Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02769948 2012-03-02
CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONVEYOR OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mount for a device which attaches to a
conveyor belt to control the conveyance of particulate matter along the belt.
Background of the Invention
Conveyors for moving or projecting particulate material such as stone, sand
or gravel can be found in various applications. One particular application
where
conveyors are used to move particulate material is a vehicle known as a stone
spreader. Stone spreaders are used to project particulate material to a
desired
location remote from the vehicle determined by the orientation and speed of
the
conveyor.
A shield assembly for a stone spreader facilitates the control of the
particulate material at various conveyor belt speeds or for high elevation
applications. The shield assembly enables the particulate material to be
thrown a
distance beyond the end of the conveyor which is dependant on the speed of the
conveyor and the control offered by the use of the shield assembly. The shield
assembly can increase the throwing distance of particular material to over
four
times over the traditional conveyor.
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There are many different manufactures of stone spreader vehicles and thus
accordingly a need exists for an improved mounting system that also offers a
universal or standard way of operationally mounting a shield over the conveyor
belt.
Summary of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved mounting system for a shield used in
associate with conveyor belts on stone spreader vehicles. A mount for
operationally
positioning a shield assembly above a conveyor belt assembly, the conveyor
having
a frame, the shield having opposing side frame elements is provided. The mount
comprises a pair of spaced apart brackets fixedly attached on each side of the
conveyor frame, and a pair of linkages having opposing ends, each linkage
connecting one of the brackets to one side of the frame elements, wherein one
opposing end of each linkage is pivotally attached to one of the mounting
brackets,
and the other opposing end of each linkage is pivotally attached to one of the
side
frame elements of the shield.
Brief Description of the Drawings
These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will
become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference
is
made to the appended drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial side view of a shield assembly mounted in position above
a conveyor belt assembly;
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FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of Figure 1 showing the mount in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional assembly view of the mount according to the present
invention;
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring to Figure 1, a side view of conveyor belt assembly 13 is shown in
vertical spaced apart relationship to a shield assembly 11 mounted above the
conveyor belt 12 according to the present invention. The conveyor belt 12
receives
particulate matter from the stone spreader vehicle for conveyance to a
designated
job location and is pivotally attached to the stone spreader by means of frame
50.
The stone spreader includes a drive means (not shown) to power the conveyor
belt
12 so as to move particulate material (not shown) deposited onto the conveyor
belt
12 from the stone spreader bed or from a hopper. Material may be deposited
onto
the conveyor belt 12 directly from the truck bed or an additional conveyor may
operate between the truck bed and the conveyor belt 12 to transfer the
material.
The conveyor belt 12 may be either smooth or ribbed.
The shield assembly 11 is comprised of a powered or unpowered endless
belt 16 having a length and width. The endless belt 16 is mounted on wheels 22
or
axles 24 attached between two longitudinal frame elements 20 one of which is
shown. The frame elements 20 are provided with holes for receiving the ends of
the axles 24. The axles 24 are rotatably secured within sealed bearing
assemblies
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33 mounted on the outside of the frame elements 20. The externally mounted
sealed bearing assemblies 33 allow for the application of grease without
disassembly of the shield assembly 11.
In a preferred embodiment, the shield assembly 11 includes a plurality of
pairs of wheels 22 or axles 24 positioned along the length of the frame
element 20
at suitable intervals so as to provide adequate support therefor. The number
of
wheels 22 and axles 24 between the ends of the belt 16 will vary depending on
the
size of the endless belt 16.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the motion of the conveyor belt
12 drives the endless belt 16 as a result of the frictional engagement between
the
belts 12 and 16. The frictional engagement may result from direct contact
between
the belts 12 and 16 or indirect contact, where the particulate material that
is passing
between the belts 12 and 16 transfers the motion from the conveyor belt 12 to
the
endless belt 16. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention a
hydraulic
motor is used to power the belt 16 independent of any frictional engagement
between belts 16 and 12. The hydraulic motor (not shown) is installed on the
frame
elements 20 and drives a sprocket wheel which is operatively engaged with the
underside of the endless belt 16.
The shield assembly 11 is operationally mounted above the conveyor belt
12 between a pair of mounts one of which is shown in Figures 2 and 3. Each
mount comprises two mounting brackets 31 attached to the frame 50. The
mounting brackets 31 support the shield assembly 11 therebetween by means of
CA 02769948 2012-03-02
linkages 30 pivotally attached to the mounting brackets 31 and frame elements
20
by means of bearing assemblies 33. The brackets 31 have hole attachment
means to accommodate for the attachment to the frame 50 and the pivoting
linkages 30 as described. The central portion 37 of the mounting brackets 31
may
5 be outwardly or inwardly bent as required to allow the top portion of the
bracket 31
and linkage assemblies to accommodate and clear the frame 50 of the conveyor
to
avoid interference with the conveyor belt 12 and the shield assembly 11.
Depending on the conveyor belt assembly 13 installed on a stone spreader
vehicle,
the height and width of the brackets 31 may be easily and selectively varied
so that
the mount according to this invention is in fact universal and suitable for
all stone
spreader applications.
A connecting rod 32 extends between the frame elements 20 to provide
stiffness and support. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting rod 32 may consist
of
four rod segments 35 extending between the second ends of the pivoting
linkages
30 releasably secured together by two bolted connections 36. The bolted
connections 36 allow for the disassembly of the connecting rod 32 for bearing
replacement.
The mount assembly controls vertical movement of the shield assembly 11
and allows for up and down vertical movement of the shield assembly 11 when
particulate material passes between the belts 12 and 16. The maximum vertical
deflection of the shield assembly 11 is limited by the vertical range of the
pivoting
linkage. The mount also allows for front to back tilting and raising as
required. The
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mount prevents side-to-side rocking of the shield assembly 11 by enabling that
the
vertical deflection of the shield assembly 11 to be equal across the width of
belt 16.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the apparatus of the
invention can be utilized with any conveyor and with a variety of material.
For
example, particulate material may include sand, gravel, salt, rock etc. The
conveyor
assembly may be associated with trucks (as described above) or with mining,
equipment, farming equipment etc.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific
embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled
in the
art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined
in the
claims appended hereto.
