Title of Invention

"INSTALLATION FOR CONVEYING BULK MATERIALS "

Abstract

An installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt (1), which can be moved from a loading station to an unloading station, which is constructed on its two sides with a multiplicity of mutually spaced support rollers (13) that can be moved along a support track (14), and which is guided over deflection drums (12) in the regions of the loading station and the unloading station, a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned through about 180°, being provided after the deflection drum (12) situated, in the region of the unloading station, and a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned back through about 180°, being provided in front of the deflection drum situated in the region of the loading station (10). In this arrangement, each turning device (2) is formed by a support structure in the form of a hollow cylinder, arranged on the inside of which are two spiral guides (24), along which the support rollers (13) arranged to the side of the conveyor belt (1) can be moved, the two guides (24) lying approximately diametrically opposite one another and executing an angular rotation of about 1800 over the length of the support structure.

Full Text

The present invention relates to an installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt, which can be moved from a loading station to an unloading station, which is constructed on its two sides with a multiplicity of mutually spaced support rollers that can be moved along a support track, and which is guided over deflection drums in the regions of the loading station and the unloading station, a device, by means of which the conveyor belt is turned through about 180°, furthermore being provided after the deflection drum situated in the region of the unloading station, and a device, by means of which the conveyor belt is turned back through about 180°, being provided in front of the deflection drum situated in the region of the loading station. Known installations for conveying bulk materials have a conveyor belt that is guided over deflection drums in the regions of the two ends of the installation. However, these known installations do not meet the requirements made of them inasmuch as the loading side of the conveyor belt faces downward as the conveyor belt is moved back from the unloading station to the loading station, with the result that conveyed material that has remained on the conveyor belt can fall off the latter. Since this poses a risk to people, vehicles and equipment underneath the installation and there is, at the very least, the possibility that the area underneath the installation will be contaminated, there is a need to arrange protective devices, e.g. covers, underneath the conveyor belt. To avoid this disadvantage, it has furthermore been proposed, in the case of installations for conveying bulk materials, to arrange a device that turns the conveyor belt through 180° after the deflection drum situated in the unloading station, ensuring that the conveying side of the conveyor belt strand that is running back to the loading station faces upward, and -1A-- to arrange a second device, which turns the conveyor belt back through 180°, in front of the deflection drum situated in the loading station. Since the loading side of the conveyor belt strand that is being moved back from the unloading station to the loading station also faces upward in this case, the above-explained disadvantages of known conveying installations are thereby avoided. The object underlying the present invention is to provide a conveying installation that is constructed with turning devices and that meets in an optimum manner the requirements made of such devices as regards the ability to ensure trouble-free operation during the operation of a conveying installation for bulk materials. According to the invention, this is achieved by virtue of the fact that each turning device is formed by a support structure in the form of a hollow cylinder, arranged on the inside of which are two spiral guides, along which the support rollers arranged to the side of the conveyor belt can be moved, these two guides lying approximately diametrically opposite one another and executing an angular rotation of about 180° over the length of the support structure. The support structure is preferably formed by a multiplicity of support frames which are formed approximately in a ring shape and are connected rigidly to one another by means of spars extending in the longitudinal direction of the turning device, the support frames being constructed on their inside with two apertures in each case, which are angularly offset in the case of adjacent support frames and in which the guides are held. According to a preferred embodiment, the guides are formed by two pairs of tubes or the like, between which the support rollers can be moved. The guides are preferably constructed with entry slopes at their front ends in a manner -2- known per se. Two rails or the like, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the turning device and along which the support rollers of the strand of the conveyor belt which is moving in the conveying direction can be moved, are furthermore preferably arranged on the upper side of the support frames. According to a preferred embodiment, the conveyor belt is constructed with lateral corrugated edges in a manner known per se and is furthermore constructed in a manner known per se with support beams that are aligned transversely to its longitudinal direction and on the two ends of which the support rollers are mounted. Accordingly, the present invention provides an installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt movable from a loading station to a discharge station, said conveyor belt being provided on its two sides with a plurality of mutually spaced support rollers which may travel along a supporting track, and which is guided over return drums in the areas of the loading station and the discharge station, wherein a device, by means of which the conveyor belt is turned through 180°, is provided downstream of the return drum situated in the area of the discharge station, and a device, by means of which the conveyor belt is turned back through 180°, is provided upstream of the return drum situated in the area of the loading station, wherein said each turning device in each case takes the form of a supporting structure consisting of supporting frames, within which there are arranged two helically extending guides, along which the support rollers arranged laterally of the conveyor belt may travel and wherein these two guides lie approximately diametrically opposite one another and execute an angular turn of 180° over the length of the supporting structure, -3- characterized in that the supporting structure takes the form of a plurality of approximately annular supporting frames, which are connected rigidly together by means of struts extending in the longitudinal direction of the turning device and which are provided on their insides with in each case two diametrically opposing apertures, which are angularly offset in adjacent supporting frames and in which the guides are held. An installation according to the invention for conveying bulk materials is explained in greater detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 shows an installation of this kind in schematic representation, and Figure 2 shows the design of the turning devices arranged in an installation of this kind in axonometric representation. Figure 1 illustrates a conveying installation that has a conveyor belt 1, which is guided around a first deflection drum 11 in the region of the loading station 10 and is guided over a second deflection drum 12 in the unloading station 10a. The conveyor belt 1 is constructed with a multiplicity of support rollers 13 arranged in pairs, which are disposed laterally on the outside and roll along rails 14. After the second deflection drum 12 in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt 1 there is a turning device 2, by means of which -3A- the strand of the conveyor belt 1 which is being moved back to the loading station 10 is turned through 180° ensuring that the loading side of the conveyor belt 1 faces upward. This prevents any residues of the conveying material that have remained on the conveyor belt 1 from falling off the conveyor belt 1 during the return motion of the conveyor belt 1 to the loading station 10. In front of the first deflection drum 11 there is another turning device 2, by means of which the conveyor belt 1 is turned back through 180°, thus ensuring that its loading side again faces upward after the first deflection drum 11. As can be seen in Figure 2, the turning devices 2 comprise a multiplicity of support frames 21, which are arranged adjacent to one another in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt 1 and are connected rigidly to one another by means of two laterally arranged spars 22. Undercut apertures 23, within which two guides for the support rollers 13 of the conveyor belt 1 are arranged, are provided on the inside of these support frames 21. These guides are formed by two pairs of approximately parallel tubes 24. The apertures 23 are angularly offset relative to one another in the in each case adjacently arranged support frames 21 in such a way that the guides formed by the paired tubes 24 run in a spiral, forming a half turn of a helix from one end of the turning device 2 to its other end. At the end which is at the front in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt 1, the tubes 24 are constructed with entry slopes 2 4a. At their upper end, the support frames 21 are provided with supports 25 for the two further tubes 14 or the like arranged above the support frames 21, along which tubes the support rollers 13 of the loaded strand of the conveyor belt 1 are guided. The conveyor belt 1 is, in particular, designed as a -4- corrugated-edge belt. The support rollers 13 are mounted on the two ends of support beams 15, to which the conveyor belt 1 is secured. This apparatus operates as follows: The support rollers 13 of the strand of the conveyor belt 1 that is above the turning device 2 run along the two tubes 14. After the conveyor belt 1 has been guided around the deflection drum 12, the support rollers 13 run via the entry slopes 24a into the two guides arranged within the support frames 21 and formed by the pairs 24 of tubes. As the conveyor belt 1 moves on, it is turned by the spiral guides in such a way that the loading side of the conveyor belt 1 faces upward at the end of the turning device 2. The design of the turning device 2 arranged in front of the first deflection drum 11 in the loading area 10 is modified such that the conveyor belt is turned back through 180° by the guides provided in it. -5- WE CLAIM : 1. An installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt (1) movable from a loading station (10) to a discharge station (10a), said conveyor belt (1) being provided on its two sides with a plurality of mutually spaced support rollers (13) which may travel along a supporting track (14), and which is guided over return drums (11, 12) in the areas of the loading station (10) and the discharge station (10a), wherein a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned through 180°, is provided downstream of the return drum (12) situated in the area of the discharge station (10a), and a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned back through 180°, is provided upstream of the return drum (11) situated in the area of the loading station (10), wherein said each turning device (2) in each case takes the form of a supporting structure consisting of supporting frames (21), within which there are arranged two helically extending guides (24), along which the support rollers (13) arranged laterally of the conveyor belt (1) may travel and wherein these two guides (24) lie approximately diametrically opposite one another and execute an angular turn of 180° over the length of the supporting structure, characterized in that the supporting structure takes the form of a plurality of approximately annular supporting frames (21), which are connected rigidly together by means of struts (22) extending in the longitudinal direction of the turning device (2) and which are provided on their insides with in each case two diametrically opposing apertures (23), which are angularly offset in adjacent supporting frames (21) and in which the guides (24) are held. 2. The installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guides take the form of two pairs of tubes (24) or the like, which are inserted into the apertures (23) and between which the support rollers (13) may travel. -6- 3. The installation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the guides (24) are provided at their front ends with lead-in slopes (24a). 4. The installation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein two rails (14) or the like, extending in the longitudinal direction of the turning device (2) are arranged on the top of the supporting frames (21), along which rails (14) the support rollers (13) of the run of the conveyor belt (1) moving in the conveying direction may travel. 5. The installation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conveyor belt (1) is provided with corrugated sidewalls. 6. The installation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the conveyor belt is provided with supporting beams (15) oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal direction thereof, at the two ends of which beams (15) the support rollers (13) are mounted. 7. An installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt, substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings. An installation for conveying bulk materials with a conveyor belt (1), which can be moved from a loading station to an unloading station, which is constructed on its two sides with a multiplicity of mutually spaced support rollers (13) that can be moved along a support track (14), and which is guided over deflection drums (12) in the regions of the loading station and the unloading station, a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned through about 180°, being provided after the deflection drum (12) situated, in the region of the unloading station, and a device (2), by means of which the conveyor belt (1) is turned back through about 180°, being provided in front of the deflection drum situated in the region of the loading station (10). In this arrangement, each turning device (2) is formed by a support structure in the form of a hollow cylinder, arranged on the inside of which are two spiral guides (24), along which the support rollers (13) arranged to the side of the conveyor belt (1) can be moved, the two guides (24) lying approximately diametrically opposite one another and executing an angular rotation of about 1800 over the length of the support structure.

Documents:

00551-cal-2002-abstract.pdf

00551-cal-2002-claims.pdf

00551-cal-2002-correspondence.pdf

00551-cal-2002-description(complete).pdf

00551-cal-2002-drawings.pdf

00551-cal-2002-form-1.pdf

00551-cal-2002-form-18.pdf

00551-cal-2002-form-2.pdf

00551-cal-2002-form-3.pdf

00551-cal-2002-form-5.pdf

00551-cal-2002-g.p.a.pdf

00551-cal-2002-letters patent.pdf

00551-cal-2002-priority document others.pdf

00551-cal-2002-priority document.pdf

551-CAL-2002-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

551-CAL-2002-FORM 27-1.1.pdf

551-CAL-2002-FORM 27.pdf

551-CAL-2002-FORM-27-1.pdf

551-CAL-2002-FORM-27.pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-abstract.pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-claims.pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-description (complete).pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-drawings.pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-form 2.pdf

551-cal-2002-granted-specification.pdf

551-cal-2002-priority document.pdf

551-cal-2002-translated copy of priority document.pdf