Belt conveyor idler

• US 4,215,776 A
• Filed: 11/10/1977
• Issued: 08/05/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richwood Industries Inc.
• Original Assignee: Joseph M. Stofan
• Inventors: Esler, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, James L.
• Application Number:
  US05/850,217
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 198/823, 198/837, 198/840, 198/841
• US Class Current: 198/823
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/62 Guides for sliding belts
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2081 for bulk material, e.g. skirts
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/04 Bulk
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/28 Impact protection

Abstract

A belt conveyor idler has a rigid U-shaped channel which is fixedly mounted on a pair of spaced supports. A rigid strip of a low-friction material, such as a high molecular weight polyethelene, is fixedly mounted within the channel and extends transversely across the path of a conveyor belt for slidably supporting the conveyor belt. The channel and strip of low-friction material each have a complementary catenary configuration for the load-bearing troughing run of the conveyor belt, and a straight horizontal configuration for the return run of the belt. Belt retainer blocks are formed of the same low-friction material as the channel strip and are mounted on the ends of the channel strip to prevent excess sideways movement of the belt. The low-friction strips may be formed with a plurality of transverse slots to reduce the contact surface between the belt and strips. The idlers for both the troughing and return belt runs are free of any moving parts, yet provide a low-friction support for the conveyor belt.

Claims

1. Idler construction for slidably supporting a conveyor belt including:

(a) rigid channel means adapted to extend transversely across the path of a conveyor belt, said channel means having walls forming a slot therebetween;

(b) bracket means supporting the channel means in a fixed nonrotatable position;

(c) a strip of a low-friction rigid material firmly seated within the slot of the channel means and extending generally throughout the length of said channel means;

(d) said strip having a top surface projecting above the walls of the channel means to slidably engage and support a conveyor belt; and

(e) fastening means removably seating the strip of low-friction material in the slot of the channel means.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the low-friction strip of material is an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the channel means and strip of low-friction material have complementary concave configurations generally similar to a catenary curve formed by the conveyor belt.

4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the strip of low-friction material has a coefficient of friction in the range of 0.11-0.20.

5. The construction defined in claim 1 in which belt retainer means is mounted on each end of the strip of low-friction material and projects upwardly above the top surface of said strip to prevent transverse movement of a conveyor belt beyond the ends of the strip.

6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which the retainer means are formed of a low-friction material similar to the material of the low-friction strip.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 in which the retainer means includes a base and an integral top portion;

and in which the top portion has a generally truncated configuration with a narrow belt edge engaging surface being formed thereon.

8. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the bracket means includes a pair of spaced vertical posts having pin receiving openings formed therein;

in which pin means is mounted on each end of the channel means; and

in which the pin means are slidably received in the pin receiving openings of the posts for mounting the channel means thereon.

9. The construction defined in claim 1 in which a plurality of grooves are formed in the top surface of the strip of low-friction material and extend transversely with respect to said strip of material.

10. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the strip of low-friction material has an inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration formed by a pair of spaced vertically extending legs and a top surface formed integrally with said legs and extending therebetween, with said integral top surface being the belt engaging top surface of said strip.

11. Idler construction for slidably supporting a conveyor belt including:

(a) rigid channel means having a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration adapted to extend transversely across the path of a conveyor belt;

(b) bracket means supporting the channel means in a fixed nonrotatable position;

(c) a strip of a low-friction rigid material seated within the channel means and extending generally throughout the length of said channel means;

(d) said strip having a cross-sectional configuration formed by a flat bottom surface, a pair of spaced vertical side surfaces and a rounded convex top surface extending between said side surfaces, said top surface being adapted to slidably engage and support the conveyor belt; and

(e) fastening means removably securing the strip in the channel means.

12. Idler construction for slidably supporting a conveyor belt including:

(a) rigid channel means adapted to extend transversely across the path of a conveyor belt;

(b) bracket means supporting the channel means in a fixed nonrotatable position;

(c) a strip of a low-friction rigid material mounted on the channel means and extending generally throughout the length of said channel means;

(d) said strip having a rounded top surface adapted to slidably engage and support the conveyor belt;

(e) belt retainer means mounted on each end of the strip and projecting upwardly above the top surface of said strip to prevent transverse movement of a conveyor belt beyond the ends of said strip, said retainer means being formed of a low-friction material similar to the material of the low-friction strip; and

(f) the retainer means having a base and an integral top portion, said top portion having a generally truncated configuration with a narrow belt edge engaging surface being formed thereon.