A CONVEYOR BELT SUPPORT

THIS INVENTION relates to a conveyor belt support.

A known type of support arrangement for a conveyor belt includes a series of spaced-apart conveyor belt supports. Each support includes a frame, an arrangement of carry idlers carried by the frame, and, at least in some cases, an arrangement of return idlers carried by the frame. Each arrangement of idlers supports a length of a conveyor belt. The frames are disposed transversely to the conveyor belt. Any reference herein to a conveyor belt support must be interpreted as a reference to a conveyor belt support of the general type described above.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a conveyor belt support including: a frame made of fibre reinforced concrete and including: two upright members, each defining an operative top end and an operative bottom end; and an upper beam member interconnecting the operative top ends; and an upper carry idler arrangement suspended between the upright members.

The frame may be a pre-cast unit.

The upper beam member may be arched.

The conveyor belt support may include a lower return idler arrangement suspended between the upright members. In this case, the frame may include a lower beam member, operatively below the return idler arrangement, interconnecting the upright members. Alternatively or additionally, the frame may include an intermediate beam member, intermediate the carry and return idler arrangements, interconnecting the upright members.

The upright members may define a substantially rectangular cross-section.

An operative bottom length of each upright member may define a spigot providing for fixing of the member to a foundation.

The conveyor belt support may include, in an installed configuration thereof, a foundation. The conveyor belt support may be fixed cantilever fashion by the foundation against rotation about a horizontal axis intersecting the upright members.

The foundation, where provided, may include two mini-piles, one for each upright member. In the case of the upright members defining spigots, as referred to above, the mini-pile of each upright member may define a complementary socket within which the spigot defined by the upright member is received. Each spigot may be fixed in the corresponding socket by means of grouting.

Alternatively, the foundation, where provided, may include a sleeper foundation. In the case of the upright members defining spigots, as referred to above, the foundation may define two opposite sockets within which the respective spigots of the upright members are received. Each spigot may be fixed in the corresponding socket by means of grouting.

Yet alternatively, the foundation, where provided, may include a sleeper foundation part and two opposite mini-piles. In the case of the upright members defining spigots, as referred to above, the foundation may define two opposite sockets within which the respective spigots of the upright members are received. Each spigot may be fixed in the corresponding socket by means of grouting.

The compressive strength of the fibre reinforced concrete may be in the range 90 to 150 MPa. It may, more particularly, be in the range 1 15 to 125 MPa. The fibre reinforced concrete may be high density fibre reinforced concrete.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a frame for a conveyor belt support, the frame being made of fibre reinforced concrete and including: two upright members, each defining an operative top end and an operative bottom end; and an upper beam member interconnecting the operative top ends.

The frame may be a pre-cast unit.

The upper beam member may be arched.

The frame may include a lower beam member at a level operatively below a level suitable for mounting a return idler arrangement, the lower beam member interconnecting the upright members.

The frame may include an intermediate beam member at a level operatively intermediate a level suitable for mounting a carry idler arrangement and a level suitable for mounting a return idler arrangement, the intermediate beam member interconnecting the upright members.

The upright members may define a substantially rectangular cross-section.

An operative bottom length of each upright member may define a spigot providing for fixing of the member to a foundation.

The compressive strength of the fibre reinforced concrete may be in the range 90 to 150 MPa. It may, more particularly, be in the range 1 15 to 125 MPa. The fibre reinforced concrete may be high density fibre reinforced concrete.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of constructing a conveyor belt system, the method including: pre-casting a plurality of fibre reinforced concrete frames, each frame including: two upright members, each upright member defining an operative top end and an operative bottom end; and an upper beam member interconnecting the operative top ends; and erecting the frames in series on suitable foundations to define conveyor belt supports.

Each of the frames may be pre-cast in a decumbent orientation.

The frames are provided with idler arrangements, as required, either before or after erection. A conveyor belt is installed on the idler arrangements.

Further features of the frames used in the method of the third aspect of the invention may be the same as any of those of the frame of the conveyor belt support of the first aspect of the invention or of the frame of the second aspect of the invention and are not repeated here. Further features of the foundations used in the method of the third aspect of the invention may be the same as any of those of the foundations of the conveyor belt support of the first aspect of the invention and are not repeated here.

The invention is described below by way of non-limiting example embodiments of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, each including a frame, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a first embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, in an installed configuration thereof, the support including a frame, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of a part of a conveyor belt system, constructed in accordance with the method of the third aspect of the invention and including the support of Figure 1 ; and

Figures 3, 4, and 5 show, respectively, front elevations of a second, a third, and a fourth embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, in installed configurations thereof and each support including a frame, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

In Figure 1 , an embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The support 10 includes: a frame 12, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention; a foundation in the form of two mini-piles 14, an upper carry idler arrangement 16; and a lower return idler arrangement 18.

The frame 12 is an integrally pre-cast unit of fibre reinforced concrete and comprises: two upright members 20, each defining a top end 22 and a bottom end 24; an upper beam member 26, interconnecting the ends 22; and a lower beam member 28, below the return idler arrangement 18, interconnecting the upright members 20.

The compressive strength of the fibre reinforced concrete may be in the range 90 to 150 MPa, say 120 MPa. The fibre reinforced concrete may be high density fibre reinforced concrete.

Each of the members 20, 26, and 28 has a square cross-section. In other embodiments of the support of the invention, any one or more of them may have another cross-section, e.g. a non-square rectangular cross-section.

A bottom length of each upright member 20 including its bottom end 24 defines a spigot 30 that is received within a complementary socket 32 defined within a corresponding mini-pile 14. The mini-piles 14 particularly are made of cast in situ concrete and the sockets 32 are defined therein during casting, i.e. prior to installation of the frame 12. Each socket 32 is substantially larger in cross-section than the corresponding spigot 30 so as to provide a construction tolerance. The spigot 30 is fixed in the corresponding socket 32 via suitable grouting.

Each idler arrangement 16 and 18 is suspended between the upright members 20, and thus carried by them, via two opposite adjustable bracket arrangements 34 (shown in simplified diagrammatic form). The idler arrangements 16 and 18 are essentially conventional and, as such, will not be described in detail herein.

They provide support for a conveyor belt 36.

The beam member 26 has fixed thereto an arcuate length of angle iron 38, to which an IBR sheeting roof 40 is fixed.

With reference particularly to Figure 2, the support 10 is one of a series of conveyor belt supports of which the support 10 and an adjacent support 42, also being

a conveyor belt support in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, are shown. All the supports are identical except that, in alternate supports, including the support 42, no return idler arrangement is provided.

The conveyor belt 36 and the IBR sheeting roof 40 are supported on the series of conveyor belt supports. Due to the curvature in the roof 40 in cross-section thereof, as shown in Figure 1 , it has sufficient bending capacity to span freely between adjacent conveyor belt supports.

Each of the supports 10 and 42 is a free-standing support, fixed cantilever- fashion by its mini-piles 14 against rotation about a horizontal axis 43 intersecting the upright members 20 at ground level. The other embodiments of the conveyor belt supports illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5 below are also thus fixed by their foundations.

An example implementation of the method of the second aspect of the invention includes the following steps:

A plurality of frames such as the frame 12 are pre-cast in suitable moulds (not shown), each in a decumbent orientation.

A series of pairs of mini-piles such as the mini-piles 14 are constructed in situ. The frames are provided with idler arrangements, as per the description above.

The frames are installed on the mini-piles to define conveyor belt supports. A conveyor belt is installed on the supports.

Further features of the method of the second aspect of the invention would be known or obvious to those skilled in the art of the invention and are thus not described herein.

In Figure 3, a second embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 46. The conveyor belt support 46 includes certain features that are identical or similar to those of the conveyor belt support 10 of Figure 1. Identical or similar features, where designated, are again designated by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features is not repeated here.

The frame 12 of the conveyor belt support 46 includes also an intermediate beam 48, which is intermediate the carry idler arrangement 16 and the return idler arrangement 18 and which interconnects the upright members 20. The beam 48 includes a central, horizontally disposed section and two upwardly outwardly inclined sections. The beam member 48 is pre-cast in fibre reinforced concrete as an integral part of the frame 12.

In Figure 4, a third embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 50. The conveyor belt support 50 includes certain features that are identical or similar to those of the conveyor belt supports 10 and 46 of Figures 1 and 3, respectively. Identical or similar features, where designated, are again designated by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features is not repeated here.

The intermediate beam 48 of the frame 12 is straight and horizontal and the frame has no lower beam member. The conveyor belt support 50 includes a sleeper foundation 52, which is a pre-cast unit. The sleeper foundation 52 defines therein two opposite sockets 32 in which the respective spigots 30 are received and fixed via grouting.

A sleeper foundation of the conveyor belt support of the invention may alternatively be cast in situ.

In Figure 5, a fourth embodiment of a conveyor belt support, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 54. The conveyor belt support 46 includes many features that are identical or similar to those of the conveyor belt supports 10 and 50 of Figures 1 and 4, respectively. Identical or similar features, where designated, are again designated by the same reference numerals as before and a description of these features is not repeated here.

The conveyor belt support 54 is particularly identical to the conveyor belt support 50 of Figure 4 except in that it has a foundation comprising a sleeper foundation part 52 and two mini-piles 14.

The Applicant envisages that the provision of a fibre reinforced concrete frame, particularly a pre-cast one, in accordance with the invention, provides for an economical, durable, and simple to erect conveyor belt support.