Material Sample Collector for Conveyor Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for sampling materials on conveyor belts require shutting down the conveyor line, which is inefficient and costly, especially in industries like sand and gravel mining, where automated sampling devices are complex and require significant maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A material sample collector with rotatable wheels aligned at an acute angle to the conveyor's longitudinal axis, allowing for manual or automated diversion of material samples without shutting down the conveyor, using a mechanism that includes a pivot arm with offset axles and wheels to intercept material and direct it into a sample chute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated sampling devices are used to take samples from moving conveyor lines, then sampling can be performed without shutting down the conveyor, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device is segmented into two independent wheels positioned at different locations along the conveyor. Each wheel independently diverts material in a specific direction, allowing the system to achieve complex sampling functionality through simple, modular components rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex mechanism to actively collect samples from the conveyor, the invention inverts the approach by using simple wheels that passively divert material away from the main conveyor flow. The sampling action is achieved by diversion rather than active collection, simplifying the overall device.
2Ease of operation
If manual sampling is performed from a moving conveyor, then the sampling process is simple, but the conveyor line must be shut down for sampling
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device incorporates movable wheels that can be dynamically positioned into or out of the material flow path. This dynamic capability allows the conveyor to operate continuously while sampling is performed on-demand, combining the simplicity of manual operation with the productivity of continuous conveyor movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheels act as intermediaries between the moving conveyor and the collection point. They intercept material from the conveyor flow and redirect it to the collection area, enabling sampling without requiring the conveyor to stop and without needing complex automated collection mechanisms.
3Quantity of substance
If wheels are positioned to span the entire width of the conveyor for sampling, then all material can be intercepted, but the wheels interfere with material flow and require conveyor shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
Each wheel is positioned to intercept and divert only a specific portion of the material flow - the upstream wheel diverts material toward the center while the downstream wheel diverts it toward the collection point. This localized diversion approach allows sampling without blocking the entire material flow path, maintaining conveyor productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheels are positioned at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor rather than perpendicular to it. This angular positioning allows the wheels to subtend an elliptical section when viewed along the conveyor axis, enabling material interception in a specific directional flow pattern without spanning the entire conveyor width, thus maintaining continuous material flow.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous operation of conveyor lines while allowing for periodic sampling without manual intervention, reducing maintenance costs and improving efficiency in material quality assessment.
Implementation Method 1
The wheels are normally raised to allow the product (gravel, sand, etc.) to be carried unimpeded along the moving conveyor line. When the wheels are lowered into the conveyor trough, the wheels are rotated by contact with the moving belt and/or by the material being conveyed by the belt system.
Data Source
AI summary
The material sample collector is adapted to divert a sample of material from a trough conveyor for analysis of the sample. The collector includes at least one, and preferably two or more, laterally offset wheels rotating on axles. The wheels are in a vertical plane forming an acute dihedral angle with a vertical plane in which the central longitudinal axis of the conveyor is disposed. Each wheel subtends an elliptical segment extending across a portion of the width of the conveyor when viewed from an end of the conveyor. A sample chute extends laterally from the conveyor. The wheels are normally raised above the conveyor and its contents, and lowered when a sample is taken. The lowered wheels bear against the conveyor and/or its contents, diverting material from the conveyor onto a chute. The device is preferably manually operated, but may be powered and automated.