Transport apparatus with an endless belt-like transport member

• US 9,278,811 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Beumer GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Heitplatz, Heino, Schfer, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R
• Application Number:
  US14/611,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20150232281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 198/806, 198/808
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/28 Conveyors with a load-conveying surface formed by a single flat belt, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/04 Drums, rollers, or wheels B65G23/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 39/071 for aligning belts or sheets

Abstract

A transport apparatus with an endless belt-like transport member, which is guided circulating in a conveying direction via a plurality of rotating return rollers, there being formed between a first return roller and a second return roller a transport section in which articles to be conveyed can be picked up and transported by the transport member, and wherein the first return roller has a convex outer lateral surface with a diameter that reduces outwards from a central plane arranged perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the first return roller, and the second return roller has a concave outer lateral surface with a diameter that increases outwards from a central plane arranged perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the second return roller.

Claims

1. A transport apparatus with an endless transport member, which is guided circulating in a conveying direction via a plurality of rotating return rollers, there being formed between a first return roller and a second return roller a transport section in which articles to be conveyed can be picked up and transported by the transport member, characterised in that the first return roller has a convex outer lateral surface with a diameter that reduces outwards from a central plane arranged perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the first return roller, and the second return roller has a concave outer lateral surface with a diameter that increases outwards from a central plane arranged perpendicularly to an axis axis of rotation of the second return roller,

wherein the transport member has a constant width (B) and the width (B) is at least 150% of an axial spacing (a) between the first and second return rollers.

2. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has an arcuate contour shape free of sharp bends.

3. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the contour shape is like the arc of a circle, elliptical or parabolic.

4. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a plurality of contiguous sections, either bent or free of sharp bends, with a straight and/or arcuate contour shape.

5. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a central cylindrical section and sections adjacent to it on both sides with conical or concave or convex shapes.

6. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has two conical sections adjacent to one another.

7. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, relative to a concentric cylindrical first reference surface with a reference diameter (R₁), the convex outer lateral surface has local first radius differences (r₁, r₂) which are the same in magnitude as local second radius differences (r₁, r₂) in the concave outer lateral surface relative to a concentric cylindrical second reference surface with a second reference radius (R₂), wherein the first reference radius (R₁) is the radius of the first return roller spaced half a width (B) of the transport member away from the central plane, and the second reference radius (R₂) is the radius of the second return roller spaced half a width (B) of the transport member away from the central plane.

8. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the convex outer lateral surface has local first radius differences (r₁, r₂) with respect to a concentric cylindrical first reference surface with a reference diameter (R₁) which is greater in magnitude than local second radius differences (r₁, r₂) of the concave outer lateral surface with respect to a concentric cylindrical second reference surface with a second reference radius (R₂), wherein the first reference radius (R₁) is the radius of the first return roller spaced half a width (B) of the transport member away from the central plane, and the second reference radius (R₂) is the radius of the second return roller spaced half a width (B) of the transport member away from the central plane.

9. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the transport member has a local longitudinal tension, seen in the conveying direction, which is constant over a width (B) of the transport member.

10. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the width (B) is at least 200%, of an axial spacing (a) between the first and second return rollers.

11. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a plurality of contiguous sections, either bent or free of sharp bends, with a straight and/or arcuate contour shape.

12. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a central cylindrical section and sections adjacent to it on both sides with conical or concave or convex shapes.

13. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a plurality of contiguous sections, either bent or free of sharp bends, with a straight and/or arcuate contour shape.

14. The transport apparatus as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that at least one outer lateral surface has a central cylindrical section and sections adjacent to it on both sides with conical or concave or convex shapes.