Conveyor Belt Scraping Device

Abstract

A conveyor belt scraping device comprises a support shaft and at least one scraping segment arranged on the support shaft. The scraping segment has a holding end and a scraping end which is located opposite the holding end. The conveyor belt scraping device also comprises at least one holding support which is arranged on a stationary mounting and in which the support shaft is rotatably mounted, at least one drive element of a stationary drive motor, said drive element being coupled to the support shaft so as to transfer a torque, and a controller for the drive motor. The scraping end of the scraping segment can be made to contact the conveyor belt or can be released from the conveyor belt by means of a corresponding actuation of the drive motor and a movement of the drive element.

Claims

12. A method for operating a conveyor belt scraping device for a conveyor belt of a conveyor belt system, wherein the conveyor belt scraping device comprises: a support shaft and at least one scraping segment arranged on the support shaft wherein the scraping segment comprises a holding end which is connected to the support shaft in a positive locking manner so as to transmit torque, and a scraping end which is situated opposite the holding end, at least one holding bearing which is arranged on a stationary mounting in which the support shaft is rotatably mounted, at least one drive element of an immovably arranged electric drive motor which is coupled to the support shaft so as to transmit torque, a control means for the electric drive motor, wherein as a result of correspondingly actuating the electric drive motor and moving the drive element the scraping segment is moved with its scraping end against the conveyor belt or is removed from the conveyor belt, the method comprising: determining a force of the electric drive motor necessary for a desired pretension of the scraping end of the scraping segment against the conveyor belt and regulating the force with the control means via a current drawn from the electric drive motor, setting a particular motor current as a boundary value for the desired pretension of the scraping end of the scraping segment, and driving the electric drive motor again and again at predetermined or determinable time intervals against the conveyor belt, in each case until the particular motor current set as a boundary value for the desired pretension is reached.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a manual coupling is arranged between the drive element of the electric drive motor and the support shaft and further comprising utilizing the manual coupling to manually adjust and fix the relative rotational position of the support shaft and of the drive element with respect to one another and in the respectively adjusted position.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising adjusting the relative rotational position by manually rotating the support shaft with the position of the drive element unchanged.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the electric drive motor has two end positions, namely a first end position in the placing direction and a second end position in the releasing direction, wherein before motorized driving the scraping end of the scraping segment against the conveyor belt the electric drive motor is moved into its first end position, and, wherein with the electric drive motor in its first end position, the scraping segment is placeable with its scraping end against the conveyor belt at the desired pretension as a result of the application of force on the support shaft by utilizing the manual coupling and is fixed in the adjusted position with the manual coupling.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electric drive motor has two end positions, namely a first end position in the placing direction and a second end position in the releasing direction, wherein before motorized driving the scraping end of the scraping segment against the conveyor belt the electric drive motor is moved into its first end position, and, wherein with the electric drive motor in its first end position, the scraping segment is placeable with its scraping end against the conveyor belt at the desired pretension as a result of the application of force on the support shaft by utilizing the manual coupling and is fixed in the adjusted position with the manual coupling.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The concepts of the present disclosure are now explained in more detail below by way of a drawing which shows preferred exemplary embodiments and in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematically simplified representation in perspective of the basic principle of a conveyor belt scraping device for a conveyor belt of a conveyor belt system,

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the typical conveyor belt scraping devices on a conveyor belt,

[0035] FIGS. 3-9 show different positions of a conveyor belt scraping device,

[0036] FIG. 10 shows an enlarged representation of a manual coupling as can be used regularly in the case of a conveyor belt scraping device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conveyor belt 1 of a conveyor belt system on which bulk material 2 is situated. Said conveyor belt 1 runs from left to right in FIG. 1. It is deflected at a deflection roller 3 such that its bottom belt portion, the lower run, is able to run back to the starting point.

[0038] A support shaft 4 of the conveyor belt scraping device can be seen below the conveyor belt 1 and not far from the deflection roller 3. The support shaft 4 is hexagonal in cross section. Three scraping segments 5 are arranged as an example on the support shaft 4. Different mounting options here are described in the prior art. To this end, reference may be made to the prior art named in the introduction, but also to DE 20 2009 004 182 U1 and DE 20 2012 010 945 U1. The teaching of the invention does not include the manner of the mounting of the scraping segments 5 on the support shaft 4.

[0039] It is important for the scraping segment 5 (singular also stands for plural here) to comprise a holding end 6, which is connected in a positively locking manner to the support shaft 4 so as to transmit torque, and a scraping end 7 which is situated opposite the holding end 6. FIG. 1, in this case, shows a secondary scraper where the scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5 is placed on the conveyor belt 1 on the lower run somewhat behind the deflection roller 3. FIG. 2 shows a primary scraper 8 on the right and on the left a secondary scraper 9 as is shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] In addition, in FIG. 1 a stationary mounting 10 can be seen in each case on the left and on the right with in each case a holding bearing 11 which is arranged on the mounting 10 and in which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the support shaft 4 is rotatably mounted.

[0041] FIG. 1 does not yet show any drive for the support shaft 4. FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4-9 have to be looked at in this respect.

[0042] At least one drive element 12 of an electric drive motor 13, which is coupled to the support shaft 4, preferably at one end of the support shaft 4, so as to transmit torque, is provided. FIG. 3 also shows a schematic representation of a control means 14 for the electric drive motor 13. Such a control means is typically nowadays an electronic control means, in particular with corresponding control software.

[0043] As a result of correspondingly actuating the electric drive motor 13, the scraping segment 5 is placeable against the conveyor belt 1 with its scraping end 7 or is releasable from the conveyor belt 1, that is to say removable from the conveyor belt 1. The electric drive motor 13 itself is arranged in a stationary manner, for example on the stationary mounting 10 or for example on a frame structure of the conveyor belt system overall. The output element of the electric drive motor 13 is coupled in a suitable manner with the drive element 12.

[0044] The representation in FIGS. 3-9 shows once again the secondary scraper 9 which is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0045] The electric drive motor 13 can have an arbitrary form, however it can be an electric linear drive motor 13. FIGS. 3-9 also refer to said example.

[0046] The output element of the linear drive motor 13 is extended in the representation in FIG. 3, the scraping segment 5 has been pivoted downward away as far as possible from the conveyor belt 1.

[0047] In FIG. 8, the output element of the linear drive motor 13 has been fully retracted and the scraping segment 5 is placed onto the conveyor belt 1 with its scraping end 7.

[0048] It is important to the invention then that a manual coupling 15 is arranged between the drive element 12 of the electric drive motor 13 on the one hand and the support shaft 4 on the other hand. The relative rotational position of the support shaft 4 and of the drive element 12 of the electric drive motor 13 relative to one another is manually adjustable by utilizing the coupling 15. The relative rotational position is then fixable in the respectively adjusted position by means of the coupling 15.

[0049] FIGS. 3-9 show the context depicted beforehand in individual examples.

[0050] In FIG. 3, as already mentioned, the scraping segment 5 with the scraping end 7 has been completely pivoted away from the conveyor belt 1. This is effected as a result of the output element of the electric drive motor 13, which here is an electric linear drive motor, being fully extended.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows the same position of the scraping segment 5 as in FIG. 3, however the output element of the electric drive motor 13 is fully retracted and the drive element 12 has been pivoted upward in relation to FIG. 3. This is possible because the manual coupling 15 has been disengaged.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows the same position as FIG. 4. A wrench 16, in particular in the form of a torque wrench, has now been positioned on the support shaft 4.

[0053] FIG. 6 differs from FIG. 5 in that, by means of the wrench 16, the support shaft 4, and with it the scraping segment 5, have been pivoted clockwise, indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6. The manual coupling 15 has been engaged in the outermost position. In said position, the output element of the electric drive motor 13 is still fully retracted.

[0054] In FIG. 7 the output element of the drive motor 13 continues to be fully retracted. As a result of pivoting the wrench 16 further clockwise, the scraping segment 5 has also been pivoted further clockwise. The scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5 is pretensioned in relation to the conveyor belt 1 at the desired pretension, which is adjusted as a result of the application of force onto the support shaft 4 by means of the wrench 16.

[0055] The support shaft 4 is held in the desired position, shown in FIG. 7, by means of the wrench 16. The manual coupling 15 is engaged. The wrench 16 is then removed.

[0056] This is shown in FIG. 8. The desired end state of the pretension has now been achieved.

[0057] If, proceeding from the representation in FIG. 8, the output element of the electric drive motor 13 is now extended (as shown, for example, in FIG. 3), the scraping segment 5 is pivoted away from the conveyor belt 1 with the engaged manual coupling 15 unchanged. If the output element of the electric drive motor 13 is then retracted again, the scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5, on account of the fixing of the relative position of support shaft 4 and drive element by means of the manual coupling 15, is placed against the conveyor belt 1 again at precisely the manually preset pretension. The electric drive motor 13 is in this case moved back into its end position.

[0058] FIG. 9 shows a maintenance position for the scraping segment 5 where the output element of the electric drive motor 13 is extended a little. Nothing has changed in this case as regards the state of engagement of the manual coupling 15.

[0059] The representation, which was given beforehand, makes clear that in the exemplary embodiment shown here the adjusting of the relative rotational position by manually rotating the support shaft 4 is carried out with the position of the drive element 12 unchanged.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a complete representation of the drive. FIG. 10 shows an enlarged representation of only the manual coupling 15 on the support shaft 4 in connection with the drive element 12.

[0061] In the exemplary embodiment shown and in this respect preferred, it is provided that the manual coupling 15 is connected to the support shaft 4 in a non-rotatable manner and to the drive element 12 in a manually adjustable and fixable manner. For the non-rotatable connection between the manual coupling 15 and the support shaft 4, there is a polygonal recess 17 in the manual coupling 15 and a fixing screw 18 therein. The latter presses two faces of the support shaft 4 into the corresponding faces of the polygonal recess 17 and thus ensures a non-rotatable connection between the manual coupling 15 and the support shaft 4. The fixing screw 18, in this case, allows different sized support shafts 4 to be provided with one and the same manual coupling 15.

[0062] The manually adjustable and fixable connection between the manual coupling 15 and the drive element 12 is produced in the top region somewhat above the support shaft 4. To this end, according to the preferred teaching, it is provided here that the connection between the coupling 15 and the drive element 12 comprises a detent mechanism 19 which is adjustable in steps and a stepless precision adjusting mechanism 20. The part-circular sector gear of the detent mechanism 19 and, above the sector gear of the detent mechanism 19, a latching bolt 21 which engages from above in the detent mechanism 19 at the corresponding point and is secured on the drive element 12 can be seen. The representation in FIG. 10 shows the latching bolt 21 resting in the detent mechanism 19. The relative position of the manual coupling 15 in relation to the drive element 12 is fixed as a result.

[0063] The manual coupling 15 is actuatable here purely by hand, that is to say without any tooling. The grip 21 with which the latching bolt 21 in FIG. 10 can be pulled upward serves for this purpose.

[0064] If the latching bolt 21 in FIG. 10 is pulled upward with the grip 21, it moves out of engagement with the detent mechanism 19 and the drive element 12 can be pivoted to the right or the left in relation to the sector gear of the detent mechanism 19. If the grip 21 is then released again, the latching bolt 21 according to a preferred realization is pressed back into the detent mechanism 19 by means of spring force.

[0065] If the latching bolt 21, as shown in FIG. 10, rests in the detent mechanism 19, it is still possible to perform the precision adjusting 20 by means of the two adjusting screws which are to the left and to the right. If, in FIG. 10, it is desired to pivot the drive element 12 to the left in relation to the support shaft 4, the left-hand adjusting screw of the precision adjusting mechanism 20 is screwed in and the right-hand screw is screwed out. The procedure is reversed if pivoting to the right is desired.

[0066] FIG. 3 (and FIGS. 4-9) show for the entire arrangement of the mounting 10 a design where it is provided that the mounting 10 comprises at least one main carrier 22 with a first, preferably top end 23 and a second, preferably bottom end 24. The support shaft 4 is mounted in the holding bearing 11 on the second end 24. The drive element 12, which is realized as a lever, protrudes laterally from the main carrier 22 on the second end 24 and the drive motor 13 is mounted between the first end 23 of the main carrier 22 and the free end of the drive element 12. In this way, the entire arrangement is in the form of a triangle. It can be handled overall in an easy manner by the main carrier of the mounting 10 being mounted fixedly at the desired position on the conveyor belt system.

[0067] The drive element 12 can be designed in various ways as regards the manual coupling 15 with the drive element shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10. It does not necessarily have to be in the form of a strip. It can comprise different lengths, widths and thicknesses, all in dependence on the structural design of the specific conveyor belt scraping device.

[0068] Different ways of realizing the manual coupling 15 overall are also possible and will be chosen by a person skilled in the art in a suitable manner depending on the application and the circumstances.

[0069] The representation in FIGS. 3-9, which has been explained in detail beforehand, allows for the following inventive method of operation of the conveyor belt scraping device according to the invention.

[0070] With its output element, the electric drive motor 13 comprises two end positions, namely a first end position in the placing direction and a second end position in the releasing direction. The electric drive motor 13 is moved into its first end position for placing the scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5 against the conveyor belt 1. With the electric drive motor 13 in the first end position, the scraping segment 5 is placed with its scraping end 7 against the conveyor belt 1 at the desired pretension as a result of the application of force on the support shaft 4 by utilizing the manual coupling 15. The support shaft 4 is then fixed in the adjusted position with the scraping segment 5 by means of the manual coupling 15. This has the advantage already mentioned above that, even with the electric drive motor 13 fully retracted, the pretension of the scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5 on the conveyor belt 1 will not rise higher than as manually adjusted by utilizing the coupling 15. The application of force of the electric drive motor 13 necessary for the desired pretension of the scraping end 7 of the scraping segment 5 is determined and regulated by means of the control means 14 via the current drawn from the electric drive motor 13. This is indicated in FIG. 3 with the control means 14 shown there by the dotted line from the electric drive motor 13 to the control means 14. [0071] 1-11. (canceled)