Conveyor Belt and Agricultural Harvester with a Conveyor Belt

Abstract

A conveyor belt has one or more conveyor belt segments made of an elastomeric material layer and a reinforcement layer of steel ropes disposed in the elastomeric material layer and oriented in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt segment. The conveyor belt segments each have a first segment end provided with a first transverse lock bar and a second segment end provided with a second transverse lock bar, wherein ends of the steel ropes are locked frictionally or with form fit in the first and second transverse lock bars, respectively. One or more detachable closure members couple the first and second transverse lock bars of a single one or of adjacently positioned ones of the conveyor belt segments to each other in a rigid correlation relative to each other.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A conveyor belt comprising: one or more conveyor belt segments comprising an elastomeric material layer and a reinforcement layer of steel ropes disposed in the elastomeric material layer and arranged so as to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the at least one conveyor belt segment, wherein the conveyor belt segments each have a first segment end provided with a first transverse lock bar and a second segment end provided with a second transverse lock bar, wherein ends of the steel ropes are locked frictionally or with form fit in the first and second transverse lock bars, respectively; one or more detachable closure members coupling the first and second transverse lock bars of a single one or of adjacently positioned ones of the conveyor belt segments to each other in a rigid correlation relative to each other.

20. The conveyor belt according to claim 19, wherein the detachable closure member at least partially encloses the first and second transverse lock bars, respectively.

21. The conveyor belt according to claim 19, wherein the detachable closure member is formed of at least two sections connectable to each other by fastening means.

22. The conveyor belt according to claim 21, wherein the fastening means are fastening screws that at least partially penetrate the first and second transverse lock bars.

23. The conveyor belt according to claim 22, wherein the at least two sections produce a form fit connection between the at least two sections and the first and second transverse lock bars.

24. The conveyor belt according to claim 21, wherein the at least two sections produce a form fit connection between the at least two sections and the first and second transverse lock bars.

25. The conveyor belt according to claim 21, wherein the detachable closure member is configured to produce a friction connection between the at least two sections and the first and second transverse lock bars.

26. The conveyor belt according to claim 21, wherein the at least two sections have sides that are facing each other and said sides facing each other are provided with recesses, wherein a size of the recesses is matched to dimensions of the first and second transverse lock bars when contacting each other.

27. The conveyor belt according to claim 26, wherein the recesses have a depth in a range of 10% to 50% of a material thickness of the at least two sections, respectively.

28. The conveyor belt according to claim 19, wherein the detachable closure member comprises means for receiving and fastening rod elements that are oriented at least approximately transversely to a running direction of the conveyor belt.

29. The conveyor belt according to claim 28, wherein the means for receiving and fastening rod elements are straps that adjoin the at least two sections, respectively.

30. The conveyor belt according to claim 19, wherein the first and second transverse lock bars are provided with means for auxiliary coupling of the first and second transverse lock bars, said means for auxiliary coupling arranged on a side of the first and second transverse lock bars that is facing away from the elastomeric material layer, respectively.

31. The conveyor belt according to claim 30, wherein the means for auxiliary coupling comprises a dovetail-shaped projection on the first transverse lock bar insertable into a dovetail-shaped cutout on the second transverse lock bar.

32. The conveyor belt according to claim 30, wherein the means for auxiliary coupling comprises a first dovetail-shaped projection and a first dovetail-shaped cutout on the first transverse lock bar and further comprises a second dovetail-shaped projection and a second dovetail-shaped cutout on the second transverse lock bar, wherein the first dovetail-shaped projection is insertable into the second dovetail-shaped cutout and the second dovetail-shaped projection is insertable into the first dovetail-shaped cutout.

33. An agricultural harvester comprising: at least one device for processing and/or conveying crops comprising one or more conveyor belts according to claim 19; rod elements attached to the at least one conveyor belt so as to extend at least approximately oriented transverse to a running direction of the conveyor belt.

34. The agricultural harvester according to claim 33, wherein the device for processing and/or conveying crops comprises a bale forming chamber and a bale forming device that is actuatable to perform a circulating movement and configured to compress the crops to round bales.

35. The agricultural harvester according to claim 34, wherein the bale forming device is formed of two of said conveyor belts to which the rod elements are connected, wherein the rod elements are conveying or pressing rods.

36. The agricultural harvester according to claim 35, wherein said two conveyor belts of the bale forming device are comprised of at least two conveyor belt segments.

37. The agricultural harvester for according to claim 35, wherein the conveying or pressing rods are screw-connected at the detachable closure members to said two conveyor belts.

38. A conveyor belt part comprising: a conveyor belt segment comprising an elastomeric material layer and a reinforcement layer of steel ropes disposed in the elastomeric material layer and arranged so as to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt segment, wherein the conveyor belt segment has a first segment end provided with a first transverse lock bar and a second segment end provided with a second transverse lock bar, wherein ends of the steel ropes are locked frictionally or with form fit in the first and second transverse lock bars, respectively; a detachable closure member configured to couple the first transverse lock bar and the second transverse lock bar to each other in a rigid correlation relative to each other, or the first transverse lock bar or the second transverse lock bar to a first or a second transverse lock bar, respectively, of an adjacently positioned conveyor belt segment in a rigid correlation relative to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the invention will be explained with the aid of a drawing. In the drawing, it is shown in:

[0013] FIG. 1: a perspective view of a conveyor belt according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2: a perspective view of a conveyor belt segment of a conveyor belt according to FIG. 1 in a partially broken away illustration;

[0015] FIG. 3: a section illustration of a coupling location of two conveyor belt segments, the section taken parallel to the running surface of the conveyor belt;

[0016] FIG. 4: a perspective view of two conveyor belt segments during an auxiliary joining process;

[0017] FIG. 5: a section illustration of a coupling location of two conveyor belt segments, the section taken parallel to the lateral flank of the conveyor belt;

[0018] FIG. 6: a schematic illustration of an agricultural harvester with a bale forming device;

[0019] FIG. 7: a perspective view of a bale forming device according to FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In FIG. 1, a conveyor belt 1 according to the invention is illustrated in detail which is formed of at least two conveyor belt segments 2. Further advantageous embodiments of a conveyor belt 1 can however be designed also such that a plurality of standardized conveyor belt segments 2 are joined to a conveyor belt 1. As a connection between the conveyor belt ends or conveyor belt segment ends 3, a detachable closure member 4 is provided with which, at a coupling location 5, coupling of the conveyor belt ends or conveyor belt segment ends 3 with a rigid correlation relative to each other is effected. Between two coupling locations 5, a conveyor belt segment 2 comprises a flexible belt element 6 which, depending on the intended use, can be provided with different profilings. Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows that in the flexible belt element 6 also connecting locations 7 for rod elements can be provided when the conveyor belt 1, by being furnished with rod elements that are oriented at least approximately transversely to the running direction of the conveyor belt, is to be used as a device for processing and/or conveying field crops or suchlike harvested crop

[0021] A detailed representation of the construction of a conveyor belt segment 2 according to the invention can be taken from FIG. 2. Based on a reinforcement layer 8 of steel ropes 9 located in the interior of the flexible belt element 6, the flexible belt element 6 comprises upper and lower cover layers that can be provided with different profilings but also without profiling. On each conveyor belt segment end 3 of a conveyor belt segment 2 the latter is provided with a transverse lock bar 10 that, with respect to its length extension, is oriented transverse to the running direction of the conveyor belt segment 2 and serves for coupling two conveyor belt segments 2 or for closing a conveyor belt segment 2 to a conveyor belt 1. The transverse lock bar 10 comprises in the running direction of the conveyor belt segment 2 a plurality of bores 11 in which the ends of steel ropes 9 are connected in a pull-resistant way to the transverse lock bar 10 by joining methods such as soldering, gluing, welding, pressing, or clamping. Moreover, the illustration of FIG. 2 shows that the transverse lock bar has a preferably square cross section whose edge lengths can be in a range of 10 to 15 mm. Thus, the transverse lock bar 10 that, for coupling, is to be connected with a further lock bar 10 of a further conveyor belt segment 2 in a rigid correlation relative to each other has an extremely compact size which reliably prevents limitations of the flexibility for deflections at guide and idler pulleys.

[0022] The illustrations of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show two conveyor belt segments 2 in a state of an auxiliary coupling action that serves to facilitate the attachment and fastening process of a closure member 4 in that possible pulling forces that impair the attachment and fastening process of a closure member 4 as a result of the weight effect of a conveyor belt section are already absorbed. When the auxiliary coupling action of two conveyor belt segments is completed, the closure member 4 can be unhurriedly attached and fastened. For this purpose, each transverse lock bar 10 can be provided with a dovetail-shaped cutout 12 as well as with a dovetail-shaped projection 13 on the side which is facing away from the flexible belt element 6. A transverse lock bar with a mirror-symmetrical configuration with the dovetail-shaped projection 13 and the dovetail-shaped cutout 12 can then be preliminarily coupled in a simple way with the first transverse lock bar 10.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows in a section illustration the coupling location 5 in a state in which two conveyor belt segments 2 are connected to each other by the action of the closure member according to the invention. The sides of the transverse lock bar 10 which are facing away from the flexible belt element 6 are contacting each other in the coupled state so that by engagement of the sections 14, 15 of the closure member 4 across the upper and across the lower side of the conveyor belt segment 2 a connection is realized in which a rigid correlation of the transverse lock bars 10 relative to each other occurs. When the two sections 14, 15 of the closure member 4 are now tensioned relative to each other, a form-fit connection in conveyor belts is produced that withstands even the difficult environmental conditions during use of agricultural harvesters. For tensioning the sections 14, 15 of the closure member 4 relative to each other, fastening screws 16 can be used, as they are already shown in FIG. 1. The engagement of the sections 14, 15 of the closure member 4 is achieved in that the sections 14, 15 are provided with recesses 17 into which the two transverse lock bars 10 can be inserted with form fit in regard to their cross section dimensions.

[0024] One embodiment of an agricultural harvester in which the conveyor belts 1 according to the invention can be used, is illustrated in FIG. 6. Here, a round bale press for harvesting stalk crop is shown in which the collected harvested crop is compressed by means of a device 18 for processing and/or conveying the harvested crop in the form of a bale forming device 19 to round bales in a bale forming chamber 20. A detailed illustration of the bale forming device 19 can be taken from FIG. 7. The bale forming device 19 illustrated therein is comprised of two conveyor belts 1 between which rod elements 22 embodied as conveying and pressing rods 21 are extending. Approximately at the central area of the illustrated bale forming device 19, two coupling locations 5 are provided where two conveying belt segments 2 are coupled with each other and two conveying belt segments 2 are also connected with a conveying and pressing rod 21. For this purpose, a closure member 23 is provided which has corresponding sections 14, 15 of the closure member 4 (FIG. 5) and on which however straps 24 are attached for receiving the conveying and pressing rods 21.