Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02573086 2007-01-09
PCT/A1J2005/000012
Received 24 October 2006
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A grain and fertiliser conveyer
The present invention relates to an agricultural conveyer and, in particular,
to a
conveyer for use in grain and fertiliser handling.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conveyors have been used in the transportation of grain since the 1800's. For
granaries in particular, conveyors are ideal appliances in that they can run
at relatively high
speeds with a moderate expenditure of power. Conveyers of this type may be
portable er
fixed depending on their required purpose, and typically comprise a continuous
belt fitted
within a housing which includes both receiving and delivery means. Such
conveyors can be
used to handle grain from or into granaries, or simply to feud bins or
sections of warehouses_
Similarly, conveyors and augers are used during harvesting of grain, for
example, where grain
is required to be transported from the harvester itself to a storage cart
moving alongside the
harvester.
While conveyors of this kind ate ideal for use with grain, they are also
capable of
rendering good service in handling other materials such as seeds and
fertiliser, as well as
heavier materials such as coal and minerals. Accordingly, the scope of the
present invention
is not to be limited to applications associated only with grain.
Existing conveyor and auger arrangements suffer from several operating
limitations.
A primary disadvantage of such machinery is in damage to the material being
transported,
The belts of such conveyors are generally flat belts which move adjacent the
side walls ofthe
outer housing of the conveyor. Damage is typically caused when material
becomes wedged
between the rotating band and the outer housing. This results in general
degradation of the
quality of the material being transported, and in the ease of grain and seeds,
damage in the
form of cracking may increase susceptibility to infestation by insects.
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Conveyors of the type described above are typically adapted to convey grain
and
other material at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The configuration of
these conveyors -
only allow for small volumes of material to be conveyed at such angles. Thus
in situations
where there is a large quantity of material to be transported, the conveyor is
required to be
operated over extended periods of time resulting in increased power
consumption, and more
wear and tO4r on parts. There is therefore a need for an agricultural conveyor
that is rarnt
efficient than hitherto known conveyors, that is, a conveyor that is capable
of transportinE:
Larger quantities of material at relatively steep angles_
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Received 24 October 2006
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It is therefore an object of The present invention to overcome at least some
of the
aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed A conveyor ofthe type
used
to transport material said conveyor characterised by;
a longitudinal housing;
a feeding means associated with a lower end of said longitudinal housing into
which said
material is adapted to be fed; and
a longitudinal conveyor belt adapted to receive said material from the feeding
means and
transport the material to an upper end of said longitudinal housing where the
material may be
discharged, said conveyor belt including longitudinal borders on either side
thereof and a
plurality of cleats which are spaced apart along the length of the conveyor
belt and whiclt
extend transversely in between said borders, said borders adapted to prevent
the material from
contacting said housing when the conveyor belt is in motion, said cleats being
cohesive with
said conveyor belt but separate from said borders, wherein said conveyor belt
is continucus
and is maintained in tension by a first and second roller around which said
conveyor belt
extends, said first roller positioned at the lower end of said longitudinal
housing and said
second roller positioned at the upper end of said longitudinal housing, said
first roller is a belt
tension roller that is both moveable and lockable along at least a portion of
said longitudinal
housing, and said second roller is a drive roller coupled to a drive means for
actuating
movement of said conveyor belt.
The present invention therefore relates to a conveyor for transporting
agricultural
material such as gain, seed and fertiliser at predetermined angles. The
conveyor belt includes
borders for preventing material from contacting the sides of the housing when
the conveyor
bolt is in operation, thereby mininxising potential damage to the material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
tlis
specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and,
together with the
description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention
In the drawings:
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a conveyor in accordance with
the present
invention;
Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the conveyor of
Figure 1;
Amended Sheet
IPEA/AII
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CA 02573086 2007-01-09
Received 24 October 2006
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Figure 3 illustrates an enlarg,ed perspective view of the upper or
discharge end et7the
conveyor of Figure 1;
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Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of the lower or feed
end of the
conveyor of Figure];
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Figure 5a illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a Portion of the
cleated and
bordered belt of the conveyor of Figure 1; '
Figure 511 illustrates a top view of the portion of cleated and bordered
belt. of Figure 5a;
and
Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of the conveyor of Figure 1
being used
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying
drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other
embodiments are
possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without
departing from the
Figures 1-2 illustrate the conveyor 10 of the present invention. The objective
of the
grain and fertiliser conveyor 10 is to transport particulate material quickly
and efficiently
whilst minimising damage to the material being transported. The conveyor 10 is
illushated in
some of the drawings as being fixed to a pivotable rrrounting arm 12 at an
angle of
approximately 45 degrees, however, it is to be understood that the angle of
the conveyor 10
may be adjusted to suit different situations, and that alternate mounting
means may be used.
For example, the conveyor may well be portable whereby its mounting frame is
supported
above wheels.
The conveyor 10 includes an elongated housing or chute 14 which houses a
continuous belt 16 upon which material is to be transported. The housing 14,
which is
preferably formed of sheet metal, includes a rectangular cross-section and
open ends to permit
discharge of material at its upper or discharge end, and to permit belt
tensioning at its lower or
feed end, as will be described. A transparent window 18 exists in the top wall
of the homing
14 to permit inspection of the belt 16.
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2006
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Adjacent the Lower or feed end of the conveyor 10 is a 'catchment hopper 20
having
walls of a size and slope to direct material toward the belt 16 during feeding
of material.
Mounted at the upper end of the conveyor 10 is an outlet nozzle 22 into which
material is
discharged from the moving conveyor belt 16, the material then dropping by way
of gravity
through a flexible distribution hose 24 connected below the outlet nozzle 22.
Pivotably
= connected to the catchment hopper 20 through hinges 27 is a removable
flap 26 used to
maintain material within the catchment hopper 20 in a position which permits
material tO be
appropriately received by the upwardly moving conveyor bolt 16.
= The catchment hopper 20 may also include an adjustor (not shown) for
shifting of its
longitudinal position along the housing 14 and a trap door (not shown) for
removing =Aerial
that is left in the bottom of the catchment hopper 20_ It is to be understood
that alternate
means for feeding and discharging from the conveyor 10 may equally well be
used.
The belt 16 extends within and along the elongated housing 14 and is
maintained and
supported in the position shown in Figure 2 by a belt support. floor 28
together with an
assortment of rollers. The primary rollers used to tension the belt are the
drive roller 30
mounted within the discharge end of the conveyor 10, as shown in the enlarged
view of
Figure 3, and the belt tension roller 32 mounted within the feed end of the
conveyor 10, as
shown in the enlarged view of Figure 4. Both the drive roller 30 and belt
tension roller 32 are
rotatable about their respective shafts 34 and 36 which are each secured
between the side
walls of the housing 14 in a transverse configuration. A series of rotatable
belt idle -millets 38
are also located below the belt 16 to both guide and tension the belt 16
during operation. In =
preference, the drive roller 30 is rubber coated.
The drive roller 30, which causes the belt 16 to move when it rotates, is
driven by a
motor 40 mounted on the upper face of thc discharge end of the conveyor 10 by
a bracket 41.
Coupling of the motor drive shalt 42 and the drive roller shaft 34 is achieved
via a continuous
drive belt 94 extending between two pulleys 46 and 48 associated with the
drive roller shaft
34 and motor 40 respectively. Thus, the speed at which the belt 16 moves is
dependant upon
the speed at which the motor drive shaft 42 rotates.
The illustrated motor 40 is of the hydraulic type whereby a hydraulic pump
(not
shown) is used to pump hydraulic fluid, in this case oil, to the hydraulic
motor 40 via a
hydraulic control valve 50 through hose 52. The hydraulic control valve .50 is
mounted
toward the lower end of the conveyor 10 and includes manual means in the form
of .a valve
handle 54 to control the amount of fluid which is pumped to the motor 40.
Hence, the
conveyor belt speed is controlled through control Valve 50. It is to be
understood that the
Amended Sheet
1PEAJAU
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CA 02573086 2007-01-09
Received 24 October 2006
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means for driving the drive belt 30 need not necessarily be hydraulic. For
example, the
hydraulic motor 40 could well be replaced by a single or three phase electric
motor (not
shown). =
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conveyer belt and rollers may
be
5 required to be repaired or replaced at particular times during the life
of the conveyor 10, or at
particular times the belt 16 may simply require tensioning. The conveyor 10 of
the present
invention allows for both tensioning and de-tensioning of,the belt 16 in such
circtmistan Ge$
because the belt tension roller 32 is both moveable and fixable along the
longitudinal axis of
the housing 14. The housing 14 includes a longitudinal track 56 which extends
a short
distance from the lower cad of the housing 14 along its side walls, and allows
for such
movement in that the belt tension roller shaft 36 extends within the track 56
and hence may be
moved therealong.
As can be seen clearly in Figure 4, connected to the belt tension miler shaft
36 is a
first bracket 56 and fixedly mounted to the outside of the housing 14 adjacent
the belt tension
roller 32 is a second bracket 58. Connecting brackets 56 and 58 is a threaded
bolt 60 which is
'kindly attached to the first bracket 56 and which extends through the fixed
second bracicet 58.
As shown in. Figure a two nuts 62 and 64 axe used to secure the bolt 60 to the
second bracket
58 and are configured such that tightening of nut 62 causes the belt tension
roller 32 to move
away from the drive roller 30 thereby tensioning the belt 16, and tightening
of nut 64 causes
the belt tension roller 32 to move toward tho drive roller 30 thereby de-
tensioning the belt 16.
it is to be understood that alternate means for moving bracket 56 toward and
away from
bracket 58 may be used.
As mentioned in the preamble of the invention, a problem with existing
conveyors is
their overall inefficiency in Transporting large voinnies of material at steep
angles such as 45
degrees. The longitudinal conveyor belt 16 includes a plurality of spaced
apart transverse
cleats 66 protruding outwardly therefrom at an angle of approximately 15
degrees. Wher.
material enters the conveyor through catchment hopper 20, it falls onto the
moving belt 15
and the cleats 66 give the conveyor 10 of the present invention the ability to
transport larger
quantities of material thereby reducing conveying time. The cleats 66 also aid
in transporting
the material more gently and uniformly, particularly when the conveyor
operates at narrow
angles.
A further problem associated with existing agrieultaral conveyors is the
susceptibility
for material to become wedged and damaged between the moving conveyor belt and
the sides
of the conveyor housing. The belt 16 of the present invention is also bordered
so as to
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6
minimise damage to the material being conveyed. Protruding outwards from the
belt 16 are
two corrugated borders 68 and 70 which extend longitudinally on either side of
the cleats 66.
The borders 68 and 70 are illustrated clearly; in Figures 5a and 5b and their
puipose is to =
prevent material from contacting the side walls of the housing 14, the current
priMary ause
of damage to material such as grain, seeds and fertiliser. Thus, when
tnaterial falls onto the
belt 16, because the borders 68 and 70 are moving together with the belt and
are not
stationaty, damage to grain located within the borders 68 and 70 is almost
negligible_ Tne
borders 68 and 70 are corrugated so that they are able to stretch at the
position where the. belt
16 circles the rollers 30 and 32. The stretched nature of the corregated
borders 68 and 70
when circling the drive roller 30 can be seen in Figure 3.
In preference, the belt 16 is manufactured of polyvinylchlotide (PVC) or other
material having similar properties, and the cleats 66 and tvrders 68 and 70
are appropriately
bonded or fused thereto.
One should now be able to appreciate the advantages in using the conveyor 10
o:the
present invention. The conveyor 10 includes a cleated and bordered conveyor
belt 16 which
enables the conveyor to handle 'larger volumes of material without damaging
the materia . The
conveyor 10 further includes a non-complex system for tensioning and de-
tensioning the
conveyor belt 16.
There are many agricultural applications which require the use of conveyors,
and the
features of the conveyor 10 of the present invention may be appropriately
adapted to mar..y of
these applications. Figure 6 illustrates one. such use, that is, where the
conveyor 10 is
mounted to a mounting arm 12 of a grain cart 72. Since grain carts of this
type are well
known, its features are not described in any detail. In this situation, a tip
truck 74 is used to
feed material 75 into the catchment hopper 20 of the conveyor 10 so that it
may be disehErged
into the access hatch 76 of the grain cart 72. The tip truck 74 includes a
ehute 78 on its rear
door to ensure clean discharge of material 75 into the hopper 20. The use of
such grain C8I-ES
72 often requires that the catchne....nt hopper 20 be moved beneath the cart
for collecting
residual gain from within the cart. In such circumstances, the catchment
hopper flap 2613
typically removed_ It is envisaged that the conveyor 10 of the present
invention may
supersede many conveyors and augers which are used today in the agricultural
industry
because of its'erficiency and effectiveness.
Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present
invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been
shown and
described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is
Amended Sheet
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CA 02573086 2007-01-09
Received 24 October 2006
7
recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit
of the
invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is
to be accorded the
full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and
apparatus_
In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where
the
context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication,
the word
"comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified
may be associated
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with further features in 'various embodiments of the invention.
Dated this 24 October 2006
Lindsay David Hitch
By his Patent Attorneys
LESICAR PERRIN
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Amended Sheet
IPEA/AU
