COLBOURN, Mark, John (18-20 Brookhollow Avenue, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153, AU)
| Claims: 1. A conveyor belt cleaning assembly including: a blade assembly to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material therefrom, the blade assembly including a base to extend transversely of the belt, and a plurality of blade sub-assemblies fixed to the base and to engage the belt; and a pair of spaced supports between which the base is to extend so as to be supported thereby when the blade sub-assemblies are engaged with the belts; wherein the supports are adapted to allow installation and removal of the base therefrom in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the base. 2. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is mounted with the longitudinal axis of the base substantially horizontal and the support allows installation and removal of the base therefrom in a substantially vertical direction. 3. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further including a support member to aid in installation and removal of the base with respect to the supports, said support member extending between the supports and to support said base during movement of the base with respect to said supports. 4. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base is a bar. 5. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base is tubular and said member a bar telescopically located in said base when supporting the base during installation and removal of the base with respect to said supports. 6. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bar is circular in transverse cross-section. 7. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bar is tubular. 8. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support member has a remote end with said base moved towards said remote end during installation of said base and moved away from said remote end during removal of said base, with a stop provided at said remote end preventing movement of said base beyond said remote end. 9. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the assembly includes an attachment means secured to the support member to prevent movement of the support member beyond a predetermined position relative to said support. 10. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the attachment means is a chain attached to said remote end and an adjacent one of said supports. 11. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the supports consists of a socket portion and a cap attached to the socket portion, the cap and socket portion each cooperating to provide a passage through which said base and support member pass, with said cap being removable or movable to release said base. 12. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the socket portion is adapted to support the base in the absence of the cap. 13. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the socket portion includes an upwardly facing aperture adapted to receive and support the base therein. 14. The conveyor belt cleaning assembly as claimed in claims 1 1, 12 or 13, wherein the passage includes a chamfer around its inwardly facing inner edge. |
Technical Field
The present invention relates to conveyor belt cleaning assemblies and more particularly but not exclusively to such cleaner assemblies employed in the mining industry.
Background of the Invention
Mined material is frequently transported by means of conveyor belts. The conveyor belts have an upper length with an upper surface upon which the mine material rests to be transported thereby. A lower return length provides a continuous loop with the upper length.
It is not uncommon for some mined material to adhere to the belt so as to be at least temporarily fixed to the lower length from which it will frequently drop during travel of the lower length.
Belt cleaning assemblies are provided to remove the material from the lower length at a desired location. These assemblies include a bar that extends transverse of the belt below the lower length with a plurality of blades attached to the bar. The blades scrape against the downwardly facing surface of the lower length to remove the material adhered thereto. The abovementioned bar is supported by support assemblies on each longitudinal side of the belt. When the blades are to be replaced, the bar is removed. The removal and installation of the bar is difficult due to its weight and the fact that maintenance is generally carried out from one side of the belt. During removal and installation supporting the bar is difficult and can often present a danger.
US Patent No. 5727670 discloses a belt cleaning assembly which " allows removal of the bar from one side for replacement of the blades. However, the assembly disclosed in US Patent No. 5727670 is fixed to the conveyor which makes it difficult to install into existing conveyors, difficult to adjust its position relative to the conveyor, and difficult to remove it from a conveyor.
Object of the Invention
It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the above disadvantages.
Summary of the Invention
There is disclosed herein a conveyor belt cleaning assembly including: a blade assembly to engage a surface of a conveyor belt to remove material therefrom, the blade assembly including a base to extend transversely of the belt, and a plurality of blade sub-assemblies fixed to the base and to engage the belt; and a pair of spaced supports between which the base is to extend so as to be supported thereby when the blade sub-assemblies are engaged with the belts; wherein the supports are adapted to allow installation and removal of the base therefrom in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the base.
The base is preferably mounted with the longitudinal axis of the base substantially horizontal and the support allows installation and removal of the base therefrom in a substantially vertical direction.
The conveyor belt cleaning assembly preferably also includes a support member to aid in installation and removal of the base with respect to the supports, said support member extending between the supports and to support said base during movement of the base with respect to said supports.
Preferably, said base is a bar.
Preferably, said base is tubular and said member a bar telescopically located in said base when supporting the base during installation and removal of the base with respect to said supports.
Preferably, said bar is circular in transverse cross-section.
Preferably, said bar is tubular.
Preferably, said support member has a remote end with said base moved towards said remote end during installation of said base and moved away from said remote end during removal of said base, with a stop provided at said remote end preventing movement of said base beyond said remote end.
Preferably, said assembly includes an attachment means secured to the support member to prevent movement of the support member beyond a predetermined position relative to said support.
Preferably, said attachment means is a chain attached to said remote end and an adjacent one of said supports.
Preferably, each support consists of a socket portion and a cap attached to the socket portion, the cap and socket portion each cooperating to provide a passage through which said base and support member pass, with said cap being removable or movable to release said base. The socket portion is preferably adapted to support the base in the absence of the cap. The socket portion preferably includes an upwardly facing aperture adapted to receive and support the base therein. The passage preferably includes a chamfer around its inwardly facing inner edge.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of a first embodiment of a conveyor belt cleaning assembly;
Figure 2 is a schematic end elevation of the assembly of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of the assembly of Figure 1 partly dismantled;
Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of the assembly of Figure 1 partly dismantled;
Figure 5 is a schematic isometric view of an end portion of the assembly of Figure 1 ;
Figure 6 is a schematic end elevation of an alternative support for use with the assembly shown in Figure 1 ;
Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of the support shown in Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a schematic isometric view of a second embodiment of a conveyor belt cleaning assembly;
Figure 9 is a partial enlarged schematic isometric view of assembly shown in Figure 8; and
Figure 10 is a partial enlarged schematic isometric view of assembly shown in Figure 8.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Figures 1 to 5 schematically depict a first embodiment of a (secondary) conveyor belt cleaning assembly 10. The cleaning assembly 10 would typically engage the downwardly facing surface of the return length of a conveyor belt used in the mining industry. The assembly 10 scrapes against the downwardly facing surface of the return length of the belt to remove material therefrom.
The assembly 10 includes a blade assembly 11 consisting of a base 12 to which there is attached a plurality of blade sub-assemblies 13. The sub-assemblies 13 engage the abovementioned downwardly facing surface. The blade assembly 11 is supported by a pair of spaced supports 14, each support 14 including a socket 15 with an upwardly facing aperture provided by an arcuate surface 16. The surface 16 is a part of a circle.
To be removably fixed to each socket 15 is a cap 17 by means of threaded fasteners (bolts) 18. Each cap 17 includes a recess provided by an arcuate surface 19. The surface 19 cooperates with the surface 16 to substantially provide a circular aperture.
The base 12 is circular in transverse cross-section so as to match the circular apertures provided by the supports 14. Accordingly when the base 12 is slidably inserted through the two sockets 15 so as to engage the surfaces 16, the base 12 can be fixed thereto by engagement with the caps 17. Upon tensioning of the threaded fasteners 18, the caps 17 clamp the base 12 fixed to the supports 14.
Preferably, the base 12 is tubular steel.
The supports 14 are fixed to brackets 20 and 21 that would typically be fixed to the supporting structure for the abovementioned conveyor belt.
Telescopically located within the base 12 is a support member 22. The support member 22 of this embodiment is circular in transverse cross-section so as to relatively snugly fit within the base 12. Typically the member 12 would be tubular steel construction.
The support member 22 also extends between the supports 14. During installation and removal of the blade assembly 10 for the purposes of maintenance and/or replacement of the blade assembly 11 , the support 22 aids the maintenance staff. For example when removing the assembly 11 , the caps 17 are removed or at least loosened to thereby free the base 12 for movement relative to the supporting sockets 15. To remove the assembly 11, the base 12 is moved in the direction of the arrow 32 with the end 23 of the base 12 sliding along the support member 22 when the base 12 is no longer engaged with the support 14 fixed to the bracket 21. When the base 12 is fully removed, the support member 22 is fully exposed and supported on the sockets 15. When a repaired or new assembly 11 is to be installed, the end 23 of the base 12 is inserted over the end 24 of the support member 22 adjacent the bracket 21 and then moved in sliding manner longitudinally along the support member 22 so that the support member 22 telescopes within the base 12. When the base 12 is correctly positioned the caps 17 are attached to their respective sockets 15 and the threaded fasteners 18 tensioned so that the base 12 is clamped in position. In this respect the base 12 is clamped in position when the sub- assemblies 13 are correctly oriented and engage with the abovementioned downwardly facing surface of the return length of the belt. Fixed to the end 23 is a circular flange 26 that provides a stop for the base 12. The flange 26 is remote from the bracket 20, that is remote from the maintenance staff. The flange 26 is provided to engage the end 23 of the base 12 to prevent progression of the end 23 beyond the remote end of the support member 22. To aid in retaining the support member 22 in position during installation of the assembly 11 , there is provided a chain 27 fixed to the flange 26 and adjacent bracket 21 or support 14. The flange 26 also prevents the support member 22 being moved in the direction 32 beyond the adjacent support 14.
The assembly 11 includes a mounting plate 28 that is elongated and fixed to the base 12. Fixed to each plate 28 is a plurality of resilient mounting pads 29, each pad 29 supporting a blade flange 30 to which there is fixed a scraper part 31. During engagement of the part 31 with the abovementioned downwardly facing surface to remove material therefrom, the pads 29 and/or blade flanges 30 resiliently deform to urge the scraper parts 31 into contact with the abovementioned downwardly facing surface.
Figures 6 and 7 schematically depict an alternative support 14' for use with the conveyor belt cleaning assembly 10 described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. The support 14' is similar to the support 14 shown in Figures 1 to 5 and like features have been indicated with like reference numerals. However, in the support 14', the arcuate surface 16 of the socket 15 and the arcuate surface 19 of the cap 17 have an inwardly facing chamfer 40. The chamfer 40 advantageously allows the base 12 to slide back into the position shown in Figure 1 without needing an additional person to lift up the remote end.
Figures 8 to 10 schematically depict a second embodiment of a (primary) conveyor belt cleaning assembly 10'. The assembly 10' is similar to the assembly 10 shown in Figures 1 to 5 and like features have been indicated with like reference numerals. However, and as best seen in Figure 9 and Figure 10, the cap 17 is mounted at to the socket at one end by a hinge 42.
The above described preferred embodiments provide the advantage of supporting the base 12 on the support member 22 during installation and removal of the assembly 11, to thereby make it easier and safer for maintenance staff. The base 12 can also be installed from above the sockets 15 and the weight of the base 12 is supported within the (upwardly facing) sockets 15 even when the caps 17 are removed.
The above described preferred embodiments also provide the following advantages. Firstly, they can be easily installed into current systems. Secondly, they can be retro fitted to any system. Thirdly, they can easily be adjusted up and down relative to the belt. Fourthly, they are easily removed. Finally, they do do not take up any extra space than existing assemblies.