CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING MATERIALS TO BE CONVEYED

Abstract

A conveyor system for conveying material may include a conveyor belt, a feeding mechanism for feeding materials to be conveyed onto the conveyor belt, and a belt system in which the conveyor belt is guided. The belt system may include a first belt-shaping device with which the conveyor belt can be shaped into a U shape. Thus the material to be conveyed may be brought from a substantially flat shape into the U shape. A second belt-shaping device of the belt system may shape the conveyor belt downstream of the feeding mechanism in the conveying direction to form a closed tube. The feeding mechanism may include a catching region configured such that material to be conveyed accumulates therein and forms an impact surface onto which the material to be conveyed can be fed.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A conveyor system comprising: a conveyor belt; a feeding mechanism for feeding material to be conveyed onto the conveyor belt; a belt system in which the conveyor belt is guided, wherein the belt system comprises: a first belt-shaping device with which the conveyor belt is shaped from a substantially flat shape into a U shape configured to receive the material to be conveyed, wherein the U shape has in a conveying direction a cross section that is constant with respect to the conveying direction, the U shape comprising two limbs and a base connecting the limbs such that the limbs are disposed at an acute angle with respect to each other in the cross section of the conveyor belt, wherein the base comprises an apex of the acute angle, and a second belt-shaping device with which the conveyor belt is configured to be shaped in the conveying direction downstream of the feeding mechanism to form a closed tube, wherein each of the first and second belt-shaping devices include at least three rollers that shape the conveyor belt, wherein the rollers are disposed along a surface of the conveyor belt that faces away from the material to be conveyed.

15. The conveyor system of claim 14 wherein the feeding mechanism comprises a catching region where the material to be conveyed accumulates and forms an impact surface onto which the material to be conveyed can be fed.

16. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein the second belt-shaping device comprises five rollers.

17. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein only the rollers that are disposed along the surface of the conveyor belt that faces away from the material to be conveyed shape the conveyor belt.

18. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein the impact surface extends in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

19. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein the feeding mechanism comprises a slideway in which the impact surface is disposed.

20. The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein the impact surface is inclined in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt such that the material to be conveyed is directed from the impact surface directly onto the conveyor belt.

21. The conveyor system of claim 15 comprising a directing element disposed between the impact surface and the conveyor belt such that the material to be conveyed is directed from the impact surface onto the directing element.

22. The conveyor system of claim 21 wherein the directing element is configured such that the material to be conveyed that slides along the directing element is oriented in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

23. The conveyor system of claim 21 wherein the directing element has an angle of inclination that corresponds to an angle of inclination of the impact surface.

24. The conveyor system of claim 14 wherein the feeding mechanism comprises an impact surface for receiving the material to be conveyed, the impact surface having an angle of between 30? to 60? relative to horizontal.

25. The conveyor system of claim 24 wherein only the rollers that are disposed along the surface of the conveyor belt that faces away from the material to be conveyed shape the conveyor belt.

26. The conveyor system of claim 24 wherein the feeding mechanism comprises a slideway in which the impact surface is disposed.

27. The conveyor system of claim 24 comprising a directing element disposed between the impact surface and the conveyor belt such that the material to be conveyed is directed from the impact surface onto the directing element.

28. The conveyor system of claim 27 wherein the directing element is configured such that the material to be conveyed that slides along the directing element is oriented in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

29. The conveyor system of claim 27 wherein the directing element has an angle of inclination that corresponds to an angle of inclination of the impact surface.

30. A method for operating a conveyor system for conveying material to be conveyed, the method comprising: feeding the material to be conveyed from a feeding mechanism onto a conveyor belt; shaping a portion of the conveyor belt that is proximate the feeding mechanism into a U shape with a first belt-shaping device, wherein the U shape has in a conveying direction a cross section that is constant with respect to the conveying direction, the U shape having two limbs connected by a base such that the limbs are at an acute angle with respect to one another and such that an apex of the acute angle is disposed at the base; and shaping a portion of the conveyor belt downstream of the feeding mechanism into a closed tube. Application of THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG et al.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising dropping the material to be conveyed into a catching region of the feeding mechanism where the material accumulates and forms an impact surface onto which the material is fed.

32. The method of claim 31 comprising causing the material to be conveyed to slide over the impact surface such that, upon striking the conveyor belt, the material to be conveyed is oriented in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

33. The method of claim 30 comprising feeding the material to be conveyed onto an impact surface disposed in the feeding mechanism, the impact surface having an angle of between 30?-60? relative to horizontal.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail below using a plurality of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached figures.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a side view according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a side view according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a further side view according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a side view according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a side view according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a top view according to the prior art;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane A-A of the conveyor system according to FIG. 6;

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane B-B of the conveyor system according to FIG. 6;

[0038] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a top view according to the further prior art;

[0039] FIG. 10 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane C-C of the conveyor system according to FIG. 9;

[0040] FIG. 11 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane D-D of the conveyor system according to FIG. 9;

[0041] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system in a top view according to an embodiment generally according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 13 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane E-E of the conveyor system according to FIG. 12;

[0043] FIG. 14 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane F-F of the conveyor system according to FIG. 12, and

[0044] FIG. 15 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane G-G of the conveyor system according to FIG. 12.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a conveyor system 10 for conveying materials to be conveyed 14. The conveyor system 10 comprises a first conveyor device 24 with a belt conveyor 26 and a deflecting drum 16, via which the belt conveyor 26 is guided and is deflected at an angle of approximately 360?. The conveying direction of the belt conveyor 26 of the first conveyor device 24 is identified by an arrow. A second conveyor device 28 is arranged below the first conveyor device 24, said second conveyor device comprising a conveyor belt 12 and a belt system 48 in which the conveyor belt 12 is guided. The second conveyor device 28 has a conveying direction which extends substantially horizontally and orthogonally to the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 24. The second conveyor device 28 is arranged below the discharge end of the first conveyor device 24, wherein the discharge end is formed by the deflecting drum 16. A hood 44 which at least partially surrounds the upper side of the deflecting drum 16 is fitted above the discharge end.

[0046] The belt system 48 for guiding the conveyor belt 12 of the second conveyor device 28 comprises a plurality of belt-shaping devices 20, 21 which are arranged one behind another in the conveying direction of the second conveyor device 28. Only a first belt-shaping device 20 is shown in the view of the conveyor system 10 that is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein each belt-shaping device 20, 21 comprises, for example, at least three rollers 30, 32, 34. The rollers are arranged relative to one another in such a manner that the conveyor belt resting on the rollers 30, 32, 34 is shaped to form a U.

[0047] The belt system 48 of the second conveyor device 28 is designed to shape the conveyor belt 12 from a substantially flat shape to form a tube. A substantially flat shape of the conveyor belt 12 means here that the conveyor belt 12 may comprise small bulges. This is firstly because the conveyor belt 12 coming from a belt-deflecting drum 17 (not illustrated) has a flowing profile to the first belt-shaping device 20. Secondly, because the center region of the belt-deflecting drum 17 may have a slightly different diameter than the edge region. The conveyor belt 12 is ideally completely flat when it is deflected by the belt-deflecting drum 17 and guided to the first belt-shaping device 20.

[0048] For this purpose, the conveyor belt 12 is first of all shaped over the extent of the second conveyor device 28 by means of the first belt-shaping device 20 to form a U and subsequently by means of a second belt-shaping device 21 to form a closed conveyor tube, wherein the materials to be conveyed are arranged within the conveyor tube. The region of the second conveyor device 28, which region is arranged below the discharge end of the first conveyor device 24, comprises a conveyor belt 12 which is of U-shaped design. In the further extent of the second conveyor device 28, the conveyor belt 12 is shaped to form a closed tubular conveyor belt. The region in which the conveyor belt 12 has a tubular shape is not illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, in the region in which the conveyor belt 12 has a tubular shape, the second belt-shaping device 21 comprises four rollers which are preferably arranged spaced apart uniformly circumferentially with respect to one another about the conveyor tube 12. According to the invention, at least three rollers are necessary, wherein the arrangement can be varied.

[0049] A feeding mechanism 18 is arranged between the discharge end of the conveyor belt 26 of the first conveyor device 24. The feeding mechanism 18 serves for feeding the materials to be conveyed 14 from the first conveyor device 24 onto the second conveyor device 28 and is arranged below the discharge end of the first conveyor device 24 in such a manner that materials to be conveyed drop from the discharge end of the first conveyor device 24 into the feeding mechanism 18. Below the discharge end of the first conveyor device 24, the feeding mechanism 18 comprises a catching region 36. The catching region is designed in such a manner that materials to be conveyed 14 from the first conveyor device 24 accumulate therein. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the catching region 36 has a box shape with a rectangular cross section. The materials to be conveyed which accumulate in the catching region form an impact surface 38 which can be acted upon by the materials to be conveyed of the first conveyor device 24. The impact surface 38 comprises an angle with respect to the horizontal of approximately 30-60?, in particular 40-50?, preferably approximately 45?.

[0050] The feeding mechanism furthermore comprises a housing 40 in which the collecting region is formed. Approximately vertical wall elements 42 which point with their lower end in the direction of the conveyor belt 12 are connected after the collecting region in the direction of flow of the materials to be conveyed 14. The wall elements 42 serve substantially for centering the feeding mechanism above the U-shaped region of the conveyor belt 12 of the second conveyor device 28.

[0051] During the operation of the conveyor device, the materials to be conveyed 14 are conveyed by the first conveyor device 24 in the conveying direction as far as the discharge end and drop into the feeding mechanism 18. Within the feeding mechanism, the materials to be conveyed 14 drop into the receiving region 36 and accumulate 14 therein in such a manner that the impact surface 38 is formed. The following materials to be conveyed strike against the impact surface 38 and are directed along the impact surface 38 in the direction of the second conveyor device 28. In particular, during the striking against the impact surface 38 and during sliding along the impact surface 38, elongate lumps of material (fish) are pre-oriented.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a conveyor system 10 which substantially corresponds to the conveyor system 10 of FIG. 1 with the difference that a directing element 46 is arranged in the feeding mechanism 18 between the impact surface 38 and the U-shaped conveyor belt 12. The directing element 46 is arranged at an angle with respect to the horizontal of 30-60?, in particular 40-50?, preferably 45?. The directing element 46 comprises an angle of inclination which approximately corresponds to that of the impact surface 38.

[0053] The materials to be conveyed are directed by the impact surface 38 directly onto the directing element 46 and are subsequently fed directly onto the conveyor belt. The directing element 46 furthermore comprises a plurality of directing vanes which are not illustrated in the view of FIG. 2. The directing vanes are arranged on the surface of the directing element 46 in such a manner that they bring about an orientation of the materials to be conveyed, that slide over the directing element 46, in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12. For example, the directing vanes are of approximately quarter-circle design.

[0054] The directing element 46 serves in particular to orient the materials to be conveyed 14 in the direction of the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12 and therefore to reduce the relative speed of the materials to be conveyed 14 and of the conveyor belt 12 in the conveying direction during striking of the materials to be conveyed against the conveyor belt 12. This in particular reduces the wear and the loading of the conveyor belt 12 when the materials to be conveyed strike against the conveyor belt 12.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows the conveyor system 10 of FIG. 2 in a further side view, wherein the elements of FIG. 2 have the same reference signs. In FIG. 3, the directing element 46 comprises a plurality of directing vanes which deflect the materials to be conveyed in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12. The conveying direction is illustrated by an arrow in FIG. 3. The directing vanes are of substantially partially circular design and deflect the materials to be conveyed at an angle of approximately 90?. The directing vanes are, for example, plates which are bent in a partially circular shape. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the directing element 46 extends laterally in the conveying direction beyond the housing 40 of the feeding mechanism 18. For example, four such directing vanes are fitted on the directing element 46 in FIG. 3.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a conveyor system 10 which corresponds to the conveyor system 10 of FIGS. 1 to 3 with the difference that the conveyor system 10 of FIG. 4 does not comprise a collecting region 36. The impact surface 38 is formed by a side wall of the housing 40 of the feeding mechanism and is a substantially flat surface. The impact surface 39 comprises an angle with respect to the horizontal of 30-60?, in particular 40-50?, preferably 45?. The impact surface 38 is adjoined in the falling direction of the materials to be conveyed 14 by the directing element 46 which substantially corresponds to the directing element 46 of FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows a further view of the conveyor system 10 according to FIG. 5, wherein the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12 is illustrated by an arrow. It is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5 that the materials to be conveyed 14 slide along the impact surface 38 in the direction of the conveyor belt 12. The impact surface 38 extends in the direction of the conveyor belt or in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12, wherein that edge of the impact surface 38 which faces the conveyor belt 12 runs substantially parallel to the conveying direction. The projection of the fall line of the materials to be conveyed 12 that slide along the impact surface 38 is approximately orthogonal to the conveying direction. Following the impact surface 38, the materials to be conveyed 12 are deflected approximately by 90? in the direction of the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 12 by means of the directing vanes of the directing element 46.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system 10 in a top view according to the prior art. The conveyor belt 12 of the conveyor system 10 is pretensioned here in the transverse direction in such a flexible and curvature-generating manner that, in the case of the trough-shaped curvature of the central region, the two edge regions automatically lie in a folded-in manner. The conveyor belt 12 which is designed as a closed conveyor tube is opened into a U shape by spreading elements of the belt system engaging on the inner surface, which faces the materials to be conveyed 14, of the conveyor belt and spreading open the inner surface. Without said spreading elements, the spreading open is not possible because of the pretension of the conveyor belt 12. This step is illustrated in FIG. 7 as a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane A-A of the conveyor system according to FIG. 6. The materials to be conveyed 14 are input from the upwardly open side of the U-shaped conveyor belt 12 by means of a feeding mechanism 18. Subsequently, the conveyor belt is closed over the full circumference to form the conveyor tube. FIG. 8 shows this in the form of a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane B-B of the conveyor system according to FIG. 6.

[0059] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of a conveyor system 10 in a top view according to the further prior art. The conveyor system 10 comprises a conveyor belt 12 which, coming from a belt-deflecting drum 17, increasingly takes up a U shape and, at a first belt-shaping device, finally takes up a closed conveyor tube shape. In the region of the U shape, materials to be conveyed 14 are fed onto the conveyor belt 12 by means of a feeding mechanism 18. FIG. 10 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane C-C of the conveyor system 10 according to FIG. 9, wherein the materials to be conveyed 14 are fed, as previously mentioned, onto the materials to be conveyed 12. FIG. 11 shows a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane D-D of the conveyor system 10 according to FIG. 9, wherein the conveyor belt 12 comprises a closed conveyor tube shape which is filled with materials to be conveyed 14. The conveyor belt 12 is surrounded circumferentially here by rollers.

[0060] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment generally according to the invention of a conveyor system 10 in a top view. The conveyor belt 12 has, coming from a belt-deflecting drum 17, a flowing profile, which becomes U-shaped, to a first belt-shaping device 20. The belt-shaping device 20 shapes the conveyor belt 12 with the aid of three rollers 30, 32, 34 in such a manner that it has a constant cross section over the further course. Materials to be conveyed 14 are fed into the U shape in this region of the constant cross section by means of a feeding mechanism 18. The feeding of the materials to be conveyed 12 is illustrated in FIG. 13 in the form of a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane E-E of the conveyor system 10. The U-shaped conveyor belt 12 is brought into a closed tubular shape with the aid of rollers 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 of a second belt-shaping device 21. The beginning of the closure of the U-shaped conveyor belt 12 is illustrated in the intersecting plane F-F of the conveyor system 10 in FIG. 14. FIG. 15 shows the closed tubular shape of the conveyor belt 12 in the form of a sectional illustration of the intersecting plane G-G of the conveyor system 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0061] 10 Conveyor system [0062] 12 Conveyor belt (tubular conveyor belt) [0063] 14 Materials to be conveyed [0064] 16 Deflecting drum [0065] 17 Belt-deflecting drum [0066] 18 Feeding mechanism [0067] 20 First belt-shaping device [0068] 21 Second belt-shaping device [0069] 22 Impact surface [0070] 24 First conveyor device [0071] 26 Belt conveyor [0072] 28 Second conveyor device [0073] 30 Roller of the first belt-shaping device [0074] 31 Roller of the second belt-shaping device [0075] 32 Roller of the first belt-shaping device [0076] 33 Roller of the second belt-shaping device [0077] 34 Roller of the first belt-shaping device [0078] 35 Roller of the second belt-shaping device [0079] 36 Collecting region [0080] 37 Roller of the second belt-shaping device [0081] 38 Impact surface [0082] 39 Roller of the second belt-shaping device [0083] 40 Housing [0084] 42 Wall elements [0085] 44 Hood [0086] 46 Directing element [0087] 48 Belt system