Apparatus and method for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor

Abstract

To provide an unevenness-adjusting device for adjusting unevenness of conveyed articles loaded on a conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, and to provide an unevenness-adjusting method for the conveyed articles using the device.SOLUTION: An unevenness-adjusting device for adjusting unevenness of conveyed articles loaded on a conveyor belt of a belt conveyor is provided with one or more rod-like bodies for adjusting directional unevenness of the conveyed articles along a width direction of the conveyor belt, by bringing at least part of the conveyed articles into contact with an upper portion of the conveyor belt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor, which is useful for preventing deviation of conveyed objects loaded on the conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, particularly deviation of conveyed objects along the width direction of the conveyor belt, thereby preventing the conveyor belt from shifting to one side or meandering, and to a method for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects using the device. [Background technology]

[0002] Belt conveyors are commonly used to transport powdery or lumpy solid materials. In belt conveyor systems, if the materials are unevenly loaded on the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt may become misaligned or meander, which may cause the materials to fall off the conveyor belt or cause damage to the conveyor belt. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the unevenness of the materials on the conveyor belt.

[0003] As a prior art related to this point, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the meandering of a conveyor belt is detected by a meandering detection sensor, and the idler roller supporting the conveyor belt is rotated in a plane along the conveyor belt to correct the meandering of the conveyor belt.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for eliminating the cause of conveyor belt deviation by providing a guide plate inside a chute that stacks conveyor belt objects so that the conveyor belt is loaded evenly, and guiding the conveyor belt objects to a preferred position through the guide plate.

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the drawback that it can correct the meandering of the conveyor belt at a position where a means for correcting the meandering of the conveyor belt is installed, but cannot correct the meandering of the conveyor belt at other positions.Furthermore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not remove the unevenness of the conveyed objects on the conveyor belt, which causes the meandering of the conveyor belt, and therefore, when the unevenness of the conveyed objects changes, the position where the meandering of the conveyor belt occurs may change, which limits the range of application.

[0006] In contrast, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 prevents conveyed objects from being unevenly loaded on the conveyor belt, and can be said to be a technology that takes more fundamental measures. However, if conveyed objects adhere to the guide plates or inside the chute, the position where the conveyed objects fall may change. In addition, the adhesion condition and falling behavior of the conveyed objects may change depending on the transport volume, particle size, moisture content, etc. of the conveyed objects. Therefore, maintaining the function of the chute requires the cumbersome task of regular internal inspection and cleaning, and inspecting and cleaning the inside of a closed chute in particular requires a great deal of effort. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-118663 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-145068 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting the deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor, which can reduce the deviation of conveyed objects on the conveyor belt and effectively avoid causes of problems such as conveyor belt deviation, and a method for adjusting the deviation of conveyed objects using the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is a bias adjustment device for adjusting bias of objects loaded on the conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, characterized in that one or more rod-shaped bodies are provided above the conveyor belt, which adjust the bias of the objects in the direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt by contacting at least a portion of the objects.

[0010] In the device for adjusting the imbalance of transported objects having the above-mentioned configuration, it is preferable that the rod-shaped body be a flexible rod-shaped body, the rod-shaped body include a chain portion connecting a plurality of rings, and the rod-shaped body have a detection means for detecting the loading state of the transported objects along the width direction of the conveyor belt, and a movement means for moving the rod-shaped body in at least one direction of the width direction of the conveyor belt, the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and the direction toward or away from the transported objects according to the information detected by the detection means.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for adjusting the imbalance of an object being transported on a belt conveyor using the above-mentioned device, characterized in that the rod-shaped body is brought into contact with at least a portion of the object being transported on the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor, thereby adjusting the imbalance of the object being transported by moving the object at that portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the unevenness of the transported objects on the conveyor belt can be quickly reduced by the rod-shaped bodies, thereby preventing the conveyor belt from shifting to one side, meandering, etc. Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is no need to install a guide plate inside the chute to guide the transported objects, which reduces the amount of work required to inspect and clean the inside of the chute. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example in which a device for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects according to the present invention is arranged on the outlet side of a chute. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the cross section AA of FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the device for adjusting deviation of a conveyed object according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the device for adjusting deviation of a conveyed object according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the device for adjusting deviation of a conveyed object according to the present invention is used; [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the device for adjusting deviation of a conveyed object according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the device for adjusting deviation of a conveyed object according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which transported objects are loaded. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state after the deviation of the transported object has been adjusted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example in which a device for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects according to the present invention is arranged on the outlet side of a chute, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the AA cross section of FIG.

[0015] 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a belt conveyor arranged on the upstream side of the conveying line, and reference numeral 2 denotes a belt conveyor arranged on the downstream side of the belt conveyor 1. The belt conveyor 1 arranged on the upstream side and the belt conveyor 2 arranged on the downstream side of the belt conveyor 1 are both equipped with carrier rollers 1b and 2b that support conveyor belts 1a and 2a, respectively, and an object M to be conveyed is loaded onto the conveyor belts 1a and 2a located on the carrier rollers 1b and 2b, and the object M is conveyed.

[0016] Also, in Figures 1 and 2, the symbol 3 denotes a chute that deposits the transported goods M that have fallen from the belt conveyor 1 located upstream onto the conveyor belt 2a of the belt conveyor 2 located downstream, and 4 denotes a bias adjustment device that is located on the outlet side of the chute 3 and appropriately adjusts the bias of the transported goods M loaded onto the conveyor belt 2a.

[0017] The deviation adjustment device 4 is provided above the conveyor belt 2a of the belt conveyor 2 and includes a rod-shaped body 4b supported by a support body 4a arranged in a direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a. One end (lower end) of the rod-shaped body 4b is brought into contact with at least a portion of the object M to adjust the deviation of the object M along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a. A stopper may be provided on the rod-shaped body 4b as necessary to prevent displacement of the object M on the support body 4a. Here, "at least a portion of the object M that the rod-shaped body 4b comes into contact with" refers to an object M that is loaded in an undesirable position that could cause the conveyor belt 2a to deviate or meander, such as a portion where the height of the object M is highest at a position shifted from the center of the conveyor belt 2a in the width direction.

[0018] The rod-shaped body 4b may be a so-called rod member such as a round bar or a square bar, in which the dimension (length) L from the support 4a toward the conveyor belt 2a is longer than the dimension (width) W along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a. Alternatively, the rod-shaped body 4b may be a rectangular plate material in which the dimension L is greater than the dimension W.

[0019] It is preferable that the dimension W of the rod-shaped body 4b (diameter in the case of a round bar, etc.) is 1 / 5 or less of the width dimension of the conveyor belt 2a, so that the transported object M that comes into contact with the rod-shaped body 4b can be efficiently moved in a direction that avoids the rod-shaped body 4b, thereby reducing the bias of the transported object M.

[0020] The rod-shaped body 4b is installed at a position where it can come into contact with the goods M loaded in an undesirable loading position and move the goods M in that position to a preferable position where the imbalance is reduced.

[0021] It is preferable to use a flexible rod-shaped body 4b. The rod-shaped body 4b may be flexible in its entirety, or the main body of the rod-shaped body 4b may be inflexible but may be suspended from the support 4a via a hinge or link mechanism so that the attachment position or attachment angle of the main body can be changed by applying an external force to the main body.

[0022] Furthermore, the rod-shaped body 4b may be a combination of multiple members connected together so that the relative positions of the members can be changed, such as a chain or chain portion as shown in Figure 3, which is made up of multiple rings connected together.

[0023] By making the rod-shaped bodies 4b flexible, when the rod-shaped bodies 4b come into contact with the object M, it is possible to prevent excessive resistance to the movement of the object M in the conveyor belt travel direction. Furthermore, since the rod-shaped bodies 4b are flexible, the object M comes into contact with various positions of the rod-shaped bodies 4b, thereby suppressing adhesion of the object M to the rod-shaped bodies 4b. Furthermore, the movement resulting from the flexibility of the rod-shaped bodies 4b also has the effect of brushing off the object M adhering to the rod-shaped bodies 4b.

[0024] In particular, when a chain is used as the rod-shaped body 4b, the movable parts have a high degree of freedom, and the rings can slide against each other to brush off any adhering matter on the transported item M, which is particularly effective in suppressing the adhesion of the transported item M to the rod-shaped body 4b.

[0025] When a non-flexible member is used for rod-shaped body 4b, there are no restrictions on the material, as long as it has a strength sufficient to prevent it from being damaged by contact with the transported article M. When a flexible member is used, if rod-shaped body 4b is too light compared to the transported article M, rod-shaped body 4b will move too easily and will have a reduced ability to move the transported article M. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material for rod-shaped body 4b that has greater rigidity than the level at which it can move the transported article M as a whole.

[0026] Therefore, it is preferable to use a material having a higher density than the object M to be conveyed as the material for forming the rod-shaped body 4b.

[0027] In the flexible rod-shaped body 4b, which is formed by connecting multiple members, it is preferable to use one in which each member has sufficient weight to contact a part of the transported item M, move that part, and correct the imbalance of the transported item M.

[0028] When a chain is used as the flexible rod-shaped body 4b, it is preferable to use a steel bar with a diameter of 10 mm or more processed into a ring shape as the ring that comes into contact with the transported goods M. In this case, if the ring is oval and the length in the major axis direction (outer diameter) is four times or more the diameter of the steel bar, the weight per ring becomes heavy, and the ability to move a portion of the transported goods M (ability to correct deviation) can be improved.

[0029] The position at which the rod-shaped body 4b is installed is basically a position at which the rod-shaped body 4b can come into contact with the transported goods M that are in an undesirable loading position, but it is desirable to change the installation position of the rod-shaped body 4b depending on the loading situation of the transported goods M.

[0030] To change the installation position of the rod-shaped body 4b, for example, a moving means (such as a slider with a winding mechanism) 5 may be provided on the support 4a, which is slidable along the support 4a and holds the rod-shaped body 4b so that it can be raised and lowered in a direction to move toward or away from the transported object M. This makes it easy to respond to changes in the unevenness of the transported object M. It is preferable that the moving means 5 has a stopper function that can fix the rod-shaped body 4b in a predetermined position when the rod-shaped body 4b is placed in that position. Note that, when moving the rod-shaped body 4b up and down in a direction to move toward or away from the transported object M, a separate moving means may be provided that moves the support 4a itself up and down, and this is not a limitation.

[0031] The support 4a may have a length that spans the entire width of the conveyor belt 2a, but the length may be shorter than the width of the conveyor belt 2a. The support 4a may also be set at an angle to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 2a so as to diagonally cross the conveyor belt 2a in the width direction.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic view of another embodiment of the deviation adjusting device according to the present invention, in which a plurality of rod-shaped bodies 4b are provided along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a.

[0033] Providing a plurality of rod-shaped bodies 4b can further improve the ability to adjust the bias of the conveyed objects M. In particular, when providing a plurality of rod-shaped bodies 4b, it is preferable to arrange them so that the rod-shaped body 4b1 located on the outer side in the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a is on the rear side in the traveling direction of the conveyed objects M, and the rod-shaped body 4b3 located on the inner side in the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a is on the front side in the traveling direction of the conveyed objects M, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby making it possible to efficiently move the conveyed objects M located on the outer side in the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a to the inner side in the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the deviation adjustment device according to the present invention, which is composed of an upright frame 6 that supports both ends of the support 4a, and a moving means 7 such as a cart that moves the upright frame 6 together with the support 4a along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 2a.

[0035] According to the imbalance adjustment device having such a configuration, the moving means 5 and the moving means 7 can move the rod-shaped bodies 4b in at least one direction among the direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor 2a, and the direction toward or away from the transported object M, thereby making it possible to accurately adjust the imbalance of the transported object M. Note that in the device shown in Fig. 6, the standing frame 6 itself may be configured to move up and down, or the standing frame 6 itself may be configured to extend and retract.

[0036] FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of a bias adjustment device according to the present invention, which includes an upright frame 8 that cantilevers one end of the support 4a, and a moving means (rotating means) 9 that is connected to the lower end of the upright frame 8 and holds the upright frame 8 rotatably around its axis, and which is configured so that the support 4a moves together with the rod-shaped body 4b by rotating the upright frame 8 around its axis using the moving means 9.

[0037] In the imbalance adjustment device having such a configuration, by appropriately operating the moving means 5 and the moving means 9, it is possible to move the rod-shaped body 4b in at least one direction among the direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 2a, and the direction toward or away from the conveyed object M, thereby accurately adjusting the imbalance of the conveyed object M. In the device shown in FIG. 7, the standing frame 8 itself can be moved up and down, or the standing frame 8 itself can be configured to extend and retract. In particular, the device shown in FIG. 7 does not require the moving means 7 shown in FIG. 6, which has the advantage of simplifying the structure of the device and making it more compact.

[0038] The deviation adjustment device is preferably installed as close as possible to the position where the transported goods M are loaded onto the conveyor belt, and for example, when the transported goods M are loaded onto the conveyor belt 2a through the chute 3, it is desirable to install it near the exit of the chute 3, preferably within 5 m of the exit. By adjusting the deviation immediately after the transported goods M are loaded, it is possible to prevent the conveyor belt 2a from shifting or meandering.

[0039] When determining the installation position of the rod-shaped body 4b, the loading condition (piling shape) of the transported goods M loaded on the conveyor belt 2a is observed, and if it is found that there is an imbalance in the loading condition, the rod-shaped body 4b is installed at a position where the transported goods M will be in an unbalanced state after passing through the imbalance adjustment device.

[0040] The loading state (piling shape) of the goods M can be grasped by using a detection means such as a laser distance meter or a camera.

[0041] The loading state of the transported goods M along the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a can be detected using a detection means such as a laser rangefinder or a camera, and the position of the rod-shaped body 4b can be automatically controlled by appropriately operating the moving means 5, moving means 7, and moving means 9 using a control means (not shown) in accordance with the detected information. [Example]

[0042] When a deviation of up to 50 mm was observed in the conveyor belt 2a downstream of the conveyor belt 2a during the transport of the transported goods M by the belt conveyor 2, the loading condition (pile shape) of the transported goods M was measured using a laser rangefinder upstream. As shown in Figure 8, it was found that the highest point of the transported goods M was shifted from the center of the width of the conveyor belt 2a, and that the transported goods M were loaded in an unbalanced state.

[0043] Therefore, a bias adjustment device (three rod-shaped chains each made of six connected rings of 10 mm diameter steel bars) as shown in Fig. 9 was installed 200 mm from the exit of the chute 3, and rod-shaped bodies 4b (4b1, 4b2, 4b3) were brought into contact with the unevenly loaded conveyed objects M to adjust the bias of the conveyed objects M. The rod-shaped bodies 4b were installed at positions approximately 0.15 times (rod-shaped body 4b1), approximately 0.25 times (rod-shaped body 4b2), and approximately 0.35 times (rod-shaped body 4b3) of the belt width from the end of the conveyor belt 2a on the side where the conveyed objects M were piled up in the width direction of the conveyor belt 2a, and were positioned 50 mm apart from each other in the order of rod-shaped bodies 4b1, 4b2, and 4b3 in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 2a from the upstream side to the downstream side in the traveling direction. As a result, it was confirmed that the highest position of the transported object M was moved toward the center of the width of the conveyor belt 2a, as shown in Figure 9, and the imbalance of the transported object M was significantly corrected, eliminating the imbalance of the conveyor belt 2a. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus for adjusting the deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor, which can reduce the deviation of conveyed objects on the conveyor belt and effectively avoid causes of problems such as conveyor belt deviation, and a method for adjusting the deviation of conveyed objects using the apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Belt conveyor located upstream 1a Conveyor belt 1b Carrier roller 2. Belt conveyor located downstream 2a Conveyor belt 2b Carrier Roller 3 Shoot 4. Bias adjustment device 4a Support 4b, 4b1, 4b2, 4b3 rod-shaped body 5. Transportation 6 Standing Frame 7. Transportation 8 Standing Frame 9. Transportation M Transported item

Claims

1. A bias adjustment device for adjusting bias of conveyed objects loaded on a conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, one or more rod-shaped bodies are provided above the conveyor belt to adjust the deviation of the direction of the conveyed object along the width direction of the conveyor belt by contacting at least a part of the conveyed object; The conveyor belt is supported by a plurality of carrier rollers arranged in the width direction, and has a concave shape with both ends in the width direction higher than the center. The rod-shaped body is installed at one end side in the width direction of the conveyor belt, and by contacting the conveyed object, the relatively high portion of the loading height of the conveyed object in the width direction is moved toward the center in the width direction.

2. 2. The device for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped member is a flexible rod-shaped member.

3. 3. The device for adjusting deviation of conveyed objects on a belt conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the rod-shaped body includes a chain portion made up of a plurality of rings connected together.

4. 4. The device for adjusting the deviation of an object being transported on a belt conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped body has a detection means for detecting the loading state of the object along the width direction of the conveyor belt, and a movement means for moving the rod-shaped body in at least one direction of the width direction of the conveyor belt, the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and the direction of approaching or moving away from the object, in accordance with information detected by the detection means.

5. A method for adjusting the imbalance of an object loaded on a conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, comprising: one or more rod-shaped bodies are provided above the conveyor belt to adjust the deviation of the direction of the conveyed object along the width direction of the conveyor belt by contacting at least a part of the conveyed object; A method for adjusting the imbalance of transported objects on a belt conveyor, characterized in that the transported objects are brought into contact with a rod-shaped body installed at one end in the width direction of the conveyor belt, which is supported by a plurality of carrier rollers lined up in the width direction and has a concave shape with both ends in the width direction higher than the center, and the transported objects are moved at that location, thereby moving a relatively high portion of the transported objects in the width direction with respect to the loading height toward the center in the width direction.

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