Conveying apparatus

Abstract: A belt conveyor comprises a drive device (5), a drive shaft (2) connected to the drive device (5) and rotated thereby, a driven shaft (3) capable of rotating freely; the conveyor has a first base member (7) supporting the drive shaft (2) at one end, a second base member (8) supporting the driven shaft (3) at one end, and an endless belt (1) is wrapped around the drive shaft (2) and the driven shaft (3). The first and second base members (7, 8) can move relative to each other, and a biasing device (10) biases the first and second base members (7, 8) away from each other, there being guide means (12) for guiding the second base member (8) as it is thrust away from the first base member (7). Thanks to the relative movement possible between the base members (7, 8) and the biasing means (10), belt stretch is automatically compensated and belt tension is maintained.

Description: The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus or belt conveyor for use in an automatic assembling apparatus, designed for conveying parts. More particularly, the invention relates to a belt conveyor for use in an apparatus which automatically assembles machines or in an apparatus which automatically conveys electronic parts. Various belt conveyors are known. Among these is one designed to convey mechanical parts to an automatic assembling apparatus which comprises a long base member, a first support, a second support, a drive shaft attached to one end of the base member by the first support, a driven shaft attached to the other end of the base member by the second support, and an endless belt wrapped around the drive and the driven shafts. The belt may wave or slip unless a predetermined tension is applied to the belt, The waving or slipping of the belt would impair the supply of parts to the automatic assembling apparatus. In view of this, it is of vital importance to adjust the tension on the endless belt of the belt conveyor. The longer the belt is used, the more it elongates. The conventional belt conveyor must therefore be stopped at regular time intervals, and the tension of the belt must be adjusted each time the conveyor is stopped. The belt conveyor can have a tension-adjusting mechanism, which comprises either the second support which can slide on the base member or a portion of the base member which can slide on another portion thereof. In order to increase the tension of the belt to a desired value, the first support or the portion of the base member is moved so as to increase the distance between the drive shaft and the driven shaft, thereby straightening up the endless belt, and then is fastened by means of bolts to the base member, or to the other portion of the base member, as the case may be. During use, the tension of the belt gradually decreases even after it has been adjusted. It may also decrease due to slackening of the bolts or loosening of the second support. When the tension decreases too much, the belt conveyor must be stopped. and the bolts must be loosened, the second support must be moved, tightening the endless belt, and the bolts must be tightened again. These steps of adjusting the tension of the belt are very cumbersome and requires many man-hours, particularly in the case where the belt conveyor is located within the automatic assembling apparatus or is positioned between complex machines. Another problem is inherent in the conventional belt conveyor of the type described above. In the case where the conveyor is set in a limited space, or the tension-adjusting mechanism is located very close to any other component or to another belt conveyor, it is impossible to move the first support or the portion of the base member sufficiently to increase the distance between the drive shaft and the driven shaft. An object of the present invention is to provide a belt conveyor in which the tension of the endless belt can be automatically adjusted by means of a simple mechanism, without changing the length of the belt conveyor, thereby applying a sufficient tension to the belt at all times. EP-A-0,121,921 discloses a belt conveyor according to the entering clause of claim 1 having an endless belt wrapped around a drive shaft and a driven shaft. The drive shaft is fixable at various positions to set the tension of the conveyor belt. GB-A-396,382 discloses a chain conveyor in which a driven shaft is supported by bearing blocks disposed in guides and slideable longitudinally between the guides against the action of a spring buffer. The present invention is as claimed in the claims. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a belt conveyor; Fig. 2 is a side view showing the belt conveyor illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view of a second belt conveyor; Fig. 4 is a partially sectional side view illustrating a part of the second belt conveyor; Fig. 5 is a front view showing the base members of a third belt conveyor; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the cylindrical member of the third belt conveyor; Fig. 7 is a front view showing a fourth belt conveyor; Fig. 8 is a partially sectional side view illustrating a part of a fifth belt conveyor; Fig. 9 is a plan view of a sixth belt conveyor being an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 10 is a side view illustrating the sixth belt conveyor. Figures 1-8 and the corresponding part of the description relate to belt conveyors in general and do not constitute embodiments of the invention. Fig. 1 and 2 show a small-sized belt conveyor for conveying mechanical components. As is illustrated in these figures, the belt conveyor comprises a drive shaft 2, a driven shaft 3, a roller 2a mounted on the drive shaft 2, a roller 3a mounted on the driven shaft 3, and an oil-resistant endless belt 1 wrapped around the rollers 2a and 3a. The drive shaft 2 is connected to a drive gear device 4 which functions as a drive device The drive shaft 2 is rotatably supported by a first support member 6 which has a bearing (not shown). The first support member 6 is fastened to a first base member 7. A second base member 8 is located, spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the front end of the first base member 7. A second support member 9, which has a bearing (not shown), is fastened to the second base member 8. The second support member 9 has a bearing (not shown), which rotatably supports the driven shaft 3. A coil spring 10 is interposed between the first base member 7 and the second base member 8, biasing the second base member 8 away from the first base member 7. Four through holes 11 are made in the four corners of either base member, respectively. Four guide bars 12 having a circular cross section are inserted in these through holes 12. That portion of each guide bar 12 which is inserted in the hole 11 of the second base member 8 are secured thereto by means of pins (not shown) or the like. On the other hand, that portion of each guide bar 12 which is inserted in the through hole 11 of the first base member 7 is slidably fitted in the hole 11. The four guide bars 12 abut on the coil spring 10 and can hold the coil spring 10 against slipping out of place. Two parallel guide bars 13 are connected at one end to two guide plates 14 fastened to the first base member 7, and at the other end to two guide plates 14 fastened to the second base member 8. The operation of the belt conveyor, described above, will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The belt conveyor is designed to convey bearings 20 from the left to the right (Fig. 2). The bearings 20 are deposited on the belt 1 and conveyed from the inlet guide plate 14 to the outlet guide plate 14, while being guided by the guide bars 13. The tension of the endless belt 1 changes in accordance with the weight of each bearing 20, the friction between the belt 1 and the rollers 2a and 3a, and changes in the torque of the shafts 2 and 3, and the like. Nevertheless, a desired tension is always applied to the endless belt 1 even if the belt 1 is elongated due to long-time use. This is because the spring 10 biases the second base member 8 away from the first base member 7, and the second base member 8 gradually moves to the left as the endless belt 1 is elongated, thus compensating for the longation. As a result of this, the belt 1 remains tight, never slackening or waving. As has been described, the tension of the endless belt 1 is maintained at an optimal value, however long the belt conveyor is used. Therefore, not only can the belt conveyor convey mechanical components smoothly, but also does it suffice to spend a short time to adjust the tension of the belt 1. A second belt conveyor will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate the components similar or identical to those of the first embodiment (Figs. 1 and 2). The similar or identical components will not be described in detail. The second conveyor has two spring seats 22 attached to the opposing end faces of base members 7 and 8, respectively, and hold the ends of the coil spring 10. Either spring seat 22 has a projection 23 and four claws 24. The projection 23 is fitted in the end portion of the spring 10. The claws 24 are inserted in four grooves 17 made in the end face of the associated base member. Since the projections 23 of the spring seats 22 are fitted in the end portions of the coil spring 10, the coil spring 10 cannot become displaced from the base member 7 or 8, or cannot slip out of the space between the base members 7 and 8, even if the coil spring 10 has a relatively small diameter. A third belt conveyor will now be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the same reference numerals are used to represent the components similar or identical to those of the first conveyor (Figs.1 and 2). The similar or identical components will not be described in detail. The third belt conveyor is characterized in two respects. First, both base members 7 and 8 are shaped aluminium bars having a central through hole 30 and the cross section specified in the through holes 30 of the base members 7 and 8, respectively. Second, two hollow square prisms 31 have four projections 32 protruding outwardly from their open-end portions. Hence, each spring-seating prism 31 is thus prevented, in its entirety, from slipping into the through hole 30 of the associated base member when the prism is mounted thereto. In the third conveyor, either prism 31 can have any desired length, regardless of the distance between the opposing ends of the base members 7 and 8. It follows that the coil spring 10 can have any desired length and hence it can be contrived to have a sufficient expansion-contraction stroke. A fourth belt conveyor will be described, with reference to Fig. 7 in which the same reference numerals are used to denote the components similar or identical to those of the first conveyor (Figs. 1 and 2). The similar or identical components will not be described in detail, for simplicity of description, but will be ascertainable by the skilled addressee reading this specification. This conveyor is characterized in two respects. First, a first base member 7 and a second base member 8 are each a shaped bar having the cross section specified in Fig. 7. Second, two spring seats 22, which are identical in shape to the seats 22 used in the second embodiment (Figs. 3 and 4) but different in size therefrom, are attached to the end face of either base member. Hence, two coil springs (not shown) will be held in place between the first base member 7 and the second base member 8. Either base member has a small width, but nevertheless can still have adequate mechanical strength. A fifth belt conveyor will now be described, with reference to Fig. 8, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate the components similar or identical to those of the conveyors thus far described. The similar or identical components will not be described in detail, for simplicity of description. The fifth conveyor is characterized by the provision of an air cylinder 35 which is used as means biasing both base members 7 and 8. The air cylinder 35 is fitted in a bottomed hollow cylinder 31 and pushes the bottom thereof, thus biasing the base members 7 and 8 away from each other. The pressure the air cylinder 35 exerts on the bottom of the cylinder 31 can be reliably controlled, provided that the air cylinder 35 is connected to an air pump (not shown) by an air pipe. The compressed air supplied into the air cylinder 35 has a constant pressure, whereas the force of the coil spring or springs 10 used in the first to fourth conveyors varies in inverse proportion to the distance between the base members 7 and 8,i.e., to the length of the compressed springs 10, which may change when the belt conveyor vibrates. Hence, the air cylinder 35 can exert a more stable tension in the endless belt 1 than coil springs 10 can exert. A sixth belt conveyor, and one according to the present invention will now be described, with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used to designate the components similar or identical to those of the conveyors thus far described. The similar or indentical components will not be described in detail. The belt conveyor shown in Figs.9 and 10 comprises a drive shaft 42, a roller 42a mounted on the drive shaft 42, a support member 46 rotatably supporting the drive shaft 42, a fixed base member 40 fastened to the support member 46 by bolts 41, and a first base member 47 fastened to the support member 46 by bolts 41. A support member 44 having a bearing (not shown) is connected by bolts 41 to a remote, forward end of the fixed base member 40. A first driven shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the bearing of the support member 44. A support member 49 having a bearing (not shown) is located below the support member 44 and fastened to a second base member 48 by means of bolts 41. A second driven shaft 45 is rotatably supported by the bearing of the support member 49, and is positioned slightly closer to the drive shaft 42 than the first driven shaft 43. The fixed base member 40 and the second base member 48 are not connected to each other, and the first base member 47 and the second base member 48 are connected by a guide bar 12 such that they can move relative to each other. A coil spring 10 is interposed between the first base member 47 and the second base member 48, thus biasing these base members 47 and 48 away from each other. The fixed base member 40 and the first base member 47 are fastened to a connecting plate 50 by means of bolts 41. Two rollers 43a and 45a, which have diameters half that of the roller 42a mounted on the drive shaft 42,are mounted on the driven shafts 43 and 45, respectively. An endless belt 1 is wrapped around the rollers 42a, 43a, and 45a. The second driven shaft 45 is biased by the coil spring 10, substantially parallel to that portion of the belt 1 extending between the shafts 42 and 45 to increase the distance between these shafts 42 and 45. Therefore, as the belt 1 elongates over long-time use, the second driven shaft 45 moves away from the drive shaft 42 by virtue of the coil spring 10, whereby the belt 1 has a predetermined tension at all times. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the coil spring 10 automatically adjusts the tension of the belt 1 to a desired value, while the distance between the drive shaft 42 and the first driven shaft 43 is maintained. Since the second base member 48 is biased to move in parallel to the axis of the fixed member 40 and hence parallel to that portion of the belt which extends between the shafts 42 and 45, the belt conveyor has a simple structure and occupies but a small space. Further, the force of the coil spring 10 changes, with little loss, into the tension of the endless belt 1. In addition, with only one additional driven shaft and only one additional roller, the tension of the belt 1 can be reliably adjusted and, the length of the belt 1 can be reliably maintained and adjusted, while maintaining the length of the belt conveyor, i.e., the distance between the drive shaft 42 and the first driven shaft 43. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. Rather, various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the means for biasing the base members away from each other can be any elastic member other than a coil spring, or by any pressure-applying component other than an air cylinder, that can exert a substantially constant tension on the endless belt 1. Further, the second driven shaft 45 can be located near the drive shaft 42, instead of close to the first driven shaft 43 as in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. In other words, the second driven shaft 45 can be positioned in the vicinity of either the drive shaft 42 or the first driven shaft 43. What is important with the embodiment is that the drive shaft 42 and the first driven shaft 43 are spaced apart a fixed distance. Still further, in any belt conveyor according to the present invention, the bias means biases the base members supporting the drive shaft and the driven shaft, respectively, to move away from each other. Hence, a predetermined tension is always applied to the endless belt, which thus can neither wave nor slacken. Moreover, even if the endless belt elongates due to long-time use, the second base member moves away from the first base member, thus automatically taking up the stretch. As a result of this, the belt tension remains at a desired value. Furthermore, since the first and second base members are guided by the guide member, they can steadily move away from each other, as the endless belt elongates without impairing the mechanical strength of the belt conveyor as a whole. As has been described, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the distance between the drive shaft and the first driven shaft is fixed, and the second driven shaft is located near either the drive shaft or the first driven shaft. The bias member biases the second driven shaft away from the drive shaft or the first driven shaft, as the case may be. Therefore, a sufficient tension can be applied to the endless belt by means of a relatively simple mechanism, without changing the length of the belt conveyor, i.e. the distance between the drive shaft and the first driven shaft. Further, since the second driven shaft, which is located close to the drive shaft or the first driven shaft, is biased in parallel to the direction in which the endless belt wrapped around the rollers mounted on the drive shaft and the first driven shaft is driven, the bias applied to the second driven shaft can be changed, with little loss, to tension in the endless belt. The tension exerted on the belt is, therefore, sufficient at all times.

Claims: A belt conveyor comprising: a drive device (5); a drive shaft (42) connected to the drive device (5) and rotatable by the drive device (5); a first driven shaft (43) capable of rotating freely; a fixed base member (40) supporting at one end thereof the drive shaft (42) and at the other end thereof the first driven shaft (43); a second driven shaft (45) capable of rotating freely and being located inside an endless belt (1); and the endless belt (1) being wrapped around the drive shaft (42) and the first driven shaft (43) and driven by the drive shaft (43) to define an upper conveyor surface between said drive shaft (45) and said first driven shaft (43) characterized in that: the first driven shaft (43)and the drive shaft (42) are spaced apart by a fixed distance; and by the second driven shaft (45) being located near and under one of either the drive shaft (42) or the first driven shaft (43) so as to be closer to the one shaft (42;43) than the other shaft (43;42); a first base member (47) fastened to the fixed base member (40); a second base member (48) supporting at one end thereof the second driven shaft (43) and capable of moving substantially parallel to the upper conveyor surface; and a bias device (10), interposed between the first and second base members (47, 48) and biasing the second base member (48) away from said first base member (47) in a direction which is substantially parallel to the direction of motion of the upper conveyor surface; and guide means (12) for guiding the second base member (48) for movement away from the first base member(47). A belt conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bias device (10) comprises an air cylinder (35) interposed between the first and second base members (47, 48) and arranged in a space defined by the guide means (12). A belt conveyor as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2 in which the second base member (47) extends substantially parallel to the fixed base member (40) and the guide means (10) comprises a plurality of guide bars (12) inserted in said second base member (47).

Inventors: NISHIKAWA KENJI, NOMURA RYOICHI, NISHIKAWA, KENJI, NOMURA, RYOICHI
Applicants: NIC AUTOTEC CO LTD, NIC AUTOTEC CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65G23
IPC codes: B65G21, B65G23