Belt conveyor

Abstract

The trough angle of the carrier-side belt on the belt conveyor can be easily adjusted. [Solution] The belt conveyor includes a center roller 8 that supports the center of the carrier belt 7 in the width direction from below, side rollers 9 that support the end of the carrier belt 7 in the width direction from below in an upward inclined position toward the outside in the width direction, and a side stand 13 that supports the end of the side roller 9 located opposite to the center roller 8, and the inclination angle of the end of the carrier belt 7 in the width direction can be adjusted by changing the support position of the side roller 9 to the side stand 13 in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a belt conveyor capable of adjusting the inclination angle of the widthwise end portions of a belt.

Background Art

[0002] A belt conveyor is used to convey materials such as earth, sand, and stones. The belt conveyor is configured such that an endless belt in a strip shape is wound between a driving roller and a driven roller. Generally, the upper belt on the conveying side is called the carrier side belt, and the lower belt is called the return side belt. The conveyed material is conveyed by being placed on the carrier side belt.

[0003] In some cases, a so-called troughed belt conveyor is adopted for the belt conveyor, in which the carrier side belt is supported in a trough shape (a shape in which the central portion is low along the width direction and rises from the central portion toward both widthwise ends) so that the conveyed material does not spill from both widthwise ends of the carrier side belt (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The troughed belt conveyor of Patent Document 1 includes a center roller that supports the central portion of the carrier side belt from below, side rollers that support both widthwise end portions of the carrier side belt from below, and side stands that support the outer ends of the side rollers. The side rollers are arranged on both sides in the belt width direction of the center roller and support the widthwise end portions of the carrier side belt in a state inclined upward toward the outer side in the belt width direction of the carrier side belt.

[0005] The side stands are provided on the outer side in the width direction of the carrier side belt and support the outer ends, which are the ends located on the opposite side of the center roller of the side rollers. Since the carrier side belt of this belt conveyor is supported in a trough shape, it is difficult for the conveyed material to spill from both widthwise ends of the running carrier side belt.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-177389 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Ideally, a belt conveyor should be able to handle various types of transported goods and installation conditions with a single device. However, the transported goods may travel differently depending on their size and weight, the belt's speed, and the belt's incline (when used in locations with different gradients), which can lead to the goods easily spilling off the belt. Furthermore, the transported goods may change or the belt's speed may change during use, resulting in different transported goods conditions before and after the change.

[0008] To prevent the transported goods from spilling out, maximizing the trough angle (the angle of inclination at the widthwise end of the carrier-side belt; i.e., the angle between the horizontal plane and the side rollers) reduces the loading space for the transported goods and decreases the amount of cargo that can be loaded onto the belt. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the trough angle to an appropriate level according to the transported goods' movement conditions in order to prevent the transported goods from spilling out while maximizing the load capacity.

[0009] In the belt conveyor described in Patent Document 1, adjusting the trough angle requires replacing the entire frame that supports the center roller and side rollers, resulting in a significant amount of effort and time required for adjustment. In particular, if the contents of the conveyed goods change during use of the belt conveyor, or if the condition of the conveyed goods changes rapidly within a short period, the entire frame must be replaced each time the condition of the conveyed goods changes, which leads to problems such as prolonged downtime for the belt conveyor.

[0010] The problem this invention aims to solve is to make it possible to easily adjust the trough angle of the carrier-side belt of a belt conveyor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, this invention provides a belt conveyor with the following configuration. [Configuration 1] A center roller supports the center of the carrier-side belt on which the transported goods are placed from below, Side rollers are positioned on both sides of the center roller in the axial direction and support the widthwise end of the carrier-side belt from below, inclined upward toward the widthwise side, The carrier side belt is provided on the outside in the width direction and has a side stand that rotatably supports the outer end of the side roller, which is the end of the side roller that is located opposite to the center roller, A belt conveyor in which the inclination angle of the widthwise end of the carrier-side belt can be adjusted by changing the support position of the outer end to the side stand in the vertical direction.

[0012] In this configuration, the support position of the side rollers on the side stands can be changed vertically, eliminating the need to replace the entire frame supporting the center and side rollers, and allowing for easy adjustment of the trough angle. Therefore, the trough angle setting process can be completed in a short time. In particular, when the contents of the conveyed goods change during use, or when the condition of the conveyed goods changes rapidly, the overall downtime of the conveyor can be shortened.

[0013] [Configuration 2] The belt conveyor according to configuration 1, wherein the side stand comprises a side bracket that rotatably supports the outer end and a mounting hole for fixing the side bracket via a bolt.

[0014] When the side roller is directly supported by the side stand, adjusting the trough angle of the carrier-side belt requires lifting the side roller to position and install it. In this case, the side roller is heavy, making it difficult to work while it is lifted. In this configuration, the side roller is supported by the side stand via a side bracket, so the heavy side roller can be removed, the side bracket can be positioned and installed, and then the side roller can be placed on the side bracket for support, making the installation of the side roller to the side stand much easier.

[0015] [Configuration 3] The belt conveyor according to configuration 2, wherein the mounting holes are formed in a plurality of locations arranged in the vertical direction.

[0016] In this configuration, the side roller can be fixed to the side stand via a mounting hole corresponding to the desired trough angle, among a plurality of mounting holes formed vertically. Since the trough angle is determined in stages according to the mounting hole used for fixing, the trough angle can be easily adjusted.

[0017] [Structure 4] The belt conveyor according to configuration 2 or 3, wherein the mounting hole is an elongated hole in the vertical direction.

[0018] In this configuration, the mounting holes extend vertically along the side stand, allowing the position of the side roller to be adjusted within the range of the elongated holes in the vertical direction simply by loosening the fixed position and sliding it, without having to completely remove the bolts.

[0019] [Composition 5] A belt conveyor according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein the portion of the side bracket that is fixed to the side stand with the bolt is located radially outward of the side roller than the extension line of the outer diameter surface of the side roller supported by the side bracket.

[0020] In this configuration, the portion fixed to the side stand of the side bracket with bolts is located radially outside the side roller with respect to the extension line of the outer diameter surface of the side roller supported by the side bracket, and it is not in a deep position. Therefore, the fixing operation of the side bracket can be smoothly performed in a wide space.

[0021] [Configuration 6] On the center roller side of the side roller, a support member that is swingable about the axis of a swing shaft extending in the belt running direction is provided, and the side roller is a belt conveyor according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5 that is rotatably supported by the support member.

[0022] In this configuration, by using a swingable support member, the side roller can be supported rotatably and swingably with a simple structure.

[0023] [Configuration 7] The side roller and the side stand are a belt conveyor according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6 in which the installation position can be adjusted in the width direction of the carrier side belt.

[0024] In this configuration, by adjusting the positions of the side roller and the side stand in the belt width direction, it is possible to cope with changes in the belt width of the conveyor belt. Therefore, for example, it is also possible to cope with changes in the belt width specification by only adjusting the position of the side roller without replacing the side roller.

Effect of the Invention

[0025] In the belt conveyor of this invention, since the support position of the side roller on the side stand can be changed in the vertical direction, the trough angle can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the operation of adjusting the trough angle can be performed in a short period of time. Since the adjustment of the trough angle can be performed in a short period of time, the stop period of the belt conveyor can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1]Plan view of a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of this invention [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Plan view of the conveyor belt without it installed (Figure 2) [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a magnified partial cross-sectional view of the area near the side stand. [Figure 5] Figure 2 shows a magnified view of the vicinity of the instant. [Figure 6] Figure 2 shows the Instand before the center roller and side rollers are installed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Figure 1 shows a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. This belt conveyor comprises a head pulley 1 located at the downstream end (right side in the figure), a tail pulley 2 located at the upstream end (left side in the figure), a conveyor belt 3 stretched between the head pulley 1 and the tail pulley 2, a material supply unit 5 that supplies material 4 (see Figure 2) to the conveyor belt 3, and a trough flora 6 that supports the conveyor belt 3 in a trough shape.

[0028] The conveyor belt 3 travels in a circular motion between the head pulley 1 and the tail pulley 2. The conveyor belt 3 consists of a carrier-side belt 7 (the portion of the conveyor belt 3 that travels from the tail pulley 2 towards the head pulley 1) and a return-side belt (the portion of the conveyor belt 3 that travels from the head pulley 1 towards the tail pulley 2; not shown).

[0029] The head pulley 1 is connected to a rotary drive device (motor, etc.) (not shown) and drives the conveyor belt 3. The conveyor belt 3 is a rubber belt with a core made of synthetic fiber or steel cord covered with rubber. The tail pulley 2 is a driven pulley that rotates in conjunction with the movement of the belt.

[0030] The material supply unit 5 is positioned opposite the upper surface of the upstream end (left side in Figure 1) of the carrier-side belt 7. The material 4 (see Figure 2) is, for example, crushed stone, aggregate, soil, ore, etc. The material 4 is continuously supplied from the material supply unit 5 to the upper surface of the upstream end of the carrier-side belt 7. The carrier-side belt 7 travels from the upstream side (left side in Figure 1) to the downstream side (right side in Figure 1) with the material 4 loaded on its upper surface.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the trough flora 6 comprises a center roller 8 that supports the center of the carrier-side belt 7 in the width direction from below, and side rollers 9 that support the ends of the carrier-side belt 7 in the width direction from below. The carrier-side belt 7 is supported by multiple trough flora 6 arranged at intervals along the travel path (see Figure 1). The trough flora 6 supports the carrier-side belt 7 in a trough shape that is lower in the center along the width direction and rises from the center to both ends in the width direction.

[0032] The center roller 8 is positioned horizontally. The center roller 8 has rotating shafts 10 that protrude axially outward from both axial ends of the cylindrical member that forms the body of the center roller 8 (see Figure 5). In this embodiment, the rotating shafts 10 are formed integrally with the cylindrical member of the center roller 8, but they may also be formed as separate parts and mounted so that they rotate together.

[0033] The side rollers 9 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the center roller 8 in the axial direction. The side rollers 9 are positioned inclined upward toward the outside in the width direction of the carrier-side belt 7 (gradually becoming higher as they move away from the center roller 8). The side rollers 9 have rotating shafts 11 that protrude outward in the axial direction from both ends of the side rollers 9. The configuration of the side rollers 9 and the rotating shafts 11 is the same as the configuration of the center roller 8 and the rotating shafts 10 described above.

[0034] The Traflora 6 is provided with a side stand 13 that rotatably supports the outer end 12 of the side roller 9, and an inner stand 15 that rotatably supports the inner end 14 (see Figure 5) of the side roller 9. Here, the outer end 12 of the side roller 9 is the end of the side roller 9 located on the side opposite to the center roller 8, and in this embodiment, it refers to the end of the rotating shaft 11 located on the side opposite to the center roller 8 of the side roller 9. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the inner end 14 of the side roller 9 is the end of the side roller 9 located on the side of the center roller 8, and in this embodiment, it refers to the end of the rotating shaft 11 located on the side of the center roller 8 of the side roller 9.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the side stand 13 is provided with a side bracket 16 that rotatably supports the outer end 12 of the side roller 9, and a mounting hole 17 for fixing the side bracket 16. As shown in Figure 2, the side stand 13 is provided on the outside in the width direction of the carrier side belt 7. The side stands 13 are arranged in pairs facing each other in the width direction of the carrier side belt 7.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the side stand 13 is a plate-shaped member. The side stand 13 is formed by curving the plate-shaped member into an arc shape that is aligned with the direction of oscillation of the outer end 12 of the side roller 9. On the side of the plate-shaped member opposite to the side of the side roller 9 (the left side in the figure), a plate-shaped rib portion 18 is formed that extends vertically and protrudes outward along the arc shape of the plate-shaped member. The rib portion 18 is perpendicular to the plate-shaped member and is located in the center of the plate-shaped member in the width direction (see Figure 3). By providing the rib portion 18, the side stand 13 is less likely to deform against the force applied from the side bracket 16. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped member and the rib portion 18 are fixed by welding. Alternatively, the side stand 13 can also be formed by bending a single plate material. In that case, the portion corresponding to the rib portion 18 will be a state where the plate material is folded over.

[0037] An elongated hole 20 (see Figure 3) extending in the width direction of the carrier-side belt 7 is provided on the upper surface of the base 19, and the side stand 13 is supported on the upper surface of the base 19 via this elongated hole 20. The side stand 13 is fixed to the base 19 by a bolt 21 and a nut 22. The installation position of the side stand 13 can be adjusted in the width direction of the carrier-side belt 7 by loosening the bolt 21. A wing bolt can be used as this bolt 21. If the width direction length of the carrier-side belt 7 is not to be changed, the side stand 13 may be fixed to the upper surface of the base 19 by welding.

[0038] The side bracket 16 (see Figures 2 and 4) is a longitudinal plate-shaped member. The side bracket 16 is bent in two opposite directions along its longitudinal direction, forming a Z-shape in cross-section when viewed from the short direction. At one end (the upper end in the figures) of the two bent portions of the side bracket 16, a U-shaped notched insertion opening 23 is formed, and at the other end (the lower end in the figures), a bolt hole 24 corresponding to the mounting hole 17 of the side stand 13 is formed. The outer end 12 of the side roller 9 is inserted into the insertion opening 23 and is rotatably supported. The insertion opening 23 may be a hole rather than a notch opening at the edge.

[0039] One end of the side bracket 16 (the upper end in the diagram) is positioned away from the side of the side stand 13 that faces the side roller 9, with the other end (the lower end in the diagram) attached to the side stand 13, and is bent to face the end face of the side roller 9. The other end of the side bracket 16 (the lower end in the diagram) is positioned radially outward from the extension of the outer diameter surface of the side roller 9 supported by one end of the side bracket 16 (the upper end in the diagram).

[0040] Multiple mounting holes 17 are formed in a vertical direction. The mounting holes 17 are elongated in the vertical direction. The mounting holes 17 are formed so that the angle between the side roller 9 and the horizontal plane can be adjusted within a range of 0° to 90° (preferably 0° to 70°) by adjusting the position of the side bracket 16 in the vertical direction. The mounting holes 17 are arranged vertically so that the angle between the side roller 9 and the horizontal plane can be adjusted at intervals of 1° to 30° (preferably 3° to 7°). The mounting holes 17 are formed in two rows side by side (see Figure 3). The mounting holes 17 may be formed in one row or multiple rows. Also, the mounting holes 17 may be simple round holes instead of elongated holes.

[0041] The other end of the side bracket 16 (the lower end in the diagram) is fixed to the side stand 13 via a bolt hole 24 and a mounting hole 17 using a bolt 25 and a nut 26. In this embodiment, a wing bolt is used as the bolt 25. By using a wing bolt, tightening and loosening can be done without using tools, making it easy to attach and detach the side bracket 16 to the side stand 13.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the instand 15 consists of a stand portion 27 that rotatably supports the center roller 8, a support member 28 that rotatably supports the inner end 14 of the side roller 9, and a pivot shaft 29 that swings the support member 28. The instand 15 is positioned between the center roller 8 and the side roller 9.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the stand portion 27 is formed by a plate-shaped portion facing the center roller 8 and a pair of plate-shaped portions extending from both ends of that portion toward the side opposite to the center roller 8. In other words, when viewed from above or below (in a plan view), the stand portion 27 is formed in a cross-section with the portion on the side roller 9 side open and the other portions closed.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface of the base 19 is provided with an elongated hole 30 extending in the width direction of the carrier-side belt 7, and the stand portion 27 is supported on the upper surface of the base 19 via this elongated hole 30. As shown in Figure 5, the stand portion 27 is fixed to the base 19 by bolts 31 and nuts 32. The installation position of the stand portion 27 in the width direction of the carrier-side belt 7 can be adjusted by loosening the bolts 31. As shown in Figure 6, the stand portion 27 is provided with a U-shaped cutout insertion opening 33 in the portion of the stand portion 27 facing the center roller 8. The rotation axis 10 of the center roller 8 is inserted into the insertion opening 33 and is rotatably supported.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, the support member 28 consists of a portion facing the carrier-side belt 7 (see Figure 2) in the direction of travel and a portion facing the carrier-side belt 7 in the width direction, and is formed as a hollow rectangle when viewed from above (in a plan view). The portion of the support member 28 on the side roller 9 side has a U-shaped cutout insertion opening 35 that rotatably supports the inner end 14 of the side roller 9.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the pivot shaft 29 extends in the direction of travel of the carrier-side belt 7 (in the figure, the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper). The pivot shaft 29 extends outward from opposing portions of the support member 28 in the direction of travel of the carrier-side belt 7 (see Figure 6). In this embodiment, the pivot shaft 29 is formed integrally with the support member 28, but it may also be formed as a separate part and mounted so that the two rotate together. The pivot shaft 29 is rotatably supported by U-shaped notches 34 formed in opposing portions of the stand portion 27. The pivot shaft 29 may also be supported by the stand portion 27 via bearings that rotatably support the pivot shaft 29.

[0047] The method of using the Traflora 6 shown in Figure 2 will be explained below. First, the side bracket 16 is fixed to the side stand 13 using bolts 25 and nuts 26 via mounting holes 17 (see Figure 4) at a position corresponding to the desired trough angle a (the inclination angle of the widthwise end of the carrier-side belt 7, i.e., the angle between the horizontal plane and the side roller 9). Next, the inner stand 15 and the side stand 13 are slid and fixed in the belt width direction (left-right direction in Figure 2) at a position corresponding to the center roller 8, which has a widthwise length corresponding to the belt width length of the carrier-side belt 7.

[0048] Next, the center roller 8 is supported by the stand portion 27, and the side roller 9 is supported by the support member 28 and the side bracket 16. Then, the carrier-side belt 7 is stretched over the center roller 8 and the side roller 9. In this way, the carrier-side belt 7 is supported at the desired trough angle a.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the support position of the side roller 9 on the side stand 13 can be changed vertically, so the trough angle a can be easily adjusted without the need to replace the entire frame supporting the center roller 8 and the side roller 9. Therefore, in order to prevent the transported goods 4 from spilling out while maximizing the load capacity, the trough angle a can be set larger when the transported goods 4 are likely to spill out of the carrier-side belt 7, depending on the type of transported goods 4 and the travel speed, and smaller when the transported goods 4 are not likely to spill out, and this can be done in a short time.

[0050] In particular, if the contents of the conveyed goods 4 change during use of the belt conveyor, causing the condition of the conveyed goods 4 to change in a short period of time, the trough angle a can be adjusted in a short period of time, thereby shortening the overall downtime of the belt conveyor.

[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the side bracket 16 has a Z-shaped cross-section, but the shape of the side bracket 16 is not limited to a Z-shaped cross-section. For example, it may be a simple plate shape without bending. If the side bracket 16 is a simple plate shape, one end of the side bracket 16 can be fixed to the side stand in surface contact, and the other end of the side bracket 16 can be provided to protrude from the side stand 13 in the belt running direction (the depth direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4), and the side roller 9 can be attached to the other end.

[0052] In either configuration, the portion of the side bracket 16 that is fixed to the side stand 13 with bolts 25 is positioned radially outward from the extension line of the outer diameter surface of the side roller 9 supported by the side bracket 16, so that it is not in a recessed area, allowing the fixing work of the side bracket 16 to be performed smoothly in a wide space.

[0053] When the side roller 9 is attached to the side bracket 16 without a bearing, the side bracket 16 wears down due to the rotation of the side roller 9. In this embodiment, since the side roller 9 is attached to the side stand 13 via the side bracket 16, the side stand 13, which is a large component, is not affected by the rotation of the side roller 9 and does not wear down. Therefore, during maintenance, instead of replacing the side stand 13, it is sufficient to replace the side bracket 16, which is a smaller component than the side stand 13, thus reducing the labor required for maintenance and lowering the cost of replacement parts.

[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the rotating shaft 10 rotates integrally with the cylindrical member which is the body of the center roller 8. However, a bearing may be interposed between the rotating shaft 10 and the cylindrical member of the center roller 8 so that the cylindrical member rotates relative to the rotating shaft 10. Alternatively, a bearing may be interposed between the stand portion 27 and the rotating shaft 10.

[0055] Similarly, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, bearings may be interposed between the respective rotating shafts 11 (outer end 12, inner end 14) on both sides and the cylindrical member that is the body of the side roller 9, so that the cylindrical member rotates relative to the rotating shafts 11 (outer end 12, inner end 14).

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a bearing may be interposed between the side bracket 16 and the rotating shaft 11 (outer end 12). Also, as shown in Figure 5, a bearing may be interposed between the support member 28 and the rotating shaft 11 (inner end 14). By using a bearing, the rotational movement becomes smoother.

[0057] Furthermore, although the transported material 4 (see Figure 2) in this embodiment is crushed stone, aggregate, soil, ore, this invention can also be applied to belt conveyors that handle other transported materials.

[0058] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 4. Transported goods 7. Carrier-side belt 8 Center Rollers 9 Side rollers 12 Outer edge 13 Side Stand 16 Side Brackets 17 mounting holes 25 volts 28 Support member 29. Oscillating axis

Claims

1. A center roller (8) supports the center of the carrier-side belt (7) on which the transported object (4) is placed from below, Side rollers (9) are positioned on both sides of the center roller (8) in the axial direction and support the widthwise end of the carrier side belt (7) from below in an upward inclined position toward the widthwise side, The carrier side belt (7) is provided on the outside in the width direction and has a side stand (13) that rotatably supports the outer end (12) of the side roller (9), which is the end located opposite to the center roller (8), A belt conveyor in which the inclination angle of the widthwise end of the carrier-side belt (7) can be adjusted by changing the support position of the outer end (12) on the side stand (13) in the vertical direction.

2. The belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the side stand (13) has a side bracket (16) that rotatably supports the outer end (12) and a mounting hole (17) for fixing the side bracket (16) via a bolt (25).

3. The belt conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the mounting holes (17) are formed in a plurality in the vertical direction.

4. The belt conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the mounting hole (17) is an elongated hole in the vertical direction.

5. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the portion of the side bracket (16) that is fixed to the side stand (13) with the bolt (25) is located radially outward of the side roller (9) than the extension line of the outer diameter surface of the side roller (9) supported by the side bracket (16).

6. A belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a support member (28) that can swing about the axis of a pivot shaft (29) extending in the belt running direction is provided on the side of the side roller (9) on the center roller (8) side, and the side roller (9) is rotatably supported by the support member (28).

7. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the side roller (9) and the side stand (13) are adjustable in their installation positions in the width direction of the carrier side belt (7).

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