Belt conveyor for large particle size

Abstract

Belt conveyor for large particle size. The present invention relates to a belt conveyor (1) comprising a conveyor belt (5) extending along a longitudinal direction and having two lateral edges opposite each other, and a plurality of belt support stations (7) distributed along the conveyor belt (5), characterized in that each support station (7) comprises at least two pulleys (30) spaced apart along a transverse direction (Y) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and arranged transversely on either side of the conveyor belt (5), the belt (5) comprising two lateral reinforcements (12) extending longitudinally along the two lateral edges of the conveyor belt (5), the conveyor belt (5) being suspended by the lateral reinforcements (12) from the pulleys (30). Figure for the abstract: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Belt conveyor for large particle size

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt conveyor of the type comprising a conveyor belt extending in a longitudinal direction and having two lateral edges opposite each other, and a plurality of belt support stations distributed along the conveyor belt.

[0002] A belt conveyor is designed to continuously transport mixed or homogeneous bulk products over distances ranging from a few meters to tens of kilometers. Such conveyors are used, for example, for transporting materials such as ore, or any other material that can be extracted from a mine or quarry, typically between the extraction area and a storage and shipping area.

[0003] These belt conveyors usually comprise a plurality of carrier stations equipped with rollers on which a conveyor belt rests.

[0004] However, belt conveyors with rollers are not suitable for transporting materials containing large blocks, such as certain raw ore from slaughter. The rollers can be damaged and impair the proper functioning of the conveyor.

[0005] Thus, when mine walls are demolished, the extracted materials are generally transported by truck to the top of the mine, then passed through crushers to make them transportable by conveyor belt. This solution has the disadvantage of being costly because it requires time and resources.

[0006] One aim of the invention is therefore to provide a belt conveyor that allows limiting the transfer by truck of materials with large particle sizes.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a belt conveyor of the aforementioned type characterized in that each support station comprises at least two pulleys spaced apart along a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and arranged transversely on either side of the conveyor belt, the belt comprising two lateral reinforcements extending longitudinally along the two lateral edges of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being suspended by the lateral reinforcements from the pulleys.

[0008] Since the conveyor belt is held in place by pulleys positioned on each side of the belt, the rollers can be eliminated. There is no longer any impact when the block passes over the rollers of the support stations, improving the conveyor's operation. The pulleys transmit the forces and absorb less impact than the rollers, thus benefiting from a longer service life. Consequently, Larger materials can be transported and the transfer of raw felling materials by truck is no longer necessary.

[0009] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the conveyor comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations:

[0010] - the side reinforcements came from the material with the conveyor belt;

[0011] - the lateral reinforcements comprise a curved region cooperating geometrically with the pulley grooves;

[0012] - rollers press the lateral reinforcements onto the pulleys in order to secure the reinforcements lateral on the pulleys and to keep the conveyor belt suspended;

[0013] - the support stations each comprise two chassis on either side of the conveyor belt, facing each other in the transverse direction, and at least two pendulum systems each comprising a swing bar extending between two ends, a central part of the swing bar being mounted on the frames by a pivot joint around a transverse axis, the two ends each receiving a pulley, the pulleys of both ends cooperating with the same lateral reinforcement of the conveyor belt;

[0014] - bent and / or assembled metal tabs are fixed to each end of the pendulum system swing bars, each pulley and associated roller being fixed to the metal legs;

[0015] - each pulley is spaced from the neighboring pulley along the longitudinal direction of a distance between 25 cm and 1 m;

[0016] - the pulleys each have an axis of rotation forming a non-zero angle with the transverse direction, projected onto a plane containing the elevation direction and the transverse direction; and

[0017] - the conveyor belt comprises a set of braided metal cables.

[0018] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] is a front view of a belt conveyor according to the invention,

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a side view of the conveyor of [Fig.1],

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a front view of the belt conveyor of [Fig.1], zoomed in on the conveyor belt suspension system.

[0022] Fig. 1 presents a belt conveyor 1 intended for transporting materials 10 such as ore, mine tailings, rubble or any other type of material.

[0023] Conveyor 1 connects, for example, a material loading station located near a quarry to a material unloading station located near a material processing or packaging plant.

[0024] The conveyor 1 comprises a conveyor belt 5 extending along a longitudinal direction X.

[0025] In all that follows, the terms “internal” and “interior” refer to the side of the belt 5 which receives the materials 10 to be transported.

[0026] Conversely, the terms "external" and "outer" refer to the side of the band 5 opposite to the side that receives the materials 10 to be transported, depending on the thickness of the band 5.

[0027] The conveyor 1 also includes a plurality of belt support stations 7 distributed along the conveyor belt 5, notably visible in Figures 1 and 2.

[0028] The conveyor belt 5 is arranged in a loop between two reversing rollers, not shown in the figures. At least one of the two reversing rollers includes a motorized system for moving the conveyor belt 5 between the two reversing rollers.

[0029] The conveyor belt 5 thus comprises a forward strand extending from the first roller to the second reversing roller and moving from the first roller to the second reversing roller, and a return strand extending from the second reversing roller to the first reversing roller and moving from the second reversing roller to the first reversing roller.

[0030] The conveyor belt 5 does not necessarily follow a straight path between the first and second turning rollers. The first and second strands may each follow a winding path.

[0031] The longitudinal direction, for each section of the belt 5, corresponds substantially to the direction of movement of said section of belt 5. It can vary from one section of belt 5 to another, for example when the belt extends along a sinuous path between the first and second turning rollers.

[0032] The band 5 has two lateral edges opposite each other.

[0033] The lateral edges opposite each other delimit the conveyor belt 5 into two opposite sides along a transverse direction Y. The transverse direction Y is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each strip segment 5.

[0034] The band 5 comprises, for example, a matrix made of an elastic material and a reinforcement, also called a "carcass", embedded in the matrix. The matrix is ​​typically made of synthetic or natural rubber or PVC.

[0035] The reinforcement comprises, for example, longitudinal metal cables or a textile weave made of polyester and / or polyamide fiber, for example, or any other textile. These cables extend along the entire length, between the two turning rollers, of the belt 5.

[0036] The framework also includes, for example, in addition to longitudinal cables or equivalent textiles, transverse metal cables or a textile weave made of aramid or any other textile. The longitudinal and transverse cables are, for example, interlaced with each other according to a predetermined pattern.

[0037] With such characteristics, the mechanical strength of the conveyor belt 5 is increased and its rigidity is enhanced.

[0038] The belt 5 according to the invention is designed to support a load having a mass of up to one tonne per meter of belt. By "support," it is understood that the belt 5 is not subject to breakage or tearing when it carries a load of one tonne over a length of approximately one meter of belt 5.

[0039] Band 5 can thus cross large distances (several kilometers for example) by minimizing the number of support stations 7 needed to support band 5.

[0040] The belt 5 also includes two lateral reinforcements 12 extending longitudinally along the two lateral edges of the conveyor belt 5.

[0041] The reinforcements 12 extend in particular over the entire length of the band 5, taken between the two turning rollers.

[0042] The lateral reinforcements 12 form a ridge along both lateral edges of the band 5, extending outwards from the band 5.

[0043] The part of the projecting lateral reinforcements 12 has a section, taken according to the thickness of the band 5, that is substantially rectangular.

[0044] The lateral reinforcements 12 have a face 12A facing the ground.

[0045] The lateral reinforcements 12 are advantageously made of material with the band conveyor 5. They are for example formed with the belt 5 by a vulcanization process.

[0046] The side reinforcements 12 may in particular have a thickness greater than the thickness of the conveyor belt 5 and are for example reinforced.

[0047] The conveyor belt 5 is open on its upper part, an arch 13 covered with a tarpaulin (not shown) covering the belt 5, and more precisely the inner face of the belt 5, is arranged in order to prevent the falling of materials and to protect the belt 5.

[0048] Each support station 7 includes a concrete support 16 resting on the ground.

[0049] The concrete support 16 advantageously extends from one end of the strip 5 to the other, along the transverse direction Y.

[0050] The concrete support 16 extends on the ground opposite the outer face of the strip 5.

[0051] The support stations 7 each comprise two chassis 17 on either side of the conveyor belt 5, opposite each other along the transverse direction Y.

[0052] The frames 17 are fixed near the ends, along the transverse direction Y, of the concrete support 16 in order to be kept stable on the ground.

[0053] For example, the frames 17 have the shape of a cylindrical or parallelepiped pylon, extending along an elevation direction Z, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and transverse direction Y.

[0054] The height of the frames, taken along the direction of elevation, is for example greater than 1 m.

[0055] The frames 17 are formed from a rigid material and their cooperation with the concrete support 16 thus ensures the mechanical strength of the support stations 7.

[0056] Two consecutive support stations 7 are separated two-by-two, along the longitudinal direction X, by a distance between 0.5 m and 2 m, and typically 1 m.

[0057] The spacing between two consecutive support stations 7 is determined more precisely according to the nature of the soil and the topography of the terrain, the characteristic dimensions of the strip 5 (length, width, mass), and the density of the transported materials 10.

[0058] The support stations 7 also include at least two pendulum systems 18 comprising a swing bar 20 extending between two ends 20A and 20B.

[0059] Each pendulum system 18 is fixed on a chassis 17.

[0060] Thus, two pendulum systems 18 of the same support station 7 are found on either side of the conveyor belt 5, facing each other along the transverse direction Y.

[0061] In particular, a central part 20C of the rocker bar 20 is mounted on the chassis 17 by a pivot joint around a transverse axis, parallel to the transverse direction Y.

[0062] Consequently, the rocker bar 20 is free to rotate around the transverse axis passing through the geometric center of the rocker bar 20.

[0063] For example, the swing bar 20 is capable of tilting, relative to the horizontal, at an angle between 0° and 60°.

[0064] Advantageously, and as will be described in more detail later, the swing bar 20 then follows the spatial evolution of the materials 10 transported on the conveyor belt 5.

[0065] Support devices 25 for the band 5 are mounted on the pendulum systems 18. These support devices 25 ensure the suspension of the band 5 and are shown in detail in [Fig.3].

[0066] More specifically, a support device 25 is fixed to each end 20A, 20B of the swing bar 20 of the pendulum systems 18.

[0067] In other words, each support station 7 comprises two pendulum systems 18, each comprising a support device 25 fixed to each end 20A, 20B of the swing bars 20. Thus, each support station 7 comprises four support devices.

[0068] The support devices 25 of the band 5 are fixed on the pendulum system 18 at a height above the ground of more than one meter.

[0069] The height of the support devices 25 depends in particular on the distance which separates two consecutive support stations 7 in the longitudinal direction X. Indeed, the greater the distance between two neighboring support stations 7, the more the support devices 25 of the strip 5 are fixed at a significant height relative to the ground, the strip being more pronounced in the dip between the two support stations 7.

[0070] Conversely, for regulatory, safety (windfall of materials), aesthetic (integration into the landscape), or economic (cost of materials) reasons, the height of the support devices 25 may be limited. In this case, the spacing between two adjacent support stations 7 is chosen to keep the support devices 25 below a maximum permitted height.

[0071] Since the swing bar 20 is pivotally mounted on the chassis 17 around a central transverse axis, it is possible to orient the support devices 25 of the band 5 according to a preferred direction, depending in particular on topographical constraints.

[0072] Thus, the movements of the swing bar 20 around the pivoting links are not imposed by any external constraint other than those of the conveyor belt 5 and depend for example on the mass and location of the material 10 present on the belt 5.

[0073] The pendulum system 18 then makes it possible to distribute the load more evenly between the support stations 7 and over the entire conveyor 1. Thus, it is possible to minimize the dip formed by the belt 5, also called the "sag," between the support stations 7, even when the belt 5 is carrying heavy loads.

[0074] Each support station 7 comprises at least two pulleys 30 spaced apart along the transverse direction Y and arranged transversely on either side of the conveyor belt 5.

[0075] In particular, each pulley 30 is part of a support device 25 as previously described.

[0076] The conveyor belt 5 is suspended by the lateral reinforcements 12 from the pulleys 30.

[0077] To this end, the lateral reinforcements 12 comprise a curved region extending over the face 12A cooperating geometrically with the shape of the groove of pulleys 30.

[0078] The curved region is for example formed by a protrusion projecting from face 12A.

[0079] These curved regions present on each lateral reinforcement 12 advantageously prevent any misalignment of the belt 5 during the operation of the conveyor 1.

[0080] The curved regions also allow the relative movement of the belt 5 with respect to the support stations 7 by rotating the pulleys 30. The interaction between the lateral reinforcements 12 and the pulleys 30, in particular, helps to guide the relative translational movements of the belt 5 with respect to the support stations 7.

[0081] According to the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 3, each support device 25 also includes a support roller 34.

[0082] The rollers 34 press the lateral reinforcements 12 onto the pulleys 30 in order to fix the lateral reinforcements 12 onto the pulleys 30 and to keep the conveyor belt 5 engaged in the groove of the pulleys 30, even when it is carrying a load and when it is in relative movement with respect to the support stations 7.

[0083] In other words, the rollers 34 keep the conveyor belt 5 engaged in the groove of the pulleys 30 even when the pulleys 30 are rotating.

[0084] The rollers 34 are for example made of a metallic material, and can have a cylindrical or parallelepiped shape.

[0085] Each pulley 30 and associated roller 34 are assembled on one end 20A, 20B of a swing bar 20.

[0086] More specifically, the two ends 20A, 20B of each swing bar 20 each receive a pulley 30, the pulleys 30 of both ends 20A, 20B cooperating with the same lateral reinforcement 12 of the conveyor belt 5.

[0087] In other words, the pulley 30 fixed on the end 20A of a swing bar 20 cooperates with a lateral reinforcement 12 located along an edge of the band 5 and the pulley 30 fixed on the end 20B of the same swing bar 20 cooperates with the same lateral reinforcement 12 of the band 5.

[0088] Thus, the lateral reinforcements 12 cooperate with the pulleys 30 so as to keep the conveyor belt 5 in suspension and so as to guide the relative movements in each longitudinal direction of the belt sections 5 between the support stations 7 and the belt 5.

[0089] For this purpose, bent and / or assembled metal tabs 32 are fixed to each end 20A, 20B of the swing bars 20 of the pendulum systems 18, each pulley 30 and associated roller 34 being fixed to the metal tabs 32.

[0090] The metal legs 32 each have a first region 32A extending in the direction of elevation and being fixed on an end 20A, 20B of a swing bar 20. The metal legs 32 also include at least one arm 32B, 32C, bent relative to the first region at a non-zero angle.

[0091] The first region 32A forms, for example, with the arm 32B, a metal piece in the shape of an inverted U.

[0092] The first region 32A forms, for example, with the arm 32C, a metal piece substantially in the shape of an inverted L.

[0093] In the example shown in [Fig.3], the rocker bar 20 receives the first region 32A of a metal lug 32 having two arms 32B and 32C. A pulley 30 is fixed to the arm 32B and a roller 34 is fixed to the arm 32C.

[0094] Alternatively, the pulley 30 and the associated roller 34 are fixed on two separate metal tabs 32, each metal tab 32 being mounted on one end 20A, 20B of the swing bar 20.

[0095] The pulleys 30 are each free to rotate about an axis of rotation R. In the example of [Fig.3], the axis of rotation R forms a non-zero angle with the transverse direction Y, in projection into a plane containing the elevation direction Z and the transverse direction Y.

[0096] For example, the axis of rotation R forms with the transverse direction Y an angle between 5° and 50°, in particular between 5° and 30°.

[0097] Such an inclination of the axis of rotation R of the pulleys 30 facilitates the insertion of the lateral reinforcements 12 into the groove of the pulleys 30 and limits the offsets of the band 5 out of the grooves of the pulleys 30.

[0098] The forces to which the pulleys 30 are subjected are concentrated at the level of the lateral reinforcements 12 of the band 5.

[0099] Such an inclination of the axis of rotation R of the pulleys 30 promotes the mechanical strength of the pulleys 30 which are thus in a configuration favorable to receive the forces transmitted by the lateral reinforcements 12 directly along an axis substantially perpendicular to their axis of rotation R.

[0100] Each pulley 30 is spaced from the neighboring pulley 30 along the longitudinal direction X by a distance of between 25 cm and 1 m, and typically 50 cm.

[0101] The belt 5 is driven in movement between the two turning rollers by the motorized system of one of the two turning rollers, and translates relative to the support stations 7 by means of the rotation of the pulleys 30.

[0102] Thus, the conveyor 1 can move materials 10 from one turning roller to another turning roller via the movements of the conveyor belt 5 relative to the support stations 7.

[0103] In an alternative, not shown, the conveyor 1 is as described above, except that the rollers 34 are replaced by pads which press the lateral reinforcements 12 against the pulleys 30.

[0104] The skates are for example made of a rubbery material.

[0105] In another variant, the swing bars 20 of the pendulum systems 18 are fixed non-pivoting on the frames 17. Other means of distributing the load along the support stations 7 are then envisaged.

[0106] In yet another embodiment, the conveyor does not have four support devices 25 fixed to each end 20A, 20B of the swing bars 20 of the two pendulum systems 18 of each support station 7, but has only two support devices 25 fixed on each support station 7, each support device 25 being fixed on one side, along the transverse direction Y, of the conveyor belt.

[0107] According to this variant, the conveyor no longer includes a pendulum system 18. Other means of distributing the load along the support stations 7 can then be considered.

[0108] The invention has many advantages.

[0109] The use of pulleys 30 as a substitute for the rollers of the support stations 7 reduces the maintenance cost of the belt conveyor 1. Indeed, the pulleys 30 are subjected to less shock than the rollers of the support stations usually used, and therefore have a longer service life.

[0110] Replacing the rollers with pulleys 30 thus makes it possible to transport materials 10 with a larger particle size. This allows for a reduction in the costs required for personnel, the number of trucks, and fuel consumption, necessary for transporting large-particle-sized materials 10, such as raw logging materials, by truck.

[0111] Since the axis of rotation R of the pulleys 30 is slightly inclined with respect to the transverse direction Y, the pulleys 30 better withstand the forces transmitted by the lateral reinforcements 12 and thus have a longer service life, further reducing the maintenance costs of the conveyor 1.

[0112] The conveyor belt 5 having sufficient thickness and an advantageously reinforced structure (choice of material and / or metal reinforcements) is capable of supporting such materials 10 without damage.

[0113] In addition, the increased mechanical resistance of the conveyor belt 5 makes it possible to limit the number of support stations 7 and pulleys 30 supporting the belt 5. The pulleys 30 can then be more widely spaced, and a saving of time and cost in manufacturing and assembling the conveyor 1 is thus generated.

[0114] The invention also has an ecological advantage in that it makes it possible to reduce the consumption of fossil energy by minimizing the number of vehicles needed to transport materials 10.

[0115] Furthermore, the cooperation of the lateral reinforcements 12 with the pulleys 30, by the curved region of the lateral reinforcements 12, prevents a potential band deflection during the operation of the conveyor and therefore reinforces user safety and ensures the proper functioning of the conveyor.

[0116] The use of rollers 34 pressing the lateral reinforcements 12 of the belt 5 against the pulleys 30 also ensures the proper functioning of the conveyor 1 by similarly preventing a potential belt displacement during the operation of the conveyor 1.

[0117] Since the lateral reinforcements 12 are made of the same material as the band 5, the mechanical strength of the suspension system is improved. There is no junction area between the reinforcements 12 and the band 5 that could present insufficient mechanical strength.

[0118] In addition, this feature helps to limit the manufacturing costs of the band 5 since there is no need to graft a new part onto the band 5.

[0119] The pendulum systems 18 advantageously distribute the load more evenly between the support stations 7 and along the entire conveyor 1. This makes it possible to minimize the sag formed by the belt 5 between the support stations 7. The presence of sag is undesirable because it concentrates the forces exerted on the belt 5 in the dip and can therefore cause localized damage, or even tearing, of the belt 5.

[0120] Finally, the metal tabs 32 allow the pulleys 30 to be securely attached to the pendulum systems 18 in order to benefit from the advantages of the aforementioned pendulum systems 18.

[0121] The assembly of the conveyor 1 is facilitated by the metal legs 32 which are not heavy to handle and which are thus easily fixed onto the swing bars 20.

Claims

Demands

1. A belt conveyor (1) comprising a conveyor belt (5) extending along a longitudinal direction (X) and having two lateral edges opposite each other, and a plurality of belt support stations (7) distributed along the conveyor belt (5), characterized in that each support station (7) comprises at least two pulleys (30) spaced apart along a transverse direction (Y) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) and arranged transversely on either side of the conveyor belt (5), the belt (5) comprising two lateral reinforcements (12) extending longitudinally along the two lateral edges of the conveyor belt (5), the conveyor belt (5) being suspended by the lateral reinforcements (12) from the pulleys (30), the support stations (7) each comprising two frames (17) on either side of the conveyor belt (5), facing each other along the direction transverse (Y),and at least two pendulum systems (18) each comprising a swing bar (20) extending between two ends (20A, 20B), a central part (20C) of the swing bar (20) being mounted on the frames (17) by a pivot joint about a transverse axis, the two ends (20A, 20B) each receiving a pulley (30), the pulleys (30) of both ends (20A, 20B) cooperating with the same lateral reinforcement (12) of the conveyor belt (5), bent and / or assembled metal tabs (32) being fixed to each end (20A, 20B) of the swing bars (20) of the pendulum systems (18), each pulley (30) and associated roller (34) being fixed to the metal tabs (32), the metal tabs (32) each having a first region (32A) extending along the direction of elevation and being fixed on one end (20A, 20B) of a swing bar (20), the metal legs (32) also comprising at least one arm (32B, 32C),folded relative to the first region (32A) at a non-zero angle.

2. Conveyor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the side reinforcements (12) are made of material with the conveyor belt (5).

3. Conveyor (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral reinforcements (12) have a curved region cooperating geometrically with the grooves of the pulleys (30).

4. Conveyor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which rollers (34) press the side reinforcements (12) onto the pulleys (30) in order to fix the side reinforcements (12) onto the pulleys (30) and to keep the conveyor belt (5) in suspension.

5. Conveyor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pulley (30) is spaced from the neighboring pulley (30) along the longitudinal direction (X) by a distance of between 25 cm and 1 m.

6. Conveyor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulleys (30) each have an axis of rotation (R) forming a non-zero angle with the transverse direction (Y), projected into a plane containing the elevation direction (Z) and the transverse direction (Y).

7. Conveyor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor belt (5) comprises a set of braided metal cables.

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