22 are retained by cap screws 23 
and nuts 24 and are disposed between the bracket 20 and support arms 26. 
These isolators are provided to remove unwanted vibrations from the frame 
of the conveyor. Arms 26, as depicted, are small U-shaped or channel 
structural members. On the left or near end of these support arms are 
mounted bearings 28 which rotatably support a shaft 30. This shaft is 
carried in antifriction bearings 32 mounted on the upper extending ends of 
U-bracket 36. These bearings 32 insure that roller 34 carried on shaft 30 
is free turning and is driven only by the engagement of the traveling belt 
14. A bracket 36 is carried by bearings 32 and on its lower cross bar or 
member portion carries a vibrator unit 38. This vibrator may be either 
electrically powered or a pneumatic vibrator with either vibrator having a 
variable speed and force capability. As seen in FIG. 1, if desired, a 
deflector 40 may be provided to insure that the material removed from the 
belt 14 by the vibration of the roller 34 does not fall into or affect the 
actuation of the vibrator 38. 
USE AND OPERATION 
The apparatus depicted in the drawings and in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applied to 
an existing conveyor having a conveying belt 14 which carries material 
having an affinity for or otherwise is retained by the surface of this 
belt. It is assumed that this material is best removed by vibrations 
rather than by scraping or a brushing action. Much of this type of 
material may be removed by high-speed vibrations. In the present invention 
roller 34 is brought into engagement with the under, inner surface of this 
belt. This roller is free turning on shaft 30 and the vibrator 38 
transmits its adjusted vibration to shaft 30 through U-support bracket 38. 
It is contemplated that these vibrations will be from twelve hundred to 
nine thousand cycles per minute. 
The vibrations transmitted to the pivoted arm members 26 are isolated by 
members 22 to provide a desired amount of dampening action or transmitted 
to the frame of the conveyor. Since the bracket 36 is carried by shaft 30 
which is free turning by bearing 28, this bracket is maintained in the 
vertical condition by means of gravity. The vibrations produced in the 
vibrator 38 are electrically or pneumatically controlled to give a precise 
or satisfactory vibration and force rate which removes the material 
clinging to the surface of the conveyor belt 14. This variation of speed 
and force is highly desirable. Several factors determine the adherence of 
a material to the belt among which is when the material is affected by 
humidity or manufacturing conditions. Assuming that the items being 
transported are affected by moisture, the residual variation of moisture 
can be accommodated by increasing or decreasing the rate of vibration, the 
amplitude of vibration, and the force. If the material is slightly tacky 
of sticky because of painting and the like, the coating on these items may 
also have an attraction for the belt 14 and may not be readily discharged 
therefrom. 
The vibrator of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be utilized to insure that the residual 
material is removed from the belt and by means of a chute, not shown, 
delivered to the accumulating bin, as desired. This vibrator induces 
vibrations which are not naturally harmonic. 
ALTERNATE EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 3 and 4 
Referring next and finally to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown an alternate 
embodiment of the vibrator of FIGS. 1 and 2. Instead of the vibrating unit 
being carried below the belt, the vibrating unit is carried above the free 
turning roller and between the forward and return (ie. upper and lower) 
extents of the conveyor belt. As in FIG. 1, there is depicted a pulley 10, 
a shaft 12, a belt 14 and a frame 16. Pillow blocks 18, similar or 
identical to the pillow blocks shown in FIG. 1, are attached to the frame 
16 to carry pivot arms 50. These arms have extending pivot pins 51 which 
are mounted in and extend into and are carried by the pillow blocks 18. A 
vibration isolator 52 is carried by screws 23 and nuts 24 and is secured 
to arm 50 and on the other side to an end portion of a U-shaped support 
bracket 54. Bracket 54 carries bearings 32 and roller 34 and shaft 30, as 
depicted. For the ready removal of the shaft and roller 34 the end plates 
of the U-shaped bracket member 54 are provided with cutouts 56. 
USE AND OPERATION 
As depicted, the pillow blocks 18 ae secured to the frame 16 and retained 
on pivot arms 50 by means of pivot pins 51. Screws 23 and nuts 24 retain 
the arms 50 in the desired position to one side of the vibration isolating 
blocks 52. Screws 23 and nuts 24 may also be secured to the end members of 
the U-shaped support 54. After assembly of this U-shaped bracket to the 
pivot arm 50, the vibrator 38 may be mounted to the top of the U-bracket 
54. Screws 57 may be used to retain pillow blocks 32, shaft 30 and roller 
34 to the end members of the U-bracket 54. Gravity is used to bring the 
roller 34 into engagement with the inner, under side of the belt 14 and 
the arms 50 allow the gravitational force to bring this vibrating means 
into a desired effect. As so arranged the vibrator and the roller are 
carried within the confines of the belt and any residue or items remaining 
on the belt are not obstructed by a vibrator or deflector so that when 
loosened by vibrations the area below the belt is completely clear as far 
as this disposition of a chute and removal of the discharged material. 
Although the arms are shown as carried by pillow blocks 18 secured to the 
frame 16, this is not to preclude the mounting of these pillow blocks to 
other support means. As long as the vibrating roller is movable toward and 
to the inside surface of the return extent of belt and is free turning, an 
adjustable vibrating force may be applied to the return entent of a 
conveyor belt. The isolating of vibrations from the frame of the conveyor 
is desirable when the behavior of the transported material on the upper 
extent of belt and around the pulley is to be considered. 
As a method the above description and apparatus provides the steps of 
cleaning an endless conveyor belt as carried by head and tail pulleys and 
a typical support frame, said method disposed to remove attracted 
particles from the carrying surface of the belt as the belt is moved on 
its return portion of movement, said method cleaning steps including: 
providing a fixed support and maintaining this support in a fixed 
relationship to a conveyor belt and frame; mounting a pair of like arms 
and pivotally retaining said arms at one end to and by the fixed support; 
carrying a shaft at the other end of the pivotally mounted and maintained 
arms; carrying a freely turning roller on and by this shaft, the roller 
engaging the inside surface and under extent of the conveyor belt; 
carrying a bracket on the swinging ends of the pivoted arms, and mounting 
a variable speed and force vibrator by and on the bracket with the 
vibrator having a vibrating range of twelve hundred to nine thousand 
cycles per minute and mounting and attaching the vibrator to the bracket 
so that vibrations from the vibrator are transmitted to the roller and 
from the roller locally to the conveyor belt which is vibrated at this 
localized portion to remove unwanted material from the outer surface of 
the belt. 
Terms such as "left", "right", "up", "down", "bottom", "top", "front", 
"back", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like are applicable to the 
embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These 
terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily 
apply to the position in which the conveyor belt, support or the 
associated vibrator may be constructed or used. 
While particular embodiments of the vibratory apparatus as applied to 
conveyor belts have been shown and described it is to be understood 
modifications may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims and 
protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.