Abstract:
Deflecting device for a conveyor, comprising at least one profiled element ( 10 ) and deflecting devices ( 25 ) and in which a continuous conveyor chain is driven in the profiled element and the said deflecting devices. The profiled element comprises a first guide ( 11, 11′ ) for the motion of the chain in the direction of a deflecting device and a second guide ( 12, 12′ ) for the motion of the chain away from the deflecting device. The said at least one deflecting device has a third guide ( 26, 29, 40 ) on a pair of mutually opposing wall elements ( 25 ) actively connectable to the first and second guides and comprises a part ( 30″, 30″ ) which reverses the motional direction of the chain. Each wall element has a fixture device ( 30 ), configured in one piece therewith, for snapping-in of the guide/slide element on both sides of the conveyor.

Description:
[0001]    1. Technical Field  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a deflecting device for a conveyor and, more specifically, to a deflecting device for a conveyor having a continuous-running conveyor chain or equivalent.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    It has long been known to guide continuous conveyor chains in elements which are constructed as profiled elements and support and guide the chain. Such elements are usually extruded profiles and a choice of suitable material offers a wide degree of scope to produce purpose-built elements. One requirement which is stipulated is, of course, adequate strength and optimal extrudability. Aluminium and alloys of aluminium, but also other light metals, have been shown to meet stipulated requirements. By combining a profiled design which is acceptable from the strength aspect with a profile which is necessary for the particular chain guidance, it is possible to achieve a profiled design which is ideal for the purpose.  
           [0005]    Continuous-chain conveyors also, of course, require deflecting devices and, in particular, deflecting devices which reverse the motional direction of the chain from a first direction to a second, opposite direction.  
           [0006]    Such deflecting devices are traditionally made by casting of a plurality of separate elements, which can somehow be joined together and connected to the said profiled elements. The construction elements in the deflecting device are usually also made of aluminium or some other metal having sufficient strength and durability for the purpose.  
           [0007]    These deflecting devices are configured to accommodate a deflecting roller and, in certain cases, a combined deflecting and drive roller.  
           [0008]    Apart from strength requirements, dimensional tolerance requirements are also, of course, stipulated to allow the chain to be introduced into the deflecting device and turned and reintroduced into the profiled element without disturbance. These requirements have traditionally been met with the use of separately made supporting guides which, in an extra manufacturing stage, have been fixed to walls which cover the chain of the deflecting device on both sides.  
           [0009]    Another essential requirement of extruded conveyor elements and deflecting devices is that they should produce minimal friction against the chain. This has traditionally been solved by the application of slide rails made of suitable material to supporting guides in profiled elements and to supporting, separate guides in deflecting devices. Such a material is, for example, polyamide, HD polyethylene or UHW polyethylene.  
           [0010]    A number of rigid requirements are therefore placed upon the deflecting device and in order to meet these use has previously been made of a number of separate construction elements, bearing and friction-reducing, and the deflecting device constructed from these. One wish is that a minimal number of assembly operations shall be required at the assembly site. Apart from the fact that assembly is time-consuming and therefore costly, incorrectly performed part-assembly/assembly can result in failure to obtain the intended functioning and working life. In manufacturing terms, each separate part-production entails increased costs.  
           [0011]    Stockholding of separate components is a further costly factor.  
           [0012]    In the deflecting device, the conveyor chain is turned from one motional direction to the opposite direction and it is very important that the guide should cope with the forces generated without any displacement or change in position of the chain and of bearing/steering elements. In the known devices in which the bearing guide is designed as a separate construction element, incorrect assembly can result in operating faults. Although these may not be noticed directly, the working life of the conveyor might be considerably reduced.  
           [0013]    Object of the Invention  
           [0014]    The object of the invention is to provide a conveyor having a continuous conveyor chain in which the abovementioned drawbacks of the known deflecting devices are eliminated.  
           [0015]    The deflecting device shall especially be usable in conveyors having continuous conveyor chains, in which the motional direction of the chain is reversed from a first motional direction to an opposite direction and in which the chain parts of the conveyor are also supported and guided at a relatively short distance apart in extruded profiles and by at least one further deflecting device.  
           [0016]    The Invention  
           [0017]    The said object of the invention is realized with a deflecting device according to that which is set out in Patent claim 1. In the sub-claims are indicated preferred embodiments of the arrangement according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the appended drawings, in which:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 shows in perspective view part of a deflecting device according to the invention, mounted on a profiled element in which the conveyor chain is supported and guided,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 shows a link of the conveyor chain viewed from above,  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 shows the link in FIG. 2 viewed from the front,  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 shows in cross section the profiled element in the conveyor in FIG. 1,  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 shows in side view a guide/slide element intended for insertion in the deflecting device in FIG. 1,  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 shows the guide/slide element viewed from the other side,  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 shows diagrammatically in perspective view a wall element in the deflecting device with the guide/slide element shown by the side thereof,  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically in perspective view the wall element in FIG. 7 and the guide/slide element viewed from a somewhat different angle,  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 shows the wall element in FIGS.  7 - 8  with the guide/slide element applied thereto,  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 10 shows that which is shown in FIG. 9 viewed from the opposite side,  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 shows in perspective view the guide/slide element transected in the transverse direction, and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 shows the transected guide/slide element in FIG. 11 viewed from the cut end. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]    In FIG. 1 is shown part of a profiled element  10 , which can be of any chosen length and which is extruded from, preferably, aluminium in the form of a straight girder. The structure of this girder can be seen from FIG. 4. As is evident from the figure, the girder is symmetrical about its vertical centre plane and has a pair of mutually opposing flanges  11 ,  11 ′ forming a first supporting and steering guide for the conveyor chain. The girder also has a pair of mutually opposing flanges  12 ,  12 ′ forming a second supporting and steering lower tramway for the conveyor chain. The girder additionally has, along each long side, longitudinal recesses or grooves  13 ,  13 ′, which are each delimited on the inside by webs  14 ,  14 ′ standing vertically in the figure. These webs  14 ,  14 ′ form together with webs  15 ,  15 ′, which run essential horizontally and are angled in the figure, a rotationally rigid and strong girder construction. The essentially vertical walls  16 ,  16 ′ of the girder, as shown in FIG. 4, are closed off at the bottom by longitudinal grooves  17 ,  17 ′, in which transverse clamps or the like can be secured, for example for the fastening of legs to support the conveyor.  
         [0032]    Bearing upon the upper flanges/the first guide  11 ,  11 ′, (usually) via a slide rail, are the respective outer ends  18 ,  19 ,  18   a ,  19   a ;  18 ′,  19 ′,  18 ′ a ,  19 ′ a  of a chain link  20  shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.  
         [0033]    On the lower flanges/the second guide  12 ,  12 ′ the foot-like elements  21  of the chain link  20  are supported in the lower strand of the conveyor chain, i.e. after the motional direction for the chain has been reversed from a first direction along the guide  11 ,  11 ′ to an opposite direction along the guide  12 ,  12 ′. Individual chain links  20  have bores  22 ,  23 ,  24  intended to receive pins which flexibly hold together individual links in the plane of the chain as well as perpendicularly thereto.  
         [0034]    In FIG. 1 is diagrammatically shown a wall element  25  forming part of a deflecting device according to the invention. The wall element is produced in one piece, preferably by casting of aluminium or another light metal. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the extent of the wall element  25  in the vertical direction essentially corresponds to that of the profiled girder  10 . In one piece with the wall element there is configured a connecting piece  26  having a cross section essentially corresponding to the groove  13 ,  13 ′ in the profiled element and having fastening holes  27  intended to receive screws for tightening against corresponding webs  14 ,  14 ′. The wall element  25  has a flange  28 , which, in mounted state, constitutes an essentially direct extension of the flange  11 . Correspondingly, a flange  29  is present at the bottom of the wall element  25  and this flange, in mounted state, constitutes an essentially direct extension of the lower flange/the first guide  12 . Both these flanges  28 ,  29  are constructed in one piece with the wall element  25  and form part of a third guide in the deflecting device  25 .  
         [0035]    On the inside of the wall element  25  there is configured in one piece with the wall element a part-circular fixture arrangement  30 . This fixture arrangement is, according to the invention, intended to support immovably a guide/slide element  40  (see FIG. 5, FIG. 6). This guide/slide element which can be fixed to the fixture device  30  forms together with the flanges  28 ,  29 , and slide rails (not shown), a third guide for the conveyor chain, i.e. a guide in which the motional direction of the chain is turned from a first direction to the opposite direction.  
         [0036]    The guide/slide element  40  is made of low-friction material, for example injection-moulded from polyamide, HD polyethylene or UHW polyethylene, and is essentially U-shaped with the plane of symmetry of the U lying essentially along the line  31  in FIG. 5. The element  40  has a first pair of arm ends  32 ,  33 , in which the arm end  33  has a more curved curvature in relation to the centre plane  31  compared with the arm end  32 . The arm ends  32 ,  33  have sections  34 ,  35  of reduced material thickness and the top side and bottom side of these sections lie, in mounted state, in the plane of the respective flanges  28 ,  29 . In a radially inward direction in FIG. 5 there is, within the first arm end pair  32 ,  33 , a second arm end pair  36 ,  37 , and each of these arm ends is closed off by a locking lug  38  and  39  respectively. The guide/slide element  40 , as already mentioned, is made of low-friction material and, expediently, is injection-moulded from, for example, polyamide, HD polyethylene or UHW polyethylene, and with the shaping shown in FIGS. 5, 6, the arm ends  32 ,  33 ;  36 ,  37  thus acquire flexibility, i.e. they can be flexibly swung out such that they return into position in the plane of the U.  
         [0037]    Since the inner arm ends are linked with the outer by a number of webs  41  distributed along the part-circular periphery of the element  40 , this means that a force applied in the direction of the arrow  42  in FIG. 5, preferably in this case to the bottom side of the outer end of the arm end  32  and with the locking lugs  38 ,  39  releasably fixed on the fixture device  30  (as will be described below), or any such force application (especially with due regard to the curvatures of the arm ends  37  and  36 ), can advantageously be used for the simple release of locking lugs  38  and  39  respectively, which without such force application are securely engaged.  
         [0038]    As can be seen from FIGS.  7 - 9 , the guide/slide element is intended to be applied to the fixture device  30  constructed in one piece with the wall element  25 . The fixture device  30  has a flat surface  30 ′, which is situated at a distance from the flat surface  25 ′ of the wall element  25 , and, as can be seen from FIG. 1, a flange section  30 ″ extends part-circularly out from a part-circular closure  30 ′″ on the solid section of the fixtur device  30 . Between the flange  30 ″ and the inside  25 ′ of the wall element  25 , therefore, a gap is formed having a gap width d 1 , indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 8. This gap width d 1  is somewhat larger than the measurement d 2  which is shown in FIG. 12 and relates to the dimension of the arm ends  36 ,  37  measured transversely across the said gap. As can be seen from FIG. 12, the bottom sides (intended to bear against the side  25 ′) of the arm ends  36 ,  37  are also configured to form in the radially inward direction an acute angle with the arm ends  32 ,  33  and the part which joins these together. The purpose of this will become clear later.  
         [0039]    On the fixture device  30  there are locking lugs  43 ,  44 , which can be referred to as the third and fourth locking lugs respectively and which are configured in a complementary manner to the locking lugs  38 ,  39  on the guide/slide element  40 . The gap between the surface  30 ′ and the surface  25 ′ forming the flange  30 ′ is closed off at a distance from the respective locking lug  43 ,  44 . The reason for this is that both the engagement and the release of the locking lugs is thereby facilitated.  
         [0040]    The wall element  25  is also provided with coupling devices  45 ,  46  constructed in one piece and intended to interact with complementary devices on a wall element (not shown) interacting with the wall element  25  and situated opposite the latter. In addition, in the wall element there is configured a space  47  for accommodating a suitable drive device for the conveyor chain. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the guide/slide element  40  is introduced onto the wall element  25  from the end thereof. The locking lugs  38 ,  39  first meet the gap between the flange  30 ″ and the wall surface  25 ′ and the bottom side  48  of the arm ends  36 ,  37  will subsequently be pressed downwards in FIG. 12 towards the bottom of the gap  48  as the element  40  continues to be introduced in the direction of the arrow  49 . Finally, the locking lugs  38 ,  39  on the inner arm ends will snap in behind the locking lugs  43 ,  44  on the fixture device  30  and the guide/slide element is thereby fixed securely in place and bears closely with its surface  48  against the inside  25 ′ of the wall element  25 .  
         [0041]    Once the element  40  has thus been placed in its position, with the wall element  25  and its connecting piece  26  in place in the groove  13 ,  13 ′ in the profiled element  10  and with slide rails applied to the respective flanges  28 ,  29  and flanges  11 ,  11 ′;  12 ,  12 ′ on the profiled element, all that remains is to mount a drive device and to join together two wall elements  25  to form a finished deflecting device.  
         [0042]    Even though the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that the inventive is not limited to this. The invention is only limited by that which is stated in the appended patent claims.