Conveyors

Abstract: A conveyor with an endless belt (10) which may be removed and replaced manually comprising a pair of rollers (11,12) fixed on axles (13,14) around which the belt is trained and a side frame member on each lateral side of the belt fixed to the axles of the rollers characterised in that each side frame member consists essentially of two plates(15,18) linked in substantially end-to-end relationship at or near their adjacent edges, one of the plates (15) being stationary and positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction of motion of the belt and the other plate (18) being adapted to rotate about the linkage (19) in the same plane as the stationary plate so that the two plates may lie in either substantially rectilinear relationship or in angled relationship, there being provides means (16,21) for securing the plates in rectilinear relationship by the belt tension.

Description: The present invention relates to a conveyor, more particularly to a conveyor with an endless belt which may be removed and replaced manually, for instance, for cleaning. In certain food processes e.g. in the preparation of chilled foods, it is essential that the equipment should be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition. For example, when conventional conveyors with endless belts are used, it is usually very time-consuming to clean the conveyors because the inside of the belt, the end rollers and all other conveyor parts covered by the belt are very difficult or impossible to clean in an acceptable way. In practice, this may destroy the quality of the chilled products, especially where the food material e.g. pizza garniture, comes into direct contact with the conveyor belt. GB-A-2126973 describes and claims a conveyor belt curve comprising an endless conveyor belt which is mounted between two rows of rollers supported on shafts which are secured on an outer frame and an inner frame and form an angle at least in one projection, resilient drive members securing the conveyor belt at its convex longer face to a conveyor chain, said conveyor chain being guided in guide rails defining the curvature, wherein the shaft of at least one of the two rows or rollers is secured in a direction-changing head which is mounted to be swung out from the face of the upper run of the conveyor belt, and means are provided between the outer frame and the inner frame forming at least one slot for the introduction and removal of the conveyor belt. GB-A-2041315 describes and claims an endless belt conveyor unit including support means to which is secured an elongate conveyor comprising an endless conveyor belt mounted on at least two rollers in spaced parallel relationship, the conveyor being secured, by one elongate side only, to the support means and extending therefrom in the form of a cantilever so that the opposite elongate side of the said conveyor is unsupported and the belt load-supporting surface is substantially horizontal, tensioning means being provided for tensioning the belt, the arrangement being such that when the tensioning means is slackened, the conveyor belt can be removed and replaced from said opposite side without having to be cut and/or disconnected or joined. We have now devised a conveyor with an endless belt which can be removed and replaced quickly and easily for cleaning manually, without the need for any tools. According to the present invention there is provided a conveyor with an endless belt which may be removed and replaced manually comprising a pair of rollers fixed on axles around which the belt is trained and a tensioning means for tensioning the belt such that when the tensioning means is slackened the belt can be removed and replaced characterised in that the tensioning means comprises a side frame member on each lateral side of the belt wherein each side frame member consists essentially of two plates linked in substantially end-to-end relationship at or near their adjacent edges, one of the plates being stationary and positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction of motion of the belt and the other plate being adapted to rotate about the linkage in the same plane as the stationary plate so that the two plates may lie in either substantially rectilinear relationship or in angled relationship, there being provided means for securing the plates in rectilinear relationship by the belt tension, the said means for securing the plates in rectilinear relationship by the belt tension being provided by the rotation centre of the plate adapted to rotate being offset above or below a straight line connecting the centres of the axles of the rollers when the plates are in rectilinear relationship so that the distance between these axles has a maximum during rotation of the plates at a position between angled relationship and rectilinear relationship when the straight line connecting the centres of the axles also passes through the rotation centre of the plate adapted to rotate, said rollers being sufficiently close to one another when said plates are in their angled relationship to provide slack in said endless belt, sufficient to permit said belt to be removed laterally of said conveyor for removal and replacement. The belt that is trained around the rollers may be made of any conventional material for example, stainless steel, but a more elastic material is preferred such as polyvinyl chloride coated fabric. The plates are generally flat and elongated. The plates that are adapted to rotate are preferably shorter than the stationary plates and advantageously they are positioned at the upstream end of the conveyor. Conveniently, the plates are made of stainless steel. The plates may be, for instance, hinged or pivoted at the linkage and conveniently, the plates adapted to rotate are capable of being rotated by hand. When it is desired to remove the belt after normal operation of the conveyor with the plates in rectilinear relationship, the plates adapted to rotate are rotated, conveniently by pressing the end roller manually over the position where the rotation centre of the plates and the axles of the rollers are in a straight line before the belt is slackened sufficiently to permit easy removal by hand by manually sliding it laterally off the rollers. The replacement of the belt is carried out by fitting the belt laterally onto the conveyor while the plates are in angled relationship and rotating the plates adapted to rotate conveniently by pressing the end roller manually over the position where the rotation centre of the plates and the axles of the rollers are in a straight line until the plates are in rectilinear relationship, generally with means provided to prevent the plates adapted to rotate from passing beyond rectilinear relationship. The present invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a conveyor with an endless belt showing the plates in angled relationship with the belt removed; Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of a conveyor with an endless belt showing the plates in rectilinear relationship; and Figure 3 is a side view showing both ends of a conveyor with an endless belt. Referring to the drawings, a conveyor belt 10 made of PVC coated fabric is trained around rollers 11 and 12 which are fixed to axles 13 and 14 respectively. Fixed to axle 14 on each side are stationary plates 15 fitted with stop-lugs 16. The stationary plates 15 are connected to one another by a transverse support member 17. Fixed to the axle 13 on each side are plates 18 which are linked to plates 15 by means of pivots 19, and are adapted to rotate 90°. The plates 18 are connected to one another by a transverse bar 20. The corners 21 of plates 18 are adapted to press against the stop-lugs 16 when the plates are in rectilinear relationship. The structures 22 serve for adjusting the belt tension. In operation, food material (not shown) is transported along the belt 10 in the direction of the arrow with the plates 15 and 18 in rectilinear relationship by means of the corners 21 of plates 18 pressing against the stoplugs 16 so that the belt is taut as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. When it is desired to remove the belt for cleaning the roller 11 is pressed manually over the position where the rotation centre of the plates 18 and the axles 13 and 14 are in a straight line to slacken the belt and then rotating the plates 18 on the pivot 19 to a position where the belt can be removed quickly and easily by sliding laterally off the rollers. It will be appreciated that to enable the belt to freely move onto and off of the rollers, the structure to which the conveyor is mounted must not obstruct the belt on the side of the conveyor from which the belt is laterally mounted and dismounted. Figure 1 shows the system with the belt removed and the plates 15 and 18 at 90° to one another. When the belt has been cleaned, it is replaced by passing around the rollers 11, 12 into position and rotating the roller 11 manually in the appropriate direction and then pressing it over the position where the rotation centre of the plates 18 and the axles 13 and 14 are in a straight line until the corners 21 of the plates 18 press against the stop-lugs 16.

Claims: A conveyor with an endless belt (10) which may be removed and replaced manually comprising a pair of rollers (11,12) fixed on axles (13,14) around which the belt (10) is trained and a tensioning means (15,18,19) for tensioning the belt such that when the tensioning means is slackened the belt can be removed and replaced characterised in that the tensioning means comprises a side frame member (15,18) on each lateral side of the belt (10) fixed to the axles (13,14) of the rollers (11,12), wherein each side frame member (15,18) consists essentially of two plates (15,18) linked (19) in substantially end-to-end relationship at or near their adjacent edges, one of the plates (15) being stationary and positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction of motion of the belt (10) and the other plate (18) being adapted to rotate about the linkage (19) in the same plane as the stationary plate (15) so that the two plates may lie in either substantially rectilinear relationship or in angled relationship, and means (16,21) for securing the plates in rectilinear relationship by the belt tension, (18) said means (16,21) being provided by the rotation centre (19) of the plate adapted to rotate being offset above or below a straight line connecting the centres of the axles (13,14) of the rollers (11,12) when the plates (15,18) are in rectilinear relationship so that the distance between these axles (13,14) has a maximum during rotation of the plates (15,18) at a position between the angled and rectilinear relationship when the straight line connecting the centre of the axles (13,14) also passes through the rotation centre of the plate (18) adapted to rotate, said rollers (11,12) being sufficiently close to one another when said plates (15,18) are in their angled relationship to provide slack in said endless belt (10), sufficient to permit said belt (10) to be moved laterally of said conveyor for removal and replacement of said belt. A conveyor with an endless belt (10) according to claim 1 wherein the plates that are adapted to rotate (18) are shorter than the stationary plates (15). A conveyor with an endless belt according to claim 1 wherein the plates (18) that are adapted to rotate are positioned at the upstream end of the conveyor. A conveyor with an endless belt according to claim 1 wherein the plates (15,18) are hinged or pivoted at the linkage. A conveyor with an endless belt according to claim 1 wherein the plates (18) adapted to rotate are capable of being rotated by hand. A conveyor with an endless belt according to claim 1 wherein means are provided to prevent the plates (18) adapted to rotate from passing beyond the rectilinear relationship when they are rotated from the angled relationship to the rectilinear relationship with the stationary plates (15).

Inventors: LOEFBERG LARS C, LOEFBERG, LARS C., Löfberg, Lars C.
Applicants: FRISCO FINDUS AG, FRISCO-FINDUS AG
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65G23
IPC codes: B65G15, B65G23, B65G21