CONVEYOR-BELT FILTER DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SETTING A TENSION AND/OR A SLACK OF AT LEAST ONE CLOSED MEANS OF TRACTION

Abstract

An apparatus and associated method for mechanically cleaning a liquid polluted with solids, which is flowing in a channel. The apparatus includes a filter belt and a frame having a lower part and an upper part. The lower part and the upper part are adapted to adjust the deflection of the filter belt, the filter belt being guided over the lower part and the upper part and being movable along a circulatory path formed on the frame. The filter belt includes a chain and a plurality of filter elements disposed on the chain. The apparatus includes a gauge having at least one measuring unit for measuring a tension or a slack of the chain.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mechanically cleaning a liquid polluted with solids, which is flowing in a channel, comprising: a filter belt (11): a frame (12), having a lower part (13) and an upper part (14), the lower part and the upper part being adapted to adjust the deflection of the filter belt, the filter belt being guided over the lower part and the upper part and being movable along a circulatory path formed on the frame, the filter belt comprising at least one chain, and a plurality of filter elements (15) disposed on the at least one chain; and a gauge (23) having at least one measuring unit (24) for measuring a tension or a slack of the at least one chain.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit (24) is configured to measure the tension or the slack of a return strand (25) of the at least one chain in an area of the lower part (13).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter belt (11) comprises two chains (16), each chain being composed of chain links (17), the filter elements (15) each being disposed between two chain links of the chains.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit (24) comprises a lever (26) mounted on the frame (12) in a movable manner, at least one pressure-applying element, and at least one gauging element, in particular a roller (28) or a skid, disposed on the lever, the pressure-applying element pushing the lever in the direction of the filter belt (11) in such a manner that the gauging element is pressed against the at least one chain or the filter elements (15).

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the measuring unit (24) comprises a linkage (29) coupled to the lever (26).

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit (24) comprises at least one proximity sensor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gauge (23) comprises a displaying unit (31) for displaying a value of the tension or the slack.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linkage (29) is coupled to the lever (26) with a first end of the linkage, and a second end of the linkage has an indicator configured to interact with a scale of the displaying unit (31), in particular a range scale, in such a manner that the value of the tension or the slack can be read from a position of the indicator in relation to the scale.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linkage (29) is coupled to the lever (26) with a first end of the linkage, the linkage having a second end, the displaying unit (31) comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the second end.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one chain is adapted to maintain a fixed tension or slack set by an operator.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator (22) for driving a deflection shaft (19) of the upper part (14).

12. A method for setting a tension or a slack of at least one chain of a filter belt (11), for mechanically cleaning a liquid polluted with solids, which is flowing in a channel, comprising: guiding the filter belt over a lower part (13) of a frame and an upper part (14) of the frame; moving the filter belt along a circulatory path formed on the frame (12), wherein the filter belt comprises a plurality of filter elements (15) disposed on the at least one chain; and measuring the tension or the slack.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tension or the slack is set while the filter belt is standing still.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tension or the slack is measured while the filter belt is standing still.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tension or the slack is measured while the filter belt is in operation.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein setting is carried out in such a manner that the tension or the slack are fully within a target range despite fluctuations of the tension or the slack due to a polygonal effect during the operation of the filter belt.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the frame comprises at least one wheel disposed on a shaft, or a rigid guideway.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the frame comprises at least one wheel disposed on a shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a side view of a conveyor-belt filter device;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front view of the conveyor-belt filter device;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the conveyor-belt filter device along an axis A-A shown in FIG. 2;

[0031] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an area B shown in FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an area C as shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] A synopsis of FIGS. 1 to 5 shows an apparatus 10, such as a conveyor-belt filter device, for mechanically cleaning a liquid contaminated with solids, which is flowing in a canal (not shown), the conveyor-belt filter device comprising a filter belt 11 and a frame 12 having a lower part of the frame 13 and an upper part of the frame 14, the lower part 13 and the upper part 14 being adapted to adjust the deflection of the filter belt 11, the filter belt 11 being guided over the lower part 13 and the upper part 14 and being movable along a circulatory path formed on the frame 12. The filter belt 11 comprises a plurality of filter elements 15 and at least one chain. There may be two chains, of which only one chain 16 is visible here, the chains each being composed of chain links, of which only chain links 17 of chain 16 are visible here, the filter elements 15 each being disposed between a chain link 17 of chain 16 and a chain link of the other chain. The lower part 13 and the upper part 14 each comprise a deflection shaft 18, 19 and two chain wheels disposed on the deflection shaft 18, 19, of which only one chain wheel 20 disposed on deflection shaft 18 and one chain wheel 21 disposed on deflection shaft 19 are visible here, the chains being guided over the chain wheels. In particular, chain 16 is guided over chain wheels 20, 21. The apparatus 10 further comprises a drive mechanism, such as an actuator 22, for driving the deflection shaft 19 of the upper part 14. The apparatus 10 further comprises a setting mechanism (not shown) for an operator to set a fixed tension and/or the slack of the chains, the setting mechanism being disposed in an area of the upper part 14. Furthermore, the apparatus 10 comprises a measuring mechanism, such as a gauge 23, with a measuring unit 24 for measuring a tension and/or a slack of the chain 16. The tension and/or the slack of a return strand 25 of the chain 16 in an area of the lower part 13 can be measured by means of the measuring unit 24. The measuring unit 24 comprises a lever 26 rotatably mounted on the frame 12, a spring element 27, and two rollers disposed next to each other on a common axis on the lever 26, of which only one roller 28 is visible here, the lever 26 being biased in the direction of the chain 16 by means of the spring element 27 in such a manner that the rollers are pressed against the return strand 25 in the area of the lower part 13. Furthermore, the measuring unit 24 comprises a linkage 29, the linkage 29 comprising a bar 30, the linkage 29, or the bar 30, being coupled to the lever 26 at one end and the linkage 29, or the bar 30, having an indicator (not shown) at the other end, the indicator being configured to interact with a range scale (not shown) of a display unit 31 of the gauge 23 for displaying a value of the tension and/or the slack in such a manner that the value of the tension and/or the slack can be read from a position of the indicator in relation to the scale. Furthermore, the displaying unit 31 comprises a guide means 32, by means of which the linkage 29, or the bar 30, can be guided at the other end, the guide means 32 being a box, the bar 30 engaging an opening (not shown) of the box at the other end. Furthermore, the apparatus 10 comprises a scraping device 33 for scraping the filter elements 15. Furthermore, the apparatus 10 comprises a discharge device 34 for discharging a filtered-out material. The apparatus 10 can be disposed in the channel in such a manner that the lower part 13, in particular, is located below a liquid level and the upper part 14, in particular, is located above the liquid level.