Technical Field

[00013 The present invention relates to a roller system for a conveyor belt.

Background Art

[0002] Any reference herein to prior art is not intended to imply that such prior art forms or formed a part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other country.

[00033 Conveyor belts are used in numerous applications for continuously transporting products over a distance. They typically include an endless belt that is driven by a roller (also known as a pulley) at an end thereof and which is supported by rollers (also known as idlers) at spaced intervals between its ends.

[0004] Due to the nature of the materials carried by many conveyo belts (especially in the mining industry, where the belts are used to carry heavy materials and are often operated in a harsh working environment), the rollers that support the belt fail relatively often and it is necessar to replace them quickly lest they cause damage and/or premature wear to the belt. However, in order to replace a failed roller, it is typically necessary to isolate the conveyor (and hence stop production). Depending on the industry, production losses incurred due to roller failures can be in excess of $1 M per hour, per conveyor circuit. The current industry average time to replace a failed roller is around one hour, due to having to run all of the product off the conveyor, shut it down, isolate the conveyor, lift the belt, change out the roller, lowe the belt, de-isolate, run up the conveyor and then re-introduce product.

[00053 Furthermore, changing of rollers carries a significant risk of injuries to personnel due to the need to manually handle the roller and replacement roller in cramped and difficult to access areas. Summary of Invention

[0006] In a first aspect, the present nvention provides a roller system for a conveyor belt. The roller system comprises a first roller holder adapted to locate a first roller in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt; a second roller holder adapted to locate a second roller in a second position, the second position being remote from the conveyor belt; and an actuator that is operable to move the first roller away from the conveyor belt and the second roller into the first position upon detection of a failure of the first roller.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a roller system for a conveyor belt. The roller system comprises a first roller that is locatable in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt; a second roller that is locatable in a second position, the second position being remote from the conveyor belt; and an actuator that is operable to move the first roller away from the conveyor belt and the second roller into the first position upon detection of a failure of the first roller.

[0008] As will be appreciated, a roller system for a conveyor belt having a second "stand by" roller that is in a position where if can be readily switched with a first "duty" roller as soon as that rolle becomes damaged can have a number of significant advantages over existing roller systems. For example, the roller system of the present invention may enable rollers to be switched without necessarily having to isolate the conveyor and stop production. Further, the damaged roller can be removed relatively quickly, before it can cause any premature wear or more serious damage to the belt. Finally, it may not be necessary for personnel to physically handle the rollers and interact with other components of the conveyor belt system in order to switch the rollers, thus reducing the risk of injuries.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the first and second roller holders ma be provided on a member that is moveable by the actuator. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second roller holders may be provided on a rotating member and the actuator is operable to rotate the rotating member, in other embodiments, the first and second roller holders may be provided on a sliding member and the actuator is operable to slide the sliding member. [0010] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the first and second rollers may be mounted to a member that is moveable by the actuator. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second rollers may be mounted to a rotating member and the actuator is operable to rotate the rotating member. In other embodiments, the first and second rollers may be mounted to a sliding member and the actuator is operable to slide the sliding member.

[001 1] In some embodiments, the roller system may b adapted to eject the first roller from the roller system when the first roller is moved away from the conveyor belt. In some embodiments, the roller system may be adapted to replace the ejected first roller with a new roller.

[0012] In some embodiments, the roller system may further comprise a detector for detecting the failure of the first roller. In some embodiments, the detector may detect the failure of the first roller by detecting an increased vibration of the roller.

[0013] In some embodiments, the actuator may be remotely operable upon detection of the failure of the first roller. In other embodiments, the actuator may be manually operable upon detection of the failure of the first roller.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the roller system may further comprise a third roller holder adapted to locate a third roller in a position remote from the conveyor belt, wherein the third roller is moveable into the first position upon detection of a failure of the second roller. As will be appreciated, in some

embodiments the roller system may comprise more than three roller holders, for example, four, five or six roller holders, each of which are moveable into the first position upon detection of a failure of the preceding roller.

[0015| In some embodiments of the second aspect, the roller system ma further comprise a third roller that is locatable in a position remote from the conveyor belt, wherein the third roller is moveable into the first position upon detection of failure of the second roller. As will be appreciated, in some embodiments the roller system may comprise more than three rollers, for example, four, five or six rollers, each of which are moveabl into the first position upon detection of a failure of the preceding roller. [0016] In some embodiments, the roller systems of the present invention may be provided on a frame (e.g. a .roughing frame, a V frame or a straight frame) adapted to be incorporated into a conveyor belt system. In some embodiments, the frame may comprise a plurality of the roller systems of the present invention (e.g. separate sections of the frame may each comprise a roller system of the present invention). The roller systems on each section of such a frame may be the same or different. For example, in some embodiments, the roller system or systems that will carry a majority of a load on the conveyor belt may comprise more replacement rollers than the roller system or systems that will carry less of the load on the conveyor belt. For example, the roller system(s) that will carry a majority of the load on the conveyor belt may be centrally located on the frame and the roller system(s} that will carry less of the load on the conveyor belt be located to a side of the frame.

[00173 In ^a third aspect, the present invention provides a frame for supporting a conveyor belt, the frame comprising one or more of the roller systems of the first or second aspect of the present invention. In some embodiments, the frame of the third aspect of the present invention may have the features of the frame described herein in the context of the first and second aspects of the present invention.

[0018] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a conveyor belt system comprising one or more of the roller systems of the first or second aspect of the present invention.

[0019] In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a conveyor belt system comprising a frame comprising a plurality of the roller systems of the first or second aspect of the present invention arranged in offset positions to each other.

[0020] It will be appreciated that any of the features described herein can be used in any combination.

Brief Description of Drawings

[00213 Specific embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [0022] Figure 1 is a side view of a frame for a troughed conveyor belt system including roller systems in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is an end view of the centra! roller system of the troughed conveyor belt system of Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 3 is an isometric view of a frame for a troughed conveyor belt system including roller systems in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

[0025] Figure 4 is a cross sectional view along the line 4-4 in Figure 3, showing the sleeves and bushings to enable independent rotation of the various sections of the roller systems of Figure 3.

Description of Embodiments

[0026] The present invention provides a roller system for a conveyor belt (e.g. a straight, troughed or V-conveyor belt). In a first aspect, the roller system comprises a first roller holder adapted to locate a first roller in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt; a second roller holder adapted to locate a second roller in a second position, the second position being remote from the conveyor belt; and an actuator that is operable to move the first roller awa from the conveyor belt and the second roller into the first position upon defection of a failure of the first roller. In a second aspect, th roller system comprises a first roller that is locatabie in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt; a second roller that is locatabie in a second position, the second position being remote from the conveyor belt; and an actuator that is operable to move the first roller away from the conveyor belt and the second roller into the first position upon detection of a failure of the first roller,

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention can advantageously enable failed or damaged belt conveyor rollers (also known as idlers) to be replaced without necessarily having to stop the conveyor or isolate the conveyor. There is also no need to have someone enter the conveyor in order to remove and replace the failed rollers. This invention therefore has the potential to save many hours of lost production and dramatically improve the safety and ergonomic issues normally associated with this task.

[0028] The roller system has a first roller holder adapted to locate a first roller in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt, or a first roller that is locatable in a first position whereby the first roller supports the conveyor belt. The first roller may be any roller that is suitable for use with the relevant conveyor belt. When in the first position, the circumferential surface of the roller contacts an underside of the conveyor belt to thereby support the conveyor belt and any material thereon. The first position will depend on factors such as the radius of the roller and the type of conveyor belt system. Optimisation of the first position for any given conveyor belt system is within the skill of persons skilled in the art.

[0029] The roller system also has a second roller holder adapted to locate a second roller in a second position, the second position being remote from the conveyor belt, or a second roller that is locatable in a second position that is remote from the conveyor belt. The second roller may be any roller that is suitable for use with the relevant conveyor belt. The second position is ideally a position in which the roller does not interfere with the normal operation of the conveyor belt, but which is close enough to the first position to make switching the first and second rollers relatively quick and straightforward. The second position will therefore depend on factors such as the type of conveyor belt system. Optimisation of the second position for any given conveyor belt system is within the skill of persons skilled in the art.

[0030] In some embodiments, the roller system also has a detector for detecting a failure of the first roller. Alternatively, in more simplistic embodiments of the present invention, the roller system may not necessarily require a detector because detection of the failed roller is a manual task in which personnel perform routine inspections (or note roller failure in passing) e.g. because they can hear or see the damaged roller. For example, a person who is employed to walk the length of the conveyor belt and check the rollers (e.g. by looking at them and listening to them) could manually detect roller failure and actuate the actuator (as discussed below). Whilst manual detection of damaged rollers may not result in as rapid a detection of the failed roller compared to automatic detection, it is considered that such embodiments sill have numerous advantages over existing systems. [0031 ] In embodiments where the roller system has a detector, any detector that would be capable to detecting a failure of a roller may be used. In some

embodiments, the detector can detect the failure of the first roller by detecting an increased vibration of the roller. Upon detection of fatiure of (or damage to) the roller, the detector provides a signal whic can prompt actuation of the actuator to thereby remov the faulty roller f rom the system and replace ft with a new roller. Alternatively (or in addition), the detector may be capable of detecting failure of the first roller by detecting an increased noise level of the roller (e.g. using an acoustic detection method) or an increased heat of the roller (e.g. using a thermal imaging method).

[0032] The roller system also has an actuator that is operable to move the first roller away from the conveyor belt and the second roller into the first position. In some embodiments, the actuator may be remotely operable upon detection of the failure of the first roller. For example, when a roller fails, this may be detected by a computer controlling the system (such as a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system), which causes a command to be sent to a drive unit associated with the roller system to move the rollers to the destred positions.

[0033] In other embodiments, the actuator may be manually operable upon detection of failure or damage of the first roller. For example, if present, the detector may cause a warning light to become illuminated when it detects that the roller has failed or is damaged. Alternatively, a person may detect the failure during a routine inspection. In response, a person can physically actuate the actuator and hence switch the rollers while standing alongside the conveyor using any suitable means (e.g. a simple spanner, a gearbox or wheel mounted on a shaft, etc.}.

[00343 In some embodiments of the first aspect, the first and second roller holders may be provided on a membe that is moveable by the actuator. For example, the member (or a part thereof) may be coupled with the actuator such that it is moveable in order to switch the first (damaged) roller with the second (fresh) roller.

[0035] Similarly, in some embodiments of the second aspect, the first and second rollers may be mounted to a member that is moveable by the actuator. For example, the first and second rollers may both be provided on a member, with the member (o a part thereof) being coupled with the actuator such that it is moveable in order to switch the first (damaged) roller with the second (fresh) roller.

[0036] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the first and second roller holders may be provided on a rotating member, with the actuator being operable to rotate the rotating member. Similarly, in some embodiments of the second aspect, the first and second rollers ma be mounted to a rotating member, with the actuator being operable to rotate the rotating member. Thus, rotation of the rotating member causes the first roller to be rotated away from contact with the underside of the conveyor belt and, simultaneously, causes the second roller to be rotated towards the first position, where it can contact and support the underside of the conveyor belt. As will be appreciated, this mechanism would both allow the conveyor to continue running, which significantly reduces conveyor downtime currently being experienced by industry, and not require an operator to enter the conveyor system to replace th roller.

[0037] In other embodiments of the first aspect, the first and second roller holders may be provided on a sliding member and the actuator be operable to slide the sliding member to remove the failed roller and bring the standby roller into play.

Similarly, in other embodiments of the second aspect, the first and second rollers may be mounted to a sliding member and the actuator be operable to slide the member to remove the failed roller and bring the standby roller into play. In yet other embodiments, the second (standby) roller may be mounted on a second frame that sits at 90 degrees to the duty frame on which the first roller sits.

[0038] In some embodiments, the roller system may be adapted to eject the first roller from the roller system when the first roller is moved away from the conveyor belt (e.g. by physically pushing it out, or due to the action of gravity). In some embodiments, the system may be adapted to replace the ejected first roller with a new roller (e.g. from a cartridge containing replacement rollers),

[0039] In some embodiments, the roller system may further comprise a third roller that is beatable in a position remote from the conveyor belt, wherein the third roller is moveable into the first position upon detection of a failure of the second roller. As will be appreciated, in some embodiments the roller system may comprise more than three rollers, for example, four, five or six rollers, each of which are moveable into the first position upon detection of a failure of the preceding roller. An appropriate number of rollers for any given roller system and conveyor belt system can readily be determined by those skilled in the art, based on factors such as the weight of the roller system, longevity of the rollers, amount and types of materials being carried and infrastructure costs.

[0040] In some embodiments, the rollers may be mounted in a cylinder arrangement on a rotating member, similar to the cylinder of a revolver. The number of rollers in this configuration will depend on the particular conveyor belt system, but would be a minimum of 2 and a potential maximum of 6 or more rollers.

[0041] In some embodiments, the roller system of the present invention may be provided on a single frame (e.g. a troughing frame, a V-frame or a straight frame) adapted to be incorporated into a conveyor belt system. In some embodiments, separate sections of the frame may each comprise a roller system of the present invention. For example, a troughing frame typically has a central roller and two wing rollers on either side thereof. One or more of the central roller and wing rollers may be provided in the form of the roller system of the present invention.

[0042] The roller systems on each section of such a frame may be the same or different. For example, in some embodiments, the roller systems on the sections of the frame that will carry a majority of a load on the conveyor belt may have more replacement rollers than the roller systems on the sections of the frame that will carry less of th load on the conveyor belt. Typically, the roller systems on the sections of the frame that will carry a majority of the load on the conveyor belt may be centrally located on the frame and the roller systems on the sections of the frame that will carry less of the load on the conveyor belt at the periphery of the frame. In some embodiments, the frame may include one or more roller systems of the present invention and one or more conventional rollers.

[0043] In some embodiments, a conveyor roller frame (this covers all conveyor roller frame configurations, including but not limited to troughing frames, V frames and straight frames) has a common rail or shaft, with several roller systems fitted over the shaft, mounted on either bearings or bushes, and which can rotate around the common rail or shaft independently of each other. Each roller system has additional reserve rollers mounted thereon. The independent roller systems can carry the standard design rollers or any other design roller that utilizes the same or similar principle of mounting.

[0044] By way of example with reference to a specific embodiment, in use, when a roller fails and its failure is detected, the roller system that holds the failed roller is caused to rotate, either manually due to a person rotating its ^' shaft while standing alongside the conveyor (which can be done by various means, such as using a simple spanner or a gearbox or wheel mounted on each shaft, etc.) or automatically by various means (e.g. a command being sent via a computer which drives a unit that rotates the desired shaft to the desired position). As the roller system rotates,, it takes with it the failed roller, thereby removing it from service. The next reserve replacement roller that is mounted on the roller system then comes into service and supports the conveyor belt

[0045] The failed roller will remain in the roller system until such time as th system rotates sufficiently for the roller to drop out of its supports due to gravity. Depending on factors such as the number of replacement rollers, this could be after the shaft has rotated to the next roller, or the failed roller could remain in the system until several rollers have been replaced, before it reaches the stage where gravity makes it drop out. The failed roller may dro into a catching slide that directs the failed roller from inside the confines of the conveyor to a more accessible position where it can be safely collected for recycling or disposal. As the system rotates further due to more rollers being replaced, the opening from the ejected roller will come into contact with the next replacement roller that is waiting in a supply chute or slide, thereby allowing the new roller to enter its slot and thus reload / recharge the roller system.

[0046] In alternate embodiments, the failed rollers may remain in the roller system until all the rollers in the system have been used, and the operator then has to shut down the conveyor in order for personnel to enter the conveyor confines to remove all the failed rollers and recharge the roller system with new rollers. Whilst such a system still necessitates the conveyor system to be shut down, it would still be less often than is the case for existing conveyor systems. [0047] In some embodiments, several levels of features may b available, For example, basic models will be able to replace the failed rollers as above, but once all the rollers pre-mounted on the f ames have been exhausted, it will be necessary to shut down the conveyor so that the frames can be recharged with new rollers. "Top of the range" models may, however, include the capability to eject the failed roller onto a slide that will allow the failed roller to slip out from inside the conveyor onto a stand or bin, and will be able to take on a new replacement roller once the roller system rotates further, thus presenting the empty segment to a new replacement roller waiting in a supply chute or slide. Even with the most basic unit, however, the operator will get a minimum of double the life out of the rollers before needing to shutdown, thereby halving their production losses normally incurred due to roller failures.

[0048] The roller system of the present invention may be individually designed to suit any particular applications, conveyor widths, layouts, obstacles etc. In some embodiments, conventional roller frames could be used along medium-low wear sections of the conveyor belt systems, with the rolier systems of the present invention being used in medium -high wear sections. In some embodiments, th roller system of the present invention may be used on the return side of the conveyor as well as on the carrier side, as described herein.

[0049] Although greater set-up costs may be incurred in using the roller system of the present invention, it is envisaged that these will be more than compensated for because of the longevity provided by the present invention and the correspondingly fewer stoppages required.

[0050] Specific forms of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0051] Figure 1 shows a side view of a frame 10 for incorporation into a troughed conveyor belt system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. For clarity reasons, a number of components of a typical conveyor belt system are not shown in the attached drawings. For example, the attached drawings do not include components such as the conveyor belt itself, outer supports for the wing rollers, locking mechanisms, bushings, bearings, mounting or sealing arrangements. It is within the skill of a person skilled in the art to apply the disclosure set out herein to any given conveyor belt system.

[0052] Frame 10 has a central roller syste 14 on a drive shaft 16. Drive shaft 16 is attachable to mountings (not shown) via stringer mounts 18. Frame 10 also has left and right wing roller systems 20, 20, which are mounted to supports 22, 22 adjacent and at an angle (of about 30 degrees in frame 10) to central roller system 14. A conveyor belt for carrying a product (not shown for clarity) is positionable over the central 14 and wing 20, 20 roller systems. As a greater proportion of the weight of the product will be borne by the central roller system 14 (compared to the wing roller systems 20, 20), rollers in the central roller system 14 are more likely to break down than those in the wing roller systems 20, 20, Accordingly, as will be described below, the central roller system 14 has more rollers than the wing roller systems 20, 20.

[0053] Central roller system 14 has a rotating chamber 24, which carries four rollers; one duty roller 26, two standby rollers 28, 28 and either a failed roller 31 or a third standby roller 28 (see Figure 2). Rotating chamber 24 can be rotated (either clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on the system requirements) by drive shaft 16 such that a duty roller 26 can be replaced with a standby roller 28 upon detection of failure of the duty roller 26. Failure of the duty roller 26 is detected b detector 30, which is adapted to detect a higher level of vibration of the duty roller 26 and rotating chamber 24 than usual, which is indicative of failure of the duty roller 26. Drive shaft 1 can be manually rotatable, for example by providing a wheel at one end thereof (not shown) for turning by an operator, or remotely rotatable. for example using; a motor (not shown) attached to the drive shaft 16 that is controlled (either via a computer or by a person upon notification of the failure) from a control room. Failed roller 31 (see Figure 2) is thereby removed from contact with the conveyor belt.

[0054] Each of wing rollers 20, 20 hav a similar rotating chamber 32. Rotating chamber 32 carries a duty roller 34, one standby roller 36 and a detector 38- When detector 38 detects a higher degree of vibration of the duty roller 34 and rotating chamber 32 than usual, it sends a signal that results in the rotating chamber 32 being rotated to switch duty roller 34 with standb roller 36 (via similar mechanisms to those described above in relation to the central roller system 14). As. will be appreciated, wing roller systems could also be provided without a detector, with detection of failure of the duty roller being detected by the other methods of detection described above.

[0055] Failed rollers can be removed from the central roller system 14 and wing roller systems 20, 20 either manually by an operator or via an automatic process. In one such automatic process, failed rollers can be automatically dispensed into a bin and replaced from a stock of replacement rollers (not shown in the drawings). For example, as a rotating chamber with four rollers (i.e. similar to central rotating chamber 14) rotates clockwise (for example) by 90 degrees, the roller that has just failed moves from its duty position into a standby position. When the next duty roller fails, the rotating chamber rotates a further 90 degrees such that the original failed roller is at the lowermost point of the rotating chamber. Once in this position, either a locking mechanism releases to allow the roller to fall out of the rotating chamber or the roller falls out due to gravity, leaving a space for receiving a fresh standby roller. Upon the next 90 degree rotation of the rotating chamber, the empty space becomes aligned with a cartridge containing standby rollers, one of which slides into position on the rotating chamber, ready for use as the duty roller upon failure of the current duty roller and further rotation of the rotating cylinder. As will be appreciated, ail that is required to maintain such a system is to ensure that the cartridge containing standby rollers is sufficiently full.

[00563 Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a frame 100 for incorporation into a troughed conveyor belt system in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention. Again, for clarity reasons, a number of components of a typical conveyor belt system are not shown in the attached drawings. It is within the ability of a person skilled in the art to apply the disclosure set out herein to any given conveyor belt system.

[0057] Frame 100 has a central roller system 1 14 on a drive shaft 1 16. Drive shaft 1 16 is attachable to mountings (not shown) via stringer mounts 1 18. Frame 100 also has left and right wing roller systems 120, 120, which are mounted to inner supports 122, 122 adjacent to central roller system 1 14, and which locate the wing roller systems 120, 120 at an angle (of about 30 degrees in frame 100) to central roller system 1 14. Outer supports 1 23, 123 support an outer side of left and right wing roller systems 1 0, 120. [0058] A conveyor belt for carrying a product (not shown for clarity) is positionable over the central 1 14 and wing 120, 120 roiler systems. As a greater proportion of the weight of the product will be borne by the central roiler system 1 14 (compared to the wing roller systems 120, 120), rollers in the central roller system 1 14 are more likely to break down than those in the wing roller systems 1 0, 120. Accordingly, as wiil be described below, the central roller system 1 14 has more rollers than the wing roller systems 120, 120.

[0059] Central roller system 1 14 has a rotating chamber 124, which carries four rollers; one duty roller 126, two standby rollers 28, 128 and either a failed roller 131 (see Figure 4) or a third standby roiler 128 (not shown in the Figures). Rotating chamber 124 can be rotated (either clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on the system requirements) by drive shaft 1 16 such that the duty roiler 126 can be replaced with a standby roiler 128 upon detection of failure of the duty roller 126. Failure of the duty roller 126 is detected by a detector (not shown in Figures 3 and 4), which is adapted to detect a higher level of vibration of the duty roller 1 26 and rotating chamber 124 than usual, which is indicative of failure of the duty roller 126. Drive shaft 1 16 can be manually rotatable, for example by providing wheel (not shown) at one end thereof for turning by an operator, or remotely rotatable, for example using a motor (not shown) attached to the drive shaft 1 16 that is controlled (either via a computer or by a person upon notification of the failure) from a control room. Failed roller 131 is thereby removed from contact with the conveyor belt.

[0060] Each of wing roller systems 120 are joined to a rotating sieeve 132 via the inner 12 and outer 123 supports for each wing roiler system 1 0, which are mounted on rotating sleeve 132. As can be seen in Figure 4, rotating sleeve 132 rotates around a sheath 133 provided around drive shaft 1 16, with the sheath 133 being attached to the stringer mounts 1 18. Although not shown, it wiil be appreciated that rotating sleeve 132, sheath 133 and drive shaft 1 16 will ail be separated by appropriate bushings etc. to ensure smooth rotation.

[0061 ] Wing roller system 120 carries a duty roiler 134, and two standby rollers 136, 136 (or one standby roller and a failed roller) and a detector (not shown). When the detector detects a higher degree of vibration of the duty roiler 134 and rotating sleeve 132 than usual, It sends a signal that results in the rotating sleeve 132 being rotated to switch duty roller 134 with standby roller 136 (via similar mechanisms to those described above in relation to the centrai roller system 114). As will be appreciated, wing roller system 120 could also be provided without a detector, with detection of failure of the duty roller 134 being detected by the other methods of detection described above.

[00623 Failed rollers can be removed from the central roller system 1 14 and wing roller systems 120, 120 either manually by an operator or via an automatic process, for example, as discussed above.

[0063] Whilst there have been described herein particular embodiments of a roller system for a conveyor belt, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative only, and it is to be appreciated that modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,

[0064] As will be appreciated, embodiments of the present invention can provide numerous advantages, including, but not limited to:

• overcoming the need to stop production and isolate the conveyor so that a failed roller can be replaced;

• overcoming the production losses normally incurred due to roller failures which, depending on the industry, can be in excess of $1 per hour, per conveyor circuit;

• overcoming the potential of damage to conveyor belts due to production needs dictating that the conveyor cannot be stopped at that stage, and as a result the sharp pieces of failed roller cause damage and/or premature wear to the belt;

• reducing the time taken to replace a failed roller (estimated at less than two

minutes, whereas the current industry average to replace a failed roller is around one hour, due to having to run at! the product off the conveyor, shut it down, isolate the conveyor, lift the belt, change out the roller, lower the belt, de-isolate and run up the conveyor then re-introduce product;

• anyone provided with basic training on the operation of the units can execute the roller replacement, so there is no need for qualified trades persons to do the job, i s: thereby freeing up the trades persons for other more complicated or beneficial work;

• there is no need for specialist tools to lift the belt in order for the trades person to lift out the failed roller and to fit a replacement roller;

• improves safety, thereby injuries to persons typically encountered when replacing failed rollers (hand injuries and back strain) will be greatly reduced;

• overcoming the inherent problem of injuries to personnel due to the reduced need for manual handling in cramped and difficult areas, and not having to put personnel in potentially dangerous situations; and

• eliminating the risks involved using current methods of changing damaged rollers in conveyor systems that operate at height and/or over water.

[0065] The words "comprise", "comprising" and grammaticai variations thereof, when used in this specification and in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence of the recited features, but not preclude the addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps or groups.