Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Spiral
Patent
1994-08-08
1995-10-17
Bidwell, James R.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Spiral
B65G 2118
Patent
active
054582288
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for carrying an endless conveyor belt along a helical part of its path, said device comprising a frame supporting an outer bearing track and an inner bearing track, each provided below a lateral portion of the conveyor belt along at least a section of the helical part of the belt conveyor.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,282 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,871 disclose devices of this type. Here, use is made of two endless chains, each resting on balls in one of the bearing tracks, for carrying the conveyor belt.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to improve the prior-art devices, especially with a view to facilitating maintenance and reducing the torque produced by the load take-up on the conveyor belt, when being of self-supporting type.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device of the above type, which is characterised in that at least the one bearing track-is formed of a plurality of rolling-bearing units disposed helically after one another and each having a plurality of rolling elements in an endless rolling track having an upper circular-arc-shaped track section and a lower track section which connects with the upper track section to form the endless rolling track, and that at least one of the lateral portions of the conveyor belt rests on the rolling elements in the upper track sections of the corresponding rolling-bearing units.
It is understood that if a rolling element, e.g. a ball, in the device according to the invention becomes out-of-round or cracks, this is easily taken care of by replacing the rolling-bearing unit containing this particular rolling element. Neither does this have any effect on the performance of most of the rolling elements of the device.
The arrangement according to the invention also permits the use of rolling elements of relatively small diameter, which in turn enables load take-up producing less torque. As a result of the small diameter, it is also advantageous in terms of economy to use rolling elements of stainless steel, which reduces the risk of damage to the rolling elements.
Finally, it is of great significance that the arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to dispense with either one or both chains.
In one embodiment of the device according to the invention, at least one of the lateral portions of the conveyor belt can thus rest directly on the rolling elements, the inner lateral portion of the conveyor belt suitably engaging a rotary drum arranged inwardly of the inner bearing track to drive the conveyor belt.
In other embodiments of the device according to the invention, an endless chain can be arranged either between the rolling elements of the inner bearing track and the corresponding lateral portion of the conveyor belt, or between the rolling elements of the outer bearing track and the corresponding lateral portion of the conveyor belt. In both cases, the chain is conveniently used for driving the conveyor belt.
In yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention, use is made of both the endless chains, in which case either one of these or both can be used for driving the conveyor belt.
Preferably, each chain supports rollers in rolling contact with, respectively, a stationary drum arranged inwardly of the inner bearing track and a stationary guide ring arranged outwardly of the outer bearing track.
Although the device according to the invention is especially suitable for use with conveyor belts of self-supporting type, as described in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,651, U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,776 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,567, it is advantageously used also with conveyor belts of non-self-supporting type. In that case, the outer and the inner bearing track must, however, extend along substantially the entire helical part of the conveyor belt path.
When the device according to the invention is used with a conveyor belt of self-supporting type, it is sufficient that the in
REFERENCES:
patent: 4565282 (1986-01-01), Olsson et al.
patent: 4899871 (1990-02-01), Olsson
patent: 5031751 (1991-07-01), Pahlsson
patent: 5350056 (1994-09-01), Hager
Bidwell James R.
Frigoscandia Equipment Aktiebolag
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