Method of production of conveying wire and conveying wire

Abstract

A method of production of a conveying wire that includes a fiber wire with disc-shaped conveying members, the fiber wire including twisted strands each made from synthetic plastic threads or fibers, includes coating at least one section of the fiber wire with an outer jacket by a continuous injection molding process and connecting disc-shaped conveying members by injection molding directly onto the at least one section of the outer jacket or directly onto the fiber wire, and connecting opposed end parts of each section of the outer jacket to opposed end parts of disc-shaped conveying members, while maintaining the fiber wire under tension during unwinding and during winding.

Claims

1. A method of production of a conveying wire including a fiber wire and a plurality of mutually spaced disc-shaped conveying members, the fiber wire including twisted strands of threads or fibers, the method comprising: coating at least one section of fiber wire with at least one section of an outer jacket by a continuous injection moulding process, the at least one section having annular beads or thickenings at opposed end parts; connecting disc-shaped conveying members having opposed end parts by injection moulding the members directly onto the at least one section of the outer jacket or directly onto the fiber wire; connecting the annular beads or thickenings at the opposed end parts of the at least one section of the outer jacket to the respective annular recesses in the opposed end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members; and keeping the fiber wire under tension during unwinding and keeping the conveying wire under tension during winding.

2. The method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, comprising: extending the opposed end parts of the at least one section of the outer jacket under or over the disc-shaped conveying members.

3. The method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, comprising: fastening a plurality of spaced sections of the outer jacket by injection moulding with a thermoplastic elastomer directly to the conveying wire.

4. The method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, comprising: positioning the annular beads or thickening of opposing end parts of the at least one section of the outer jacket to be internal to the opposing end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members; and thereafter fastening the disc-shaped conveying members directly to the fiber wire.

5. A method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, wherein: the fiber wire comprises plaited fibers.

6. The method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, comprising: injection moulding a plurality of sections of the outer jacket directly onto the fiber wire with a mutual spacing; and injection moulding the disc-shaped conveying members directly onto the fiber wire between opposed end parts of the plurality of sections of the outer jacket.

7. A method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 1, comprising: injection moulding with a thermoplastic elastomer an outermost part of the end parts of the conveying members together with an outer jacket before injection moulding of the conveying members therebetween.

8. A method of production of a conveying wire according to claim 2, comprising: injection moulding an outermost end part of the end parts of the conveying members in thermoplastic elastomer together with an outer jacket before injection moulding of the conveying member therebetween.

9. A conveying wire for use in an endless tube conveyor system, the conveying wire comprising disc-shaped conveying members, a fiber wire including twisted strands of threads or fibers, and a plurality of sections of an outer jacket over the fiber wire between the conveying members, end parts of the sections of the outer jacket extending under or over opposing end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members, and the opposing end parts of the sections of the outer jacket each including an annular bead or thickening.

10. The conveying wire according to claim 9, wherein the sections of the outer jacket are fastened to the conveying wire and spaced apart by injection moulding using a thermoplastic elastomer.

11. The conveying wire according to claim 9, wherein the annular bead or thickening of opposing end parts of the sections is disposed underneath the opposing end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members, which are fastened directly to the conveying wire.

12. A conveying wire according to claim 10, wherein the annular bead or thickening of opposing end parts of the sections is disposed underneath the opposing end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members which are fastened directly to the conveying wire.

13. A conveying wire according to claim 9, wherein at an outermost end part of the end parts, the conveying members include material identical to a material of the outer jacket and the outermost end parts are injection moulded together with the outer jacket before injection moulding of the conveying members.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a conveying wire according to the invention having disc-shaped conveying members;

(3) FIG. 2 shows plan view, partly in section, illustrating how the disc-shaped conveying members are fastened to the conveying wire in another embodiment.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a single disc-shaped conveying member according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a plan view, partly in section, of a further embodiment of a conveying wire according to the invention, where the outermost end parts of the disc-shaped conveying members are made of the same softer material as the outer jacket;

(6) FIG. 5 shows three views A-C for illustrating a method for making a conveying wire according to the invention in three method steps;

(7) FIG. 6 shows two views A-B of a conveying wire according to the invention made by the method of FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 shows three views A-C for illustrating a method for making an alternative conveying wire according to the invention in three method steps;

(9) FIG. 8 shows two views A-B of a conveying wire according to the invention made by the method of FIG. 7; and

(10) FIG. 9 shows an embodiment for a plant for use in making a conveying wire according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(11) The conveying wire 2 shown in FIGS. 1-3 includes a twisted or plaited fiber wire 3 (basic wire) having either twisted strands or plaited strands that each are made of synthetic plastic thin threads or fibers. The conveying wire 2 also includes a number of disc-shaped conveying members 4 which are fastened by injection moulding directly to the fiber wire 3 and to an outer jacket 6 which is similarly fastened by injection moulding directly to the fiber wire 3.

(12) The outer jacket 6 extends over sections 8 of the wire at least between the conveying members 4 as opposing end parts 10 of the sections 8 continue in under opposing end parts 14 of the conveying members 4.

(13) As shown at the left side of FIG. 2, an end part 10 of the outer jacket 6 or section 8 is designed with an annular bead or thickening 12 which, during the subsequent injection moulding of conveying member 4, initially has the task of ensuring an optimal connection between the end parts 10 and 14.

(14) By injection moulding the outer jacket 6 (coating) directly around the fiber wire 3, there is achievedas opposed to traditional extrusiona significantly better permanent adherence between the outer jacket 6 and the fiber wire 3, due to the high moulding pressure (400-500 bar).

(15) Immediately before injection moulding of the conveying members 4 around the fiber wire 3, the outer jacket 6 is also moulded around the fiber wire 3. There is a large degree of freedom when deciding how the outer jacket 6, or more correctly, its sections 8, are to be designed. As described above, the sections 8 can be designed at opposing end parts 10 with a bead or thickening 12.

(16) Alternatively, the end parts 10 can be without bead or thickening as the end parts 10 of course are intended to continue in under the end parts 14 of the conveying members 4.

(17) According to a further embodiment, sections 8 on the fiber wire 3 can have a very narrow spacing as by the subsequent injection moulding of the conveying members 4 there will automatically be performed an adjusting of opposing end parts 10 of the sections 8 in that excessive parts are simply melted away or integrated with the end parts 14 of the conveying members 4.

(18) Or the outer jacket 8 may, if possible, be injection moulded around the fiber wire 3 entirely without spacing because by the subsequent injection moulding of the conveying members 4 there may automatically occur a melting away of parts of the outer jacket 8 such that the conveying members 4 are fastened directly to the fiber wire 3.

(19) The most important common feature of the described embodiments is that the outer jacket (coating) 8 is fastened directly to the fiber wire 3 by high pressure injection moulding.

(20) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment where outermost end parts 16 of the conveying members 4 be made of the same soft material as the outer jacket 6. By the subsequent injection moulding of the conveying members 4, it may be assured to a lesser extent that the outermost end parts 16 are softened and melted together/integrated with the conveying members 4.

(21) The softer outermost end parts 16 entail an obvious, though very important advantage, namely that the bending radius of the conveying wire 2 in this embodiment generally becomes less. Or, in other words, the conveying wire 2 as a unit becomes more flexible and therefore more easily can run about reversing or corner wheels with reduced diameters.

(22) FIG. 5 shows three views A-C for illustrating a method for making a conveying wire 2 according to the invention, wherein separated outer jacket parts 18 with a specific shape, compare FIG. 5B, are fastened by injection moulding directly on a fiber wire 3 (FIG. 5A) at first. After that, disc-shaped conveying members 20, compare FIG. 5C, are fastened by injection moulding directly on the fiber wire 3 in interspaces 22 between the outer jacket parts 18. The last part of the injection moulding of the disc-shaped conveying members 20 occurs in such a way that opposing end parts 24 of the outer jacket members 18 extend in under foot parts 26 of the disc-shaped conveying members 20.

(23) FIG. 6A shows a view of a longitudinal section on the line VI-VI in FIG. 6B, showing an end view, partly in section, of a conveying wire 2 with disc-shaped conveying members 20 wherein it can be seen that the end parts 24 extend in under the foot parts 26 of the disc-shaped conveying members 20.

(24) FIG. 7 shows three views A-C for illustrating a method for making a conveying wire 2 according to the invention, wherein mutually separated outer jacket parts 28 with a specific shape, compare FIG. 7B, are fastened by injection moulding directly on a fiber wire 3 (FIG. 7A). Then disc-shaped conveying members 30, compare FIG. 7C, are fastened by injection moulding directly on the fiber wire 3 in interspaces 22 between the disc-shaped conveying members 28 which at opposite sides comprise relatively long, outwardly tapering foot parts 34. The last part of the injection moulding of the outer jacket parts 30 occurs in such a way that opposing end parts 36 of the outer jacket members 30 extend in over the relatively long foot parts 34 of the disc-shaped conveying members 28.

(25) FIG. 8A shows a view of a longitudinal section on the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 8B, showing an end view, partly in section, of a conveying wire 2 with disc-shaped conveying members 28 wherein it can be seen that the opposing end parts 36 of the outer jacket parts 30 extend in under the relatively long foot parts 34 of the disc-shaped conveying members 28.

(26) FIG. 7B shows that the relatively long foot parts 34 of the disc-shaped conveying members 28 are designed with an annular concave recess 38 in which a ring-shaped bead 40, more clearly seen in FIG. 8A, of opposing end parts of outer jacket parts 30 engage. It will be understood that a conveying wire 2, compare FIG. 7C and FIG. 8A, respectively, has a flexibility that makes the conveying wire 2 well suited for running through relatively narrow turns (corner wheels with relatively small diameter).

(27) FIG. 9 shows a drawing of an embodiment of a production plant for making a conveying wire 2 according to the invention, where a fiber wire 3 is unwound from a supply roll 42, which for the purpose of keeping the fiber wire 3 in tension is, for example, weight loaded clockwise (illustrated by curved arrow 44 and weight 46). The direction of production is illustrated by arrows 48.

(28) The fiber wire 3 runs over a guide wheel 50 into an injection moulding machine 52 where disc-shaped conveying members and outer jacket parts, respectively, are fastened directly to the fiber wire 2 such that the conveying wire 2 to the left of the injection moulding machine 52 runs through a cooling zone 54, over a further guide wheel 56 to winding station 58, which for the purpose of keeping the conveying wire 2/fiber wire 3 in tension, is weight loaded counter clockwise (illustrated by curved arrow 60 and weight 62); alternatively a spring or other resisting means can be applied.

(29) It will be understood that the sequence of fastening disc-shaped conveying members and outer jacket parts directly on the fiber wire 3 by injection moulding, compare the above, can be varied according to wish.

(30) Finally, it is to be noted that the fiber wire 3 may consist of aramide (aromatic polyamide), Technora (aromatic polyamide/copolymer), aromatic liquid polyester fiber (Vectran fiber) or ultra high molecule weight polyethylene (Dynema- and Spectra fiber).

(31) A common feature of these fibers is a relatively high elastic modulus (75 GPa-135 GPa), and in addition, the fibers themselves can be parallel, twisted or plaited to form cordage. Due to the high elastic modulus, it is counteracted that the fibers are extended like elastic piping under load.

REFERENCE NUMBERS OF THE DRAWING

(32) 2 conveying wire 3 twisted or plaited fiber wire 4 disc-shaped conveying members 6 outer jacket (coating) 8 outer jacket parts 10 opposite end parts of outer jacket parts 12 beads or thickenings 14 opposing foot parts of disc-shaped conveying members 16 outermost foot parts of soft material 18 outer jacket parts 20 disc-shaped conveying members 22 interspaces between outer jacket parts 24 opposite end parts of outer jacket parts 26 foot parts of disc-shaped conveying members 28 disc-shaped conveying members 30 outer jacket parts 32 interspaces between disc-shaped conveying members 34 relatively long, outward tapering foot parts 36 opposite end parts of outer jacket parts 38 annular concave recess 40 annular bead 42 supply roll 44 curved arrow (clockwise) 46 weight 48 arrows showing production direction 50 guide wheel 52 injection moulding machine 54 cooling zone 56 guide wheel 58 winding station 60 curved arrow (counterclockwise) 62 weight