BELT CONVEYOR FOR THE TRANSPORT ALONG A CURVE

Abstract: The invention relates to a belt conveyor for the transport along a curve, with two end rollers over which a conveyor belt (1) is led. According to the invention at least one side edge of the conveyor belt (1) cooperates with at least one stationary mounted driving element (15). The conveyor belt (1) may be provided with carrier means on at least one side edge, which carrier means cooperate with the driving element(s) (15). Furthermore, the carrier means may consist of one or more upper and/or lower projections of the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt (1).

Description: BELT CONVEYOR FOR THE TRANSPORT ALONG A CURVE. The invention relates to a belt conveyor for the transport along a curve, with two end rollers over which a conveyor belt is led. In the known embodiments of such belt conveyors the drive of the conveyor belt generally takes place by means of an end roller. In consequence of this, however, the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the conveyor belt are limited in the case that the belt conveyor is constructed for the transport in a flat plane, generally a horizontal plane, while, if this conveyor belt has a helical shape, also its height dimension is subject to limitations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt conveyor, which shows important advantages with respect to the known belt conveyors described hereinabove. To this end the belt conveyor according to the invention is characterized in that at least one side edge of the conveyor belt cooperates with at least one stationary mounted driving element. Because according to the invention the number of stationary mounted driving elements can be defined at choice, a great amount of freedom in the transverse dimension, the longitudinal dimension and the height dimension - if applicable - of the conveyor belt is obtained. In an important embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention the conveyor belt is provided with carrier means on at least one side edge, which carrier means cooperate with the driving element(s). In this embodiment the carrier means may consist of one or more upper and/or lower projections of the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt. The carrier means may for example be pin shaped or cam shaped or may form teeth. According to a particular embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention the conveyor belt is provided with perforations on at least one side edge, which perforations cooperate with the driving element(s). In many cases it will be sufficient if the conveyor belt is provided with carrier means on the outer edge only. The driving element(s) may be located along the upper part and/or along the lower part of the conveyor belt. A very important embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention, wherein the outer portion of the conveyor belt carries retaining means, which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt, because said retaining means are guided in a stationary mounted guide with two guide surfaces facing away from the conveyor belt, between which guide surfaces a passage slot is left clear, is characterized in that the retaining means at the same time are the carrier means. Thus, in this embodiment the retaining means have a double function. The (each) driving element may be directly or indirectly driven by a motor. Furthermore the (each) driving element may comprise an endless chain, rope, belt or the like, which is provided with carriers which cooperate with the carrier means. In this case the (each) endless chain, rope, belt or the like may at least partly extend in a stationary mounted guide means and may carry guide rollers or the like, which cooperate with said guide means. As an alternative, however, it is also possible that the (each) driving element comprises at least one gear wheel which comes into contact with the carrier means. A particularly simple embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention is characterized in that the driving element(s) clampingly engage(s) the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt. According to a modification of this latter embodiment the upper and/or the lower projection of the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt may be endless in the longitudinal direction of the belt, while the driving element(s) may clampingly engage the endless projection(s). The invention further relates to a belt conveyor for the transport along a curve, with two end rollers, over which a conveyor belt is led, wherein the outer portion of the conveyor belt carries retaining means, which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt, because said retaining means are guided in a stationary mounted guide with two guide surfaces facing away from the conveyor belt, between which guide surfaces a passage slot is left clear. According to the invention this belt conveyor is characterized in that the retaining means at the same time accomplish a confinement in a direction perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions. In this way an excellent guide of the outer side edge of the conveyor belt is obtained. According to a simple embodiment of this belt conveyor the retaining means carry lateral projections, which are in contact with the edges of the passage slot. The retaining means may comprise shafts, which are led through the conveyor belt, which shafts are perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions, while retaining rollers provided with a flange are rotatable on these shafts on either side of the belt, said retaining rollers being in contact with the guide surfaces and with the edges of the passage slot, The invention will hereafter be elucidated with respect to the drawing, which shows some embodiments by way of example of the belt conveyor according to the invention. Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of a portion of a belt conveyor according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through plane II - II in fig. 1 on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a cross-section according to plane III - III in fig. 1 on a larger scale. Fig. 4 shows a part of the driving element according to fig. 1 more in detail and on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a schematic top view of a carrier of the driving element according to fig. 4, which is in engagement with a carrier means of the conveyor belt. Fig. 6 is a cross-section, partly in side view, of a modified embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention. Figs. 1 - 5 show a first embodiment of a belt conveyor for the transport along a circular curve. A belt conveyor of this kind may serve for the transport along a curve which lies in a plane, but in the embodiment shown this belt conveyor is provided with a helically shaped conveyor belt 1, so that the belt conveyor also has an upward or downward component of displacement. In figs. 2 and 3 this conveyor belt 1 is inclined in crosssection in the upper portion as well as in the lower portion, but as an alternative this conveyor belt may have a horizontal cross-section in the upper portion or in both portions. The belt conveyor comprises a cylindrical inner plate 2 and a cylindrical outer plate 3 which is concentric with the inner plate, which plates together form the frame of the belt conveyor and are connected with each other by means of connecting strips (not shown). The cylindrical inner plate 2 and the cylindrical outer plate 3 carry bearings (not shown) for supporting end rollers (not shown), which for example are conically or cylindrically shaped. The outer portion of the conveyor belt 1 carries retaining means 4, which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt 1, because these retaining means are guided in stationary mounted guides 5 and 6 for the upper and the lower portion of the conveyor belt 1, these guides being supported by the cylindrical outer plate 3. In the embodiment shown by way of example in figs. 1 - 5 these guides 5, 6 are built up of sections 7, which are connected to the cylindrical outer plate 3 by means of bolts or the like and which carry strips 8. The sides of these strips, which face away from the conveyor belt 1 form guide surfaces 9. The cooperating pairs of strips 8 leave a passage slot 10 clear, through which the conveyor belt 1 is led so that its outer portion lies within the guides 5, 6. In the embodiment shown in figs. 1 - 5 the retaining means 4 consist of shafts 11, which are perpendicular to the relative belt portion, which shafts carry retaining rollers 12, which are displaced along the guide surfaces 9. Wear rings 13 are mounted on these shafts 11 above and below the outer portion of the conveyor belt 1, while distance rings 14 are confined between the wear rings 13 and the retaining rollers 12. Inthe embodiment according to figs. 1- - 5 the retaining means 4 are at the same time carrier means, which cooperate with at least one stationary mounted driving element 15 for driving the conveyor belt 1. In figs. 1 - 5 the driving element 15 comprises an endless driving chain 16, which is provided with carriers 17, which cooperate with the distance rings 14 of the retaining means 4. The endless driving chain 16 comprises chain rollers 18 above and below the carriers 17, which chain rollers come into engagement with sprocket wheels 19 driven by a motor, the chain rollers being rotatably mounted in pairs on an upstanding chain shaft 20. These chain shafts 20 each carry two strip shaped connecting links 21 on either side of each chain roller 18, while these chain shafts support the relative carrier 17 in the central area. A guide roller 22 is mounted on each chain shaft 20 above the upper strip shaped links 21 and below the lower strip shaped links 21. Each carrier 17 is constructed with a roller 23 in the way as shown in fig. 5. The endless driving chain 16 extends at least partly in a stationary mounted guide means 24, which guides and supports the carrier 17 in such a way that these carriers may forcibly engage the retaining means 4 and may attend to the driving of the conveyor belt 1. Of course a variety of other embodiments of the driving elements 15 for the conveyor belt 1 is possible. The driving elements 15 may be arranged at intervals along the upper portion and/or along the lower portion of the conveyor belt 1. In this way a large amount of freedom in the transverse dimension and in the longitudinal dimension of the conveyor belt 1 is obtained, while, if the conveyor belt 1 is helically shaped, as is shown in figs. 1 - 5, also the height dimension of the conveyor belt 1 may be very large. Fig. 6 shows a slightly modified embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the invention for the transport along a curve. In the manner as described hereinbefore this belt conveyor is provided with two end rollers (not shown), over which the conveyor belt 1' is led. The outer portion of the conveyor belt 1 carries retaining means 4', which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt 1', because these retaining means are guided in stationary mounted guides 5', 6'. These guides 5', 6' comprise two guide surfaces 9' facing away from the conveyor belt 1', between which guide surfaces a passage slot 10' is left clear. According to this modified embodiment the retaining means 4' at the same time accomplish a confinement in a direction perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions. In this way an excellent guide of the conveyor belt 1' is obtained. In the embodiment according to fig. 6 the retaining means 4' comprise shafts 11', which are led through the conveyor belt 1', which shafts are perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions. Retaining rollers 12' with flanges 25' are rotatably mounted on these shafts on both sides of the conveyor belt 1', which retaining rollers are in engagement with the guide surfaces 9' and with the edges of the passage slot 10'. Furthermore, a spacer ring 26' is mounted on the shafts 11' on both sides of the conveyor belt 1', which spacer ring 26' axially confines the relative retaining roller 12', whereby a bearing 27', for example a ball bearing or a slide bearing, is confined between each spacer ring 26' and the cooperating retaining roller 12'. Of course it is not absolutely necessary to use such a bearing, as the retaining rollers 12' may also be manufactured from such a material, for example nylon, that these retaining rollers may be rotatably mounted themselves on the cooperating shafts 11'. In the embodiment according to fig, 6 the retaining means 4' may again function as carrier means as well, if desired, and may cooperate with a driving element. The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown in the drawing by way of example, which may be varied in several ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: Claims: 1. Belt conveyor for the transport along a curve, with two end rollers over which a conveyor belt is led, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least one side edge of the conveyor belt cooperates with at least one stationary mounted driving element. 2. Belt conveyor according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the conveyor belt is provided with carrier means on at least one side edge, which carrier means cooperate with the driving element(s). 3. Belt conveyor according to claim 2, c h a r a ct e r i z e d in that the carrier means consist of one or more upper and/or lower projections of the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt. 4. Belt conveyor according to claim 2 or 3, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the carrier means are pin shaped or cam shaped. 5. Belt conveyor according to claim 2 or 3, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the carrier means form teeth. 6. Belt conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the conveyor belt is provided with perforations on at least one side edge, which perforations cooperate with the driving element(s). 7. Belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 - 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the conveyor belt is carried out with carrier means on the outer edge only. 8. Belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 - 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the driving element(s) is (are) located along the upper part and/or along the lower part of the conveyor belt. 9. Belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 - 8, wherein the outer portion of the conveyor belt carries retaining means, which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt, because said retaining means are guided in a stationary mounted guide with two guide surfaces facing away from the conveyor belt, between which guide surfaces a passage slot is left clear, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the retaining means at the same time are the carrier means. 10. Belt conveyor according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the (each) driving element is directly or indirectly driven by a motor. 11. Belt conveyor according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the (each) driving element comprises an endless chain, rope, belt or the like, which is provided with carriers which cooperate with the carrier means. 12. Belt conveyor according to claim 11, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the (each) endless chain, rope, belt or the like at least partly extends in a stationary mounted guide means and carries guide rollers or the like, which cooperate with said guide means. 13. Belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 - 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the (each) driving element comprises at least one gear wheel which comes into contact with the carrier means. 14. Belt conveyor according to claim 1, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the driving element(s) clampingly engage(s) the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt. 15. Belt conveyor according to claim 3, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the upper and/or the lower projection of the side edge(s) of the conveyor belt is (are) endless in the longitudinal direction of the belt, while the driving element(s) clampingly engage(s) the endless projection(s). 16. Belt conveyor for the transport along a curve, with two end rollers, over which a conveyor belt is led, wherein the outejportion of the conveyor belt carries retaining means, which prevent an inwardly directed displacement of the conveyor belt, because said retaining means are guided in a stationary mounted guide with two guide surfaces facing away from the conveyor belt, between which guide surfaces a passage slot is left clear, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the retaining means at the same time accomplish a confinement in a direction perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions. 17. Belt conveyor according to claim 16, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the retaining means carry lateral projections, which are in contact with the edges of the passage slot. 18. Belt conveyor according to claim 17, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the retaining means comprise shafts, which are led through the conveyor belt, which shafts are perpendicular to the adjoining belt portions, while retaining rollers provided with a flange are rotatable on these shafts on either side of the belt, said retaining rollers being in contact with the guide surfaces and with the edges of the passage slot. 19. Belt conveyor according to claim 18, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that a spacer ring is mounted on the shafts on either side of the conveyor belt, while a bearing is confined between each spacer ring and the cooperating retaining roller.

Inventors: TER BALS, BEREND JAN
Applicants: WEIMAR N.V.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B65G15
IPC codes: B65G15