Conveyor belt support system and device

Abstract

A belt support device for supporting a conveyor belt may include at least one support arm assembly operably connected to a base member. A slide bar having a belt support surface for supporting a conveyor belt is connected to a distal end portion of at least one support arm assembly. In one form, the support arm assembly is configured to allow the belt support surface of the slide bar to move between different lateral and vertical positions relative to the base member through a plurality of different adjustment modes. The plurality of different adjustment modes may include movement of the slide bar in an arcuate path relative to the base member, and translational movement of the slide bar including an oblique direction extending obliquely in a transverse direction relative to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 539,477, filed on September 20, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to devices and systems for supporting a conveyor belt traveling thereabove, and more particularly, to an adjustable conveyor belt support device for supporting a lateral portion of the conveyor belt. Background Art

[0004] Generally, the loading or transfer area of a conveyor belt (the area where materials to be conveyed are placed and collected on the conveyor belt) should be supported to avoid damaging the conveyor belt, prevent the conveyed materials from falling off the belt, and control the dust and debris generated when the conveyed materials are placed on the conveyor belt. Various belt support devices (such as impact beds, skid beds, and idler rollers) are used to support the belt in the transfer area. These support devices typically support the conveyor belt in a trough - shaped or U - shaped manner such that the lateral edges of the belt are elevated relative to the center of the belt.

[0005] Typically, a skirt system is provided on both sides of the conveyor belt in the transfer area to prevent the conveyed materials from falling off the belt and to control the dust and debris in the area above the belt. The skirt system can include polyurethane or rubber skirts that are supported generally vertically and arranged on each lateral side of the belt and curved inwardly towards the center of the belt to direct the conveyed materials, dust, and debris away from the edges of the belt. The skirts typically contact the top surface of the belt near each lateral edge to prevent material spillage and control dust. However, a gap may form between the skirt and the conveyor belt, particularly in the area between longitudinally spaced groups of idler rollers on the conveyor belt, which are spaced apart from each other in the downstream direction of the conveyor belt travel, where the conveyor belt sags, allowing materials and dust to leak out. Deploying additional idler roller groups or other known belt support devices to address this issue is often impractical and / or cost - prohibitive.

[0006] U.S. Patent No. 4,898,272 discloses a known support device having opposing slide bars that can be positioned beneath a belt between adjacent idler pulleys or other support devices. The support device includes a large integrated frame assembly that includes opposing elongate slide bars, and the frame assembly is fixedly mounted to a conveyor support structure between adjacent idler pulley sets such that the slide bars can be positioned beneath each lateral edge of the belt for contacting the lower side edges of the conveyor belt in substantially the entire area between the idler pulley sets. Each slide bar is supported by a pair of U-shaped support brackets of the frame assembly, and each bracket is sized to extend transversely across the entire lateral width of the conveyor belt. The support frames are longitudinally spaced from one another between adjacent idler pulley sets in the direction of belt travel. Each U-shaped support frame includes a pair of fixed upright support columns that are fixed at the lateral ends of a cross bar or strut and extend upwardly from the lateral ends of the cross bar or strut, and the cross bar or strut is sized to extend across the width of the conveyor belt to interconnect the support frames. For mounting the frame assembly, each cross bar is fastened to the upper horizontal leg of a longitudinal beam of the conveyor support structure, and the longitudinal beam extends longitudinally along the length of the conveyor belt on its opposite sides. Each fixed upright support column includes an upper telescoping tube member to allow adjustment of the height of the slide bar.

[0007] In addition, each slide bar has opposing end portions that are connected to columns longitudinally aligned along one side of the conveyor belt. Thus, the upper telescoping tube member of one of the support frames is connected to one end portion of the slide bar, and the other end portion is connected by a rotatably movable bracket to the longitudinally aligned upper telescoping tube member of another support frame, which allows adjustment of the angle of the slide bar relative to the telescoping tube member along one side edge of the belt. It will be apparent that the slide bars also interconnect the support frames together with the cross bars, thereby forming a relatively large rectangular footprint for the integrated frame assembly of Patent No. 4,898, by 272. In this regard, the dimensions of the integrated frame assembly in the direction of belt travel are set according to the length of the slide bars, and the length of the slide bars is determined according to the distance between adjacent idler pulley sets. Also, the dimensions of the integrated frame assembly in the lateral direction are set according to the length of the cross bars, and the length of the cross bars is determined according to the width of the conveyor belt. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Such support devices have some drawbacks. For example, since the U-shaped support frame extends across the entire width of the conveyor belt, the installation position of the support device is restricted, and the installation is difficult and time-consuming. Also, since the widths of the conveyor belts and their associated support structures vary between different conveyor systems, the above support devices must be customized to fit each different width. Similarly, since the distances between adjacent idler roller groups may vary in different conveyor systems, different sizes of integrated frame components (including their slide bars) will be required. In addition, since the cross bar is configured to be fastened to the horizontal surface of the upper leg of the longitudinal beam of the conveyor belt support structure, the installation position of the slide bar relative to the conveyor belt is restricted. However, the conveyor belt support structure may vary greatly depending on the conveyor system, and the availability of a horizontal mounting surface is not always reliable.

[0009] Furthermore, since the U-shaped support frame extends across the width of the conveyor belt below the conveyor belt, it is usually necessary to lift the conveyor belt to install the support device beneath it. This generally requires a belt lifting device and may require multiple workers for positioning and operation. In addition, in order to install such a support device, it may also be necessary to temporarily remove adjacent idler roller groups. Alternatively, it is still difficult to manipulate the U-shaped support frame to be located beneath the belt and across the belt for installation on both sides of the belt without lifting the belt or removing the idler rollers.

[0010] In addition, the support columns of the support device are laterally fixed to the lateral ends of the cross bar and are thus positioned at a fixed lateral position below the conveyor belt. In this way, the slide bar may need to be located at a lateral position outside or inside the lateral position where the skirt wall of the skirt system is located. In this case, the slide bar does not press the conveyor belt upward to contact the skirt wall above it, such that the belt edge is pinched therebetween. Therefore, any gap between the belt edge and the corresponding skirt wall may not be effectively closed by the slide bar as required.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system and apparatus for supporting the lateral or side edges of a conveyor belt. In one form, the conveyor belt support apparatus advantageously has a plurality of different adjustment modes, such as at least three adjustment modes, to allow its belt support surface (e.g., the top surface of the slide bar) to be oriented in a variety of different vertical and lateral positions and in different orientations below the side edges of the belt to support the belt such that it can be clamped or held between the slide bar and the bottom of the overlying skirt wall. In some forms, the plurality of different adjustment modes include movement of the slide bar relative to the base member along an arcuate path and translational movement of the slide bar in an inclined direction that extends at an angle relative to the vertical and lateral directions, where the lateral direction is perpendicular to the belt travel direction. The conveyor belt support apparatus can have a base with a relatively small footprint such that it can be mounted to conveyor belt support structures of different configurations and in relatively confined spaces if necessary. The conveyor belt support apparatus also advantageously supports only a single side edge of the conveyor belt such that no lateral structure (e.g., cross bar or strut) extends across the conveyor belt to connect to a conveyor belt support structure (e.g., another conveyor belt support apparatus for there) adjacent to the other side edge of the conveyor belt. In this way, the conveyor belt support apparatus can be used independently of any other conveyor belt support apparatus, which greatly increases its flexibility in use in a wide range of applications and conveyor system configurations. For example, the support apparatus described herein can be mounted to a horizontal surface, a vertical surface, or other oriented surfaces and adjusted such that the belt support surface can still be correctly oriented to support the belt edge. Additionally, since each conveyor belt support apparatus is highly adjustable and can be mounted in a wide variety of positions, the support apparatus is highly independent of the conveyor system configuration and can be mass-produced without customization, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0012] The exemplary conveyor belt support apparatus can also be installed and adjusted by a single user. Using the conveyor belt support apparatus of the present disclosure, there is no need to lift the belt as in the prior art support apparatus described previously, which has a frame of a frame assembly that spans the entire lateral width of the conveyor belt. Similarly, there is no need to manipulate the conveyor belt support apparatus of the present disclosure such that it is installed under the conveyor belt to extend across the conveyor belt. And since its footprint along one side of the conveyor belt is relatively small, installing the exemplary conveyor belt support apparatus does not require temporarily removing adjacent idler rollers. Additionally, the conveyor belt support apparatus of the present disclosure can be sized more compactly than known belt support apparatuses, which allows for more precise and local support of the belt at locations where such support is needed (e.g., at the gap between the belt and any skirt that only extends a short longitudinal distance), and also reduces friction with the belt relative to prior art belt support apparatuses that contact the belt over most of its length between adjacent groups of idler rollers.

[0013] In addition, the slide bar can be adjusted laterally to ensure support for the belt and positioned beneath the skirt system. More particularly, the slide bar can be adjusted laterally such that it presses the belt into contact with the skirt system. In this way, the laterally adjustable support device allows the user to reduce or eliminate the gap between the conveyor belt and the skirt system, thereby reducing the amount of conveyed material, dust, or debris that may drop laterally from the conveyor belt. Advantageously, this lateral adjustment of the conveyor belt support device relative to the belt and the skirt system can be performed by a single user. Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary conveyor belt support system, showing a pair of conveyor belt support devices (one shown in dashed lines), which are mounted to opposite longitudinal beams of a conveyor system frame below a troughed conveyor belt for supporting opposite lateral sides of the conveyor belt;

[0015] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a perspective view of one of the conveyor belt support devices of

[0016] Figure 3 showing the slide bar mounted to a slide bar mounting member, which is in turn rotatably connected to a support arm assembly in the form of a pair of telescopic support arms that are rotatably mounted to a base member; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the conveyor belt support device of

[0017] Figure 4 showing its opposite side, including a T-shaped channel formed in the slide bar for mounting the slide bar onto the slide bar mounting member; Figure 2 is a front view of the conveyor belt support device of

[0018] Figure 5 showing the bottom surface of the base, including a flat lower mounting plate portion in which a channel is formed to allow fasteners to be adjustably positioned therein for coupling the base member to a longitudinal beam of the conveyor belt or other frame structure;

[0019] Figure 6Is an isometric view of another conveyor belt support device, showing a slide bar assembly that includes a slide bar mounted to a slide bar mounting base, where the slide bar mounting base is connected to a slide bar mounting member, and the slide bar mounting member is in turn connected to a pair of support arm assemblies that include movable support arms. The pair of movable support arms are adjustably mounted to a pair of fixed upright support arms to form a combined translational, pivoting, and articulated connection therewith, where the fixed support arms are fixedly mounted to a base member;

[0020] Figure 7 Is Figure 6 A side view of the conveyor belt support device of, showing a T-shaped channel in the slide bar mounting base for receiving fasteners for connecting the slide bar mounting base to a slide bar support member;

[0021] Figure 8 Is an exploded isometric view of the slide bar assembly, showing the slide bar, the slide bar mounting base, opposing end caps, and their fasteners. Detailed Description

[0022] In Figure 1 In one preferred form shown, a pair of conveyor belt support devices 100 according to the present invention support the lower side 11 of the conveyor belt 10 at each lateral side 12, 14 of the conveyor belt 10. Each conveyor belt support device 100 is mounted to the frame structure of the conveyor belt system, such as its longitudinal beam 16, using fasteners (such as bolts 102). As Figure 2 Shown, the conveyor belt support device 100 includes an elongated base member 104, and a pair of support arm assemblies are rotatably connected to the base member 104. The pair of support arm assemblies are in the form of spaced-apart telescoping support arms 110, and each telescoping support arm 110 is formed by a lower support arm member 111 and an upper support arm member 113. In particular, the support arm may include an upper support arm member 113 that is telescopically and adjustably received inside the lower support arm member 111. The arm members 111, 113 may have a tubular structure, such as having the shown rectangular or square cross-sectional configuration. An elongated slide bar mounting member 140 is rotatably connected to the upper end portion of the upper support arm 113, and a slide bar 150 made of a low-friction, wear-resistant material is connected to the elongated slide bar mounting member 140. The slide bar 150 may be formed of, for example, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW).

[0023] The first adjustment mode of the conveyor belt support device 100 and its slide bar 150 is pivot adjustment or rotational adjustment, and the rotational adjustment is achieved through a rotatable pivot connection 114 between the elongated base member 104 and the support arm 110. In the form shown, the elongated base member 104 includes two pairs of spaced-apart trunnions 106, 108 at each end of the flat lower mounting plate portion 105 of the base member 104. The upwardly extending trunnions 106, 108 rotatably couple the lower support arm member 111 to the elongated base member 104.

[0024] The trunnions 106, 108 are plate-like members having a generally arcuate upper edge and extending vertically upward from the rectangular mounting plate portion 105 of the elongated base member 104, wherein the outer end trunnion 106 is formed by bending each end of the mounting plate portion 105 upward, and the inner trunnion 108 is fixedly connected to the base portion 105 (e.g., by welding) to be spaced apart from the adjacent outer end trunnion 106. The elongated slot 107 extends longitudinally between the inner trunnions 108 along the mounting plate portion 105 of the elongated base member 104, and the mounting bolt 102 is inserted through the elongated slot 107 to couple the elongated base member 104 to the longitudinal beam 16, which allows the mounting bolt 102 to be adjustably positioned along the length of the elongated base member 104.

[0025] Each pair of trunnions 106, 108 forms a rotatable pivot connection 114 with the corresponding lower support arm member 111. Each rotatable pivot connection 114 includes an elongated pivot member (e.g., bolt 112) that extends through a through-opening formed in the trunnions 106, 108 and through a corresponding aligned through-opening formed in the proximal portion 116 of the lower support arm 111. Thus, as Figure 3 shown, the lower support arm member 111 is pivotable about a longitudinally oriented (relative to the conveyor belt 10) pivot axis L1 that extends through the pivot bolt 112. A guiding member in the form of a bolt 118 extends through an arcuate channel 120 formed in each pair of trunnions 106, 108 and through an opening formed in the proximal portion 116 of the lower support arm member 111. The arcuate channel 120 has a constant radius of curvature, the center of which is located at the through-opening of the pivot bolt 112. The arcuate channel 120 and the guiding bolt 118 define the range of rotational movement of the support arm 110, and are sized to provide the desired range, e.g., at least 90 degrees, as shown. Similar arcuate channels 120 are formed in the trunnions 148 of the slide bar mounting member 140. Instead of bolts, the pivot member and the guiding member can take other forms, including pins, shafts, rods, fasteners, etc.

[0026] The rotational movement range of the support arm 110 can be further increased by temporarily removing the guide bolt 118 from the arcuate channel 120. This is useful during the installation process of the conveyor belt support device 100, and / or by allowing the support arm 110 to pivot further inwards below the conveyor belt 10 or pivot laterally outwards away from the conveyor belt 10, the slide bar 150 can be easily replaced without removing the conveyor belt support device 100 from the longitudinal beam 16.

[0027] The angular orientation of the support arm 110 relative to the trunnions 106, 108 can be fixed by clamping the proximal portion 116 of the lower support arm 111 between the trunnions 106, 108. This can be achieved by tightening the respective nuts 122 onto the guide bolt 118 and optionally tightening the nuts 122 onto the pivot bolt 112 until sufficient clamping force is obtained. Additionally, as Figure 5 Best shown with respect to the slide bar mounting member 140, the arcuate channel 120 can advantageously be provided with anti-rotation features to prevent rotation of the support arm 110 relative to the base member 104 and / or prevent rotation of the slide bar mounting member 140 relative to the support arm 110. The anti-rotation features can take the form of a plurality of small ridge-like protrusions 124 formed in the opposing side surfaces 126 extending along the arcuate channel 120. The protrusions 124 can be spaced such that adjacent protrusions 124 on the opposing side surfaces 126 closely engage with the guide member 118 received therebetween. In particular, the spacing between opposing protrusions 124 on each side surface 126 is chosen to be less than the diameter of the guide bolt 118 such that there is an interference fit between the opposing side surfaces 126 of the arcuate channel 120 and the guide bolt 118 at least at each protrusion 124. Thus, a small to medium amount of elastic deformation of the arcuate channel 120 and / or the guide bolt 118 is required to move the guide bolt 118 within the arcuate channel 120. The protrusions 124 can be formed by the intersection of non-parallel straight surface portions that intersect at the peak of the ridge-like protrusion and extend transversely across the channel 120, or by arcuate portions of the side surfaces 126 that generally match the curvature of the bolt rod surface and extend transversely across the channel 120. Alternatively, instead of a continuous arcuate channel 120, separate spaced-apart circular through openings in an arcuate arrangement similar to the shape of the arcuate channel 120 can be formed in the trunnions 106, 108, 148 to allow discrete angular adjustment of the support arm 110 and / or the elongated slide bar mounting member 140.

[0028] A second adjustment mode of the conveyor belt support device 100 and its slide bar 150 is to translate along the longitudinal axis of the support arm 110 such that the height of the slide bar 150 can be longitudinally adjusted relative to the mounting plate portion 105. In particular, the position of the slide bar 150 extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the upper support arm 111 and the lower support arm 113 can be moved towards or away from the center of the belt along the width of the belt 10, and the height is adjusted by vertical movement of increasing or decreasing the length of each support arm 110. The length of the support arm 110 can be adjusted by moving the upper support arm member 113 relative to the lower support arm member 111 in either longitudinal direction, or moving it into or out of the interior of the lower support arm 111. The position of the upper support arm member 113 can be fixed relative to the lower support arm 111 by a set screw 128. In the method shown, the set screw 128 extends through the upper portion of the lower support arm member 111 such that the set screw engages the desired portion of the upper support arm member 113 according to its adjustment relative to the lower support arm 111. Alternatively, a series of laterally aligned through openings can be formed along the length of the opposing side walls of the upper support arm member 113 to receive pins or other fasteners, thereby providing multiple discrete fixed positions for the upper support arm member 113. The lower support arm member 111 and the upper support arm member 113 are shown as concentric square tube members, but other forms can also be used, such as angle bars. In addition, although the support arm 110 shown has a telescopic upper support arm member 113, the support arm 110 can be provided as a single member, or can have more than one telescopic member to increase the adjustable range of the conveyor belt support device 100.

[0029] The slide bar 150 is mounted to an elongate slide bar mounting member 140 having a generally rectangular upper mounting surface 146 for supporting a similarly configured slide bar 150 that engages the conveyor belt 10. A third adjustment mode of the slide bar 150 is a rotational adjustment or a pivotal adjustment, and is achieved by a rotatable pivot connection 144 between the upper support arm member 113 and the elongate slide bar mounting member 140, in a manner similar to the rotatable pivot connection 114 of the trunnions 106, 108 of the lower support arm member 111 and the elongate base member 104.

[0030] In particular, the elongate slider mounting member 140 includes trunnions 148 that extend vertically downward from the ends of the rectangular body portion 142. Pivot members in the form of bolts 112 about which the elongate slider mounting member 140 is pivotable each extend through through openings 149 formed in each trunnion 148 and through corresponding aligned through openings formed in the side walls of the distal portions 130 of the respective upper support arms 113. Accordingly, the elongate slider mounting member 140 is pivotable about a second and upper longitudinally oriented pivot axis L2 that extends through the pivot bolts 112 and is parallel to the lower pivot axis L1. Guide bolts 118 extend through arcuate channels 120 formed in each trunnion 148 and through aligned through openings formed in the side walls of the distal portions 130 of the upper support arm members 113 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the elongate base member 104. Generally, the dimensions and orientation of the rotatable pivot connections 114, 144 can be designed to allow the slider 150 to be adjusted from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation to allow the slider 150 to support the belt 10 at any of a variety of different positions as needed. However, in most cases, the slider 150 will be positioned adjacent the lateral sides 12, 14 of the trough-shaped belt, where the belt is typically oriented at an angle between 20 degrees and 45 degrees relative to the horizontal direction. Similarly, due to the adjustability of the belt support device 100, the base mounting plate 105 can be fastened to surfaces having a variety of orientations, not just horizontal mounting surfaces, while still allowing the slider 150 to be positioned beneath the side edges 12 or 14 of the belt to bring it close to or engage the bottom of the respective skirt walls.

[0031] As described above, the slider 150 is preferably made of a low friction, wear resistant material such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW). The slider 150 has a generally rectangular prism shape, and its top surface 152 is for engaging the underside of the conveyor belt 10. Beveled portions 154 are located at each end between the top surface 152 and the front surface 160 and the rear surface 162 to reduce friction with the belt 10 and prevent snagging of the joints or other protrusions on the underside of the belt 10. Narrower beveled portions 156 extend between the top surface 152 and the lateral side surfaces 158.

[0032] As Figures 3 - 5As shown, a pair of laterally extending T-shaped channels 168 open to the lateral side surface 158 of the slide bar 150, extend through and open to its bottom surface 164, for receiving the heads of fasteners (such as the frame bolts 166). The lateral orientation of the T-shaped channels 168 is generally perpendicular to the traveling direction 18 of the belt 10 to prevent the slide bar 150 from moving on the upper mounting surface 146 of the elongate slide bar mounting member 140 due to friction with the belt 10. The shanks of the frame bolts 166 extend through the spaced-apart through openings 170 formed along the longitudinal axis of the rectangular body portion 142 of the slide bar 150 and are fixed therein with corresponding nuts. Tightening the nuts causes the heads of the frame bolts 166 to tightly clamp the portion of the slide bar 150 therebelow against the mounting surface 146.

[0033] When the slide bar 150 has worn out, it can be easily replaced. First, the worn slide bar 150 is removed from the lower side 11 of the belt 10, for example, by loosening the set screw 128 and retracting the upper support arm member 113 into the lower support arm member 111. Then, the worn slide bar 150 can be removed from the elongate slide bar mounting member 140 by loosening or removing the frame bolt nut 167 from the frame bolt 166 and laterally sliding the worn slide bar 150 off the upper mounting surface 146. To loosen the frame bolt 166, the user can rotate the frame bolt nut 167 enough to release the compressive force applied by the tightened nut 167 while still keeping the frame bolt nut 167 fixed to (threaded onto) the frame bolt 166. Loosening but not completely removing the frame bolt nut 167 from the frame bolt 166 reduces the possibility of the nut 167 falling off or getting lost and the possibility of the frame bolt 166 falling off the conveyor belt support device 100.

[0034] A new slide bar 150 can then be installed in a corresponding manner. Then, the new slide bar 150 can be positioned in contact with the belt 10 by raising the elongate slide bar mounting member 140 and the slide bar 150 into place and re-tightening the set screw 128 to fix the upper support arm member 113 in place.

[0035] Figures 6 - 8Another conveyor belt support device 200 according to the present disclosure is shown. The conveyor belt support device 200 is similar to the above-described conveyor belt support device 100, where similar components are numbered in a similar manner to the components of the conveyor belt support device 100. In particular, the conveyor belt support device 200 includes a generally rectangular base member 204 for mounting to the longitudinal beam 16 with fasteners. A pair of spaced-apart support arm assemblies includes fixed upright support arms 211 that are (e.g., by welding) connected to the upper surface of the generally rectangular base member 204 to extend vertically upward therefrom. The pair of support arm assemblies also includes a pair of movable support arms 213, each of which is adjustably connected to the fixed upright support arm 211 by a multi-mode connection 214, which will be described in further detail below. An elongate slide bar mounting member 240 is connected to the distal end of the movable support arm 213, and a slide bar assembly 276 is detachably connected to the elongate slide bar mounting member 240 by fasteners. The slide bar assembly 276 includes a slide bar mounting base 280 and a slide bar 250 attached thereto.

[0036] Generally, the conveyor belt support device 200 has three adjustment modes to position the slide bar 250 at a desired position below the lateral sides 12, 14 of the belt 10. However, instead of providing rotatable pivot connections 114, 144 at both ends of the telescopic support arm 110, a multi-mode connection is formed as a combined translational, pivoting, and articulating connection 214 between each of a pair of spaced-apart, fixed, upright support arms 211 and a corresponding one of a pair of movable support arms 213. In a first adjustment mode, the multi-mode connection 214 allows each movable support arm 213 and the slide bar 250 connected thereto to translate vertically or move along a pair of parallel, elongate longitudinally extending slots 215, 217 that extend vertically along the length of the fixed upright support arm 211.

[0037] In particular, each fixed upright support arm 211 may have an L-shaped cross-sectional configuration and may be an L-shaped corner bar having a first leg 272 and a second leg 274 that define a right angle therebetween. The fixed upright support arm 211 is arranged such that its second leg 274 extends along the laterally inner side 221 closer to the center of the conveyor belt of the generally rectangular base member 204, and the first leg 272 extends transversely or laterally across the width of the generally rectangular base member 204 such that the first legs 272 of the fixed upright support arms 211 extend parallel to each other, while the second legs 274 of each fixed upright support arm 211 are aligned such that they extend substantially in the same plane. The proximal through slots 215 (which are further from the center of the conveyor belt than the inner side 221) closest to the laterally outer side 223 of the conveyor belt support device 200, and the distal through slots 217 closest to the laterally inner side of the conveyor belt support device 200, both extend along most of the length of the fixed upright support arm 211 to maximize the vertical adjustability of the movable support arm 213 along the arm 211. The proximal slot 215 and the distal slot 217 are spaced apart, and each slot is configured to receive a fastener 220 (such as a bolt) passing therethrough for adjustably connecting the movable support arm 213 thereto.

[0038] The movable support arm 213 may also have an L-shaped cross-sectional structure and may be an L-shaped corner bar having a first leg 273 and a second leg 275 that define a right angle therebetween. The first leg 273 of each movable support arm 213 is oriented parallel to the corresponding first leg 272 of the fixed upright support arm 211. The movable support arms 213 are spaced apart such that the inner facing surface 277 of the first leg 273 slidably engages the corresponding outer facing surface 279 of the first leg 272.

[0039] The first leg 273 includes an elongate through slot 219 that extends longitudinally along most of the length of the first leg 273. The elongate slot 219 is sized and configured to receive a pair of guiding members in the form of bolts 220, where one bolt extends through the proximal elongate slot 215 in a corresponding one of the fixed upright support arms 211, and the other bolt 220 extends through the distal elongate slot 217. Thus, by tightening nuts onto the corresponding bolts 220, the inner facing surface 277 of the movable support arm 213 and the corresponding face facing surface 279 of the fixed upright support arm 211 can be fixedly engaged with each other. Similarly, adjustment can be made by loosening one or both of the bolts 220 extending through each of the slots 215 and 217 of the two arms 213.

[0040] With this multi-mode connection 214, as Figure 6As shown, the movable support arm 213 is capable of translating vertically along the elongated slots 215, 217, pivoting about a longitudinally extending pivot axis L3 that extends through each of the elongated slots 219, translating relative to the fixed upright support arm 211, and translating transversely relative to the longitudinal tape travel direction 18 along the elongated slot 219. Thus, the slide bar 250 can be adjusted and fixed at different positions and orientations relative to the tape 10 over a wide range. Generally, the multi-mode connection 214 can be configured to allow the slide bar 250 to be adjusted to any orientation between a horizontal direction (the slide bar is facing transversely) and a vertical direction (the slide bar is facing upward), to allow the slide bar 250 to support the tape 10 at any of a variety of different positions as needed.

[0041] Since the multi-mode connection 214 is arranged with two vertically extending slots 215, 217 that are connected by a bolt 220 extending through a single transversely extending elongated slot 219, the position of the longitudinally extending pivot axis L3 can vary to extend through any pair of the corresponding paired aligned bolts 220 in the slots 215 or 217, or at any position along the elongated slot 219 between the paired aligned bolts 220. For example, if each pair of aligned bolts in the slot 215 of each fixed upright support arm 211 is tightened with a corresponding nut, the longitudinally extending pivot axis L3 will be coextensive with the aligned longitudinal axis of the tightened bolt 220, such that the movable support arm 213 will be pivotable about the aligned longitudinal axis of the tightened bolt 220. If all of the bolts 220 in the two vertical slots 215, 217 of each fixed upright support arm 211 are loosened, the position of the longitudinally extending pivot axis L3 can be coextensive with the longitudinal axis of any pair of aligned bolts, or at any position therebetween along the elongated slot 219, depending on how the user manipulates the movable support arm 213.

[0042] The elongated slots 215, 217, 219 and the bolts 220 extending therethrough also define the range of rotational movement of the upper support arm member 113, which generally depends on the position of the bolts 220 within the elongated slots 215, 217, 219 and the lengths of the elongated slots 215, 217, 219. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper support arm member 113 can pivot about the longitudinally extending pivot axis L3 by at least 90 degrees.

[0043] In another form, instead of the continuous elongated slots 215, 217, 219, one or more slots can be replaced with separate spaced-apart through openings arranged in a similar axial orientation to the elongated slots 215, 217, 219, to allow discrete vertical, angular, and / or translational adjustments of the support arm 113 and combinations thereof.

[0044] A generally rectangular plate-like slider mounting member 240 for supporting the slider assembly 276 is fixedly attached to the distal end of the movable support arm 213, for example by welding, where the distal end is cut such that the plane of the plate-like mounting member 240 is inclined at an angle, such as 45 degrees, with respect to the longitudinal axis 213a of the movable support arm 213. Other angular orientations can be used as needed. The angular orientation of the plate-like mounting member 240 with respect to the longitudinal axis 213a of the movable support arm 213 can be selected such that the mounting member 240 and the top flat surface 252 of the slider 250 parallel thereto are angularly oriented with respect to the horizontal plane at an angle similar to the typical orientation angle of the trough-shaped side portion of the trough-shaped conveyor belt 10, such as Figure 1 shown. Such angles can be in the range of approximately 20 degrees to approximately 45 degrees.

[0045] In addition, by having such a relatively small angular orientation of the mounting member 240 with respect to the longitudinal axis 213a, a relatively large vertical adjustment range of the movable support arm 213 along the corresponding upright support arm 211 can be maintained. More particularly, a steep angular orientation of the plate-like mounting member 240 with respect to the longitudinal axis 213a of the movable support arm 213, such as approaching 90 degrees, while maintaining the desired orientation of the slider 250 with respect to the trough angle of the conveyor belt 10, results in the free end 218 of the movable support arm 213 being positioned closer to the generally rectangular base member 204 than shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 . This can limit the use of the conveyor belt support device 200 when the corresponding sides of the conveyor belt 10 are not spaced far enough above the conveyor structure on which the base member 204 is mounted. On the other hand, a smaller angle (e.g., 15 degrees to 60 degrees) of the plate-like mounting member 240 with respect to the longitudinal axis 213a of the movable support arm 213 allows for greater vertical adjustability of the movable support arm 213, thereby reducing the need for a greater vertical distance between the conveyor structure to which the mounting member 240 is fixed and the corresponding sides of the conveyor belt 10. In addition, for a given length of the corresponding troughs 219 and 217, the smaller angle allows for greater lateral adjustability of the movable support arm 213 on the fixed support arm 211.

[0046] In another form, the slider support member 240 can be rotatably mounted to the movable support arm 213, for example in a manner similar to the elongated slider mounting member 140.

[0047] The slider assembly 276 (including the slider 250 mounted to the slider mounting base 280) is attached to the slider support member 240 by frame bolts or the like passing through holes 270 at opposite ends of the slider support member 240. Now refer to Figure 8, the slider mounting base 280 can be made of an extruded material (such as aluminum) and includes a lower mounting channel 283 that longitudinally extends from one end to the other end and has a T-shaped cross-sectional configuration for receiving the head of a frame bolt to mount the slider mounting base 280 to the slider support 240, wherein adjacent elongated feet 289 engage the upper mounting surface 246 of the slider support member 240. The slider mounting base 280 further includes two parallel, longitudinally extending upper mounting channels 284 that have a T-shaped cross-sectional configuration for receiving corresponding T-shaped elongated mounting legs 285 that extend from the bottom surface 264 of the slider 250. A central longitudinally extending rib member 286 is positioned between the T-shaped elongated mounting legs 285 for receipt in a corresponding central longitudinally extending channel 287 formed between the upper mounting channels 284. The slider assembly 276 can be similar to that shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,296,564, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] Except for the structure for mounting the slider 250 to the slider mounting base 280, the slider 250 is similar to the above-described slider 150. In particular, the slider 250 has a generally rectangular prism shape, and its top surface 252 is for engaging the lower side of the conveyor belt 10. Beveled portions 254 are positioned at each end between the top surface 252 and the front end surface 260 and the rear end surface 262 to reduce friction with the belt 10 and avoid hooking joints or other protrusions on the lower side of the belt 10. Narrower beveled portions 256 extend between the top surface 252 and the lateral side surfaces 258.

[0049] End cover plate members 290 are fixed to both ends of the slider mounting base 280 to serve as stoppers to prevent the slider 250 and its T-shaped elongated mounting protrusions 285 from longitudinally moving relative to the slider mounting base 280 due to engagement with the belt 10. The end cover members 290 also prevent dust and debris from entering the slider mounting base 280 (including its upper mounting channels 284), which may cause the slider 250 to stick to the slider mounting base 280.

[0050] When the slide bar 250 is worn, it can be replaced by first moving the worn slide bar 250 away from the lower side 11 of the belt 10, for example by loosening the fasteners of the multi-mode connection 214 and lowering, pivoting and / or articulating the movable support arm 213 for this purpose. Then, by loosening the end cap fasteners 292 to allow removal of one of the end cap members 290, the worn slide bar 250 can be removed from the slide bar mounting base 280. Then, the worn slide bar 250 can be longitudinally slid to remove the corresponding T-shaped elongated mounting leg 285 from the corresponding upper mounting channel 284. A new slide bar 250 can then be installed in the reverse manner. Then, the new slide bar 250 can be moved into contact with the conveyor belt 10 by raising, pivoting and / or articulating the movable support arm 213 and the slide bar assembly 276 into engagement with the conveyor belt and re-tightening the fasteners of the multi-mode connection 214 to secure the upper support arm member 113 in place.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, changes and combinations can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes or combinations should be considered to be within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for supporting a conveyor belt, characterized in that, Comprising: A base member configured to be mounted adjacent a lateral side of the conveyor belt; At least one support arm assembly having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion is connected to the base member; A slide bar mounting member operatively connected to the distal portion of the at least one support arm assembly; A slide bar operatively mounted to the slide bar mounting member, wherein the slide bar includes a belt support surface for slidably supporting the conveyor belt as the conveyor belt travels longitudinally along the slide bar in a belt travel direction; and Multiple different adjustment modes of the slide bar, wherein the multiple different adjustment modes include the slide bar moving along an arcuate path relative to the base member and the slide bar translating along an inclined direction extending obliquely with respect to a vertical direction and a lateral direction, wherein the lateral direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal belt travel direction.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The at least one support arm assembly includes a pair of support arm assemblies operatively connected to the base member at their opposite ends.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The base member is configured to be mounted to a surface having one of a plurality of different orientations, wherein the plurality of different orientations includes a horizontal orientation, a vertical orientation, and at least one orientation other than the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation, wherein the multiple different adjustment modes allow the belt support surface to be oriented to slidably support the conveyor belt, wherein the base member is mounted to a surface having any one of the plurality of different orientations.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein The at least one support arm assembly is operatively connected to the base member by a rotatable pivot connection to allow the at least one support arm assembly to rotate relative to the base member.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein, The rotatable pivot connection includes a pair of spaced-apart trunnions extending outwardly from the base member and an elongate pivot member operatively connected to the proximal portion of the at least one support arm assembly, the at least one support arm assembly being rotatable about the proximal portion, wherein the proximal portion of the at least one support arm assembly is positioned between the spaced-apart trunnions and the pivot member is operatively connected to each of the trunnions.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein Each trunnion includes an arcuate channel in which a portion of a guide member is received for defining a range of rotational movement of the at least one support arm assembly, wherein the guide member is operatively connected to the proximal portion of the at least one support arm assembly.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, At least one of the arcuate channels includes a plurality of protrusions on opposite side surfaces of the at least one of the arcuate channels, the plurality of protrusions being spaced apart such that adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions engage tightly with the guide member received therebetween to prevent rotation of the at least one support arm assembly relative to the base member.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein The slide bar mounting member is operatively connected to the distal portion of the at least one support arm assembly by a rotatable pivot connection to allow the slide bar mounting member, the slide bar, and its belt support surface to rotate relative to the at least one support arm assembly.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein The slider mounting member includes an elongate upper mounting surface to which the slider is mounted, wherein the slider includes a pair of T-shaped channels, each T-shaped channel being configured to receive a respective portion of a fastener extending from the elongate upper mounting surface of the slider mounting member.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The at least one support arm assembly includes an upright support arm and a movable support arm, the upright support arm extending upwardly from the base member, the movable support arm being operatively connected to the upright support arm by a multi-mode connection that allows the movable support arm to rotate relative to the upright support arm, move vertically relative to the upright support arm, and translate along the longitudinal axis of the movable support arm.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein, The multi-mode connection includes two longitudinally extending slots in the upright support arm, a longitudinally extending slot in the movable support arm, and a pair of fasteners, wherein the pair of fasteners extend through the two longitudinally extending slots in the upright support arm and the longitudinally extending slot in the movable support arm.

12. A device for supporting a conveyor belt traveling in the longitudinal traveling direction of the belt, characterized in that, The apparatus includes: An elongate base member; A pair of spaced-apart support arms, each support arm having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion is connected to the elongate base member by a pair of first rotatable pivot connections to allow the support arms to rotate relative to the elongate base member; An elongate slider mounting member operatively connected to the distal portions of the support arms by a pair of second rotatable pivot connections to allow the slider mounting member to rotate relative to the support arms; and An elongate slider operatively mounted to the elongate upper mounting surface of the slider mounting member, wherein the elongate slider includes a belt support surface for slidably supporting the conveyor belt as the conveyor belt travels along the slider, the elongate slider being adjustable to different lateral and vertical positions to support a side edge portion of the conveyor belt by the first rotatable pivot connections and the second rotatable pivot connections.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the support arms includes an upper support arm member adjustably received telescopically within a lower support arm member.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The elongate base member includes a longitudinal axis; wherein the pair of first rotatable pivot connections includes a first pivot axis about which the support arms are configured to rotate; wherein the pair of second rotatable pivot connections includes a second pivot axis about which the elongate slider mounting member is configured to rotate; and wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are parallel to each other and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate base member.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein, Each first rotatable pivot connection includes a pair of spaced-apart trunnions extending outwardly from the body of the base member, and an elongate pivot member operatively connected to the proximal portion of one of the support arms and the corresponding spaced-apart trunnions to allow the support arm to rotate about the corresponding pivot member.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the pair of spaced-apart trunnions includes an arcuate channel in which a portion of a guide member is received for defining a range of rotational movement of a corresponding support arm, wherein the guide member is operatively connected to a proximal portion of the corresponding support arm.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, At least one of the arcuate channels includes a plurality of protrusions on opposite side surfaces of the at least one of the arcuate channels, the plurality of protrusions being spaced apart such that adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions engage tightly with the guide member received therebetween to prevent rotation of the corresponding support arm relative to the base member.

18. The device according to claim 12, wherein, The elongate slider mounting member includes opposed trunnions that extend transversely relative to an elongate upper mounting surface of the slider mounting member surface, wherein each of the opposed trunnions includes an arcuate channel in which a portion of a guide member is received for defining a range of rotational movement of the elongate slider mounting member, wherein the guide member is operatively connected to a distal portion of the corresponding support arm.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, At least one of the arcuate channels of the opposed trunnions of the elongate slider mounting member includes a plurality of protrusions on opposite side surfaces of the at least one of the arcuate channels, the plurality of protrusions being spaced apart such that adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions engage tightly with the guide member received therebetween to prevent rotation of the elongate slider mounting member relative to the support arm.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The elongate base member is configured to be mounted to a surface having one of a plurality of different orientations, wherein the plurality of different orientations include a horizontal orientation, a vertical orientation, and at least one orientation other than horizontal and vertical, wherein the support arm and the pair of first rotatable pivot connections and the pair of second rotatable pivot connections allow the belt support surface to be oriented to slidably support the conveyor belt, wherein the elongate base member is mounted to the surface having any one of the plurality of different orientations.

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