Wing Pulley Central Reinforcing Disk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Belt conveyor pulleys, particularly tail pulleys, experience wear and potential failure due to bulk material falling onto the lower portion of the belt, leading to costly downtime and replacement, as existing designs lack effective material discharge mechanisms without compromising pulley strength and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor pulley design featuring a central reinforcing disk and multiple wings with contact bars, where the wings extend from the disk to the ends of the shaft, forming angles between 30° and 60° with the axis, allowing for efficient discharge of unwanted material while maintaining pulley strength through a gusset-free, robust construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pulley designs are used, then the pulley structure is simple, but the pulley experiences wear and potential failure due to bulk material falling onto the lower portion of the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The pulley is segmented into multiple functional components: a central reinforcing disk for strength, multiple wings extending from the disk to create discharge pathways, and contact bars attached to the wings for material expulsion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while collectively solving the material discharge problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The wings act as intermediary structures between the reinforcing disk and the bulk material. They provide a mechanical interface that intercepts material falling on the belt and redirects it off the pulley, preventing direct contact between material and the main pulley structure.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If material discharge mechanisms are added to the pulley, then material can be effectively discharged, but the pulley construction becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge mechanism is merged with the pulley structure itself. The wings are integrated into the pulley body, and contact bars are attached to the wings, creating a unified structure where the discharge function is inherent to the pulley design rather than an separate additive component.
Solution Approach 2:
The wings serve multiple functions: they structurally reinforce the pulley by connecting the central disk to the outer rim, they create discharge pathways for bulk material, and they provide mounting surfaces for contact bars. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
3Strength
If the pulley structure is strengthened to prevent failure, then pulley reliability improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The central reinforcing disk provides localized strength reinforcement where it is most needed - at the center of the pulley where material accumulation and mechanical stresses are highest. This localized reinforcement achieves overall pulley strength without requiring uniform thickening of the entire pulley structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Wing pulleys that engage a conveyor belt during conveying operations are described. The wing pulley includes a central reinforcing disk that strengthens and stabilizes the pulley.