FORMING A POCKET FOR MATERIAL RETENTION

Field of the invention

This invention relates to a guard that in use shall act as a defence against wear.

Background of the invention This invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to a demountable lining for a receptacle, such as conduits and containers, used in the transportation and/or storage of abrasive particulate materials, such as coal. However, it will be appreciated that the invention may be used in other applications where there occurs excessive wear as a consequence of contact with particulate materials passing there over, such as dirt chutes and hoppers, and sugar mill washers.

Various bins and chutes made of steel are used for the transportation and storage of particulate material, such as coal. Theses bins and chutes typically include one or more walls, including a floor.

Due to the course nature of coal, the flow of coal across these walls can be rather abrasive necessitating the repair and/or replacement of selected wall portions and, in extreme cases, the replacement of the entire bin or chute.

The repair and/or the replacement of selected wall portions will often necessitate that processing of coal cease until the bin or chute is either repaired or replaced. Consequently the costs associated with the repair and/or replacement of bins and chutes can be considerable, as too may be the revenue that is lost due to a cessation of production.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a guard which alleviates at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art and which will be reliable and efficient in use. Summary of the invention

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect relates to a guard for use with abrasive particulate material, said guard including: a body having an external face and an opposing internal face, and a leading edge portion and an opposing trailing edge portion; at least two elongate wear elements that extend upwardly from said external face and generally transversely across said external face, said wear elements being arranged one behind the other, and wherein said wear elements include a base portion and an opposing crest portion, said base portion and said crest portion being connected by an intermediate portion having a leading face and a trailing face, and said crest portion having a lip portion that extends outwardly in the general direction of said leading edge portion and which overhangs a portion of said external face adjacent said base portion such that said trailing surface of a first said wear element combines with said lip portion and said leading face of a second said wear element to form a pocket that in use may retain therein particulate material which in turn shall provide at least some protection of said external face from wear caused by the particulate material.

The guard may further include connecting means for connecting the guard to one or more adjacent guards. For example, one or more edge portions of the guard may be adapted to abutting edge portions of an adjacent guard in an interlocking manner. The guard may also include attachment means for attaching the guard to a wall of a supporting structure, such as a bin or chute. For example, the attachment means may include one or more apertures in the body portion through which a respective mechanical fastener may extend.

The guard is preferably manufactured from a material having good wear resistant properties. For example, the guard may be manufactured from steel, such as a heat treated steel. In another aspect, this invention relates to a demountable lining for a receptacle, such as a conduit or a container, used in the transportation and/or storage of abrasive particulate materials, such as coal, said demountable lining including: at least two guards arranged side by side ^' , said guards each including a body having an external face and an opposing internal face, and a leading edge portion and an opposing trailing edge portion; at least two elongate wear elements that extend upwardly from said external face and generally transversely across said external face, said wear elements being arranged one behind the other, and wherein said wear elements include a base portion and an opposing crest portion, said base portion and said crest portion being connected by an intermediate portion having a leading face and a trailing face, and said crest portion having a lip portion that extends outwardly in the general direction of said leading edge portion and which overhangs a portion of said external face adjacent said base portion such that said trailing surface of a first said wear element combines with said lip portion and said leading face of a second said wear element to form a pocket that in use may retain therein particulate material which in turn shall provide at least some protection of said external face from wear caused by the particulate material.

The guard may further include connecting means for connecting the guard to one or more adjacent guards. For example, one or more edge portions of the guard may be adapted to engage abutting edge portions of an adjacent guard in an interlocking manner.

The guard may also include attachment means for attaching the guard to a wall of a supporting structure, such as a bin or chute. For example, the attachment means may include one or more apertures in the body portion through which a respective mechanical fastener may extend.

The guard may also include lifting means for assisting persons to lift guards when removing or replacing guards that are affixed to a supporting structure. For example, the guard may include one or more mountings to which lifting chains or the like may be attached. In still yet another embodiment this invention relates to an improved receptacle, such as a conduit or a container, used in the transportation and/or storage of abrasive particulate materials, such as coal, said receptacle including: at least one wall to which there is affixed at least one guard, said guard including a body having an external face and an opposing internal face, and a leading edge portion and an opposing trailing edge portion; at least two elongate wear elements that extend upwardly from said external face and generally transversely across said external face, said wear elements being arranged one behind the other, and wherein said wear elements include a base portion and an opposing crest portion, said base portion and said crest portion being connected by an intermediate portion having a leading face and a trailing face, and said crest portion having a lip portion that extends outwardly in the general direction of said leading edge portion and which overhangs a portion of said external face adjacent said base portion such that said trailing surface of a first said wear element combines with said lip portion and said leading face of a second said wear element to form a pocket that in use may retain therein particulate material, and whereby said guard is affixed to said wall in a manner whereby in use the particulate material will generally flow over said external face of said guard from said leading edge portion to said trailing edge portion.

Preferably all, or at least a significant proportion, of the receptacle wall is covered by a plurality of guards arranged side by side. Further, each guard may include connecting means for connecting the guard to one or more adjacent guards. For example, one or more edge portions of the guard may be adapted to abutting edge portions of an adjacent guard in an interlocking manner.

Preferably the guards are releasably connected to the wall thereby enabling a damaged guard to be easily replaced by a fresh guard. Accordingly each guard may include attachment means attachment means for attaching the guard to the wall. For example, the attachment means may include one or more apertures in the body portion through which a respective mechanical fastener may extend. Brief description of the drawings

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: Fig.1 is a plan view of a guard constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the guard looking in the direction of arrows "A";

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the guard when in use;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a demountable liner for a receptacle that is constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of another guard constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of wear plates according to the invention on a drag line bucket; Fig. 7 is an isometric view illustrating the profile of section C in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an exploded view isometric view of a bolt detail use to retain wear members in place;

Fig. 9 is a side view of a bolt detail shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of section A in Fig. 6; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of section B in Fig. 6. Detailed description of the embodiments

Figures 1 and 3 show a guard 10 that includes a substantially rectangular shaped, plated like, body 11 having an external face 12 and an opposing internal face 13. The body 11 also includes a leading edge portion, or side, 14 and an opposing trailing edge portion, or side, 15, which are connected by two opposing side edge portions 16 and 17.

The guard 10 also includes four, substantially parallel, wear elements 18, 19, 20 and 21 that extend transversely across the external face 12 from side edge portion 16 to side edge portion 17. Further the body 11 and the wear elements 18, 19, 20 and 21 are preferably of integral construction. For example, the guard may be a steel casting that has been subsequently heat treated.

Each wear element 18, 19, 20 and 21 include a base portion 22 and an opposing crest portion 23. The crest portion further includes a lip portion 24 that extends generally outwardly therefrom in the direction of the leading edge portion 14 and which overhangs a portion 25 of the external face 12 separating the base portions 22 of adjacent wear elements.

The base portion 22 and the crest portion 23 are connected by an intermediate portion 26 having a rearwardly inclined leading face 27 that connects the lip portion 24 to the base portion 22 and an opposing, rearwardly inclined, trailing face 28 that connects a trailing edge portion of the crest portion 23 to a trailing portion of the base portion 22.

The trailing face 28 of one wear element in combination with the lip portion 24 and leading face 27 of an adjacent preceding wear element and the external face 12 separating the two wear elements form a pocket 30 that is adapted in use to retain therein particulate material 100 flowing generally across the guard from the leading edge portion 15 to the trailing edge portion 16, as shown in figure 3 in particular. Further, while the exposed crest of each wear element may in use suffer some wear, it is believed that the collection of particulate material in each of the pockets 30 will provide form essentially a layer of particulate material that shall protect the concealed portions of the guard 10 and any underlying structure to which the guard is attached from wear.

The guard 10 also includes attachment means 31 for releasably securing the guard to a supporting structure, not shown, such as an internal wall of a receptacle, such as a bin or chute. In particular, the attachment mean 31 includes a plurality of apertures 32 each consisting of a hexagonal shaped recess 33 that communicates with a cylindrically shaped bore 34.

In use, threaded fasteners locatatable within respective apertures 32 may be used to releasably secure the guard 10 to a support structure.

Fig. 6 shows wear plates or guards 10 bolted to the underside and around the back face of a drag line bucket. The wear plates 20 around the edge radius of the underside of the bucket are preferably welded in place but may also be bolted. Fig. 7 shows an isometric view of a wear plate used in Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 show a bolting arrangement used in the invention in which a cast nut protection 50 has locating studs (not shown) for locating into the bucket floor 51. A bolt 52 extends through wear member 55 and floor 51 and cast nut protector 50 to engage with nut 54 which sits in a recess 56 in the protector 50. This arrangement secures the wear plate and bucket floor together. Multiple bolts and bolting arrangements are provided across the wear plate.

Figs. 10 and 11 show enlarged views of sections A and B respectively and illustrate where wear plates 57, 58 can be attached to protect high wear areas.

The crest portions 23 of the wear elements 18 and 20 protrude transversely beyond the side edge portion 17. The shape of these protrusions 36 and 37 respectively are adapted to compliment the shape of recesses 38 and 39 respectively formed in the opposite ends of the wear elements 18 and 20. The crest portions 23 of the wear elements 19 and 21 protrude transversely beyond the side edge portion 16. The shape of these protrusions 40 and 41 respectively are adapted to compliment the shape of recesses 42 and 43 respectively formed in the opposite ends of the wear elements 19 and 21. In use, multiple guards 10 may be arranged side by side as shown in figure 4 so as to form a demountable liner 50 for a receptacle, such as a bin or a chute. If a particular guard is either damaged or has suffered excessive wear, the guard may be easily replaced with a fresh guard by removing the threaded fasteners securing the old guard to the supporting structure, such as an internal well of the bin or chute. It is also believed that the manner by which the side edge portion 16 of one guard meshes with the side edge portion 17 of an adjacent guard will inhibit excessive wear that the guards might have otherwise suffered if the side edges were substantially straight and there existed a small, substantially straight channel, separating adjacent guards. Figure 5 shows an alternative guard 110 that is very similar in appearance to guard 10. The guard 110 includes a substantially rectangular shaped, plated like, body 111 having an external face 112 and an opposing internal face 113. The body 111 also includes a leading edge portion, or side, 114 having an inclined front face 115 and an opposing trailing edge portion, or side, 116 having an inclined rear face 117. The leading edge portion 114 and the trailing edge portion 116 are connected by two opposing side edge portions.

The guard 110 also includes four, substantially parallel, wear elements 118, 119, 120 and 12 that extend transversely across the external face 112 from one side edge portion to the other opposing side edge portion. Further the body 111 and the wear elements 118, 119, 120 and 121 are preferably of integral construction. For example, the guard may be a steel 15 casting that has been subsequently heat treated.

Each wear element 118, 119, 120 and 121 includes a base portion 122 and an opposing crest portion 123. The crest portion further includes a lip portion 124 that extends generally outwardly therefrom in the direction of the leading edge portion 114 and which overhangs a portion 125 of the external face 12 separating the base portions 122 of adjacent wear elements.

The base portion 122 and the crest portion 123 are connected by an intermediate portion 126 having a rearwardly inclined leading face 127 that connects the lip portion 124 to the base portion 122 and an opposing, rearwardly inclined, trailing face 128 that connects a trailing edge portion of the crest portion 123 to a trailing portion of the base portion 122.

The trailing face 128 of one wear element in combination with the lip portion 124 and leading face 127 of an adjacent preceding wear element and the external face 112 separating the two wear elements form a pocket 130 that is adapted in use to retain therein particulate material flowing generally across the guard from the leading edge portion 114 to the trailing edge portion 116.

The guard 110 also includes attachment means 131 for releasably securing the guard to a supporting structure, not shown, such as an internal wall of a receptacle, such as a bin or chute. In particular, the attachment mean 131 includes a plurality of apertures 132 each consisting of a hexagonal shaped recess 133 that communicates with a cylindrically shaped bore 134.

In use, threaded fasteners locatatable within respective apertures 132 may be used to releasably secure the guard 110 to a supporting structure.

Like the guard 10, the guard 110 may include side edge portions that are adapted to engage with complementary shaped side edge portions of an adjacent guard 110 in an interlocking manner.

In use the inclined face 115 of a first guard 110 is adapted to abut against the inclined face 17 of a like guard 110 when the two guards are arranged end to end. Further, it is believed that the inclined faces 115 and 117 will inhibit particulate material passing therebetween and becoming lodged behind the internal face 113. It is also believed that the inclusion of the inclined faces 115 and 117 will help with the retention of the guards 110 against a supporting structure.

It is will be appreciated that multiple guards 10 and/or 110 may be used to form a demountable liner of a bin having a base wall and one or more side walls. It is believed that the guards 10 will be most suitable for use as the lining for the base wall and that guards 110 may be used to form the lining for the side walls.

It will of course be realized that while the foregoing description has been given by way of example of this invention, all other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as herein defined in the appended claims.