Apron conveyor

• US 5,833,047 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfons Malek
• Original Assignee: Alfons Malek, Michael Howe
• Inventors: Howe, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US08/737,057
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 198/707, 198/708, 198/710, 198/711, 198/712, 198/713
• US Class Current: 198/708
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/067 the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to more than one traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/10 the surface forming a longitudinal trough
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/04 Bulk

Abstract

The invention relates to an apron conveyor whose mutually overlapping members, consisting of plates with side walls which connect vertically, are arranged on link chains and are partitioned in a way matching the chain divisions. The slats are provided in their overlap area on their oblique edges on one hand with a limb which points upwards away from the plane of the slat and, on the other hand, with an arched recess which covers the raised limb of the adjacent slat. According to the invention, webs connected to the side walls or formed by them are provided along the length of the side walls. These webs connect the chain links laterally. This arrangement allows the use of standardised link chains of which only one in each link pair must be provided with two holes (in particular threaded holes) for connection of the members to the webs. The chains can be fitted at the outer edge of the slats as far from each other as possible, so that the chains shift towards the immediate vicinity of the rolls which support the slat conveyor and the members are subjected to a minimum of bending strain. It is also possible to arrange the chain wheels in the immediate vicinity of the shaft bearings, so that the bending strain on the chain wheel shaft can also be kept low. In a further embodiment, axial bolt holders mounted on the webs to the side walls and facing the chain links can, together with the chain links, be connected to the webs.

Claims

1. An apron conveyor whose elements--which consist of plates with perpendicularly adjoining lateral walls and which overlap one another--are arranged on ladder-chains and have a pitch which corresponds to the chain pitch, in the overlapping region of the plates the transverse edges of the latter being provided on the one hand with a leg directed upwards from the plate plane and on the other hand with a roof-shaped arch which spans the upwards-directed leg of the adjacent plate and from which there issues a leg which is directed downwards towards the plate plane and together with the roof-shaped arch and the upwards-directed leg of the adjacent plate forms a pocket which opens at the reversal of direction, the lower end of the downwards-directed leg lying in a sealing manner opposite the plate located thereunder--optionally while keeping at a slight distance therefrom--when the apron conveyor is in the extended state, characterised in that in extension of the lateral walls (3) there are provided flanges (5) which are connected to the lateral walls (3) or are formed by the lateral walls (3), the chain side bars (6a, 6i) being connected to the flanges (5) with lateral contact.

2. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that together with the chain side bars (6a, 6i), axle pin holders (9)--lying opposite the chain side bars (6a, 6i) at the flanges (5)--are connected to the flanges (5).

3. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 1, whose elements are within a load range connectable to ladder-chains of different cross sectional dimension while the distance from the chain centre to the plates remains the same, characterised in that the flanges (25) are formed to extend as far as the region of sufficient overlap (Z) with the chain side bars (24) of the smallest occurring width.

4. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 2, whose elements are within a load range connectable to ladder-chains of different cross sectional dimension while the distance from the chain centre to the plates remains the same, characterised in that the flanges (25) are formed to extend as far as the region of sufficient overlap (Z) with the chain side bars (24) of the smallest occurring width.

5. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 1, whose elements are within a load range connectable to ladder-chains of different cross sectional dimension while the distance from the chain centre to the plates remains the same, characterised in that at the ladder-chains having side bars which are less than the maximum occurring width, the side bars (21) provided for connection to the flanges (25) are provided with a projection (22) by which the side bars (21) are enlarged in the connection region to a projection (22) corresponding to the maximum width of the side bars.

6. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 2, whose elements are within a load range connectable to ladder-chains of different cross sectional dimension while the distance from the chain centre to the plates remains the same, characterised in that at the ladder-chains having side bars which are less than the maximum occurring width, the side bars (21) provided for connection to the flanges (25) are provided with a projection (22) by which the side bars (21) are enlarged in the connection region to a projection (22) corresponding to the maximum width of the side bars.

7. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

8. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

9. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

10. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 4, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

11. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 5, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

12. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 6, characterised in that the leg (26)--directed upwards from the plate plane--together with the roof-shaped arch (27) of the adjacent overlapping plate form--with appropriate shaping of the arch (27)--the sealing gap present over the pivot region, while--in order to open the pocket (29) formed between the roof-shaped arch (27) and the upwards-directed leg (26)--the downwards-directed leg (28) of the roof-shaped arch (27) withdraws from the adjacent plate when the plates (2, 30, 31) pivot in relation to one another at the reversal of direction.

13. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 7, characterised in that in their end regions adjacent to the transverse edges, the plates (2, 30, 31) are uniformly constructed with the upwards-directed leg (26) on the one hand and the roofshaped arch (27) on the other hand.

14. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 13, characterised in that the plates (30, 31) are uniformly constructed from the centre to the transverse edges.

15. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 7, characterised in that the roof-shaped arch (27) is rounded or polygonal, adapted in the pivot region to the arc described by the upper edge of the upwards-directed leg (26).

16. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 13, characterised in that the roof-shaped arch (27) is rounded or polygonal, adapted in the pivot region to the arc described by the upper edge of the upwards-directed leg (26).

17. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 14, characterised in that the roof-shaped arch (27) is rounded or polygonal, adapted in the pivot region to the arc described by the upper edge of the upwards-directed leg (26).

18. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the axle pin holder (9) is formed from a flange (10), resting on the flange (5) and connectable thereto, to form an eye having a bore for receiving the axle pin (13).

19. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the axle pin (13) forming a mounting unit together with a roller (8), can be locked in the bore of the axle pin holder (9) by means of a locking pin (split pin, clamping screw 14).

20. An apron conveyor in accordance with claim 19, characterised in that the axle pin (13) forming a mounting unit together with a roller (8), can be locked in the bore of the axle pin holder (9) by means of a locking pin (split pin, clamping screw 14).