Swivel Conveyor Loop Length Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire layer conveying apparatuses experience deformation issues, such as waving, due to tension in the material, which complicates accurate cutting and lamination processes.
Innovation Solution
A swivel conveyor system with a minimal loop configuration, featuring a third pulley that swivels between two positions to maintain a consistent loop length within a tight tolerance, preventing abrupt changes in direction and minimizing tension changes in the endless belt or wire, thus reducing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the third pulley is swiveled to align the conveying run with different conveying planes, then the adaptability to receive tire layers from different orientations is improved, but the loop length changes causing tension variations in the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The third pulley is made swivable about a swivel axis, allowing the conveying run to dynamically adjust its orientation to align with different conveying planes. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to tire layers arriving from different directions while maintaining proper tension through the controlled geometry of the swivel mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The swivel axis is positioned at a specific pivot location that creates an equipotential condition for the loop length, ensuring that as the third pulley swivels between different orientations, the minimal loop length remains substantially constant. This geometric arrangement compensates for the orientation changes and prevents tension variations in the belt
2Device complexity
If a fixed conveyor configuration is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to align with conveying planes at different orientations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a completely fixed configuration, the system introduces a single dynamic element - the swivable third pulley. This minimal dynamic component provides the necessary adaptability to align with different conveying planes while keeping the overall device complexity low, as only one pulley needs to be movable rather than the entire conveyor system
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a conveying apparatus (1, 101, 201) and a method for conveying a tire layer (9), wherein the conveying apparatus comprises a swivel conveyor (3, 103, 203) with at least one endless belt (30, 230) or wire and a first pulley (41), a second pulley (42) and a third pulley (43) that define a minimal loop (L) for guiding said endless belt or wire along a conveying run (31) and a return run (32), wherein the third pulley (43) is arranged between the conveying run (31) and the return run (32), wherein the third pulley is swivable about a swivel axis (X) between a first swivel position and a second swivel position, wherein the minimal loop has a length, wherein the pivot position is chosen such that the length of the minimal loop when the third pulley is in the first swivel position is the same within a tolerance of less than 1 percent with respect to the length of the minimal loop when the third pulley is in the second swivel position.