Folding conveyor with automatic folding side skirt

Abstract

A folding conveyor 100 with a discharge area 11 and a feed area 21 for receiving material and comprising adjacent sections which pivot with respect to each other at a folding area between the discharg

Description

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to a folding conveyor for a material processing apparatus, in particular to a folding conveyor comprising one or more folding side skirts. Background to the Invention Conveyors play a crucial role in any mining, aggregates or industrial operation and are often provided on static and mobile aggregate processing apparatus to receive material, e.g., screened material, at one end and to discharge such material from the other end, for example to form a stockpile away from the apparatus or to transfer to another material processing apparatus. Conveyors may be powered by a motor, gravity or manually. There are several types of conveyors and conveyor systems. Folding conveyors comprise two or more sections which pivot with respect to each other such that the conveyor may be folded for storage and, when unfolded, are arranged to carry bulk material from one location to another, for example along an elevating path from a low position adjacent a tail section of the conveyor, to a higher position adjacent a head section of the conveyor. Upwardly protruding guards are typically bolted or pinned on to the side of folding conveyors used in the stockpiling or transfer of materials to stop material falling off the side of the conveyor during operation. Such guards are also referred to as side skirts and must be removed or lowered prior to folding the conveyor, e.g., for storage or for transport of the apparatus to which the conveyor is attached. Prior to operation of the conveyor to convey material, the side skirts must be refitted after the conveyor has been unfolded. The reinsertion of pins or reinstallation of the whole side skirt is typically a dangerous job as the side skirt location is high up from the ground. Additionally, side skirts and pins are often lost after removal leading to the side skirts not being replaced at all, causing material to fall off the conveyor during operation. It is a therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor side skirt which overcomes the drawbacks of known solutions or at least provides a suitable alternative. Summary of the Invention The present invention addresses the problem of needing to remove or lower side skirts prior to folding a conveyor for storage or transport. This problem is solved by pivotally mounting one end of an elongate side guard member to one section of a folding conveyor and slidably mounting the other end of the side guard member to an adjacent section of the folding conveyor. The present invention relates to a conveyor with an elongate side guard member which folds automatically on folding of the conveyor to which it is attached. The invention is set out in the claims. Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is a folding conveyor with a side guard member as set out in the claims for eliminating the need to remove or lower the side skirt prior to folding the conveyor, e.g., for storage or for transport of an apparatus to which it is attached. The folding conveyor according to the invention has a feed area for receiving material at one end, a discharge area from which material is discharged at the other end and at least one folding area located between the feed and discharge areas, preferably wherein the fold area comprises a fold linkage. One or more elongate side guard members are provided along the side of the conveyor for preventing material being conveyed by the conveyor from falling off the side or sides of the conveyor during use in the unfolded position, preferably for preventing material from falling off the folding area or areas of the conveyor. One end of the side guard member is pivotally mounted to one section of the conveyor, and the other end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to an adjacent section of the conveyor. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor comprises a tail section comprising the feed area for receiving material and a head section comprising the discharge area which pivot with respect to each other at the folding area, preferably via the fold linkage, wherein a first end of the side guard member is pivotally mounted to the tail section of the conveyor and a second opposing end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to the head section of the conveyor. Alternatively, the first end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to the tail section of the conveyor and the second opposing end of the side guard member is pivotally mounted to the head section of the conveyor. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the conveyor further comprises a midsection, wherein the head section and midsection of the folding conveyor are connected to each other such that the head section can pivot with respect to the midsection, and the tail section and midsection of the folding conveyor are connected to each other such that the tail section can pivot with respect to the midsection. In this embodiment, the first end of a first side guard member is preferably pivotally mounted to the midsection of the conveyor and the second opposing end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to the head section. Additionally, the first end of a second side guard member is preferably pivotally mounted to the tail section of the conveyor and the second opposing end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to the midsection. In the preferred embodiments wherein the side guard member is slidably mounted to the head section of the conveyor, upon folding of the conveyor, the slidably mounted end of the side guard member slides along the head section towards the discharge end of the conveyor. In some embodiments, the conveyor further comprises an anti-spillage member for retaining material on the conveyor during use to avoid spillage, wherein the anti-spillage member protrudes upwardly from the side of the conveyor and the elongate side guard member is arranged to slidably engage with the anti-spillage member. In some embodiments, the anti-spillage member protrudes upwardly from the side of a conveyor section along the length of the section from the folding area to the opposing end, e.g., along the length of the head section from the folding area end to the discharge end for preventing material from falling off the side of head section during use of conveyor. In the embodiments comprising a fold linkage, the anti-spillage member is preferably provided with a tapered portion at the folding area end so as not to collide with the folding linkage on folding of the conveyor. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-spillage member is substantially rectangular shaped and has a tapered portion at the folding area end. The conveyor may comprise a plurality of anti-spillage members. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor comprises an anti-spillage member on each side of a section of the conveyor, e.g., of the conveyor head section, and an elongate side member on each side of the folding area adjacent that section, wherein the anti-spillage member is arranged to engage with the elongate side guard member upon folding of the conveyor. Additionally, or alternatively, the elongate side guard member may comprise a top portion with two downwardly depending side portions, preferably parallel side portions. In the embodiments comprising a fold linkage, at least one of the side portions is preferably provided with a cutaway portion to accommodate the fold linkage when the conveyor is in the unfolded position. In some embodiments, the conveyor is further provided with fastening means to avoid the side guard member falling back under gravity upon folding of the conveyor. The fastening means preferably comprises a male member attached to the side guard member and a female member attached to one of the conveyor sections, preferably to the head section of the conveyor. In a preferred embodiment, the male member is a lateral protrusion such as a pin and the female member is an elongate track or channel. However, this is not considered to be limiting and other fastening means may be used. The conveyor may be folded without a linkage. In this embodiment, upon folding the conveyor the moving section, e.g., the head section, may be folded through a maximum of 90 degrees, preferably wherein the head section is folded using a hydraulic cylinder. In the preferred embodiment wherein a fold linkage is present, upon folding the conveyor the moving section, e.g., the head section, may be folded through a maximum of 180 degrees, e.g., through 155 degrees. The conveyor may be folded manually. Alternatively, or additionally, if a fold linkage is present, the fold linkage may be powered by a folding actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder or motor driven actuator unit. The conveyor is preferably provided with a plurality of side guard members, particularly preferably a side guard member on each side of the or each folding area. In some embodiments, the or each side guard member engages with the folding section of the conveyor, e.g., the head section, such that upon folding of the conveyor from the unfolded working position, through bent positions to a folded storage position, the or each side guard member pivots with respect to the non-folding section of the conveyor, e.g., the tail section, and slides with respect to the folding section of the conveyor, preferably engaging with an antispillage member. Alternatively, the or each side guard member engages with the non-moving section of the conveyor such that upon folding of the conveyor from the unfolded working position, through bent positions to a folded storage position, the or each side guard member pivots with respect to the folding section of the conveyor and slides with respect to the nonfolding section of the conveyor. In another aspect, the invention provides a mobile processing apparatus comprising one or more conveyors as described herein. The skilled person will understand that where the same feature has been referenced in different aspects of the invention, this feature comprises the same parts and operates in the same way unless otherwise stated. Brief Description of the drawings Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred folding conveyor according to the invention in the unfolded, i.e., working, position; Figure 2 is a side view of the folding conveyor of Figure 1 in a first bent position; Figure 3 is a side view of the folding conveyor of Figure 1 in a second bent position; Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the folding area and discharge end of the conveyor of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the discharge end of the conveyor of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a side view of the folding conveyor of Figure 1 in a folded, i.e., storage, position. Detailed Description In overview, a folding conveyor is provided, the conveyor comprising automatically folding side skirts. Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. It will be appreciated that the invention should not be construed to be limited to the examples, which are now described; rather, the invention is construed to include any and all applications provided herein and all equivalent variations within the skill of the ordinary artisan. Referring to the drawings, there is shown a folding conveyor according to the invention, generally referred to herein by reference numeral 100 and comprising head section 10 with discharge end 11 from which material may be discharged and tail section 20 with receiving end 21 for accepting material to be conveyed. An endless belt (not shown) is arranged to convey material from the fed receiving end to the discharge end. As shown in the Figures, head and tail sections 10, 20 of conveyor 100 pivot with respect to each other at linkage 30 such that conveyor 100 may be folded, for example for storage or for transport of an apparatus (not shown) to which it is attached, from the unfolded position shown in Figure 1 via the bent positions of Figures 2 and 3 to the folded position shown in Figure 6. This folding action may be driven by folding actuator 84. In the preferred embodiment shown, actuator 84 is a hydraulic cylinder and the head section is folded through 155 degrees. Conveyor 100 further comprises side skirt 90 and upwardly protruding greedy board 12 for preventing material from falling off the conveyor during use. Side skirt 90 is an elongate guard member for preventing material from falling off the folding area of conveyor 100 during use of the conveyor in the unfolded position as shown in Figure 1. A first end 94 of side skirt 90 is pivotally mounted to tail section 20 of conveyor 100 via a hinge with fixed hinge portion 83 and moving hinge portion 91. A second opposing end 95 of side skirt 90 is slidably mounted to head section 10. The drawings show conveyor 100 from the right-hand side only. A further side skirt (not shown) and greed board (not shown) corresponding to side skirt 90 and greedy board 12, respectively, are preferably provided on the left-hand side of conveyor 100. As can be seen in the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 4, side skirt 90 is in the shape of an inverted trough with a top 96 and two downwardly depending parallel sides 97, 98, wherein external side 98 is provided with a cutaway portion 99 to accommodate fold linkage 30 when conveyor 100 is in the unfolded position. The top 96 of side guard member 90 as shown in the drawings is flat. However, this is not considered to be limiting and the top 96 may instead be angular or curved. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, greedy board 12 is provided along the length of head section 10 from linkage 30 to discharge end 11 for preventing material from falling off the side of head section 10 during use of conveyor 100 and is substantially rectangular shaped with a tapered portion 13 at the end closest linkage 30 so as not to collide with tail section 20 on folding. As shown in Figure 1, when conveyor 100 is in the unfolded position, side skirt 90 hooks over at least the tapered portion of greedy board 12 of head section 10. Side skirt 90 is prevented from catching on the conveyor belt during folding. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, head section 10 of conveyor 100 is further provided with an external channel in the form of elongate folded plate 14 of substantially C-shaped cross section and end 95 of side skirt 90 is provided with guide pin 92. Upon folding of conveyor 100, i.e., on movement from the unfolded position in Figure 1, through the bent positions shown in Figures 2 and 3 to the folded position shown in Figure 5, side skirt 90 slides along greedy board 12 toward discharge end 11 and pin 92 engages with and slides in channel 14. This ensures that side skirt 90 does not fall back under gravity upon folding of the conveyor 100. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein which are given by way of example only and that various modifications and additions are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A folding conveyor with a discharge area and a feed area for receiving material and comprising adjacent sections which pivot with respect to each other at a folding area between the discharge area and the feed receiving area such that the conveyor may be folded for storage, the conveyor being provided with at least one elongate side guard member for preventing material from falling off the side of the folding area of the conveyor during use, wherein one end of the side guard member is pivotally mounted to one section of the conveyor and the other end of the side guard member is slidably mounted to an adjacent section of the conveyor.

2. The folding conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a tail section comprising the feed area for receiving material and a head section comprising the discharge area, wherein a first end of the elongate side guard member is pivotally mounted to the tail section and a second opposing end of the elongate side guard member is slidably mounted to the head section of the conveyor.

3. The folding conveyor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each side of the conveyor is provided with an elongate side guard member.

4. The folding conveyor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each elongate side guard member comprises a top portion with two side portions downwardly depending therefrom,5. The folding conveyor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the folding area comprises a fold linkage and at least one of the side sections is provided with a cutaway portion to accommodate the fold linkage when the conveyor is in the unfolded position.

6. The folding conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor further comprises fastening means to secure the slidably mounted end of the side guard member to the conveyor during folding of the conveyor, preferably wherein the fastening means comprises a male member attached to the side guard member and a female member attached to one of the conveyor sections.

7. The folding conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor further comprises an upwardly protruding anti-spillage member for retainingmaterial on the conveyor during use, wherein the anti-spillage member protrudes upwardly from the side of the conveyor and the elongate side guard member is arranged to slidably engage with the anti-spillage member upon folding of the conveyor.

8. Mobile processing apparatus comprising one or more conveyors as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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