Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SEAL FOR EDGES OF ENCLOSED BELT CONVEYOR
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a seal between th~
edges of a belt conveyor sides which enclose the material con-
veyed on top of the belt. More particularly, the invention re-
lates to a seal at the edges of a belt conveyor ancl its sides
without contact with the upper side of the belt edge.
BACKGROUND ART
Belt conveyors are now familiar structures for the trans-
port of objects. Many ingenious arrangements of belt conveyorshave been developed to transport objects up and down inclines
ancl in horizontal non-linear lines of travel. The present prob-
lem will be solved as connected with the more or less horizon-
tally extended belt conveyor in its simpler form. Therefore,
consider the endless belt as it extends its upper horizontal sur-
face over idler and powered rolls. The material of the endless
belt is not of present concern to the invention, It can be of
canvas, rubber, cloth, etc. Almost any material of sufficient
flexibility and strength, which will function in the form of an
endless loop over idler and powered rolls, will function satis-
factorily.
The transport of an endless number of solid objects
has, perhaps, its most dramatic embodiment in the luggage convey-
ors in airports. However, the present problem descends with the
need to convey granular material on the upper surface of the belt
conveyor. ~ost obvious is the initial limitation of belt width
and its transverse loading of granular material. The first limi-
tation becomes obvious with the necessity for preventing the
granular material from falling off the sides of the belt. De-
pending on the nature of the granular material, the limitation
of material quantity per linear unit length of belt can be severe.
The present problem has two aspects. First, there isthe problem of increasing the granular material loading per lin-
ear unit length of the belt. Second, is the problem of sealing
between the upper sides o~ the belt edges and any structure pro-
vided to increase the loading capacity.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates the provision of
seals between the lower edges of substantially vertical walls
extending up from the upper surface of an endless belt conveyor
and the upper surface of the belt edge for the containment of
granular material between the walls and over the surface of the
moving belt of the conveyor.
The invention further contemplates a C-shaped groove re-
ceiving the belt edge on a bearing member on the under side ofthe belt edge and supporting the edge of the belt above the hori-
- zontal plane of its central load-bearing body.
The invention further contemplates provision in the C-
shaped groove for accommodation of a quantity of the granular
material conveyed on the surface of the horizontal plane of the
load-bearing body.
Other objects, advantages, and Features of the invention
will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration
of the written specification3 appended claims and accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESIGNATION OF THE DRA~INGS
Fig. 1 is a sectioned elevation of a belt conveyor in
which the present invention is embodied;
Fig. 2 is a sectioned elevation of Fig- 1 along lines
2-2;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1, sectioned along lines
3-3; and
Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectioned elevation of the belt
edge and bearing of Fig. 2.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The Belt Conveyor
In principle, the basic belt conveyor is quite simple
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in structure. A web, or belt, of flexible material is fnrmed
into an endless loop with rolls at each end to determine the
basic tautness with which the loop is held. As appropriate to
form a supporting surface, additional rolls may be placed in
parallel between the two end rolls, the upper half of the belt
loop supported by some of the rolls. One, or both, of the end
rolls may be powered to move the upper surface of the belt con-
tinuously from one end roll toward the other. There are, of
course, endless modifications of this simple arrangement. For
example, contiguous rolls may be journaled in bearings between
frame members, the frame held at an angle. Solid articles to
be conveyed may gravitate smoothly down this bed of rolls to a
desired destination at the end of the frame. However, the pres-
ent invention is concerned with the seal at the edge of the end-
less belt, powered in roller-towel fashion, to convey objects
placed upon its more or less horizontal upper surface.
All of the figures disclose the roller conveyor embodied
in belt 1 as supported and driven by idler and powered rolls.
More specifically, in Fig. 1, belt 1 is led over the end rolls
2 and 3, and intermediate idler rolls ~. Means for rotating one
or more of the rolls 2 and 3 is not disclosed, because it would
be a needless complication of the disclosure.
The present invention is concerned with the transport
of granular material on the belt conveyor. A spout means 5 is
disclosed as deliverying granular material 6 to the end 7 of the
conveyor. This material is then conveyed a horizontal distance
and predetermined quantities are delivered to designated stations.
No description is expended upon the framework necessary
for the support of the rolls in Fig. 1. It is apparent how such
rolls are journaled into bearings and the bearings supported by
a framework. For the present purpose of disclosure, attention
is focused on the upper surface of belt 1, the delivery of granu-
lar material to that surface, and the rolls which support and
move the belt. Attention is temporarily directed to Fig. 2.
Side Walls
The delivery of the granular material to, and its trans-
port by, the upper surface of a belt conveyor has the problern of
maintaining the flowable body of the material on the upper surface
o~ the belt as the material is moved toward its destination.
W;thout side walls, the amount of material per linear length of
the belt has been limited by the angle of repose of the granular
material and the vibratory action of the belt. Obviously, if
more than a maximum amount of the material were placed on the
upper surface of the belt, the subsequent movement of the belt,
including its vibration, would cause transverse travel of the
material until it began to fall from the edges of the conveyor.
In Fig. 2, elements of the present invention are em-
bodied in seal structure on the lower edges of side walls 10 and
11. These side walls are provided by elongated structures mounted
along each edge of belt 1. Each of these structures 10 and 11
appear in cross section as having channel beam configuration.
As observed in Fig. 2, the lower flanges of channel-like struc-
tures 10 and 11 are mounted above a portion of each edge of belt1. Beneath each belt 1 edge is the structure supporting the
idler roll 4. This supporting structure for the roll also is
formed with an upper flange. Therefore, the opposite edge por~
tions of belt 1 are sandwiched between a lower flange of the wall
structures 10 and 11 and the upper flange of the idler roll sup
port structure. The idler support structure is generally desig-
nated at 12 and 13. The ends of the flanges are joined, as
disclosed in Fig. 2, and form a housiny into which a portion
of each edge if belt 1 can be described a journaled. Finally,
structures 10 and 11 have the primary function of providing sur-
Faces 14 and 15 which form, with the upper surface of belt 1, a
trough down which the granular material 6 is conveyed. Now, the
granular material may be fed into one end of the trough to a sig-
nificant vertical depth and transported to the predetermined
station to which it is to be delivered.
The upper Flanges of structures 10 and '11 are disclosed
as supporting a top member 16. This top member 16, positioned
as disclosed in Fig. 2, provides a surface 17 which completes
the enclosure of the granular material 6 within its trough. Thus,
enclosed, the granular material is prevented from discharging in-
to the environment with consequent collection upon the conveyor
structure. The width of member 16 can be extended until there
is formed an effective housing for the entire conveyor~ as well
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as the granular material conveyed on belt 1.
Side Delivery of Conveyed Material
Fig. 3 looks down upon the conveyor of Fig. 1. The
top 16 ;s removed to disclose the upper sur~ace of belt 1, the
location of the entry station for material to be conveyed, and
a station at 20 to which it is required a predetermined amount
of the conveyed material be delivered. As in Fig. 1, the mate-
rial flows from left to right, as viewed in the drawing. At
stat;on 20, a shoot 21 is formed to receive the granular mate-
rial from belt 1. A panel 22 is formed from the side of wall
11 and hinged to this side at 23. This hinge is positioned on
the "downstream" edge of the panel 22. The panel 22 has an
"upstream" edge 24.
The hinged panel 22 is swung inward toward the surface
14 of wall 10. When engagement occurs between the edge 24 and
surface 14j the surface of the panel 22 becomes a diverter for
the granular material 6. At the angle provided by the panel,
the granular rnaterial is shunted through shoot 21 and to any con-
venient receptacle provided at station 20.
The provision of structure to move hinged panel 22 to
the diverting position may take various forms. A handle 25 for
manual positioning is disclosed. A mechanical linkage to a power
mechanism may, alternatively, be readily adaptable -to move the
panel. In any event, the panel is moved to its diverting posi-
tion for the length of time necessary to deliver the required
quantity of material from belt 1 to station 20. The panel is
then repositioned to become a part of wall 11 and the granular
material flowed along to its next point of delivery.
Belt Edge Seal
In Fig. 2~ the necessary seal between the side walls
11 and 12 and the underlying idler support structure 12 and 13
was given only perfunctory description. The specification hur-
ried on to deal with the function of side walls 10 and 11 as
they form the trough with the upper surface of belt 1. The pres-
ent invention is embodied in this seal structure which is neces-
sary to prevent spillage of granular material from the trough.
Fig. 4 is established to disclose the preferred embodi-
ment of the seal structure at both edges of belt 1. Specifically9
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Fig. 4 discloses the seal structure between the flanye 30 and
flange 31 which are extended parallel to each other from their
respective side wall 11 and idler support structure 13. Between
the parallel, inner surfaces of these flanges, the "housing" of
Fig. 2 is formed to receive a portion of the edge of belt 1.
The outer edges of flanges 30,31 are positively sealed
by the main body 32 of a bearing structure 33 clamped by a -form
of fastener, bringing flanges 30,31 down upon the bearing body
32 in a sandwich. Bearing body 32 is dimensioned to space the
inner surface of flanges 30 and 31 from each other to form a
housing to loosely receive edge portion 34 of belt 1. It is im-
portant that no seal structure, formed to zealously confine the
granular material 6, ends up by exerting a force upon the sur-
faces of belt edge 34 which will unduly absorb the power with
which belt 1 is moved to carry out its mission of transport. At
the same time, it is required that the seal must prevent the
migration of grain from the top of belt edge 34 along its lower
surface and to ultimately spill from the conveyor below the
belt. To provide both a minimum of friction for the belt edge
34 and a minimum of spillage of granular material, the present
invention finds embodiment in the essential element of bearing
33. From its cross section of Fig. 4, bearing 33 has already
been defined as having a main body portion 32 which functions to
space flanges 30,31. From this main body 32, a belt-supporting
lip 35 is extended back toward the center line of the belt trough.
This lip 35 underlies a substantial portion of the belt edge 34.
The significant feature to this lip element is that it terminates
inward within the housing in a ramp 36. In effect, ramp 36 curls
up the outer portion of edge 34 at an angle which will "cup" any
granular material 6 which flows into the flange housing and turn
it back away from the belt edge.
Of course, bearing 33 extends as an elongated strip be-
tween the flanges 30 and 31. In Fig. 4, this strip is examined
only in cross section. However, this disclosure in Fig. 4 is
adequate to understand the function of this essential element of
the invention. Bearing 33 is conveniently made of a plasticg
preferably polyethylene. The surface of such material gives no
significant friction to the underside of belt edge 34. At the
same time, the body of granular material 6 which flows into the
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flange housing holds the belt firmly against the bearing surfaces
at locations 35 and 36, forming a continuous seal to contain the
granular material 6 on the top side of the belt.
It has been determined through experience that the effec-
tiveness of the seal relies heavily on 1) flange 30 extending inover the belt, forming the cavity; 2) the depth of the cavity
formed between the upper surface of belt 1 and the lower surface
of flange 30 should be between 1/2" and 1"; 3) the existence oF
flat portion 35 of bearing 33; and 4) the ramped ~p edge of belt
1 at an angle of approximately 30 to the horizontal.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention
is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects herein-
above set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious
and inherent to the apparatus.
It will understood that certain features and subcombin-
ations are of utility and may be employed without reference to
other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and
is within the scope of the invention.
As many possible embodiments may be made of the inven-
tion without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be under-
stood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompany-
ing drawings is to be interpreted in an illustrative and not in
a limiting sense.
